The Film:

I don’t care what anyone says, Saw is not James Wan’s best film. Not by a long shot. It’s really well made and it has a drop-your-dick-in-the-dirt ending, but in pales in comparison to the atmospheric beauty of Dead Silence and the balls-out action seen in Death Sentence. I hope that everyone can look past his first film that that has led to six sequels and millions of dollars being deposited into the Lionsgate bank account. From a marketing point of view, I can’t blame studios from tagging their trailers with the label “From the director/creator of Saw.” I guess that’s really aimed at getting as many butts in the theaters as possible. This strategy might not change for whatever film James does after Insidious, but who cares, his latest film is exactly what the horror genre needs after being ambushed with endless remakes for the last thirteen years.

Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) move their family into a lovely new home to raise their children. Their oldest son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls deep into a coma after coming under attack from otherworldly figures who are trying to punch their way into our world through the boy, who has the gift of astral projection (astral travel), which is an interpretation of one form of out-of-body experience where you separate from your physical body and travel outside it. This other side is not an ILM created backdrop like in Poltergeist II, “The Further” stretches beyond our world to a parallel universe that is home to a Darth Maul-ish figure that has insidious plans for Milton’s idle body.

It is such a blessing for a filmmaker in 2011 to take the ordinary, everyday life of a family like in The Exorcist and descend them into monochromatic creepiness of movies like The Innocents and Carnival of Souls. Wan has been trying to prove he is more than a gore-monger and wanted to replace blood and guts with chills and suspense. He and writer Leigh Whannell, who appears in the flick as part of a paranormal team, have patience and allow you to care for these people before cranking up the dread and unease. What does every great scary film have? Great music – and Joseph Bishara delivers a nail-biting score that ebbs its way into Halloween and The Shining turf with instruments that will fry your goddamn nerves! Astute genre fans will recognize Barbara Hershey, who is no stranger to battling supernatural forces, as the veteran actress played Carla Moran in the 1982 film The Entity.

Now let’s get to the PG-13 rating: it’s inconsequential. Do I really need to caution the ignorant that Jaws, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Gremlins were all PG? James Wan has said, and I quote, “I want Insidious to be this generation’s Poltergeist.” I am happy to report he has succeeded and directed the scariest horror film I have seen since Poltergeist, which was also rated PG. Beautiful, mystic, and surrealistic – James Wan has his crowning achievement with Insidious as he has ceremoniously broken “The Splat Pack” chain that he has been pigeonholed to since Saw.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Sony doesn’t scare us with a bad HD presentation, as they’re up to their usual high standards. Colors and details are extremely high, and for all of those dark shadows and nook and cranny’s in the film, the transfer holds up well without the usual pitfalls a lesser company couldn’t handle. The DTS is perfectly executed. The movie sound mix is standard issue horror design, but that only helps the scare factor in this robust mix.

Horror 101: In an odd sounding extra, Writer Leigh Whannell and Director James Wan talk about the film, the genre, and the production, in a good-natured interview piece. This acts as a commentary, which we don’t get.

On Set with Insidious: Here’s your typical EPK making-of. Finally, we get Insidious Entities, which examines the spooks in the film, with all of our BD-Live extras.

The Film: Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Legends

The Shape/Michael Myers, Halloween (1978)

This infamous face is one of the plainest masks in horror history, and yet it remains the most terrifying. Perhaps William Shatner is to blame for that, as the mask was created in his likeness. Fashioned from a Captain Kirk Halloween mask, the pale, emotionless face perfectly matches the cold, soulless demeanor of “The Shape” (as Carpenter’s killer was known back then). Together with that blue jumpsuit, the mask has solidified Michael Myers as a horror icon.

Leatherface, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Few things are more terrifying than a nut-job who wears other people’s skin – especially when said nut-job is an inbred, mentally-challenged, chainsaw-wielding cannibal. The Sawyer boy’s tendency to wear the skin of his victims as masks was inspired by real-life killer, Ed Gein. The look is such an integral part of the character that it has become his name – Leatherface. “Bubba” and “Junior” have been thrown around as possible monikers for the killer, but those names will never make you shudder like “Leatherface” does.

