News
Bonds and Brotherhood: Why I Can’t Wait for Saw Legacy
We all have them. That one horror flick that resonates because of an intensely personal memory attached to it.
For me, it’s not one movie, but a franchise.
From the moment Tobin Bell rose from the floor until the final “game over” from Cary Elwes, Saw has signified far more than a lucrative horror series. My love for fall turned from crisp temperatures, the baseball playoffs and Halloween season to something deeper in October 2004.
The first few chords of Charlie Clouser’s “Hello Zepp” conjure images that are the mirror opposite of puppets and tricycles and intricate traps, because for me it’s about friendship.
It’s not rare these days to hear guys calling each other “bro,” but when I first started saying it, I meant it. My boy Dan is like a brother to me. We’ve known one another for nearly twenty years; we’ve worked together, lived together and been through a lot of shit together.
It was a bond that began with a mutual love of movies, and that has never changed. We can have entire conversations that are nothing more than lines from our favorite flicks.
That shared passion eventually brought us to a beautiful creation borne from the minds of Leigh Whannell and James Wan.
Every October for seven years we made our way to the theatre to absorb John Kramer’s complicated lessons about appreciation of life, and in an odd way, that’s exactly what happened.
Other friends who weren’t quite as keen on horror would wonder why we continued to venture off for the latest Saw installment because it was the same thing over and over and the main character died three movies back.
Our response became standard, “We’ve come this far.”
I don’t need to explain to anyone that life has a way of changing things. The responsibility of careers and families are the catalysts for time apart extending from days to weeks and finally to months.
For Dan and I, it wasn’t only about careers but geography, and the fact that nowadays he goes from his regular job to the gaming shop he purchased about three years ago. While I’m glad Dan’s “living the dream” as he’s apt to put it and I still pop in from time-to-time, it only makes me miss the old days when we had more time to spend together to binge watch Pulp Fiction, The Dark Knight and of course, Saw.
We enjoyed the series for very different reasons. While each of us loved the deeply woven, interconnected stories, he dug the traps while I declared that Bell’s intensity was always worth the price of admission.
For as much as I adore horror, I’m not big on gore. Unfortunately I’m a bit too adept with regard to putting myself in the shoes of the characters, so each time that the series upped the ante with the traps, I squirmed in my seat more and more. In turn, Dan laughed at me more and more.
Hell, the year IV came out, we went right after work and decided to grab some sandwiches to sneak into the theatre so we could have dinner. I was uncertain about it because like I said, not a fan of gore, especially when I’m eating. Dan looked over and casually noted, “You’ll probably have most of it eaten before the trailers are over and even if you don’t, it’s not like we’re gonna see flesh getting peeled off somebody right away.”
When the autopsy began and the doctor started to pull Kramer’s face off of his skull, I shot a death stare and “Motherfucker” in Dan’s direction, who was doubled over in laughter as I dropped the last few bites of my sandwich on the floor. The film was in its second night, so of course I accused him of having seen it already, because how in the fuck did he know that was going to happen? He denied it with a chuckle then and denies it to this day, but I’m still not sold.
By the time what was supposed to have been The Final Chapter rolled around, it became an event. We got together for a marathon viewing of the first six movies so that we could pontificate and determine how Saw VII would draw to a close. I would like to say that we were proud to have called Dr. Gordon’s return, but I’m sure we weren’t alone with that conclusion. The key placed behind a dude’s eye and what was supposed to have been Jigsaw performing the surgery on tape limping from the camera to the operating table was probably pretty obvious, but it was still a fantastic way to spend the day.
The baseball playoffs were actually in full swing at the time. In fact, the eventual World Series champion Giants were hosting the Braves in San Francisco and the woman I was seeing at the time texted me to join her and some friends at a bar for the game. I rarely miss a postseason contest, but had to decline. She wondered why I would rather sit and watch a bunch of old movies instead of watch baseball and drink with my girlfriend.
But she just didn’t get it, we’d come this far.
On the night, Dan and I headed for Buffalo Wild Wings and the Saw grand finale, but while we were pleased that we had, in fact, called it, neither of us were necessarily happy with the send-off. We felt that such an epic saga couldn’t have ended there.
A journey that began with kidneys on eBay concluded with the final curtain dropping on Picket Fences, an unsatisfying finish to a race that had sprawled out over seven Octobers.
Shortly thereafter, I took on a more demanding job. Dan bought the shop. I moved.
There were the occasional get-togethers and we still travel to Comic Con in Minneapolis each May, but as it so often does, life got in the way.
Another seven years have passed since our last Saw excursion, but there will not be an eighth. Legacy will hit theatres this October.
When I got the news that Saw would officially have a Part VIII, I immediately texted my brother to say “I want to play a game. Again.”
Dan’s response was simple, “We’ve come this far.”
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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