The Strangers (2008)

I really, really wanted to like “The Strangers” but I walked away only kind of liking it. This is a film where the protaganists could have been a little less passive, the antagonists could have had a little bit more motive, and just a little bit more magic could have made this all very enjoyable. The casting is great, starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, and the script itself is fine. The build of tension comes a little slow but the cat-and-mouse game that the “strangers” play is effective and creepy. But as I’ve mentioned before, the French film “Ils” showcases these similar situations in a tighter and more effective fashion.

“The Strangers” is a film about a couple who are terrorized by a group of three strangers during a single night. Kristen and James are already on edge and are having a bad night after Kristen rejects James marriage proposal during a formal party. They return to the family summer home that belongs to James, where they plan to stay the night before going home in the morning. Early in the morning, a young woman knocks at their door asking if Tamara is there; Kristen and James tell her that there’s no one by that name here and so the girl leaves. James leaves shortly after to pick up some cigarettes for Kristen, and while he’s away, the woman comes back and starts banging on the door. Kristen tries to call James but her cell phone battery dies (of course) and is left to hide in the house while weird things start to happen inside. James finally arrives back at the summer home and that’s when the events begin to ramp up as they realize that they are being terrorized not by one, but by three people wearing simple masks that hide their faces. They try to escape but the Strangers are always one step ahead and are clearly in control…

ATM (2010)

"ATM" is an example of a movie that has a great concept but less than stellar execution of that idea. When there are only three characters on screen for the majority of the time, the casting choices become incredibly important and the casting of Josh Peck is what dooms the movie (for me at least). The film feels slow in a way that doesn't help build any tension. The ending also leaves the viewer wanting more, such as a motive or reason behind the attacks, but is ultimately left without.

David has a crush on Emily, but she's leaving her job to work at a different company. David's coworker Corey teases him until David finally talks to her. David offers to drive Emily home and she accepts but a drunk Corey tags along. On the way home, Corey demands that they stop at an ATM so he can get some money to buy food with. David finds one, a single unit in a enclosed windowed room in a parking lot. For reasons of absurdity, all three end up inside the ATM and become trapped when a man in a winter parka begins acting strangely, eventually killing people and wrecking David's car. The stranger plays a game of cat and mouse with the three as they slowly freeze in the ATM.

A Serbian Film (2010)

“A Serbian Film” is listed as the most disturbing film in the horror section at Scarecrow Video, a video store that I rent many of the movies I review. I will agree that the content of the film is disturbing and that the film loses any entertainment value it had after the film hits the 50 minute mark, but I can’t say that the movie itself is disturbing. Perhaps it’s because I read about the disturbing scenes in advance but I don’t think that is entirely the case. While the movie has some scenes that have caused it to be banned in various countries, the way that those scenes are presented takes off the edge somehow. Another way that the movie takes the edge off is by choosing what to show and not show on screen; other films with less disturbing content come across as foul and disgusting by showing too much while this movie bluntly implies some of the time. The character that is involved doesn’t want to be and it’s this acknowledgement and the choices he makes while in control of his facilities makes this character as a victim in his own right. As I said, the entertainment value is lost at the halfway point at which time the film becomes more of a case study in which to compare other movies to.  

Milos is a retired porn star who is trying to support his wife Marija and his young son Petar. He’s offered an unbelievable amount of money to take a role in an “artistic” porn movie but he’s not allowed to know what the script is but his wife talks him in to accepting the role. After a few days on the set, being followed around with men with video cameras while he’s wearing an ear piece and being told what to do by the director, Milos tries to quit after seeing the direction the film is going, a direction that he is not comfortable with. The director tries to bargain with Milos by showing him one of his early films. Milos reaction to the film sets him over the edge, quitting in the spot and leaving the compound in a hurry. Milos ends up being drugged and wakes up three days later with scattered memories of what happened. He find a set of films that he watches as well as visiting various films sites and slowly recalls the horrors that he caused and lived through.  

Milos and the director

The Ring 2 (2005)

"The Ring 2" is the kind of sequel that carries over bits and pieces from the original film but attempts to be it's own movie with it's own strengths and flaws. The film tries to evolve but struggles in doing so, feeling overly complicated and silly at times. Hideo Nakata, the director of the Japanese versions, takes over in this installment from Gore Verbinski and offers the viewers something different that was not previously presented in the Japanese films. Naomi Watts and David Dorfman return as Rachel and her son Aiden.

The aspect of the VHS tape and watching the film on it plays a very small role in this film and is only dealt with in the very beginning. Samara's power of coming out of the television is revisited and expanded on because now she is able to pull victims through the screen and bring them into her world. When this happens, I can't help but to think of the alternate world from "Silent Hill", how the characters become trapped and left alone.


Rachel and Aiden have left the "big" city of Seattle and have relocated to Astoria, Oregon. Six months after their encounter with Samara, her ghostly activity begins again after local high school students begin watching copies of her film. Rachel tracks down the copy and destroys it but it's too late because Samara has already found them. Samara possesses Aiden (why?) and Rachel looks like an abusive mother as her son's body becomes bruised and unhealthy. Rachel is forced to seek out Samara's real mother and find out even more back story/mystery surrounding the child.

Favorite WTF moment - Rachel and Aiden are driving home through a heavily wooded area when their car is attacked by a heard of CGI deer. It made sense in "The Ring" that horses would be driven crazy by Samara or those with her curse, brought upon the by the mental abuse that her adopted father inflicted on her, loving his horses more than her. But why would deer be affected? Beyond the fear of the unnatural of course. The scene is over the top, silly, and completely unnecessary for this movie.

Demons (1985)

"Demons" is the perfect example of what a violent and demonically possessed crowd looks like after watching one of those films that should never have been screened! Directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento, this classic Italian horror film from the 80's has all of the traits known for this sub-genre; gore, more gore, horrible voice overs, a sound track by the band Goblin, and an inexplainable storyline. All you need to know about this classic is that free tickets are passed out to a single showing of a brand new movie. Everyone with a ticket goes, watches the movie within the movie, and one by one the audience members become possessed by the demonic spirits that are released within the film. Those who don't turn find themselves trapped in the theater without an exit, forced to fight and kill their former loved ones. 

