Classic

Black Sabbath (1963) Review

August 4, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Original Title: I tre volti della paura

Synopsis: A trio of atmospheric horror tales about: A woman terrorized in her apartment by phone calls from an escaped prisoner from her past; a Russian count in the early 1800s who stumbles upon a family in the countryside trying to destroy a particularly vicious line of vampires; and a 1900-era nurse who makes a fateful decision while preparing the corpse of one of her patients – an elderly medium who died during a seance.

My review: Mario Bava’s Classic deserves to be called by its original title translation: “3 faces of fear” because the 3 segments show different genre of horror: The Giallo, a Vampire tale and a Ghost Story.

Black Sabbath starts slowly with a classic revenge story using all the code of the Giallo (leather gloves, pan and zoom shots, a slight touch of eroticism, bright red colors…) but “The Telephone” fails to create much emotion and feels more like a draft for Bava’s next masterpiece, “Blood and Black Lace”. On the other hand, you now know where “When a Stranger calls” got its inspiration from.

The second segment, “The Wurdalak” is the weakest of the bunch. Despite a good use of the sets and great cinematography, the story drags for too long and is not being helped by poor acting and a weak script.

Finally, “The drop of Water” ends this anthology on a very strong note with one of the scariest corpse/ghost ever shown on film. The face of the dead medium had probably haunted generation of moviegoers who watched this movie. For this creepy and really scary segment alone, the movie is worth a watch and deserves a place in the Horror Movies Hall of Fame.

My Rating: 6/10

Director: Mario Bava

Origin: Italy

Click Here To Buy and Own Black Sabbath on Blu-Ray Now!

The Saw Series – 7 Saw Movies Reviewed

July 1, 2013 by Eric S. 1 Comment

The Saw Movies are part of one of the most profitable Horror Movie Franchise in history, certainly the biggest one in the 2000’s spawning 6 sequels from 2005 to 2010 after the original Saw movie became a box-office sensation back in 2004.

This week I have decided to re-watch every Saw Movies, one everyday. This will allow me to give each of them a proper review (albeit a quick one) but also to analyze the series as a whole.

You will also find a FAQ at the end of this article with some interesting observations. Click on the links below in the table of content for quick access to each review and features.

Table of Content

– Saw Review

– Saw II Review

– Saw III Review

– Saw IV Review

– Saw V Review

– Saw VI Review

– Saw 3D Review

– Box Office Saw Movies

– Saw Movies FAQ

– Movies Similar to Saw

1 – Saw (2004) Review

Synopsis (from IMDb): With a dead body lying between them, two men wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who’s been nicknamed “Jigsaw”. The men must follow various rules and objectives if they wish to survive and win the deadly game set for them

Quick Review: Watching the original Saw 9 years later after all of the sequels and the number of copycats and Torture porn Movies that follow was a surreal experience. Apart from the twist at the end, and some of the “games” I had a hard time remembering most of the movie. And for a good reason: there are whole parts that just simply suck.

Most of the flashback and character exposition are just plain boring and the acting does not help. I believe James Wan and Leigh Whannel had this great concept and ideas but their lack of experience in doing a full-feature movie shows.

I also have to admit that Saw is not as gory as I could remember and there are only 2 or 3 traps that are really worth mentioning. I think that most of the iconic scenes of the Saw Franchise are actually to be found in the next movies.

With that being said, Saw is still a great concept movie. The twist works (at least the first time around), the traps are cool (especially the bear trap) and Jigsaw makes for a hell of villain.

My Rating: 8 (first time around), 6 (second viewing)

Director: James Wan

Click Here to Watch Saw Online Now!

2 – Saw II (2005) Review

Synopsis (from IMDb): Jigsaw locks a few unlucky people in a booby trapped shelter and they must find a way out before they inhale too much of a lethal nerve gas and die.

Quick Review: Considering that the first Saw was a trendsetter and had a very interesting twist, SAW II actually does a good job at raising the bar in terms of visual horror while still offering a very satisfactory resolution/ending.

Saw II story happens a few months after the first movie event and this time we have more victims and traps than the first one had. Saw II is defintiviely more shocking and disturbing and has probably one of the most memorable trap in the franchise history (the needle stack, while not resulting in the death of the character is one the most hard to watch scene in the movie).

The acting in this episode is also a notch better as is the pacing since there is much less filler (Saw II is also more than 10mn shorter) and Bousman does a good job at mimicking some of the trademarked shots James Wan used in the first Saw (rapid cuts, accelerated editing…). This time around Tobin Bell is front and center as Jigsaw and his performance is still stellar.

I actually enjoyed watching Saw II again more than I did the first one. The quicker pace, ingenious traps and satisfying ending still make it a highly rewatchable movie.

My Rating: 7 (both first and second viewing)

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Click Here to Watch Saw II Online Now!

