Tag Archives: Saw

GOOD BOY ft. The Forest + Final Destination 5

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I believe this is my first foray into Into the Dark on Hulu, the Blumhouse conception aimed to please those who run out to see any half-assed horror flick in theaters by producing these bite-sized, holiday themed options that are available right at home. I second-guess myself because there are so many now that it’s hard to keep track of what I may have turned on one random night before passing out in my Beefaroni. Into the Dark classifies itself as a TV anthology series, but I hate to break it to ya: when your “episodes” are all feature-lengths (80mins or above), are self-contained with completely different casts, and there are monthly gaps between releases, then they are movies not shows.

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SATANIC PANIC ft. Jigsaw + Lords of Chaos

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Satanic Panic initially had me believing it and We Summon the Darkness were one and the same. I must have heard about the latter being in production and then saw the former’s poster because it looked like Alexandra Daddario on it, but is in fact newcomer Hayley Griffith. Satanic Panic opens up with an innocent enough but low-tier atmosphere. However, after getting over the initial hump, this flick picks up the pace.

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RED DRAGON

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From director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand), Red Dragon is the third film in the “Lecter Trilogy” and the prequel to The Silence of the Lambs. Starring Edward Norton (American History X, Birdman), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Schindler’s List), and of course Anthony Hopkins, the movie reveals how Hannibal Lecter was originally caught and tells the story of “The Tooth Fairy” serial killer. FBI agent Will Graham is brought out of retirement to hunt down the fiend who only kills families during a full moon. Once again the audience is treated to a dialogue with Lecter who is equal parts helpful and hindering with the investigation.

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SAW IV

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Last year I ended the MASSACRE MARATHON with a BANG! I reviewed the first three films in the Saw franchise for the grand finale. I got an itch to continue on with the series, so this year I watched Saw IV. This is the first one that doesn’t feature James Wan or Leigh Whannell in any capacity while Darren Lynn Bousman (Repo! The Genetic Opera, Tales of Halloween) returns to direct for his third and final time. Continue reading →

THE UNBORN

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The Unborn is a film from 2009 about a girl in college who starts having nightmares and visions of a creepy kid. She soon finds out that she had a twin brother that died before they were born, so she tries to find the connection. Is it all in her head or is something sinister really happening? Continue reading →

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR

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The Purge has become an almost annual tradition, much like its promotional material implies. As Saw used to be to the Halloween season, The Purge has started to mark its territory as the 4th of July. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they still have sequels up their sleeves to continue into “milking it” territory, but for now I’m OK with the yearly installments because they are (somehow) managing to keep this fantasy world fresh with new ideas. By now I’m sure the majority of people reading this already know what The Purge is about. One night out of the year the future government declares all crime legal in an effort to reduce crime for the remaining 364 days. From the trailers of these films alone one could easily write this trilogy off as torture porn with no substance and I would understand, but if they actually took the time to watch any one Purge film they would find a much deeper societal/political dialogue hidden behind the blood.

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SAW III

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♆♆♆ Saw ♆♆♆ Saw II ♆♆♆

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If you haven’t read the previous reviews, you might not understand what I’m talking about in this one! Click the links at the top!

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Saw III starts up with the echoing screams from the ending of the last one, throwing you right back into the mix. It’s a nice opening to get the horror juices flowing, whether you just watched Saw II or not. Jigsaw is on his deathbed and has a new acolyte carrying out his twisted games while he pulls the strings behind the scenes. The brainwashed follower captures a surgeon from a hospital with the intent of preserving Jigsaw for as long as possible. A second story runs parallel with a man named Jeff, played by Angus Mcfayden (Braveheart, Equilibrium), who had lost everything waking up in a run of traps. Wandering through the obstacle course, he faces the people he accused of ruining his life and must decide what becomes of them.

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SAW II

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♆♆♆ Saw ♆♆♆ Saw III ♆♆♆

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STOP
If you haven’t read the previous review, you might not understand what I’m talking about in this one! Click the link at the top!

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Saw II continues the legacy of the “Jigsaw” killer, but this time instead of a single room entrapping two guys, there is a whole house full of victims. As the setting expands so does the story. A new cop is introduced, played by Donnie Wahlburg (Blue Bloods), who finally catches up to Jigsaw but also learns his son is involved in the deviant’s newest trap. A race begins to interrogate Jigsaw before the cop’s son ends up dead.

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SAW

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It’s finally here! Night 31! The holy grail of the MASSACRE MARATHON! This year’s end of the line features a more recent entry into the horror classics hall of fame: Saw. What started as a small Australian short film blossomed into a juggernaut of a franchise, becoming a yearly Halloween staple. There are seven films total, but for this special day we are only focusing on the first three.

♆♆♆ Saw II ♆♆♆ Saw III ♆♆♆

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When writer/director James Wan and writer/actor Leigh Whannell came together in 2004 to make Saw they created a sadistic masterpiece. It was one of those films I remember everybody talking about when it was released. My maker introduced it to me when I was still a young, unsullied Manster. He explained to me how he heard it wasn’t only a horror movie, but a crime mystery too.

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INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3

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When the first sequel to Insidious was announced I rolled my eyes. To my surprise it turned out to be a worthy addition to the story. When Insidious: Chapter 3 was announced I rolled my eyes even harder. I knew for a fact there was nowhere they could take this story that would result in something positive. My senses didn’t fail me.

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