Cigarette Burns (2005)

John Carpenter is in rate form with his first entry for the "Masters of Horror" series. His episode "Cigarette Burns" is easily one of my favorite productions that he has directed and my overall favorite of the series. It's a simple tale of a man who is hired to find a film that was reportedly destroyed after it was screened once during a film festival, after the audience became violent and started killing themselves. It has a similar vibe that "The 9th Gate" had , as the investigation takes the hero to various countries and meetings with interesting characters. It also has a religious undertone, as the film that is being sought after has a scene where a real angel has its wings cut off. The episode is filled with mysterious tension and suspense which is perfect for this piece. Staring Norman Reedus as the protagonist Kirby, I highly recommend this episode above all other in the "Masters of Horror" series!

The Hills Run Red (2009)

What's more fascinating than a film that is screened only once and then is never seen again because of the impact that it had on it's viewers? This concept is explored in two separate movies, each offering a unique take and exploring the reasons why. The first film is "The Hills Run Red", which is about a slasher film that is shown once but is pulled after the audience declares that the violence is too life-like and scary. A young college kid named Tyler becomes obsessed with the film, collecting every little clue and picture that he can find that is related to the movie. He eventually learns who the director's daughter is and kidnaps her after he goes back to her place. She's a junky and he forces her to get clean so she can take him to where the movie was filmed. After a week she finally agrees and takes Tyler, his girlfriend Serina, and his best friend Lalo. Alexa, the director's daughter, takes them deep into the backwoods where the group runs into violent rednecks and the actual killer from "The Hills Run Red", Babyface! Tyler quickly learns that the scenes from the film were real, that the victims were actually killed, and that the deranged director Concannon is casting him and his friends as the newest stars of his movie!

The Ring (2002)

“The Ring” is one of my favorite remakes of an already effective Japanese horror film called “Ringu”. The American version stars Naomi Watts as a reporter for a Seattle newspaper that has seven days to figure out the mystery of why people are dying after watching a bizarre video tape. It’s a creepy ghost story that has an excellent set of pacing, spooky clues, and a seemingly original ghost concept. I say seemingly because the original Japanese version of this ghost is a part of their culture and history and is a reoccurring theme in their own ghost stories. It’s also interesting when a movie takes place at a location that you are familiar with and notice what details the film makers get right and what they get horribly wrong.

Rachel Keller is a journalist who begins investigating an urban legend after her teenage niece suddenly dies. The legend concerns an unmarked VHS tape and anyone who watches the tape will die after seven days. Rachel learns that her niece and her group of friends that had watched the tape all died the same night at the same time. Rachel finds a copy of the tape and watches it and after it finished, she received a phone call where a girl’s voice simply says “Seven days”.  With the help of her son’s father Noah, Rachel discovers the truth behind the tape and mystery of the young girl named Samara. 

Videodrome (1983)

David Cronenberg made a name for himself early in his career for creating some truly fantastic, violent, reality bending films. He wrote most of his films that has directed and one of the more unusual productions from his early career is "Videodrome". The movie almost feels like a David Lynch film except for the fact that it has a clear linear plot. The movie explores themes of obsession and control by having the protagonist Max Renn (James Woods) suffering through both experiences. The film dances back and forth from reality and Max's hallucinations more and more as the story races towards its end. The special effects and make-up by Rick Baker are creative and look organic, impressive work for that time period.

Max Renn is the president of a UHF television station in Toronto who is always seeking the next "big thing", but to him the next "big thing" has to be something that pushes the boundaries of good taste and has to shock his audience; his station showcases softcore porn and similar fare. When one of his engineers comes across a pirated signal that is showing people being tortured in various ways in a large orange room, Max becomes obsessed in finding out where the signal is coming from so he can air it for his station. During his search he meets Niki Brand, a radio personality who helps people on her show. Niki turns out to love S&M and becomes more obsessed than Max, going so far as to travel to Pittsburgh when they learn that that is where the signal is coming from. As the movie progresses, Max begins to have violent hallucinations, finding it difficult to tell what is real and what isn't. It doesn't help that an expert that he seeks help from is nothing more than a deceased man who has days worth of VHS tapes that contain all of his thoughts because he refused to talk to anyone directly. When Max finds out the sinister truth about the show "Videodrome" and his connection to it, he goes on a violent revengeful rampage throughout Toronto. 

Author's Note - Celluloid

For a lack of a better word, I'm using the word celluloid as a general umbrella for this week's theme. These are movies that involve videos, pirated signals, and the act of filming as the main focus of the story line. While researching and watching various horror movies over the past few months, I've come to notice that videos within a movie are common; the "found footage" sub-genre is the most popular but there are several movies where videos are used in different and interesting ways. Most of these are about some video and web cams that you should simply avoid ("The Ring", "The Ring 2", "Cigarette Burns", "Videodrome", and "Fear Dot Com") while other movies focus on the filming within the film itself  ("The Hills Run Red" and "A Serbian Film").These are all films that make you pause and wonder if you should watch that movie sitting in your DVD player or not....

Haeckel's Tale (2006)

"Haeckel's Tale" aired during the first season of "The Masters of Horror" series in 2006. It was adapted from a short story originally written by Clive Barker and was supposed to be directed by George A Romero who was replaced due to a schedule conflict. The actual director, John McNaughton, is best known for directing "Henry: A Portrait of a Serial Killer". This episode feels rather meh when compared to the other installments. There is really nothing great or horrible about it and it feels more like a place marker for the series more than anything else.

Ernst Haeckel is a young medical student who is fascinated by the theories of Dr. Frankenstein. When he tries to copy the procedure he fails miserably and ends up taking the advice of a grave robber to pay a visit to Dr. Montesquino, a necromancer. Haeckel visits the Doctor but leaves convinced that he is nothing but a charlatan. On his way home he, takes refuge form a storm with an elderly man and his young wife, Elise. She keeps looking out the window in the middle of the night and when loud yelling is heard off in the distance, she leaves the house in a hurry. Haeckel follows her to a nearby grave yard and finds that she is having sex with her first, and now dead, husband. The elderly man had paid Dr. Montesquino to bring the first husband back to life so Elise can be sexually satisfied. Disgusted, Haeckel demands that Dr. Montesquino stops his "magic" but it's too late. Haeckel fatally shoots him before passing out from a hit to the head. When he awakes in the morning, he finds Elise and her baby back at the house, but to his horror, he finds out that the baby has also been resurrected, and the zombie baby kills him.

