[Sculpt]

Ya, I think you're right about the time period The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was made as being important. When it came out, there was buzz about it being a true story. And the opening text (basically) says that it is. I think Hooper starts with a documentary feel, and then seamlessly moves into a POV and then multiple POV, so-to-speak. It's very 'this is what happened' and 'you were there' without the announcer. I think that was what it nailed.

I know some folks liked the sequel (TCSM2 86). I hated it. It was a completely different mindset. The murdering family became the stars and anti-heros. And it featured tongue-in-cheek humor (meant to really be funny). Those two things are alien to the original.

I don't know what Hooper was thinking. Have to read about it sometime. Maybe he thought a sequel in the same vein was ridiculous, so it was mocking the audience; who knows.

The only horror sequel, that I can think of, that followed the same mindset as the original was Halloween 2. Was done by a different director, and considered a flop. Capturing the subtly of Carpenter was mostly unsuccessful.