Torture

Red Room (1999) Review

July 20, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Original Title: Akai misshitsu (heya): Kindan no ôsama geemu

Synopsis: How low would you go to win a million dollars? Just how desperate are you for the cash? Desperate enough to enter the Red Room?

Quick Review: You got to give it to the japanese: they know their shit when it’s about showing weird twisted human depravity.

Red Room is a typical game of survival where the last one standing wins 10 million yen. 4 People are playing the game (a married couple on a verge of a divorce, a schoolgirl and a young business woman) and they all have their own reason to be there.

What happens during the next 65mn (average running time for japanese direct to video movie) are game/torture scenes that mix soft porn and gore (especially in the last 15mn). It is not as outrageous or bloody as some other similar movies out of japan but twisted enough to make you look forward to the next sick game.

Red Room is an extremely cheap looking movie (that makes Death Tube looks like an hollywood production) with 4 people in a room for most of the duration of the film, but this format actually works in favor of the movie’s whole atmosphere.

Thanks to its short running time, enjoyable and sometimes imaginative games (great uses of a blow-dryer and a bulb) and above average acting, I did enjoy Red Room and would definitively recommend it to fans of Japanese twisted movies and survival games.

My Rating: 6/10

Director: Daisuke Yamanouchi

Origin: Japan

Warning the trailer below is definitively NSFW and spoils most of the movie!!

Would You Rather (2012) Review

July 15, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: Desperate to help her ailing brother, a young woman unknowingly agrees to compete in a deadly game of “Would You Rather,” hosted by a sadistic aristocrat.

Quick Review: Would You Rather uses a familiar plot to build an interesting torture porn flick that shines through higher than average standards.

The first thing I noticed when watching Would You Rather was the score. It’s a really catchy, mysterious score and it is properly used throughout the movie. The second thing that picked my attention was all the familiar faces. You will probably recognize everybody from somewhere on TV or movies. And the cherry on top was the presence of the great and too rare, Jeffrey Combs whose role as Dr West in the Re-Animator series has guaranteed him a place in the all time horror greats.

And trust me, in Would You Rather he delivers a great performance as Mr Lambrick, a crazy megalomaniac whose own pleasure is to watch other people suffering.

My main concern with the movie is that games have a tendency to stretch for too long and apart for the last one, where people have to take a gamble on which choice they will have to face, most games are not gruesome enough ( I would have loved to see more gory games ala Saw). I also do not understand the purpose of Dr Barden as a character, if not to add a few minutes to the run of the movie.

May people have complained about the ending as well but I find it fitting, if not totally surprising.

If you enjoy this movie, you will love 13 Tzameti as well as Red Room a gruesome japanese movie. You can also check out Vile and 13 Game of Death a Thai movie with a similar concept. And of course, the Agatha Christie classic Ten Little Indians.

My Rating: 6/10

Director: David Guy Levy

Origin: US

Click Here to Own and Watch Would You Rather Now!

The Hills Run Red (2009) Review

July 14, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: A group of young horror fans go searching for a film that mysteriously vanished years ago but instead find that the demented killer from the movie might be real.

Quick Review: The Hills Run Red is a breath of fresh air amidst the horde of average to bad slasher movies that make it to VOD or DTV.

First, it has an original script, second, the acting is way above average for this kind of movies and third, everything is aptly put together by Director Dave Parker.

All the codes of a slasher movies are being deconstructed in The Hills have Red and, as a result, you won’t see most of the twists and turns coming at you. Of course a few of them are a bit contrived but at the end of the day it will keep you guessing until the end.

Sometimes the movie can get a little bit too self conscious (“nobody cares about that subtextual shit, get to the kill!!” utters one character during the movie) and having characters reacting like “real people” used to watching horror movies is nothing new (Scream and more recently, The Cabin in The Woods are the most famous examples) but the script is still smarter than your average horror movie.

Because the movie is well paced, it’s definitively a fun ride and there is plenty to enjoy for gore and T&A lovers. And let’s not forget the killer, “Babyface”, who is hands down one of the most memorable killer in recent memories (what a great mask!!).

P.S: Don’t stop when the credits roll, you’ll miss one creepy last scene.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Dave Parker

Origin: US

Click Here to Own and Watch The Hills Run Red 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.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes Review

June 10, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis (from IMDb): In an abandoned house in Poughkeepsie, New York murder investigators uncover hundreds of tapes showing decades of a serial killer’s work.

My Short Review: The Poughkeepsie Tapes is a mockumentary about a serial killer, mixing found footage from interviews and actual footage taken by the killer. And maybe I should not have watched this one after V/H/S 2 but it definitively pales in comparison.

First of all, the acting totally killed the movie for me. I never could get into the movie when so many of the people interviewed sounded and/or looked so fake. For a documentary supposedly with “real” people depicting real events, it just doesn’t work.

What did work (a bit) were all the footage from the killer. It looked real enough and some of the scenes were actually quite creepy. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of the old VHS look used for those segments. I get that this was supposed to be filmed before the HD cams came along, and it does add to the creepiness and realness of what is on screen, but I can’t stand watching such poor quality videos when I’m so used to 1080p movies. On the other hand, that’s just me so I can’t blame the filmmakers to have made this choice.

I can blame them though for the casting choices, the unoriginal script… Mind you, the Dowdle brothers greatly improved their skills with their next found footage movie, the Rec remake, Quarantine.

Year: 2007

Origin: US

Director/writer: John Erick Dowdle

My Rating: 4/10