Deer Woman (2005)

"Deer Woman" aired during the first season of "The Masters of Horror" series. This episode was directed by John Landis, the famed director of "An American Werewolf in London", and is perhaps the funnest one to watch; the episode is not out right funny but is very whimsical in parts and is very reminiscent of his famous movie, there is in fact a part when a large wolf running amok in London is brought up during this production.

Detective Faraday is in charge of investigating animal attacks and other related incidents after accidentally killing his partner. One day he's sent out on a call to investigate a body that's found in the back of a semi-truck bed. Between his guesses and that of the coroner they determine that that the victim was killed by hoofs from a deer or some similar animal but they can't explain how it got into the truck. Two more bodies show up around town and has Detective Faraday making some wild assumptions about who the killer is. He eventually hears a tale about the Deer Woman, an Native American story about a creature that has the top half of a woman and the bottom portion of a deer who seduces members of a tribe and kills them one by one. Since this is the only lead that Detective Faraday has, he follows it until he discovers the truth.

Favorite Quote - "Why does everything have to have a “why” with you people? You know, it’s a woman with deer legs; motive really isn’t an issue here."

Jenifer (2005)

"Jenifer" aired during the first season of "Masters of Horror" and was directed by famed Italian director Dario Argento. The episode finds a nice balance between erotic tension and gruesome violence...even if the script itself is weak. Steven Weber stars as the protagonist Frank, and once again this is a poor choice that seems to happen fairly often in this series; the casting is very hit or miss. Besides these two faults, this episode is worth watching and is one of Dario's stronger productions as of late.


Frank is a police officer who happens to hear a disturbance taking place near his unmarked squad car. He arrives in time to save a disfigured young woman from a meat cleaving maniac. Frank goes home but is haunted by visions of the woman, who has a beautiful body but a gruesome looking face. Frank goes back to work and finds out that the woman he saved is named Jenifer and she has been sent off to a local insane asylum. He takes her home where she scares away his wife and son. Jenifer seduces Frank when he tries to take her away and so he brings her back to his place. She then kills a young neighbor and then kills a carnie that Frank hired to kidnap her and take her away. Frank is forced to take her out to a deserted cabin in the woods and finds a job working at a small local grocery store. After killing again, Frank takes her out into the woods to kill her but he's killed instead by a passing hunter, and thus the cycle of seduction begins anew.

Dreams in the Witch House (2005)

"Dreams in the Witch House" aired during the first season of "Masters of Horror"; adapted by Stuart Gordon from the short story written by H.P Lovecraft. Gordon, who gave us the wonderful film adaptions of Lovecraft stories such as "The Re-Animator", "From Beyond", and "Dagon" works his magic again by modernizing this intricate tale and casting "Dagon" star Ezra Godden as Walter Gilman. This adaption takes the strongest beats from the story while ignoring others due to the 55 minute time limit. The changes and story is a great fit for the "Master of Horror" series and is one of my personal favorites.

Walter Gilman is a grad student writing his thesis on string theory. He finds the perfect place to rent a room while finishing his work. There he meets Francis Elwood and her infant son Danny as well as an elderly neighbor named Mr. Masurewicz. While studying one night, Walter is stunned that the walls in one corner of his room are just like those that he's working on, with slants and intersections that might make inter-dimensional travel possible. The next day Francis asks Walter to watch Danny while she goes to an interview; Walter agrees to but is visited by a naked woman who looks like Francis who seduces him and scratches a pentagram on his back. Walter discovers, all too late, that a witch lives in the space behind the walls and makes the men who live in that room do her bidding...which is to kill and sacrifice young children. Walter even wakes up at the university with the Necronomicon opened to a page on sacrifice! Walter now must do all that he can to resist the spells of the witch and save Danny and Frances as well as himself!

Pro-Life (2006)

Sometimes you can watch the work of a particular director and say to yourself that “that was amazing” while other times you are left scratching your head wondering why they were involved with such a horrible production. The episode of “Masters of Horror” titled “Pro-Life” is such an example of a horrible production. This episode was directed by John Carpenter and stars Ron Perlman; both are artists who had been connected to some sup-bar films. “Pro-life” comes across as too preachy without believing in what its saying, the actors are too generic, and the storyline itself is ridiculous. Perlman does a great performance with the time he’s on screen but other than that, this episode is a waste of time.

Two doctors are on their way to work when they see a teenage girl run out of a forest and into the street. They stop after nearly hitting her and find out that she’s in danger. They take her to their place of employment which happens to be an abortion clinic. While they are interviewing her after she demands that they give her an abortion (how convenient!) they learn that she’s the daughter of a very vocal and anger pro-life activist named Dwayne (Pearlman). He wants her daughter back or otherwise he and his three sons will take her by force but the doctors believe that he is the father of her unborn child. In reality, she was raped by a demon and that demon begins telling Dwayne what to do. Dwayne attacks the clinic and sends his sons into harm’s way because he thinks that God is telling him to do this. The ending a violent, messy, and awkward and not worth the buildup or the 55 minutes leading up to it. 

The Screwfly Solution (2006)

“The Screwfly Solution” is a short story written by Alice Sheldon and was adapted into an episode for the Showtime series “Masters of Horror”. This installment was written by Joe Dante and stars Elliott Gould and Jason Priestly. Due to the nature of the story, I found this episode difficult to watch.

The story is about a plague that is first identified in the US South and after all attempts to figure out a cure and to contain it, the plague over takes the world’s population. The plague only affects men, causing them to become irrationally violent towards women. The story follows Anne and Amy as they try to hide from Alan, their husband/father, who becomes infected with the plague. Their mutual friend Barney discovers that the only cure is chemical castration. Alan ends up killing his daughter and Anne is forced to dress up as a man and hide in the Canadian wilderness. The cause of the plague is revealed and feels suitable to end this vicious tale.

