Although it had some known actors in it such as Cary Elwes and Danny Glover, it was it’s clever mixture of extreme gore and unpredictable twists that powered it to a gross of over $100 million worldwide.
Given that it was made for just $1.2 million dollars, you can see why Lionsgate keep churning these out every year.
In fact, the last two Saw films alone were made for just $10 million each and both made box office revenues of well over $100 million, showing just how popular and enduring the franchise has become.
Despite the financial success, there has been an inevitable decline in the quality of the films; Saw II was entertaining, but III and IV were tired riffs on the original premise to the point that I just didn’t really care about who was doing what.
But the success with mainstream audiences does intrigue me. Do people get a kick out of the sadistic torture sequences? Or is it the intricate and puzzling aspect of the killings that fascinate audiences? (Remember, the villain is called Jigsaw).
Perhaps in an era where the current US president has essentially legalised torture they represent a bizarre fantasy for the viewer – after all, there is often a twisted morality to the people Jigsaw tortures.
But a more practical answer might be that these films are just brilliantly marketed – not only do they offer a younger audience effective scares, but they have an appealing sense of mystery in each one.
Most horrors involve monsters or a lone boogeyman stalking unsuspecting victims, but the Saw films have an added dimension in that each death is nearly always some kind of diabolical puzzle.
Added to that there is always an element of choice the victim has – even if it means gouging out their own eye, they can still save themselves – which is a neat twist on the helplessness of most horror movie victims.
On top of that, the inherent theatricality of these sequences mean they stick in the mind more than some bimbo getting stabbed with a knife or a creature gobbling someone up.
The latest film sees Forensic Hoffmann (Costas Mandylor) take over Jigsaw’s reign and here is taste of the from the trailer:
The big question for me is where does this all end? The tagline for the poster above states:
In the end all the pieces will fit together.
But I’m already hearing there will be Saw VI next year along with a computer game(!).
Afro Saxons is a new documentary that follows several hair stylists as they enter the Black Beauty and Hair awards – the biggest Afro hair competition in the UK.
There is Angela, a braid stylist to the stars; Wayne and Cyndia, the leading junior stylists at the UK’s biggest chain of Afro hair salons; George and Apple, a Thai couple obsessed with Afro hair; and Michael, Birmingham’s leading Afro stylist who is out to beat the all-powerful London salons.
Afro Saxons opens at selected UK cinemas on Friday 17th October
Although I had serious reservations about anyone making a film about George W. Bush before his presidency had even ended, I’m starting to think that Oliver Stone‘s W. is not only going to deliver the goods but maybe a possible awards contender.
The latest trailer – set to Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads – does a great job of distilling W’s life and career in under 2 minutes.
If the film delivers on the promise of this spot then it could be something really special.
It follows two teenagers adrift in an adult world, who develop trust and acceptance through their unlikely friendship.
Tomo runs away to London from a lonely, difficult life in the Midlands. Through a chance encounter he meets Marek, a Polish immigrant living with his father in Somers Town, central London.