Jason Voorhees, Friday the 13^th: Part III (1982)

Jason has undergone numerous makeovers during the course of the franchise, from deformed boy to sack-headed hillbilly to full-on zombie, but only one look is recognized by anyone aged 5 to 95 – the hockey mask. Thanks to Jason, this otherwise harmless piece of fiberglass has become a symbol of terror. Even goalies stopped wearing this style of mask, so the look is truly Jason’s now (well, and Casey Jones). Either way, when you see this face coming at you, you know to run the other way.

Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Unlike the other entries on this list, Hannibal did not wear this mask for his kills, or even by choice. But who can deny the terrifying imagery of the infamous cannibal in his mouth restraint? From the nose down, it somewhat resembles the iconic Jason Voorhees mask. Only with Hannibal, we can see his eyes – those bat-shit crazy eyes. The purpose of this mask is to prevent you from becoming dinner but the image definitely doesn’t evoke a feeling of safety. The mere concept of a grown man having to wear a muzzle like some rabid Rottweiler is quite unnerving.

Jack Griffin, The Invisible Man (1933)

One of the legendary Universal monsters, the Invisible Man wears a mask of bandages to make himself seen. The scientist behind the monster is Dr. Griffin, a man who discovered the secret of invisibility. His newfound ability drives him insane and he starts killing people. The bandage face with sunglasses is one of the oldest and most recognizable masks in the horror genre.

The Cult Favorites

The “Yellow Raincoat Killer”, Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

Like Don’t Look Now for the slasher crowd, this thriller is full of striking imagery, creepy children, and strong characters. But Alice has something that movie did not – a killer in one freaking scary mask. In addition to the memorable yellow raincoat he/she wears, the villain obscures their face with one of those transparent, plastic masks with the makeup painted on. This look reiterates what Michael Myers taught us – a frozen human face is scarier than any monster mask.

The Miner, My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Twenty years after a tragic mining accident, someone is killing the locals, and everyone believes it is Harry Warden, the sole survivor of the accident. After killing the miners who almost killed him over a Valentine’s Day dance, Harry warned the town to never throw the dance again. Now, two decades later, the town has disobeyed his warning. Wearing a gas mask, headlamp, and mining jumpsuit, the Miner dispatches his victims with a pickaxe. It’s a practical look, given Harry’s old profession, but his monstrous appearance is sure to inspire nightmares.

Irving Wallace, Stage Fright: Aquarius (1987)

Not to be confused with the similarly-named Hitchcock thriller or Ozploitation flick, Michele Soavi’s 1987 slasher film follows a group of stage actors who become locked inside a theatre with actor-turned-maniac, Irving Wallace, who has recently escaped the loony bin. The killer dons a giant owl head (a prop from the play) and picks the thespians off one-by-one. Amusing as the owl head may be, it is equally creepy, especially those beady bird eyes.

The “Groucho Killer”, Terror Train (1980)

While the killer in this film wears the familiar Groucho Marx mask for only a small portion of the film, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this mask-heavy cult classic. A group of graduating college students takes a “steam engine excursion” wherein they have a drunken masquerade aboard a locomotive. Unbeknownst to them, a killer has snuck aboard and uses the victims’ masks to get around discretely. The first of which is a Groucho mask, an image that has become synonymous with this film. Who knew the lovable Groucho could be so evil?

The Prowler, The Prowler (1981)

A jilted World War II veteran returns home and murders his ex-girlfriend on the night of their graduation dance. Thirty-five years later, at another graduation dance, the kids are being picked off by a masked killer in WWII fatigues. The Prowler’s mask is basically just a closed-up hood, but it effectively turns his/her face into an eerie, shapeless black figure. Combat boots, a helmet, and a trench knife complete the look. Don’t ask me why he has a pitchfork, though – just enjoy the Prowler’s kills, courtesy of Tom Savini.