Valerie on the Stairs (2006)

“Valerie on the Stairs” was adapted from a short story by Clive Barker and aired on “Masters of Horror” during its second season. The story was adapted and directed by the series creator Mick Garris and stars Christopher Llyod and Tony Todd. It’s a fairly effective production that was fun to watch.

Rob is a struggling author who is finally given a break in life when he becomes eligible to move into an apartment house where unpublished writers are allowed to stay rent free. He moves in, meets some of the odd tenants, and focuses on his writing. During the first night there, he encounters a naked woman crying on the staircase but she disappears into the walls. Rob sees her again the next day and this time the ghost interacts with him briefly before she’s scared away by her unseen tormentor. When Rob asks the other residents who Valerie is, they all play dumb. He can see through their charade and begins searching for the truth, but since this is a horror story, that’s not always a good idea…

Author's Note - Masters of Horror

“Masters of Horror” was a series of hour long horror stories that aired on the Showtime network for two seasons during 2005 to 2007. What was interesting about this series was that each episode featured a famous guest director or the story was based off the work of a famous horror writer. Every guest involved had made an impact in the realm of horror at some point in their career, most notably during the 1980’s and 1990’s; such guests including John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, Joe Dante, and John Landis for example. Each episode is stand alone and like any standalone episode, there are some amazing episodes and there are some amazingly horrible ones as well. The quality of the show also depends on the strength of the cast, and each episode become known for showcasing one or two known actors.

Saw 3D (2010)

It’s 2010 and everything is being made into a 3-D movie, including the final installment of “Saw”. This is easily the weakest entry in the series. During production, it was decided that this would be the final film and that there wouldn’t be an eighth entry. It’s obvious that there are some different stories ideas that were tossed around because the movie doesn’t feel like it has a real solid story arc like the other films. The theme of redemption and rebirth is completely gone at this point. Detective Hoffman is a madman and a killer.

The strength of the film, compared to the previous few films, is that it focuses on only two storylines instead of several. The new storyline is about Bobby Dagen, a man who claims to have been a survivor of a Jigsaw game and is profiting from his lies. While at a survivors meeting, Dr. Gordon makes an appearance and mocks Bobby on film. Bobby is eventually kidnaped and forced to play a series of “games” that involve his wife and entourage. The first test he survives. The second “game” is for his publicist, where he has to pull a key and hook out by a string that’s in her stomach. She dies. The third “game” is for his lawyer, where Bobby has to lift and hold a heavy weight with his shoulders while his legs are impaled with short spikes; he fails to hold up the weight for 30 seconds and she dies. The fourth “game” involves Bobby’s best friend who it blind folded and has to walk across some thin planks before the timer runs out and hangs him; he dies. The next “game” forces Bobby to pull two of his teeth in order to find the combination of the lock to the door. The final “game” forces Bobby reenact the “game” that he has been lying that he survived; he needs insert hooks into his pictorials and climbing chain in order to connect two extension cords. He falls to the ground when his muscles tear. When the timer runs out, his wife is encased and cooked to death while he watches.

The second storyline is about Detective Hoffman and his attempts to frame Jill as the killer and to get revenge on her and the special affairs agent that turned him in a few years earlier. There is a “game” that involves four racist gang members that draw the attention of the special affairs agent but it’s just a ruse to distract them while Hoffman goes to the precinct and kills everyone. He finally gets to Jill and places the reversible bear trap on her, which goes off, tearing a huge hole in her face and killing her instantly. As Hoffman is leaving one of his lairs, Dr. Gordon and two others in pig suits knock Hoffman out. The big and final twist is that John Kramer nursed Dr. Gordon back to health after he sawed his foot off. It was with Dr. Gordon’s help that the more intricate “games” were set up, and it was his suggestion to use Lynn and Jeff in “Saw 3”. Dr. Gordon was also to protect Jill and if anything happened to her, he was to act with all of John’s revenge. So Dr. Gordon takes Hoffman to the original industrial bathroom, chains him up but tosses the saw out the door, locking him alone in the dark to die. And thus the series ends…

Saw 6 (2009)

“Saw 6” feels like an unneeded movie except for the fact that the current set of writers have left so many loose ends strewn about (purposely done so they can ensure future sequels) that they had to make it in order to please the core fan-base. There are as many flashback scenes as there are those that are set in the present; this makes the film as difficult to review as the previous installment.

What this film does succeed in is the series of tests that affect almost the entire insurance agency that denied John Kramer, aka The Jigsaw Killer, a chance to undergo radical new treatment for his brain cancer. I love the concept that the victims are associated with one man, their boss, who was personally involved with John while he was alive; the victims in the previous film had nothing to do with John or Detective Hoffman but were suspects on Agent Strahm’s list during his investigation into the building fire. Now how did Detective Hoffman know that Detective Kerry had contacted Agent Strahm and Perez? He didn’t, so this is pretty sloppy. But there is a down side to this series of tests.  These “games” have more survivors than any other “Saw” film and it boggles the logical mind as to how ONE man was able to kidnap and set the traps up for so many people. But the writers have all of the flashbacks and cover-ups to worry about, so it’s something I think that want us to overlook as well.

William, the head of his department at the insurance agency, is the person directly responsible for declining coverage for John to take the radical medical treatment. He is then forced to play a series of “games” that involve the different people at his agency. While William is going through his tests, a mother and son are watching him advance by a monitor, trapped in a holding cell with a clock counting down.

The first “game” is between William and the janitor. The trap is set so that every time you take a breath, a vice crushes your body a little each time until your dead. The only way to survive is to breathe in less than the other victim and wait until they are killed. The janitor was a lifelong smoker and quickly fails the test.

The second “game” forces William to decide who should live and who should die. Jigsaw throws William’s logic about who should receive medical coverage back in his face with this game, making William choose between an older woman with a family history of diabetes but has a family or a young healthy file clerk whose death no one would notice. William struggles with the choice but finally chooses to save his secretary. He gets to remove another bomb from his limbs and move onto the next “game”.

