Halloween Movie Night #21 - Saw

I realize that most people in this world do not like the Saw movies. Yes, they are very gory, sick and twisted, but even my co-worker who loves that kind of stuff is sick of these movies. The reason I really like the Saw franchise is that they are really damn clever. The story that they keep telling with each new installment just keeps getting better and better. Even when the particular movie you're watching isn't the best in the series, it still has something to add to the overall story. For someone like me who is a writer, that's really fun.

Another thing I really like about the Saw movies is the villian Jigsaw. This villian will go down in history as one of the best. Much like the Ed Harris character from The Rock, Jigsaw has good intentions. Yes, he sets up these horrific "games" which are little more than glorified torture devices and forces his unwilling players to torture themselves in order to play. But there is one thing in common that all of Jigsaw's victims have in common: they are bad people. Jigsaw picks people who need to learn lessons about life - usually lessons about the values of life. As a man dying of cancer, John Kramer has learned to value life and by putting his victims in these horrible situations, he is trying to teach them to value theres. Or they die trying.

As they say repeatedly in the Saw movies, John Kramer (aka Jigsaw) never once kills anybody. He offers them a choice: live or die.

This first Saw movie finds two man (Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Adam) chained to pipes in a grungy bathroom. They soon learn that they must trust each other to figure out how to survive this game that has been thrust upon them. Through flashbacks, more information is given about Jigsaw, the man who is forcing them to play. Also, information is given about the two men and the lives they lead. We soon find out exactly why Jigsaw has chosen them to play his morbid game.

Soon into the game they find hacksaws and they figure they are to use them to cut through the chains. They realize, however, that the idea isn't to cut through the chains, but rather their feet. People assume that the hacksaws are what gave the movie its name. More accurately, I think the title Saw refers to the fact that the victims are always being watched. Jigsaw is always watching the game.

This is one sick movie, but if you can look past the gore, there's a really cool story being told. There is one hell of a twist that had everyone in the theater gasping once it was revealed. I still get excited when I get to that point in the movie. All the movies in the franchise have a "twist" to the plot revealed at the end, but few of them have had the impact as that first one.

I am re-watching all of these Saw movies this week because on Friday Saw 7 (yes, Saw #7) is hitting theaters in the 3D format. They actually filmed it in 3D, too... they didn't film it and then reformat it later - a trend that I find more disgusting than the gore in the Saw movies. I can't wait to see Saw 7 and my excitement grows with each Saw movie that I rewatch!

Halloween Movie Night #20 - Mostly Ghostly

I started to watch The Last House on the Left (a remake of a Wes Craven movie) today, but turned it off when it got to the brutal rape scene. It wasn't so much the rape scene that made me stop watching as it was the stupid story. There seemed to be no point to anything that any of the characters did, including the rape. I read the plot outline on wikipedia and discovered that the rape was merely a plot point to encourage revenge in the girl's parents. Revenge movies are not very original any more. So I stopped the movie, deleted it from Tivo and looked for another movie to watch.

Mostly Ghostly ended up being quite the opposite of the movie I started watching. It was funny at times and corny at others. Two kids named Nicky and Tara suddenly discover that no one is listening to them or can see them. They are, in fact, now ghosts. They encounter a boy named Max who is now living in their house. Max is a wannabe magician, despite the fact that his father would rather he be more into sports.

The three eventually discover that an evil ghost named Phear plans to release a bunch of evil spirits on the town and they are the only ones who can stop him. Nicky and Tara's parents tried before, but failed - though how they failed is never explained. Of course, Max will be able to succeed, so Nicky and Tara enlist him for the job.

So, while Mostly Ghostly won't win any awards for plot development or even for special effects or acting, it was a much better choice than the movie I started watching!

Halloween Movie Night #19 - The Covenant

The Covenant really did not get very good reviews. I happened to see it playing on FX and was able to record it, but as I looked at the wikipedia page, I began to wonder if I wanted to waste my time with it. What kept me interested in it was the concept of vulnerability bestowed on the warlocks in the story.

Four guys have been living in a Massachuttes town, so close that they are like brothers. Their families are direct descendents of witches that were around during the times of the Salem witch trials, so to protect themselves, they form a covenant to keep their powers hidden; though you wouldn't know it from the way the four boys use their powers in front of everybody!

What I liked about this idea was the fact that with the blessing of the powers also comes a curse: use the powers too much and you age prematurely. The powers are addictive and it is too easy to use them too much and age yourself too quickly. I love this idea! Vulerability among witches - at least like this - isn't something you see often in movies.

The conflict comes in the story comes from the revelation that there is a fifth family whose power is long-though gone since the Salem witch trials. Of course, we soon find out differently when a fifth warlock comes on the scene and challenges Caleb to his powers.

While The Covenant isn't a spectacular movie, it is definately of a better quality than say... certain movies and books about a vampire/wherewolf'/human girl love triangle. The acting is MUCH better, too. There are problems with the movie, but it's entertaining and offers an interesting angle on the magical powers of witches theme.

Halloween Movie Night #18 - Button, Button

Last year, Cameron Diaz and James Marsden were in a movie called The Box. It wasn't very successful, but it did draw attention to this long-forgotten (except by me) episode from the 80's version of the Twilight Zone. When I first saw the story back in the 80's called Button, Button it scared the crap out of me and the whole concept behind the story has stayed with me all these years.

