Friday, October 31, 2014

Game Over! Ranking The Saw Franchise



Here's a fun fact I'm gonna reveal at the end of this.  I only went to the theater (twice) for the first movie in this series.  While I am a fan of them, when Saw II came out and my job at the time got screeners from from Lionsgate (Lion's Gate at that time) for their theatrical releases the same day they came out in theaters.  So, I'd get to see it for free and in our biggest DVD testing room with the biggest and best TV and surround equipment at that time.  So I kind of had a the next best thing, and I was on the clock getting paid to watch it.  This also was the case for III and IV.  When V came out I just didn't make it as I was out of town on a trip...then I saw V and it was bad enough for me to wait for VI on home video.  I have no idea why I didn't go see 3-D.  BUT, I did have a running gag with my friends and employees back in the day and I was sort of sticking to it.  I had said that "When they get to Saw VIII, I will return to the theater".  And I thought it was going to happen.  Then, anticlimatically, it was over JUST before it got to that.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Why Halloween Is Just Not The Same Without A SAW Film (Guest Article)



Hey everybody!  My bossman at Why So Blu? and Blu-ray Jesus himself, Brian White has done me a solid and delivered us a great piece for the Saw Retrospective.  I think its the perfect capper to follow all the individual movie articles and really gives you a great feel for how every October was for this franchise from 2004-2010.  I hope you all enjoy and I'll be back with Ranking The Franchise.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

SAW Retrospective: Saw 3-D (2010)


Saw 3-D
2010
Director: Kevin Greutert
Starring: Sean Patrick Flannery, Cary Elwes, Betsy Russell, Costas Mandylor, Chad Donella and one brief scene with Tobin Bell
Rated:  R

Game Over
    ~Laurence Gordon

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

SAW Retrospective: Saw VI (2009)



Saw VI
2009
Director: Kevin Greutert
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Shawnee Smith, Peter Outerbridge, Mark Rolston, Athena Karkanis, Samantha Lemole and Eddie Winslow himself Darius McCrary
Rated: R

We got it all ass backwards here.
          ~Jigsaw

Monday, October 27, 2014

SAW Retrospective: Saw V (2008)


Saw V
2008
Director: David Hackl
Starring:  Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Tobin Bell, Betsy Russell, Carlo Rota, Julie Benz, Meagan Good
Rated:  R

They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery...
                     ~Jigsaw

Friday, October 24, 2014

SAW Retrospective: Saw IV (2007)



Saw IV
2007
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring:  Lyriq Bent, Scott Patterson, Tobin Bell, Betsy Russell, Athena Karkanis, Louis Ferreira, Donnie Wahlberg
Rated:  R

It's the tool that's going to save your soul
           ~Jigsaw

Thursday, October 23, 2014

SAW Retrospective: Saw III (2006)



Saw III
2006
Director:  Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring:  Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Leigh Whannel, Costas Mandylor, Dina Meyer, Lyriq Bent
Rated: R

Death is a surprise party.
             ~Jigsaw

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

SAW Retrospective: The Scott Tibbs Documentary (2006)



The Scott Tibbs Documentary
2006
Director:  Kelly Lynn Pancho
Starring:  Zach Starr, Don Baldaramos, Shawnee Smith, Carrie Newell and Brandon Peters as "News Camera Op #2"
Unrated

Scott Tibbs style, baby!
      ~Scott Tibbs

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

SAW Retrospective: Saw II (2005)



Saw II
2005
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Erik Knudsen, Franky G, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Beverly Mitchell, Lyriq Bent
Rated: R

He's in a safe place...
      ~John Kramer Aka Jigsaw

Thursday, October 16, 2014

SAW Retrospective: Saw (2004)


Saw
2004
Director: James Wan
Starring: Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Leigh Whannel, Michael Emerson, Monica Potter, Dina Meyer, Ken Leung, Tobin Bell
Rated: R

I'm a kill you, you sick asshole!
    ~Detective David Tapp

Monday, October 13, 2014

Forgotten Filmcast Ep 38 - HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE (1980)



As you all know I have a deep affinity for 80s slasher films.  I had the honor recently of guesting on the Forgotten Filmcast with Todd Liebenow to discuss the 1980s slasher film He Knows You're Alone.  This film's biggest claim to fame is that its the feature film debut of Hollywood legend Tom Hanks.  If you're never heard the Forgotten Filmcast, you're in for a treat, definitely check out some of the other episodes for terrific analysis and discussion of "the films that time forgot".  Below you can hear the podcast and I've also got a link to the site.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Who Sucks Least - Ranking The Hammer Dracula Films



We come to the end.  For the most part, due to being a period setting, these films really do hold up quite well.  Its probably hard for some to see how daring these films actually were for their time, but they were quite the break through for horror the late 50s and through the 1960s.  Horror comes in popular waves and the Hammer Films, along with the Corman Poe and AMIC films were just that for a good decades worth.  Period films, with lavish sets and costumes.  

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Hammer Dracula: The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires (1974)



The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires
1974
Director:  Roy Ward Baker, Cheh Chung
Starring:  Peter Cushing, John Forbes-Robertson, David Chiang, Julie Ege, Robin Stewart, Szu Shih, Shen Chan
Rated:  R

Black Belt Against Black Magic!
           ~Trailer Narrator

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Hammer Dracula: The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1973)



The Satanic Rites Of Dracula aka Count Dracula And His Vampire Bride
1973
Director:  Alan Gibson
Starring:  Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Joanna Lumley, Michael Coles, Valerie Van Ost
Rated: R

My revenge has spread over centuries and has just begun!
            ~Count Dracula

Monday, October 6, 2014

Hammer Dracula: Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)



Dracula A.D. 1972
1972
Director:  Alan Gibson
Starring:  Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Stephanie Beacham, Caroline Munro, Christopher Neame, Michael Coles
Rated: R

Come in for a bite.
    ~Johnny Alucard

David Fincher Retrospective: Quick Thoughts On Gone Girl (2014)




Gone Girl
2014
Director: David Fincher
Starring:  Rosamund Pike, Ben Affleck, Carrie Coon, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, Missi Pyle, Casey Wilson, Emily Ratajkowski, Lola Kirke
Rated: R

You two are the most fucked up people I've ever met, and I deal with fucked up people for a living.
                  ~Tanner Bolt

Thursday, October 2, 2014

What Hammer Means To Me (Guest Article)



My friend and author/comic book writer Troy Brownfield has done me the honor of writing a guest piece for this retrospective series.  Troy is one of the biggest Hammer Horror fans I know.  Among the many things he creates/writes for, he has just recently published a Dracula novel of his own and has on an ongoing comic series from Dynamite that feels very Hammer inspired called The Blood Queen.  Once again, I'm humbled and ecstatic that he's come on board to be a part of this retrospective!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Hammer Dracula: Scars Of Dracula (1970)




Scars Of Dracula
1970
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Starring: Christopher Lee, Jenny Hanley, Dennis Waterman, Christopher Matthews, Patrick Troughton, Deliah Linsdsay, Wendy Hamilton, Michael Gwynn
Rated: R

What we shall be facing in a few hours' time is not a man.  He is evil.  He is the embodiment of all that is evil.  He is the very Devil himself.
                 ~Dr. Loo-err,...The Priest