In the third “game”, William’s lawyer has a device that will go off in 90 seconds and when it does, a spike will impale her brain. All she needs to do is get to the key, making her way through various pipes and columns of burning steam. William can help her by turning on valves that will burn him instead. She makes it through the maze but finds out that the key has been sewn inside William. She comes at him with a saw and ends up dying when the clock runs out.

The fourth game involves William’s team who goes through the applications looking for who they should reject or accept. There are six team members and four shots in a shotgun. He must choose which two get to live as they sit tied on a spinning carousel.

The last test in the series isn’t for William to play but for the mother and son. Their husband/father was one of the many people who were denied directly by William. The son chooses to kill William, pulling a lever that causes William to be impaled with needles that inject him with acid.

The movie opens up with a “game” for two players. There are accused of being predatory lenders, so now they must sacrifice their own flesh to survive. The person who cuts off the most wins while the other has a set of screws drilled into their heads via a device that they are both wearing. The winner cuts off her arm at the elbow while the man tried to trim the fat around his stomach. This is perhaps the most gruesome “game” visually in the series.

One sup-plot in the film follows the flashbacks of when John was alive and how he ultimately got Jill to go along with his plans. The most convincing evidence John provides is showing that his method “changed” Amanda, a heroin addict that Jill considered to be a “loss cause”.  It also shows that Amanda is the one who encouraged and made Cecil rob the clinic, making her an accomplice in the death of John’s unborn son.

Another sup-plot of the film includes the scenes about the clues that the FBI has to figure out who the real Jigsaw accomplice is, clues that Detective Hoffman was unaware of. These include the kind of knife that he used to cut out the jigsaw shape piece of flesh from his first killing, Seth Baxter, and the victim from the first “game” in this film. The next clue they find is a different voice pattern on the tape cassette that was found at Seth Baxter’s crime scene. Detective Hoffman goes with Agent Erickson and Agent Perez, who survived the Billy doll’s shotgun attack. He kills the two as well as a technician when they realize that it’s his voice.

The third and final sup-plot is the mystery contents that John left for Jill. Inside were six profiles of the people that John considered loose ends, including William, William’s sister, and the mother and son. Detective Hoffman takes the five known profiles and gets to work while Jill keeps the sixth a secret. The big reveal at the end is that Detective Hoffman is the sixth and final loose end, and Jill manages to take Hoffman by surprise. While he is unconscious, Jill attaches a new reversible bear trap (the kind that was first used on Amanda in “Saw”). He wakes up in time and lodges the trap between two bars. When the trap goes off, it merely rips apart some of his face, but he is alive and ready to extract his revenge.

Saw 5 (2008)

In “Saw 5”, the concept begins to feel old and it’s obvious how the writers are trying to find different ways to keep a backstory moving forward. In this film, that backstory focuses on how and why Detective Mark Hoffman became the second assistant to Jigsaw, and how Detective Hoffman attempts to cover his tracks from the persistent FBI Agent Strahm.

The first victim is a convicted murderer named Seth was released from prison due to a technicality. You learn later on that Seth killed Detective Hoffman’s sister and this was his act of revenge, posing as Jigsaw. John Kramer found out about this and that is how their relationship began. The “game” that Seth is meant to play is simple; if he can push hands into a vice and keep each one inside long enough for his hands to be crushed, then he’ll be released and escape the pendulum that is swing down towards him. But since Detective Hoffman wants revenge, the trap is rigged to not release Seth at all.

The second “game” we see involves Agent Strahm, still in the meat packing plant from the previous film. He doesn’t follow the instructions on the tape cassette he finds and he is quickly overcome by the pig costume. When he awakes, he finds that his head is trapped in a box that is filling up with water. He survives by taking a pen and punching a hole in his neck in order to breath. When the police and medics arrive, Detective Hoffman walks out with Lynn’s and Jeff’s daughter, looking like a hero. It’s all a part of his plan until he sees that Agent Strahm survived his game. Now Detective Hoffman has to figure out how to continue to cover his actions.

The next scene takes place in a lawyer’s office. The lawyer is instructed to give Jill Tuck, Jigsaw’s ex-wife, a film and a box. The contents are revealed later in the next film...

After receiving a promotion to Lt Detective, Hoffman finds a note in his office that reads “I know who you are”. He then goes to the hospital and finds Agent Strahm in Agent Perez’s room, whose bed is covered in blood. Agent Strahm continues to believe that Hoffman is connected to Jigsaw. After their argument, his boss Dan Erickson comes in and reassigns Agent Strahm from the Jigsaw case after the body count becomes intolerable.

The next scene sets up the main “game”, a series of tests for five strangers who all wake up with chains around their necks. They are all connected by their involvement in a building fire that killed eight innocent people. The series of tests are meant to be played by a team and not individuals, but since fear and survival instincts kick in, they don’t realize this until it’s down to just two people and the final tape suggests that they work together. This is perhaps my favorite series of tests, after the original. In the first “game”, they have to grab a key to unlock the chain before they are pulled back into place and decapitated by a blade. One key works for all of the locks but they each try to grab their own, making it so they are unable to each grab one. As the clock ticks down, a bottle full of shrapnel will explode and killing anyone still in the room.

The second “game” has the four survivors having to break various jars hung above their heads to find one of three keys to use to unlock a tunnel to hide in when this room’s nail bombs explode. Of course there is more than enough room for two people in a tunnel…

The third “game”, the players must connect five wires together to form a circuit to open the locked door before the bomb goes off. One of the women is about to attack the lone guy, but the other woman strikes down the first. They throw her body into the tub and electrocute her so they can escape. If only there were all still alive, they could have endured an annoying shock.

In the final game, the two have to cut themselves in order to fill a tub full of blood. Because there are only two people left, they are forced to bleed themselves practically dry. Only the woman lives.

The rest of the movie is full of flashbacks involving Detective Hoffman and John Kramer. It also shows Agent Strahm’s own investigation as he visits the previous crime scenes. Detective Hoffman takes advantage of this by framing Agent Strahm as the Jigsaw accomplice, which Agent Erickson comes to fully believe. Agent Strahm eventually finds another Jigsaw lair and finds another “game”. The tape cassette he finds tells him to climb inside a glass coffin, but he makes Detective Hoffman get in when they find each other. Unfortunately, the glass coffin is the escape; the walls in the room become triggered and close in together. Detective Hoffman watches as Agent Strahm is crushed to death. 

