Halloween Movie Month [SAW and SAW II]

Happy Halloween!

"I Want To Play A Game" -Jigsaw

Ahhhh SAW. The first in was what to become a seven year long Halloween time tradition for me. This torture-porn series (that ironically has hardly ANY nudity) is my personal favorite horror series ("__" of the Dead and Scream are uber close). And I'm sure most people will agree that at the very least, the first two films are pretty damn great modern horror flicks. But we're only talking about SAW, the original, the one that got the ball rolling. Story of SAW is of Jigsaw, a killer trap maker. But he has a heart. There's always a way to escape the traps with your life, but at a cost to your physical body. SAW (one) tells the story of Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon in particular. Two of Jigsaws first victims. They're trapped in a room with mere hours to find a way to escape, if they don't they'll be locked away in that room forever. I love the premise of SAW, always have. At least in the first two movies, the acting is quite good. I like the dialogue between Gordon and Adam in the room especially. Jigsaw is played PERFECTLY by  Tobin Bell. The score set to this movie is epic, the kills are HIGHLY original, bloody, and gory. The twist at the end, not like M. Night Shamalamadingdong endings, if you haven't seen this is amazing. Writing, plot, acting, characters you get invested in and of course the amazingly gruesome and blood kills. I just love this. And yes, it is time to play a game!

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As I said above, the SAW franchise is my personal favorite horror series. It's intricate story, that winds throughout the movies, is a masterpiece to my mind. Even with the shitty movies in SAW 3/5. Jigsaw is a twisted yet strangely compassionate horror villain that you both want to root for and punch in the face at the same time. SAW II starts after the events of SAW. It follows the story of Detective Eric Matthews, his partner Detective Kerry and SWAT team leader Officer Briggs. They find Jigsaw's hideout and apprehend him. When they find Jigsaw, he tells them there is "something of grave importance" and the officers find computers streaming a feed of a group of people Jigsaw kidnapped and trapped in a house. They all awaken, wondering where they are. Confused and scared, one of them, Amanda (a survivor from SAW), finds a tape that tells them they've been breathing in a nerve agent and have two hours to find antidotes  scattered throughout the house before it's too late. The main focus of this movie, is of course, the traps. It improves upon them in two ways. First, the traps are personal. It's not just let's put you in this and see if you can get out. It's more a you've feared this, been through this, done this in life, now you get to face it again. Two, they're more brutal. Example being, metal venis flytrap mask filled with nails that closes over your face (in the opening scene no less) unless you cut your eye out to find the key. Good God, rough stuff. The score for SAW II, is still amazing and it still does a great job of setting the mood. The deaths are still as gory, bloody (and as I said above brutal) as usual. The acting, took a bit of a nosedive, but I'll be damned if the plot and premise of this movie isn't as good or on par with the first. Usually sequels in general are pretty terrible, but this is one of the few I can say stand up with the first.

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Halloween Movie Month! Movies #1/2: How To Be A Serial Killer and Red State

Halloween Movie Month! Movie #3: The Evil Dead
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #4: The Shining
Halloween Movie Month! {Bonus}: American Horror Story
Halloween Movie Month! Movies #5/6: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #7: Paranormal Activity
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #8: Scream
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #9: The Last House On The Left
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #10: Scream 4
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #11: The Blair Witch Project
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #12: Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #13: Final Destination
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #14: House of 1000 Corpses
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #15: Halloween
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #16: Friday the 13th
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #17: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #18: Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Halloween Movie Month! Movie #19: Shaun of the Dead
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #20: Resident Evil
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #21: 28 Days Later
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #22: Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #23: Paranormal Activity 3
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #24: Poltergeist
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #25: Drag Me To Hell
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #26: Insidious
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #27: Child's Play
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #28:  The Exorcist
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #29: The Silence of the Lambs