A white trash couple, clearly desperate for money, are one day given a box with a glass dome on top of it. Inside the glass dome is a red button and accompanying the box is a note promising that a visitor will arrive the next day to explain things to them. An odd-looking man does indeed show up and explains to the wife that should they choose to push the button two things will happen. First, someone whom they do not know will die. Second, he will give them $200,000, tax free.

For days they agonize about what to do until finally the wife announces "I'm going to push it!" and she does. As promised, the strange man shows up with a briefcase full of money and...

As much as I am dying to spoil the ending, I just can't. It is much more effective when you watch the whole thing and experience it for yourself. Therefore, I will include the two parts of the episode for you to enjoy. You're welcome!





Okay, how AWESOME was that ending?

As for the 2009 expansion of this story, it was okay. The entire events of the TV episode happen within the first 30 minutes or so of the film. The rest of the film is dedicated to explaining who the man is and why he makes them the offer. It is full of special effects and creepy moments, but it is severely lacking in story and purpose. For me, the creepiest aspect to the story (and any horror movie, for that matter) is the NOT knowing and the movie completely ruins that.

This story isn't about why the strange man makes them the offer. The story is about why the couple makes the decision they do. Of course, the chilling last line of the TV episode is the perfect place to end the story. I am a firm believer in making the audience wonder and the TV show (as well as the Richard Matheson short story) does just that by not explaining anything beyond the stranger saying that he's going to give the box to another couple and give them the same offer - and it'll be someone that they don't know! How scary is that?!

Halloween Movie Night #17 - Hocus Pocus

I put a spell on you! For movie night #17 (Oh yes, I know I am severely behind schedule...) I watched Hocus Pocus while on a field trip. This is one of those movies that I just have to see every year. Between Bette Midler belting out the best version of "I put a Spell on you" to ever be recorded (though sadly never released as a single or on a soundtrack) to Kathy Najimy flying around town on a vacuum cleaner to Sarah Jessica Parker jumping up and down giggling "amok, amok, amok, amok" Hocus Pocus is just plain fun! The three actresses play the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who suck the lives from children to maintain a youthful appearance - think of a rather morbid fountain of youth. Sarah lures the children into the woods with a siren song, Mary gathers the ingredients for the potion and Winnie... er... um... reads the ingredients out of her beloved book. Well, Winnie is the leader so why should she have to do any work? After killing his sister, the witches face off against a boy named Thackery Binx who is cursed to live forever as a cat - forget about nine lives, this feline boy gets infinity - shortly before they are gathered by the townspeople and hanged. At the hanging, however Winnie cackles out a spell that promises to bring them back should a virgin ever light the black flame candle. Enter Max, the skeptic, played by the adorable Omri Katz. Believing the legends to be "Hocus Pocus" he lights the candle and summons the witches and chaos ensues. The sisters have one night to suck the lives from all the children or forever be ashes to ashes and dust to dust. The movie didn't do well when it first hit theaters, but it's become a cult classic since being released on DVD. Odds are you know someone who loves this movie... or that person is you! I definitely can't make it through October without hearing Better Midler singing the show-stopping musical number midway through the film.

Halloween Movie Night #16 - Rocky Horror Picture Show

Let's do the Time Warp again! I can't believe that this movie is only a couple months older than me! For its 35th Anniversary, The Rocky Horror Picture Show got a pretty decent face lift onto the high def blu ray format. I wish I looked as good. Is Rocky Horror the best movie ever made? No. It's campy fun that has developed into a cult hit phenomenon. Though it was a bomb at the box office when it first appeared in 1975, it found a new audience at midnight screenings and soon was developed the traditions of yelling things back at the screen, throwing props and people dressing up as the characters and performing up front right along with the movie. Though I have never actually been to a physical screening (Rocky Horror enthusiasts would call me a virgin), I know all about what goes on. I ended up buying the blu ray because they loaded it with a ton of campy extras. One thing missing from the blu ray (and the reason why I will keep my DVD copy) is the audio track featuring a recorded session of a midnight showing, complete with all the lines that have been traditionally excepted as Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing lines. The blu ray has a similar subtitle track with scripted lines you can shout, but it just isn't the same. Also included is a "prop box" with props you can select at the appropriate time - the digital ones promise to "save your plasma TV from getting ruined by messy props". Also, they auditioned performers who were filmed performing as characters which was made into a picture-in-picture option on the blu ray. As for the movie itself, it features Tim Curry as Frank 'n' Furter, a host to a stranded couple named Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Surandon). He has created a monster for himself, the title character Rocky. Frank is a little odd and so is the night that Brad and Janet are about to face. Rocky Horror is a campy musical horror film that is a LOT of fun to watch!

Halloween Movie Night #15 - The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

I decided to watch the classic Disney version of this Washington Irving story Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Has anyone else had difficulty finding a sympathetic character in this story? Ichabod is little more than a mooch who only dreams of marrying Katrina because she is rich and he wants the fortune she'll inherit. Brawn is little more than a bully who pushes his way into situations and self-appoints himself as the leader of a group. The object of their offection, Katrina, is a snobby rich girl who uses her looks and wealth to get whatever she wants.

Frankly, I wish the Headless Horseman would just get rid of all three of them.

Still, this is a classic tale and it's a fun tradition, despite the awful characters. I confess that I didn't watch the Mr. Toad portion of the 60-minute film and I'm probably missing out. If I have time, I'll watch it and blog about it, too.