Saw 4 (2007)

Things are about to get complicated now....

What can “Saw 4” possibly be about? The Jigsaw Killer, John Kramer, and his assistant Amanda are both dead. We also know that there are now only two characters from the previous films that have any connection to the Jigsaw cases; SWAT team leader Rigg, who lead his team in “Saw 2”, and the brief introduction of Detective Mark Hoffman in “Saw 3”. We know that John swallowed one of his famous tapes cassettes before dying, so what does it say? Something else to keep in mind while watching this film – It’s been a little over six months since the events in “Saw 2”.

The movie follows Lt. Daniel Rigg, who is being forced into his own series of tests because Jigsaw has deemed him incapable following the advice “cherish your life” because he is too consumed with trying to save everyone else. The film also introduces two FBI agents, Agent Peter Strahm and Agent Lindsey Perez, both whom were contacted by Detective Kerry before her death. John’s wife Jill Tuck.

The opening of “Saw 4” is beautifully filmed, using stark colors of blue and red in a modified black and white setting. John Kramer is in the morgue and the color of his corpse compared to his blood and organs is so stark and eerie. Plot wise, Detective Hoffman is summoned to the morgue when the tape cassette is discovered. On it, Jigsaw tells the Detective that he’s the last man standing but his test has only just begun.

The first “game” seen involves two men, one who has had his eyes sewn shut and the other who has had his mouth sewn shut. There are both chained to a winching device that once activated, will pull them together and into the machine. The key to their locks are located on the back of the other man. They are forced to fight/kill each other since they can’t communicate. But there isn’t a tape, so we have no idea who or what these men have done to be Jigsaw style victims.

The next scene is when the police team discovers Detective Kerry’s body. Lt Rigg breaks protocol by rushing in before the room has been secured and is sent home by Detective Hoffman. The FBI agents arrive on the scene and quickly rule that a third person had to help set up Detective Kerry’s trap because of her weight and how Amanda and John were unable to lift her up. At home, Rigg finds out that his wife is leaving him for a few days and asks him to come with her. She knows that he’s pushing himself too hard as well and she can’t stay there and watch him suffer. He’s attacked later that night and when he awakes, he begins his “rebirth”. A Jigsaw video shows that Detective Matthews is still alive but only for another 90 minutes, and Detective Hoffman is tied up as well. Jigsaw tells Rigg that their Eric’s life is linked to Mark’s survival.

The first “game” for Rigg takes place in his living room. A prostitute is chained to a chair. The Jigsaw video tells him to walk away but Rigg ignores the advice and frees the woman before her hair is pulling into a wench and kills her. After he frees her, she attacks him which forces him to kill her in defense.

The second test takes Rigg to a rundown motel. The Jigsaw tape tells Rigg that he has to wear the famous Pig costume and set up a “game” for the Ivan, hotel desk manager. Rigg finds out that Ivan is a serial rapist. Rigg forces Ivan into the trap, a pulley system that will pull apart his limbs. His only escape is to trigger knives that will stab his eyes.

Between Rigg’s second and third test, we see that the survivor of the first “game” in the film is a lawyer named Art, who was representing a pedophile who is abusing his daughter. His “game” is keep Eric and Mark under watch until Rigg arrives.

The third test for Rigg is watch the pedophile and his wife remove metal stakes that are impaled through both of them. If the wife removes them, the husband will bleed to death. The wife becomes the fourth onscreen survivor of the series (Amanda, Dr Gordon, and Art). With each passing test, Rigg looks more and more like an assistant of Jigsaw rather than the police officer that he is.

The fourth and final test, Rigg finds the room where Detectives Matthews and Hoffman are, but by going through the door and not walking away like everyone told him to, he causes Eric Matthews death when two large blocks of ice are released from above and smashes in his head.

In the backstory of “Saw 4”, the FBI Agents state that either Hoffman or Rigg is helping Jigsaw as they find clues at Rigg’s home. Agent Strahm realizes that of all of the pictures posted in the crime scene, those of Jill Tuck do not belong. During the interrogation, we learn that Jill worked at a clinic helping recovering drug addicts. One night, an addict forces his way into the clinic as Jill is leaving and when he runs back out, he smashes the door into Jill’s pregnant body, killing her child. Afterwards, while looking over the crime scene of Rigg’s third test, the Agents find a Billy surrounded by candles. Its message is for Agent Perez and it tells her that Agent Strahm will kill an innocent man. She then gets too close to the doll and is shot in the face with shrapnel.

 We then see a flashback where John creates his first test, and the killer of his child, Cecil. The “game” makes Cecil press his face against a series of knives and if he presses hard enough, he’ll be released. If he does nothing, he’ll bleed to death from the wounds on his wrists. He gets out but falls into a cart full of razor wire.

Now working alone, Agent Strahm figures out where Jigsaw’s lair might be and when he goes there, he finds the room and aftermath of the events in “Saw 3”, including Lynn’s blown up head and Amanda’s corpse.

The final Jigsaw tape tells Rigg that he is responsible for Detective Matthews death, and that everyone had to save themselves and that time was on his side. It is then revealed that Detective Hoffman is Jigsaw’s other assistant and now the sole heir to Jigsaw’s legacy. And thus Jigsaw’s work will continue…

Saw 3 (2006)

Third entry of the "SAW" series is once again directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Leigh Whannell from a story by James and himself.

In “Saw 3”, John Kramer, aka the Jigsaw Killer, is literally on his death bed as his brain tumor continues to slowly take his life. Lynn Denlon, an ER doctor, is kidnapped and taken hostage via “game” to operate on John to ease his suffering and prolong his life. She has a bomb around her neck and it will explode if John dies. In a subtle turn of events, John warns Amanda that her life is in Lynn’s hands. Throughout the movie, Amanda’s jealousy grows as she watches John appreciate the work that Lynn is performing while under duress. Amanda is nearly pushed to the edge during a scene where Lynn is operating while John is having a memory flashback of his wife; when become conscious, he whispers “I love you”.