3 – Saw III (2006) Review

Synopsis: Jigsaw kidnaps a doctor to keep him alive while he watches his new apprentice put an unlucky citizen through a brutal test.

Quick Review: Saw III is by far the goriest entry in the Saw Series so far. There are a few memorable scenes that will stay in your mind days after you finished watching the movie (the brain operation and The Rack trap for instance).

By now the Saw Movies have found their rhythm and the formula is familiar with a blend of Tests/Traps, one or more twist/reveal at the end and some flashback tying up loose ends from previous movies or giving a bit more background about the characters.

Saw III has all the elements that made the Saw Franchise what it is, while upping the amount of gore and maintaining the overall quality of the series.

My Rating: 7 (both first and second viewing)

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Click Here to Watch Saw III Online Now!

4 – Saw IV (2007) Review

Synopsis: Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda are dead. Now, upon the news of Detective Kerry’s murder, two seasoned FBI profilers, Agent Strahm and Agent Perez, arrive in the terrified community to assist the veteran Detective Hoffman in sifting through Jigsaw’s latest grisly remains and piecing together the puzzle. However, when SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game, the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome a series of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences.

Quick Review: Saw IV is the weakest of the Saw franchise so far. Even if some more loose ends are tied, the plot feels very convoluted.

During the movie,we get more background on John Kramer and how, ultimately he became Jigsaw. This plot device might try to make us sympathize towards John (and in this aspect it kind of works, thanks to Tobin Bell performance) but it also kind of take from Jigsaw’s menacing presence. The more you learn about a villain motives, the less scary and mysterious he becomes.

There are a few cool traps in this one but none really groundbreaking or memorable when compared to the previous 3 movies. The gore level is also a bit on the down low I feel when compared to the previous movie (with the exception of the autopsy at the beginning, but I felt this was overkill and actually just gratuitous).

Saw IV marks the departure of co-creator and writer Leigh Whannel (here just credited with an executive producer role) and it does have an impact of the quality of the script.

With that being said for a third sequel Saw IV is still a good effort and will please fans of the series.

My Rating: 6 (first viewing), 5.5 (second viewing)

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Click Here to Watch Saw IV Online Now!

5 – Saw V (2008) Review

Synopsis: Following Jigsaw’s grisly demise, Mark Hoffman, the final apprentice to the serial killer is deigned a hero. Meanwhile, Agent Strahm continues to track Hoffman while another group of strangers are put through a series of gruesome traps.

Quick Review: Saw V, despite having some of my favorite traps (the pendulum and the blade table) is even weaker than Saw IV was.

This entry has a new director, Paul Hackl, and while Bousman is not a genius cinematographer he has the Saw style down to a t. Director Hackl is lacking any kind of visual flair and Saw V threfore looks cheap, even cheaper then the first one.

It also has the least interesting characters of the series (detective Hoffman and agent strahm) facing each other while a bunch of people are trapped in one of jigsaw’s dungeon (traps are OK but the characters are too generic).

The ending is also quite disappointing when compared to all the other Saw movies. It just kinda ends without any real twist.

Saw V is the worst Saw movie so far and it is not looking great for the rest of the franchise. Let’s hope Saw VI can gain back some momentum.

My Rating: 5/10 (both viewing)

Director: David Hackl

Click Here to Watch Saw V Online Now!

6 – Saw VI (2009) Review

Synopsis: Agent Strahm is dead and framed while Hoffman continues John’s legacy and Jill carries out John’s final request.

Quick Review: Saw VI marks the debut of Kevin Greutert in the director’s chair (he was the editor of all previous Saw Movies) and it is a big leap forward in terms of overall quality. You can tell that greutert is very familiar with the Saw Universe, not only with its visual code but also the overarching plot.

In Saw VI, the main victim here has a whole redemption ark that I found quite interesting even if it ends with a pointless twist (that I did not see coming).

Meanwhile, there is a game of cat and mouse involving Jill Tuck and Detective Hoffman that concludes the movie on a satisfying note.

So, we are still not back to the level of the first 3 Movies but it does look promising for the next (last?) movie, Saw 3D.

My Rating: 6/10

Director: Kevin Greutert

Click Here to Watch Saw VI Online Now!

7 – Saw 3D (2010) Review

Synopsis: As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw’s brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror.

Quick Review: Following a promising Saw VI, I was quite disappointed by Saw 3D.

If it was not for the last 5mn or so, I would probably rate this movie less than 5/10. But thanks to its final twist (where we finally learn what happened to Dr Gordon all those years) that ties up a few loose ends from previous movies and some of the best traps in the Saw Franchise the movie deserves a better rating.

