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Late to the Party: SAW (2004)

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“A guy saws off his own foot to escape his chains. It’s gory. It seems gross. So what? I don’t need to see a movie about a guy just stuck in a room who saws off his own body parts. Gore for the sake of gore is just silly.”

Oh, the things I would say when I was younger. I think I’ve written about this before – I’m almost positive that I did somewhere – but when I was less experienced in the horror genre, blood and guts wasn’t appealing in the slightest to me. Maybe I grew a tolerance for it. Maybe I got tired of the same old monster movies. Whatever the reason, there came a time when I needed something stronger. Something more extreme.

I started seeking out films that would test my limits. Films that exist simply to disturb and disgust the viewers, to visually and mentally assault them, much like in The Human Centipedewhich I wrote about back in May for this column. I actually saw that before I watched James Wan’s genre-pusher Saw, so I believed I had primed myself enough for the experience. I figured I’d be able to handle the gore and the guts much easier if I had put myself through the disgusting experience that Centipede had to offer.

I was correct, but only in part. There wasn’t much blood or gore to speak of in Centipede, but it reaffirmed me that I could probably handle a lot more. Saw is much more of an exercise in tension and mystery than the aforementioned film. Yes, it does contain a lot of gore – effective amounts that will shock and disgust – but the overall story is really what makes the film so popular. Maybe it’s the depravity of it all. Being able to imagine people stuck in a situation so vile because of one person’s sick machinations must give people a rise. Or, maybe it’s the hope factor. The thought process that, yes, this situation is horrible, but maybe there’s a way out.

My original impression that the film is merely torture porn was entirely incorrect. Though the film is a challenge to sit through (many must grit their teeth and bare it through some harsh scenes), the mystery of Saw is really what carries it. It’s much more in-depth than a movie such as Hostel – a movie I enjoy, but thoroughly admit to being torture porn. The psychological aspects of Saw are heavy; there’s a sick fascination with seeing these people play Jigsaw’s games.

It really is amazing how everything comes together at the conclusion of the film. There seemed to be so many twists that my head almost spun right off. And let us not forget that damn puppet rolling around on that damn little bike. That’s a horror icon if I’ve ever seen one, right there. You best believe it.

Though the later films would focus more on bloodflow than compelling stories (I have since watched every single one and enjoyed them all besides the seventh), the original is a remarkable piece of horror cinema. As usual, I regret waiting so long to watch this film. But that’s just how these things seem to go, isn’t it?

Stay tuned next week for the horror comedy classic, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN!

 

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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