The first “game” in the movie is a man named Troy, a repeat convict, who wakes up and finds himself in a class room. He has nearly a dozen chains hooked in to his body. Like most Jigsaw “games”, the victim had two minutes to rip each chain out of his body before the timer went and a bomb with nails as shrapnel goes off. Only problem with the trap is that the door to the room was wielded shut, so even if Troy beat his “game”, he would still have been killed by the bomb. This is NOT a part of Jigsaw’s modus operandi. Also, this crime scene introduces Detective Mark Hoffman, a character that would appear in each following sequel.

The second “game” in the movie involves Detective Allison Kerry, the only other character besides John and Amanda to appear in the first three films. Amanda wakes up and finds that she is trapped in a device that will rip her chest open if she doesn’t get it unlocked. The key is placed in a glass jar in front of her. All she has to do is grab the kill and unlock the device. She manages to get the key and unlock the lock but finds that the device has impaled her thoroughly and there is no possible way for her to escape in time. The timer runs out and she is killed. It’s another trap that looks like a Jigsaw “game” but wasn’t designed by him…. (This was the second “game” that made me gasp because I loved her character. The first “game” was the syringe scene in the second film…shudder…).

The main “game” involves an angry and vengeful father named Jeff, whose young child was killed by a hit and run. His anger is all consuming to the point that his daughter is “nothing” and he neglects her and becomes angry when she is found sleeping with one of her brother’s stuff toys; a perfect candidate for Jigsaw. When he wakes up, he begins his own “game” by finding those responsible for the death of his child and the injustice that he believes that took place.

First is a witness to the accident who didn’t testify at the trial. Jeff finds a naked woman in a freezer, and when her “game” begins, coolant is sprayed over her and slowly kills her. All Jeff needs to do is to reach behind some painfully cold pipes to grab the key that will unlock her chains. He yells at her asking her why she did what she did before finally grabbing the key. By then it’s too late and she’s dead.

The second victim that Jeff finds is the judge that ruled so lightly against his son’s accidental killer. All Jeff needs to do is to incinerate his son’s stuffed toys in order to get a key and free the judge. While he makes up his mind on what to do, the judge is laying on his back in a large vat that is being filled up with sawed apart rotted pig corpses, slowly drowning in the filth and maggots. Jeff finally burns the toys and saves the judge.

The third victim on Jeff’s journey is the killer himself, a medical student who accidently hit Jeff’s son. Timothy is attached to “The Rack”, a device that will twist and snap each limb one by one until it snaps his head around full circle. The key to this trap is attached to a shotgun.  Jeff has dreamed of shooting Timothy, so Jigsaw’s question of “Will you do onto others as you will do onto yourself” is taken to a literal level. Jeff finds a way to unscrew the key from its string but the gun still goes off, hitting the judge in the face and killing him. With key and hand but not knowing where to use it, Jeff sadly watches Timothy die.

THE TWIST –

After Jeff finishes the third test, John tells Amanda to let Lynn go. Amanda refuses and John repeats the fact that Lynn is more important to Amanda than shall ever know. Amanda still refuses and shoots Lynn right as Jeff walks in. Jeff uses the gun he found and kills Amanda. John was always testing Amanda to see if she was worthy of his legacy. She was a murderer and John hates murders, the people who played her unwinnable games were just victims.

Jeff, who hasn’t learned anything, slits John’s throat and kills him which in turn makes the bomb around Lynn’s neck explode. The final victim is Jeff and Lynn’s daughter who ends up being locked alone within the complex with a limited supply of air. John was Jeff’s last test and he failed.

Favorite moment – the scene where John and Amanda prepare the bathroom where “Saw” took place. John is applying makeup to make himself look like he shot himself in the head while Amanda locks Adam up and places him in the tub.

Amanda and Lynn

Detective Kerry

Lynn after the bomb!

Troy the Convict

Saw 2 (2005)

“Saw 2” came out to the theaters the year after the original premiered and builds nicely upon the established storyline. James Wan had moved on to other projects by this time and Leigh Whannell came back to rewrite a script that the current director, Darren Lynn Bousman, had written previously. The end result is another clever work that seems larger and feels like a step in the right direction.

The film is the Jigsaw Killer, aka John Kramer, who is apprehended by the police during a raid. John is cocky and self-assured and reveals that he wants to play one of his “games” with Detective Eric Matthews. All Detective Matthews needs to do is to listen to John talk for two hours and if he does so, he’ll be able to see his son again. At this point it is revealed that Detective Matthews son Daniel is playing a “game” of his own; Daniel is trapped in an inescapable house with seven other victims, one of which is Amanda Young, the only survivor of a Jigsaw “game”. The eight victims in the house have two hours to work together to find a way out before a deadly toxin in the air kills them. The eight victims are all connected by being convicts who were falsely arrested by Detective Matthews after he planted evidence on each of them, and none of them realize that Daniel is his son.

The first victim, Michael, is a police informant, a useful contact for Detective Matthews. His "game" is that he needs to dig out a key that has been surgically placed behind his eye. He had one minute to dig into his head with a scalpel, get the key, and unlock a iron maiden-like spring trap on his head.

The first "game" in the house wasn't intended for any particular person. The rule was simple, don't use the key in the locked door. One unnamed guy did and he was shot in the eye by a booby trapped gun.

The second house "game" is for Obi. He is a con artist who helped kidnapped the other housemates. His "game" is to climb into an oven and retrieve two vials of an antidote. He goes in and gets the first one without a problem. The second needle triggers the door to close and the oven to turn on. Obi has the chance to turn a valve that will stop the flames but he would be seriously burned by doing so. By not, he'll burn up and die anyway....which he does.

The third house "game" was for Xavier. The group finds a room that has a pit full of syringes with a key somewhere inside. Xavier throws Amanda into the pit and she finds the key but Xavier doesn't use the key on time to free them.

The final "game" is a trap that traps a person's hands (and cuts them up). The player of course puts both hands into the slots so they can't free one without the other. Who knows who this trap was meant for.

One house guest dies from the toxin before getting to play a game while Daniel and Amanda never find their own "game" to play.