The Newcomers

Jigsaw, Saw (2004)

I decided I could only choose one pig mask for this list, and despite my love of Farmer Vincent in Motel Hell, I am giving it to Jigsaw for sheer scares, as opposed to laughs. Call it trite but the mask, the robe, and the inexplicable wig all make for a creepy bad guy. One year on Halloween, I dressed as Farmer Vincent and every kid I encountered said, “Cool, it’s the Saw guy!” As much as that irked this horror snob, it goes to show you what an impact the look has had on modern youth. Jigsaw is doing to kids today what Freddy Krueger did to children of the 80s.

Leslie Vernon, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Quickly becoming a horror icon, Leslie Vernon gives us a peak behind-the-scenes of the slasher subgenre. Wearing a Myers-inspired mask with large, hollow eyes and a down-turned mouth, Leslie aims to become the next horror legend by taking a camera crew along for his exploits. Behind the Mask is one of the better horror offerings in the last decade, and like Scream, it pokes fun at its own genre clichés.

Sam, Trick r’ Treat (2007)

If scarecrows did not already ruin burlap sacks for you, then Sam ought to do the trick. With button eyes and a stitched-in smile, the little guy looks harmless. But don’t let the orange footie pajamas fool you – disobey the rules of Halloween and you will get a jagged lollipop in your eye. Sam proves that size does not matter, especially with a potato sack on your head that keeps everyone wondering, What the hell is under there?? I actually wish I didn’t know – Sam is a lot scarier with his mask on.

Man in the Mask, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl, The Strangers (2008)

This home invasion horror has not one, but three masked foes. Even creepier, it is implied that these masked terrors are a family unit – father, mother, daughter. Each wears a different scary mask – the “dad” in a pillowcase-like sack with droopy eye and mouth holes; the “mom” in porcelain china-doll mask; and the “daughter” in a wide-eyed babydoll face. The trio terrifies a young couple for seemingly no reason. Most of the scares in the film are attributable to the incredibly creepy masks, without which the movie would not be the same.

Chrome Skull, Laid to Rest (2009)

Amidst the shit-storm of horror remakes and crappy sequels out there, Laid to Rest shows that original, masked slasher villains are not just a thing of the past. With the exception of Leslie Vernon, true slasher killers on-screen are hard to find these days. While that film aimed for parody, Laid to Rest shoots to be a hardcore slasher. Chrome Skull – a tall man dressed in black with a chrome skull mask – wields twin knuckle knives and videotapes his kills from a camera on his shoulder. Not unlike Leatherface, the mask names the killer, and proves that old-school slashers are not dead.

Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) move their family into a lovely new home to raise their children. Their oldest son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls deep into a coma after coming under attack from otherworldy figures who are trying to punch their way into our world through the boy, who has the gift of astral projection (astral travel), which is an interpretation of one form of out-of-body experience where you separate from your physical body and travel outside it. This other side is not an ILM created backdrop like in Poltergeist II, “The Further” stretches beyond our world to a parallel universe that is home to a Darth Maul-ish figure that has insidious plans for Milton’s idle body.

It is such a blessing for a filmmaker in 2011 to take the ordinary, everyday life of a family like in The Exorcist and descend them into monochromatic creepiness of movies like The Innocents and Carnival of Souls. Wan has been trying to prove he is more than a gore-monger and wanted to replace blood and guts with chills and suspense. He and writer Leigh Whannell, who appears in the flick as part of a paranormal team, have patience and allow you to care for these people before cranking up the dread and unease. What does every great scary film have? Great music – and Joseph Bishara delivers a nail-biting score that ebbs its way into Halloween and The Shining turf with instruments that will fry your goddamn nerves! Astute genre fans will recognize Barbara Hershey, who is no stranger to battling supernatural forces, as the veteran actress played Carla Moran in the 1982 film The Entity.

