What has no legs, or eyeballs, is covered with rotten pig guts, and is one of the most successful horror franchises ever? That’s right folks, we’re talking S A W.
Starting in 2003, these movies span almost 2 decades with 10 installments. Saw features the fabulous diva, John Kramer, a cancer patient, and mad genius, and his incredibly convoluted plan to get people to appreciate their life more. Bestie John is of the opinion that by subjecting people to torture, they will be inspired to look at their lives and change something for good. Think Niche on really strong painkillers. Naturally, it doesn’t always end well for the unwilling participants. But it makes for a great ScAaarY mOOovieee.
The first Saw movie had a budget of $1,200,000, and made about $103,880,000. This unprecedented profit was produced by the creativity of James Wan and Leigh Wannel, who had just graduated film school. They were inspired by another low budget horror movie; The Blair Witch Project, which definitively proved that a large budget was not needed to make a great movie. After the success of Saw, James Wan created The Conjuring universe. This went on to earn over 2 billion dollars making it the highest grossing horror franchise ever.
Saw has a simple yet effective premise: two men wake up, they are each chained by their ankles (warning the dogs are very much out), to opposite corners of a nasty, dim-lit bathroom. Between them is an apparent suicide victim, they find cute lil’ tape recordings, courtesy of bestie John, oh and they each get a hacksaw. I’m not going to spoil the movie because you should watch it. Lucky for us there’s a healthy sprinkle of Danny Glover as if it wasn’t already spicy enough. It’s a jolly grand time.
Horror is a genre often overlooked when it comes to talking about artistic prowess in film. Believe it or not, it takes quite a bit of tenacity to make a successful horror film; hence all of the stinkers out there. Horror movies allow filmmakers to explore serious themes while creating a uniquely interactive experience with the audience. They don’t even necessarily have to be frightening to be fun to watch! There’s so much to appreciate; like the practical effects, the writing, the acting, the concepts. Some of my personal faves; Pan’s Labyrinth, Children of the Corn, Alien, or Hereditary.
In conclusion, the Saw franchise is a celebration of pure artistry, the practical effects are incredible, and the acting is superb. You should at least watch the first one, so you can become more cultured in the ways of horror.
And hey, if you want to go pro platinum extreme mode; get yourself some spaghetti with marinara sauce, gather your girlies in a witch circle, turn off the lights and watch Saw 4. The challenge is not to throw up, whoever loses has to shove their hand into a vat of acid, to retrieve a key to free yourself from hooks inserted into your ribs, in under a minute.
Remember; those who don’t appreciate life, don’t deserve it. Peace out, game over.