Detective Matthews fails his game after he beats John up badly and John finally agrees to take the Detective to the house. But Detective Daniels failed his "game" and is now gone when the safe in John lab opens automatically and reveals his son safe inside.

The big twist at the end of this film is the reveal that Amanda is actually Jigsaw's apprentice and helper. It explains how he was able to kidnap and set up the "games" in the first movie! 

The best part of this film is when Daniel and Amanda escape into the industrial bathroom where Dr. Gordon and Adam were chained up! Seeing the aftermath and the decayed bodies is incredible and a great way to tie both films together.

The informant and his "game"

John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer

Hand trap!

Amanda playing Xavier's "game"

The housemates

Saw (2004)

The original “Saw” is a thrilling and suspenseful mystery that focuses on two men trapped in an old dirty industrial bathroom who find themselves the current “victims” of the Zigsaw Killer. The movie stars Cary Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Leigh Whannell (who wrote the script) as Adam and has support from Danny Glover, Shawnee Smith, and Dina Myer. This film was written as a standalone movie and because of this the story takes its time and really focuses on the complex trap that Dr. Gordon and Adam find themselves in.

The Jigsaw Killer places very people in a situation where they are forced to play one of his “games”. They are chosen because he believes that they are taking their lives for granted or are outright wasting their lives. He feels so strongly about this because he has found a new love for life after being diagnosed with an operable brain tumor.

There are a total of five “games” that are presented in this film.

• 1.       Paul, who tried to slit his wrist earlier, finds himself naked inside a razor wire maze. He has two hours to find his way through the maze before the only door leading out slams shuts and locks him inside.
• 2       Mark is scamming his employer and his insurance company by claiming to be sick and or disabled, but the Zigsaw Killer knows better. Because of this, Mark has been covered in a highly flammable substance and is given a candle to try to read and find the proper combination code that will unlock a safe and give him the key to leave the room his trapped in. The ground is covered in broken glass so his chances of dropping the candle are incredibly high.
• 3.       Amanda, a heroin user the only known survivor of a Zigsaw “game” wakes up to find a reversible bear trap-like device locked on her head. In order to escape, she has to take a scalpel and find the key that is located inside another man in the room with her, who happens to still be alive but is currently drugged. She guts the man and finds the key just in time. This nameless victim is the first person who isn’t explained at any point.
• 4.       Dr. Gordon and Adam – Dr. Gordon is tasked with killing Adam in two hours, by 6:00pm, otherwise his wife and daughter will be killed and he will be locked away in the bathroom forever. Dr. Gordon has been chosen to play a “game” because he was the uncaring doctor who belittled his patient, the Jigsaw Killer, and because he is cheating on his wife. Adam is chosen because he makes his living by taking pictures of people committing acts that they shouldn’t, people like Mark and Dr. Gordon. All Dr. Gordon needs to do is saw off his foot that is chained down and shoot Adam with the gun that the corpse in the middle of the room has. He does so after the deadline.
• 5.       The fifth and final victim is Zep, an orderly who works at the same hospital as Dr. Gordon. He has been poisoned and the only way to survive is to kill Dr. Gordon’s wife and daughter. He is playing a “game” because he is deemed to a murderer who is willing to kill and innocent woman and her child just to save his own life. The would-be killer fails and goes to where Dr. Gordon is. Adam, who was only wounded, kills Zep by using the ceramic top of a toilet to bludgeon him. Dr. Gordon crawls away to get help and leaves Adam alone in the room.

The big twist at the end of this film is the fact that Jigsaw was the corpse in the middle of the room, so when he stands up and looks down at Adam, the shock is genuine. 

Dr. Lawrence Gordon

Adam

Amanda

Author's Note - Saw the series

In 2004, director James Wan and writer/actor Leigh Whannell made their big screen debut with their independent film “Saw”. Did they know that this little film was going to become a franchise, spawning six sequels that would come out (almost) every October following the original’s release? Did they know that this movie was going to help launch their careers into the successful professionals that they are today?

The “Saw” series introduced us to the evil little puppet Billy, the Jigsaw Killer, and Jigsaw’s famous min-tape recordings that tell his victims the rules of the game that they are about to play

While the series has had its share ups and downs, each new chapter was able to honor the events from the previous films and build upon its mythos. Only near the end were there a few glaring questionable moments, but otherwise the series was able to take any and all loose ends and tie them up and together in some of the most surprising and twisting ways; most of the loose ends weren’t even noticeable until they’re were tied up! It’s these small details, as well as the traps and the cast of characters that I want to focus on during my review of this series this week.

An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

“An American Werewolf in Paris” is perhaps the largest guilty pleasure that I will ever admit to in this blog. Yes, I liked this film despite all of its major obvious flaws. The CGI is over used and horrible, replacing and outright forgetting the best damn make-up special effects moments ever seen in a horror film, the transformation scene in the original “An American Werewolf in London”. And this film tries to blend comedy and this also falls flat and feels forced.  And of course there is the “cure” that is discovered by accident at the end of them movie, which simply mocks the curse of being a werewolf. So why do I love it? Probably because it stars my all-time celebrity crush, Julie Delpy. And the story isn’t bad; it’s just the best for a horror movie. Another redeeming quality is the fact that they include the various ghostly victims that are killed throughout the film, going so far as to try to cause an accident or two so their killer will get himself killed.

Three American friends are traveling around Europe, trying to outscore each other by performing crazy stunts; they’re also keeping score on how many women they meet and have sexy times with. Andy hasn’t done much on the trip and that’s because he’s waiting for Paris where he has an extreme stunt planned; to bungee jump off of the Eifel Tower. Once there after the Tower closes, Andy is preparing to jump when he sees Serafine, a Parisian woman who is about to jump off of the tower and commit suicide. Andy Jumps after her and catches her but ends up injuring himself as the rope retracts. He wakes up and decides that he has to find her. Andy eventually finds her and soon learns that she tried to kill herself because she’s a werewolf; unfortunately he learns this after he himself is bitten by a werewolf at a nightclub. Now Andy has to come to terms with his situation while dealing with a pack of werewolf bullies who throw parties that turn into bloodbaths.