Now let’s get to the PG-13 rating: it’s inconsequential. Do I really need to caution the ignorant that Jaws, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Gremlins were all PG? James Wan has said, and I quote, “I want Insidious to be this generation’s Poltergeist.” I am happy to report he has succeeded and directed the scariest horror film I have seen since Poltergeist, which was also rated PG. Beautiful, mystic, and surrealistic – James Wan has his crowning achievement with Insidious as he has ceremoniously broken “The Splat Pack” chain that he has been pigeonholed to since Saw.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Fans of the game claimed it was like playing an interactive movie, so it might be a no-brainer for this video game-to-movie adaptation. As one fan told me late last year, Jigsaw has nothing on the Origami Killer. Sweet. Thoughts?

Source: Dread Central

The Film:

A wise man once said, “All I have in this world is my balls and my word, and I don’t break them for nobody.” Okay, it was Tony Montana, but that’s not entirely true in the world of horror, as we’ve seen plenty of so-called “final chapters”, then that promise is broken as we get another sequel…and another sequel. It’s the best marketing ploy a franchise has this deep in the game. Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter. A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy’s Dead. Halloween: H20. All liars. So where does this leave one of horror most successful franchise in Saw: The Final Chapter?

It’s game over (perhaps finally), but Saw: The Final Chapter (formerly known as in theaters, Saw 3D) feels a lot like Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. It’ll be the black sheep of the Saw series.

The film picks up seconds after Saw VI ended, leaving one hellbent Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), who now knows he was being played by Jigsaw all along, and seemingly with Jill (Betsy Russell) as the cleaner of all of Jigsaw’s loose ends, she becomes Hoffman’s primary target, as he’s executing an escape plan, by cleaning everything up once and for all. Neat set-up, and with all of the possible loose ends being tied up, Saw: The Final Chapter really does feel like the finale of the series, yet it stutter-steps early and often, with a secondary story of a survivor from Jigsaw’s wicked traps, Bobby Dragen (Sean Patrick Flanery) exploiting this fact for a new self-help book.

This story opens up too many plot holes. It also feels neglected once the final act begins, leaving it as a weak excuse for a further sequel. Since Saw III, the series has had to find an inventive excuse for Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) to be in the films, even though he is dead. In Saw: The Final Chapter, Jigsaw is all but a cameo, leaving the film squarely on Hoffman’s arc, which creates this uneasy feeling of Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. That film has long been titled the worst of the series to some Jason fans, while over time other Jason fans relish the dark nature and kills, but no matter what, it’s the black sheep of that series because the film doesn’t include Jason. Same for Saw: The Final Chapter. Hoffman is a terrorizing bad-ass, but he’s no Jigsaw.

While the 3D theatrically wasn’t as strong as other 3D horror films, Saw: The Final Chapter‘s traps and subsequent carnage is some of the top kills in the entire series. The “car trap” is one of the sickest, goriest, traps in all of the now seven films. Saw: The Final Chapter delivers the carnage to new heights, seemingly as if the MPAA fell asleep during its rating review. Good stuff. As subtitled, the film does feel like an actual “final chapter”, with a finale and twist that bring the series full circle and should leave every Saw fan talking.

If viewed as a solo film, disconnected from the previous six, it’s a decent time. Yet, as a continuation of those six films, Saw fans are trapped. Too many plot holes, despite the (yeah, I call it awesome) ending, the hour before it is sloppily handled. Saw: The Final Chapter will divide Saw fans.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Lionsgate offers us a nice HD presentation. First of all, this isn’t the 3D image. That’s on the 3D Blu-ray only. So going back to 2D, LGF gives us a typical looking HD print. Saw films have always been desaturated, grainy, and dimly lit, so the transfer holds it up well, but doesn’t wow. Colors are bold, well for the yellows and greens, and the blacks are really dark.

The DTS track is a relentless force. Loud, eerie, bass-heavy, it’s a booming horror mix that will please home theater enthusiasts.