Everything else though (the cat and mouse games between Hoffman, Jill Tuck and a new cop character) is just boring filler, and some scenes do not even make any sense. What’s up with the first trap that happens outside in broad day light in front of a crowd? It’s also the first sequel that has almost no Tobin Bell in it.

Since I have watched the movie at home I can’t quite comment on the use of 3D. I do not think it changes much of anything and is probably more appropriate for movies such as Final Destination. Saw should be a low budget, claustrophobic movie not a thrill ride with stuff jumping at you.

At the end of the day it’s another satisfying entry in what has been one of the greatest Horror Franchise of all time. Probably the only one that has managed to keep the stories altogether without really jumping the shark. The style has been consistent and Jigsaw will be remembered as one of the greatest/smartest villain of all time.

My Rating: 5.5/10

Director: Kevin Greutert

Click Here to Watch Saw 3D Online Now!

Box Office Saw Movies (worldwide in Million USD)

– Saw: $103

– Saw II: $108

– Saw III: $165

– Saw IV: $139

– Saw V: $114

– Saw VI: $68

– Saw 3D: $136

source: boxofficemojo.com

Saw F.A.Q (spoilers ahead):

Q: How many Saw Movies are there?

A: 7

Q: Will there be another Saw Movie?

A: There has not been talk about a new Saw movie since Saw 3d. In the past, a new Saw movie was released each year for Halloween. The last movie of the Saw Franchise, Saw 3d was released during Halloween 2010.

Q:What is the Body Count in the Saw moives?

A: 78 confirmed. 6 in Saw, 9 in Saw II, 9 in Saw III, 10 in Saw IV, 6 in Saw V, 12 in Saw VI, 26 in Saw 3d

Q: Is Saw based on a Book?

A: No. Saw is the first of seven movies in the Saw series, conceived and written by Australian screenwriters Leigh Whannell and James Wan. It is based on a short movie of the same title the two men had made previously

Q: Are Jigsaw and Amanda really dead?

A: Jigsaw is, for sure. His brains are removed during autopsy in Saw IV, leaving no doubt that he is dead. Amanda’s bloody body can be seen lying on floor in the operating room next to Lynn Denlon.

Q: What is the origin of the Billy Doll?

A: The first one was made as a toy for Jigsaw’s unborn son Gideon. He now uses Billy to be the “front man” on videotape when teaching his victims the rules of a game.

Q: Who were the other two mystery assailants in the pig masks at the end of Saw 3d?

A: The other two masked men never reveal themselves in the movie. On the DVD commentary track, however, they are revealed as Ryan and Brad, the two survivors from the trap at the beginning of the film (the love triangle trap).

Q: Movies similar to Saw?

A: in the next section of this article 😉

List of Movies like Saw:

– Cube / Cube 2 / Cube Zero

– The Collector / The Collection

– Vile

I’d like to end those reviews with a little short movie directed and produced by David Lilley and written by Mark O’Connell: Saw Misgivings. It is a very humorous homage to the infamous death mask.

Dark Water Review

June 22, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Original Title: Honogurai mizu no soko kara

Synopsis: A mother and her 6 year old daughter move into a creepy apartment whose every surface is permeated by water. [from IMDb]

Neoli’s Review: I can’t believe Dark Water is more than a decade old–eleven years to be exact. That would make the little girl who plays Ikuko a grown-up now–about the age where her teenage version in the film visits their old watery apartment. (So technically, the real life Ikuko can now star in the sequel, but I’m digressing.)

In the hands of Hideo Nakata (Ringu) who wrote and directed Dark Water, the film takes on a slow, easy-going pace that gets creepy as you move on. There’s too much wetness going on here, which is enough to make viewers feel drenched and possibly shivering–from the rain-soaked outdoors which the little girl braves with her tiny umbrella to the waterlogged ceiling caused by the leaky apartment above them. (Maybe it was Dark Water that brought ugly water stains into classic horror imagery.) As for the American remake, we love anything Jennifer Connelly stars in, but the original is still the winner.

Anyway, Ikuko’s mom, played by the lovely Hitomi Kuroki, beautifully flits from being serene and frantic. She’s calm as she struggles to win custody of her child and raise her on her own, but in the end she unravels too as she discovers the source and reason of the mysterious leaks. The last scene of the film, the sacrifice scene in the elevator, is the most haunting of all—that look on the mother’s face—a combination of surrender, relief, joy, and regret–which has no English equivalent as yet but which the German might have–that look is unforgettable. And of course the sadness of Ikuko, now all alone in the world, is just infinite.

So this is what Japanese horror films were all about back in those days: filled with moral dilemmas and irrevocable consequences—no serial killers or school kids pitted against each other and other carnage-filled flicks. Just the simple theme of mother and daughter. Cheesy as it sounds, Dark Water is a horror film with a heart. Albeit one which will haunt you for years, even decades to come.

