13 Movies for October 2010

How do you determine how scary a movie is? Webster's Standard Dictionary defines "scare": to frighten, and "frighten": to cause alarm or terror. "Alarm": ...a sudden fright or apprehension. "Terror": a great fear. "Apprehend": to capture, grasp mentally, await with dread. "Fear": A state of anxiety or dread, uneasiness or concern.

“Scary” then is many things. To simplify it I have ordered these into 3 categories. 1)Sudden Fright (SHOCK/JUMPINESS), 2)Mental Grasp (Queasiness/Grossness), 3) Await with dread (Suspense).


Movie Review #1:

Saw IV:
SHOCK VALUE:25 of 33
QUEASINESS:30 of 33
SUSPENSE:25 of 34
TOTAL SCARE: 80 of 100

This is the first Saw movie that is part of the “second legacy”...the original movie was slated to have only 2 sequels but I guess the franchise was making enough money to continue the story. I always wondered how there could have been so many Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elmstreet movies; now-a-days SAW is the ongoing franchise, so I guess I know what it's like...

Saw IV begins with a scene showing Jigsaw – the main villain of the previous 3 movies – as dead. So how are all the traps set up for this next set of victims? The Saw movies are known for their crazy twist endings...and this one is no exception. Although I never really cared for the character Rigg and his test (“never go through an unsecured door”), I do think the twist ending is like none I've ever seen – it turns out that this movie isn't really a sequel at all. It doesn't take place after Saw III but actually occurs SIMULTANEOUSLY. That's right – the seen at the beginning is very out of place. In reality – for most of this movie the crazy guy is actually alive. That first scene doesn't take place at the end of Waw 4 like you might think – and it's not even an introduction to Saw V (though the creators seem to want us to believe that)...it takes place near the beginning of Saw V – but not at the very beginning. I understand the reason for having this scene at the beginning of Saw IV but I think it's too far removed from its place in chronological order. It feels to me like Hollywood was kind of cheating here...enough people would remember the end of Saw III and could have assumed that Jigsaw was dead – there wasn't any need to show this scene now...it should have been left in it's place early on in Saw V.

One of my favorite parts of this movie doesn't have to do with the story or characters at all - but just the way it was filmed. It may be just in the "Director's Cut" but there are several transition scenes that are very fast and very fluid. The scenes change when you don't expect them to - in ways you don't expect them too. You know how George Lucas is known for his "wipes" - well there's something similar going on here, but it's not as simple as a screen-wipe. You might have to watch the movie to know exactly what I'm talking about but the direction sets up the scene changes so they're more seamless...you go from the FBI's perspective to Rigg's perspective very fast - you might not even notice it if you aren't paying enough attention.

The traps in this one are weaker than any of the other Saw movies. The final Ice-Block Head-Smash is very cartoony if you ask me, and it wasn't even a surprise. They show the set-up half-way through the movie so you knew it was coming...and when they show it the 3 characters in the room act like they just noticed it...but they should have seen it a long time ago... its an awkward moment in the film. The opening trap is by far the best in the film – though it's unclear if the trap itself would actually kill the victims it sure looks cool. I guess that's the point though – the victims usually end up killing themselves, so that part is forgivable. I like all the flashbacks into Jigsaw's past but I would have liked to see more character development on Rigg's character.

Had Rigg actually done as he was supposed to then he would have appeared on the final scene after the timer went off and the lawyer and Erick Mathews and Hoffman would have been "saved". I'm curious as to this because now we know that Hoffman was in cahoots with Jigsaw - so it's possible that he would have killed them himself. I hate how he just gets up at the end - his part of the trap was obviously a fake. Jigsaw has never set up a fake trap before...the movie clearly shows Hoffman's chair lowering into the water which should have electrocuted him. Rigg is never shown as dead at the end of this movie...so is he still alive? Another interesting thing - if Rigg had done as he was supposed to then the other victims in the movie - the prostitute in the chair would still be dead. Her only escape was Rigg's assistance. This is another variation from the other Jigsaw traps - he usually gives them a way out that they have to solve for themselves. I wonder if this trap was actually designed by Amanda (as she set up the traps in part 3).