Commentaries: LGF gives us two, and two different ones. The best is obviously with the writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. They’re always informative and engaging, offering us plenty of cool info on the final film here. The other is with the producers, which is better than most producer tracks, offering a different look at the film from the money-loving eyes. Would’ve been great to here the director, but sadly, with the battle between this project and his once hiring on PA2, it’s not that shocking Kevin Greutert isn’t here.

Deleted Scenes: We got some neat scenes here filled with more gore and further character moments. Don’t expect much to further the film, but interesting the same. In HD.

52 Ways to Die: Nothing more than a collection of scenes from all of the traps in these films. In HD.

A handful of metal Music Videos, Trailers, BD-Live stuff, the DVD Copy and Digital Copy round out the disc’s extras.

Conclusion: The lesser of the franchise on one of the weaker BD disc’s LGF’s has done for the franchise, especially in terms of extras. For die-hard fans only.

The Film: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The film will follow a young girl who, after buying a mysterious wooden box at a yard sale, becomes the target of a malevolent spirit called a Dibbuk, based on Jewish folklore.

Is this the new Saw (as in big box office returns) for Lionsgate? We will find out on October 28th, 2011.

Source: Coming Soon

Jon: How did Possession come about after The Seventh Moon?

Eduardo Sanchez: Well, actually my co-writing partner Jaime Nash had an idea about a woman who tapes herself and I thought it was a great idea. That was about a year or so ago, and we started developing it together. He got really busy, and I had an idea about the movie and how to do it, so I took the lead and wrote a draft. I was doing other things and I’m a slow writer, but it took me about six months to complete.

So I finished the first draft about late April and sent it out, which it got some good responses, so my agent sent it out. That’s kind of how it came to be, from Jamie Nash’s seed of an idea, to my script. We were trying to write it together, but I ended up finishing it under his blessing.

Jon: This is your third collaboration with Jamie Nash. Why do you guys work so well together?

Eduardo Sanchez: He’s a creative guy, works really fast, and lives near me, which is a big deal. I met Jamie on Altered together, which was a really a crap shoot, as it was sent to me by another producer and after reading the script, I really liked it and found out the writer lived about 45 minutes away from me. The chances of a writer, who is really good and doesn’t live in LA or New York was pretty slim. So, when I got to know Jamie, he’s a nice guy, who accepts other ideas when they aren’t his, which is good, as other writers fight you about them. Very agreeable and comes up with stuff fast, and Possession is like the definition of all of it; his idea, my script, and he was cool with it. It’s hard to find really good writers, who understand the low budget world and are good and professional.

Jon: I believe you’re shooting in Maryland, so can you explain why there and what does that location bring to the film?

Eduardo Sanchez: Yeah, well when we wrote the script and decided that we’re doing it, we talked about locations like LA or Florida, which we shot there before, and we knew a lot of people in productions down there. With the budget limited, we figured LA just wouldn’t work for the film. Orlando, where we looked a bit more into, just didn’t have the house we needed and just didn’t find anything.

The film commissioner in Maryland knew this guy who was in charge of tourism in the town we’re filming in, really went after us. He got our emails and phone numbers and wanted to know “what would it take to film in Hagerstown?” We said we needed this, this, and this, and from there he just made things happen. He found us hotels in our price range, the house we’re going to shoot in, so he got us in touch with the police, fire department for certain scenes, helped in casting, just everything. Plus, Hagerstown is about 40 minutes from where I live, but it’s been a great experience so far.

Jon: Blair Witch, Altered, Seventh Moon and now Possession all deal with the similar paranormal themes. What is it about that sub-genre of horror that keeps attracting you to it?

Eduardo Sanchez: You know, for me it isn’t really anything, it just is always something that is popping into my head. I’ve always wanted to make some sort of exorcism story and Possession isn’t what I had in mind for that, but it really is pretty neat. It isn’t like any other exorcism movie and it really blurs the line between if she was possessed or a form of psychosis. It’s dark, very, very dark. I don’t know, there’s just something about the unknown I like.