Neoli’s rating: 10/10

Click Here to Own and Watch Dark Water Now!

Director: Hideo Nakata

Starring: Hitomi Kuroki, Rio Kanno, Mirei Oguchi, Fumiyo Kohinata

Released: 2002

Origin: Japan

Carrie (1976) Review

June 20, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: A young, abused and timid 17-year-old girl discovers she has telekinesis, and gets pushed to the limit on the night of her school’s prom by a humiliating prank. [ from IMDb]

Neoli’s Review: There’s a new Carrie movie coming out in the fall of 2013, a hopefully nice remake of Brian De Palma’s 1976 classic horror movie of the same title.

But don’t let the shiny new retelling overshadow the original; the original Carrie is jarring and irrevocably tragic unlike no other. Stephen King wrote the novel so expect horror piled upon horrors.

The titular character Carrie ( played by Sissy Spacek) is a gawky teenage girl in a dysfunctional family setup—weird bible- quoting mother, absent father. Carrie is, to modern kids, a complete loser, a definite bully material. But she’s not exactly defenseless— she can move things with her mind especially when she flares up. And that’s a dangerous combination: bottled up adolescent anger and untrained psychokinetic powers equals mayhem, which in the world of Stephen King is mayhem of the horrific kind.

The most famous scene is when Carrie is crowned Prom Queen ( through a rigged election by her arch nemesis girl schoolmate) and a bucketful of pig’s blood pours on top of her. Carrie, all blood-drenched and raging, won’t back down any longer and unleashes her power to its full destructive potential.

In this way Carrie became the single most potent depiction of teenage bullying and its consequences back in the late ’70s. Maybe it became a cautionary tale against bullying for our parents and our parents’ parents.

But now kids who haven’t seen Carrie are still at it, and there’s even a more sophisticated non-physical yet just as traumatic way to bully these days: cyber-bullying. Bullied kids commit suicide just because of a humiliating post, comment, or meme on Facebook, and it’s a serious matter worldwide.

I hope that new Carrie film jars the kids today real good.

Neoli’s Rating: 9/10

Click here to Own and Watch Carrie Now!

Directed by: Brian De Palma

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, John Travolta

Released: 1976

Beware of the spoilers in the trailer below!

28 Days Later Review

June 7, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: (from IMDb) Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

Neoli’s Review: Ask me to recommend a good zombie-themed horror film and I’ll recommend 28 Days Later in a heartbeat. Danny Boyle directed this film which we might expect to feature the same hip and cool vibe as his classic Trainspotting. And guess what Alex Garland wrote the script, the guy who gave us the equally hip and cool The Beach, so inevitably 28 Days Later is all that too. Actually, 28 Days Later is the film that made zombies hip again.

Then again, when you’re trying to survive a hopelessly anarchic, zombie-infested London, being hip and cool is the last thing on your mind. Nevertheless, Jim (played by Cillian Murphy—the always cheekbony-handsome Cillian Murphy!) and Selena (played by Naomie Harris, the strong female character, and black at that) make running away from zombies such a lovely enterprise. Together they’re joined by father-and-daughter team Frank and Hannah to balance the mix.

In 28 Days Later, the zombification process is given a plausible explanation: it’s from a virus (dubbed RAGE) originating from chimpanzees. One bite or intravenous contact with the infected blood and humans are immediately reduced to a zombie–not the usual zombie with a doddering gait and head lolled to one side but the raging maniac kind. I prefer the first kind of course since I figure they’re much easier to outrun. But the fact that the film settles for the quick-moving zombie variety gives it its fast and energetic pace.

In any case, I’ll have to say it was fun—and dare I say—enjoyable watching 28 Days Later. You don’t obsess much about the gore and the horror. You’re much too concerned with the running away and the fending off the zombies and the surviving. And ultimately you care about the bond Jim and his friends make along the way. You root for them and sincerely want them to win, and it breaks your heart when one of them doesn’t make it.

At some point it’s no longer about the dread of what the zombies can do to you. It’s also about the dread of what the other survivors—in this case, the military—are capable of doing for their own purposes.

The DVD copy of 28 Days Later reveals several alternate endings, but the ending where Jim survives his gunshot wound is the one they use. In this scene, there’s a brief, nanosecond inset of H-E-L spelled in big letters. It flashes too quickly for you to form any opinion, but nevertheless I remember thinking it’s “hell” being slowly and graphically spelled out for Jim as he lies on his deathbed. Eventually, he wakes up and goes out of the house and sees Selena and Hannah sewing a giant banner that says HELLO to anyone who cares to help.

It’s not a desperate HELP they wrote there. It’s a hopeful HELLO, and that makes all the difference.

Neoli’s Rating: 8/10

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns

Year: 2002

Click Here to Own and Watch 28 Days Later Now!