Jon: I’ve noticed a weird relationship with what you created. Stuff like Paranormal Activity gets touted as “the next Blair Witch”, yet since 1999 the horror community has been rather down on your other films, asking “when’s his next Blair Witch”? It’s weird and unfair, in my opinion, but how do you explain this decade after Blair Witch?

Eduardo Sanchez: To me honestly, I thought a movie like Paranormal Activity would come along a lot quicker than it did. There have been a lot of first person movies, as it wasn’t like nobody was trying. Even after Blair Witch, there were a lot of first person movies that just didn’t get distribution. There was something about Paranormal Activity that was simple enough, creepy enough, that just worked. You never know about those movies, if they will work, and it was catching lightning-in-a-bottle, so to speak.

As for horror after Blair Witch, there’s at least a few first person movies a year, some better than others, and it looks like Blair Witch is still influencing someone. It’s like Blair Witch started a sub-genre with the last one with The Last Exorcism, which made pretty decent money. But now I’ve noticed the first person movies are sort of mutating into something else, with the use of security cameras, the use of music, multiple cameras, which is still affective, but it wasn’t true first person like Blair Witch, [REC], or Paranormal. The horror genre is strong as ever, with stuff like Saw and Let the Right One In, a classic dramatic horror film.

In the horror genre, everyone is always looking for the next big thing. These last summer and early fall, horror hasn’t done well, like Let Me In who did terribly, the new Wes Craven film [My Soul to Take 3D] didn’t do too much box office business. With the marketing and money they put in, you just never know what will do what. Audiences are so hard to peg. I thought Let Me In was going to do a lot of money.

Jon: So did I. Loved it.

Eduardo Sanchez: I haven’t seen it, but that’s what I heard, that it was really good. As a film maker, all you can do is make the best film you can. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they don’t. You just got to keep on going and that’s why I’m trying to do with Possession. It’s a different kind of horror movie. Its first person, something that I haven’t done since Blair Witch, but it also isn’t. Hard to explain, but I am trying to capture that feeling, even though it isn’t, if that makes sense.

It’s a gimmick, having the characters shoot themselves in the movie, something that Blair Witch done, like Cannibal Holocaust did before it and the same with [REC] and Paranormal Activity. Dan and I didn’t know about Cannibal Holocaust, until someone sent us the VHS after Sundance, otherwise I don’t think we would have done Blair Witch at all. It’s really a gimmick. You have to explain the camera battery, why they’re still filming; you have to constantly explain that shit.

Jon: Finally, speaking of your debut film, a lot of my friends got excited for the Blu-ray release a few weeks back of Blair Witch and they would be mad if I didn’t ask, so what’s the latest on Blair Witch 3?

Eduardo Sanchez: Well, we’re talking to Lionsgate Films still, and have been for about a year now. That’s all I can really say. But we’re as close as we have ever been to getting it made, and they want to do another one. Sadly, nothing is set in stone. It could be three months and it is green-lit or three years. There are a lot of people wanting it and I’m sure when it is announced everyone will know. We don’t want to do another first person Blair Witch, though, it just wouldn’t be fair, so we were trying to figure out how to do it and I think Dan and I found it, it is now just a matter of figuring out if Dan and I are a 100% happy with the story and Lionsgate wants it as another franchise.

Keep it here as we update you more with Possession as it completes filming, only on Killer Film!

**All photos used with permission from Eduardo Sanchez**

Saw

Like they said in Texas Chainsaw Massacre III: Leatherface: “The saw is family”.

It’s game over (perhaps finally), but Saw 3D feels a lot like Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. It’ll be the black sheep of the Saw series.

The film picks up seconds after Saw VI ended, leaving one hellbent Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), who now knows he was being played by Jigsaw all along, and seemingly with Jill (Betsy Russell) as the cleaner of all of Jigsaw’s loose ends, she becomes Hoffman’s primary target, as he’s executing an escape plan, by cleaning everything up once and for all. Neat set-up, and with all of the possible loose ends being tied up, Saw 3D really does feel like the finale of the series, yet it stutter-steps early and often, with a secondary story of a survivor from Jigsaw’s wicked traps, Bobby Dragen (Sean Patrick Flanery) exploiting this fact for a new self-help book.

This story opens up too many plot holes. It also feels neglected once the final act begins, leaving it as a weak excuse for a further sequel. Since Saw III, the series has had to find an inventive excuse for Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) to be in the films, even though he is dead. In Saw 3D, Jigsaw is all but a cameo, leaving the film squarely on Hoffman’s arc, which creates this uneasy feeling of Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. That film has long been titled the worst of the series to some Jason fans, while over time other Jason fans relish the dark nature and kills, but no matter what, it’s the black sheep of that series because the film doesn’t include Jason. Same for Saw 3D. Hoffman is a terrorizing bad-ass, but he’s no Jigsaw.

While the 3D here wasn’t as strong as other 3D horror films, Saw 3D‘s traps and subsequent carnage is some of the top kills in the entire series. The “car trap” is one of the sickest, goriest, traps in all of the now seven films. Saw 3D delivers the carnage to new heights, seemingly as if the MPAA fell asleep during its rating review. Good stuff. As subtitled, the film does feel like an actual “final chapter”, with a finale and twist that bring the series full circle and should leave every Saw fan talking.

If viewed as a solo film, disconnected from the previous six, it’s a decent time. Yet, as a continuation of those six films, Saw fans are trapped. Too many plot holes, despite the (yeah, I call it awesome) ending, the hour before it is sloppily handled. Saw 3D will divide Saw fans.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

“I’m still in shock,” Burg told Reuters. “The fact that we beat out (such horror franchises as) ‘Friday the 13th,’ ‘Nightmare on Elm Street,’ ‘Halloween’ and ‘Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ is a testament to our cast, crew and our partners at Lionsgate.”

Thoughts? Be sure to read our exclusive interview as well on the film!

Source: IGN

Jon: Much like the traps, the Saw series is noted for its editing. How’s the second go-round for you on this series going?

Andrew Coutts: It has been going quite well, and it has been exciting being involved with the rapidly developing 3D technology.  Filling Kevin’s shoes as Editor is a daunting task, but I’m very happy where we are with this film.

Jon: Has there been any difficulties editing in the 3D format? Did you have any conversations with other editors who worked with 3D movies?

Coutts: With any newer technology or process I think there will always be little hiccups and issues to work out.  We’ve had our share of challenges along the road, but we have a great team of people and we were always able to figure out what we needed to do to make it work.  It has been a far more complex process than last year.   We did some camera tests this year before we started shooting the film which really helped in working out technical specifics and work-flow.  I had conversations with our Stereographer, who has a long history of working in 3D, about the concepts and challenges of editing in 3D.  I think the best bit of preparation for me was being able to view the 3D test footage, and have the time to experiment with it.  That really helped me wrap my head around how we could take this new format and marry it to the style Saw has become known for.

Jon: Greutert’s own Saw III featured an editing style that he changed for Saw IV. Has he been allowing you to explore what works best for this Saw, compared to what you’ve done for Saw VI?

Coutts: With Kevin having come from editing and obviously having such a huge impact on the editing style of the Saw films since the beginning, it’s been great working with him on these past films.  He’s always open to letting me try new things and explore ways to put the film together.  The style of Saw VII is a little different than VI, but I don’t think the change is as drastic as from Saw III to IV.  It’s more a change to match the pacing and feel of this story.

Jon: Greutert famously thought you were over-worked and stressed while editing the climax of Saw VI. Any difficulties, outside of the obvious, this time around?

Coutts: Editorially, once the first pass of the film is put together, it becomes a challenge to then break down the story structure, pacing, and character arcs of the film – to find the most effective version of how to have the film play out. Last year’s complex ending (parallel story lines and multiple flashbacks coming together) took a lot of work to find the right balance in inter-cutting the two.  Combine this with the very tight schedule we are working with on these films and it gets pretty intense.   I was totally immersed in just the last 8 minutes of the film for two weeks straight.

Tweaking it, finding the right clips from previous films, and pacing the many flashback elements to really maximize the impact of each story had me totally absorbed.  After a long stretch of 16 hour days and non-stop screaming (from the film not from me), I think Kevin realized I needed to get out of my dark room and see the sun for a bit. The intense nature of it is somewhat part of my process, but it’s still nice to have someone there who will tell me to step outside and see what daylight looks like every so often.

Jon: Does editing a 3D film change your direction of your style and/or the series’ style due to the technology and the need to maximize the 3D elements?

Coutts: On the technology side, we’ve been working on the latest version of Avid that supports 3D editing and it has been a great help.  We’re able to very easily switch between viewing in 3D and 2D right in the cutting room at the push of a button.  Having worked on Avid systems for many years, it’s like second nature to me.  So being able to cut the film with Avid allowed me to avoid slowing down or changing the process at a software/technical level. From a stylistic point of view, there are times where we may hold on a shot for a bit longer just because it looks so great in 3D, but overall I didn’t want the style of the film to be dictated by just one element of the many that go into the overall look and feel of a movie.  There are definitely some stylistic choices that were made due to 3D, but I think they all enhanced the style the series has become known for, rather than changing it.

Jon: Due to the quick turnaround of each Saw film for the October date, does the MPAA notes (when they give them after looking at the film) hinder or put pressure on re-editing to appease them and meet the October date for release?

Coutts: We are always in a time crunch trying to get the film completed in time, and we did have to go back and forth with the MPAA much more this year than the last few years.  But they are always very quick in getting their concerns to us and they are great at working with us to find a way to mitigate their issues while at the same time keeping the scene in question as effective as possible.

Jon: Having (and continuing to) work on the final Saw film, how does this film work with the prior six, and what can fans expect?

Coutts: Well, I can’t get into specifics without getting into trouble, but I think we’ve got a great story, some strong new characters (as well as some returning familiar ones), and some amazing and intense traps that the fans will love.  I was a bit concerned about the 3D concept at first.   I didn’t want this film to feel stylistically like a movie apart from the rest of the other films.  I can say now that I think the 3D aspect of the film really works well in enhancing the overall style and will immerse the viewers into the world of Jigsaw.  The depth and detail it adds to the traps is really stunning to see.  It really takes it to a whole new level of  intensity without losing the heart of what Saw is.

We thank Andrew Coutts for taking time away from his busy schedule readying the film for October 29th, to chat with us.

When the sheriff (Garret Dillahunt, The Last House on the Left remake) rolls up to inquire about the cranked-up Godot, the lawman warns, “Make sure he knows of the gravity of the situation.” Gravity may be the central leitmotif of the story. In the opening scene, Sonny (Isiah Stone) attempts a skateboard trick on the dirt road and gains little air. Uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) demands Ree drop her investigation. Only death, or perhaps a stint in the army, can occasion an escape from the hillbilly hinterlands. Ree pleads with extended kin for information about the missing Jess, “Some of our blood is the same. Ain’t that supposed to mean something?”

The result: her own bloody comeuppance. Near the climax, an expressionistic black-and-white short of squirrels. evergreens and chainsaws–like Steinbeck’s parable of The turtle in The Grapes of Wrath–foretells the future. The ending in turn features the most inventive use of a saw since the original Saw and will leave Killer Film fans grinning. And perhaps desiring of a shower to wash away the human stain left by this independent film, which won Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I would assume we would be receiving an official trailer and one-sheet very soon.

Can Paramount have another hit like the first no-budgeted film did for them last year? How will director Tod Williams do compared to Oren Peli? Find out:

Source: First Showing