Tag Archives: Dina Meyer

2004 Films, Gore, Horror, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

Saw-2004

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Saw-2004

Director James Wan

Starring Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell

Top 250 Films #222

Top 40 Horror Films #34

Scott’s Review #1,285

Reviewed August 4, 2022

Grade: A

One of the many reasons that I love the horror genre so much is how it changes and develops over time. Many classic horror films are influential to more modern ones and that’s all well and good.

But then sometimes a new idea or style comes along that throws everything topsy turvy and influences other films for years to come.

Saw (2004) is one of those films. It smacked everyone who thought they knew horror films upside the head with a relentless and pulsating gore-fest.

I was fortunate enough to see the film when it premiered and boy was it the ‘water cooler’ film of its day. The clever writing and intricate plot and set pieces were unheard of in a world of maniac-wielding knife setups and redundant endings.

It invented the grisly ‘torture porn’ moniker that became popular with films like Hostel (2005) and many more that would come after it.

The Saw franchise ultimately produced perhaps one too many sequels that left it feeling stale and exhausted, but what an influence the original Saw had, and continues to have.

I still remember the hold the film had over me and how much it resonated in nastiness, butchery, and enough creative killings to last a lifetime.

Needless to say, it’s not for the squeamish or faint of heart, and watching Saw now knowing the surprise twist doesn’t pack quite the same punch that it did in 2004, but I’ll never forget how I felt when first watching this film.

The twist ending is unforgettable.

Events get off to a kick-ass start when two men awake in peril. Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) who do not know one another, regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom.

As the confused men realize they’ve been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed “Jigsaw” and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks unravel the mystery of other character connections.

Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon’s wife (Monica Potter) and young daughter (Makenzie Vega) are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.

A massive clue to the puzzle that Saw presents is lying right there in the bathroom but of course, the unwitting audience knows none of this. The fun of the film is to sit back and let the filmmakers slowly unpeel the onion and reveal the who’s who of the backstory.

And let the blood drip.

Unlike legacy films like Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980) or even later efforts like Scream (1996) that brought thousands of rabid horror fans back to movie theaters, nobody is being chased with a knife in Saw.

It’s much more cerebral than that.

Who can ever forget the sound of Jigsaw’s grave voice pouring out of a tape recorder stating “I want to play a game” in a robotic tone? It is still as ominous a sound as one could imagine, and the big reveal still comes as a genuine shock.

Most of the characters have secrets to reveal and most of those secrets are dirty.

Director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell who also stars in Saw, brilliantly craft a web of deceit amongst their players. The characters who suffer the most have committed a hateful act of deception or schemed their way to benefit based on someone else’s ruin.

In perfect form, all the victims almost deserve their fates like being caught in a shotgun trap, shot in the chest, or being forced to ‘saw’ off their foot to escape death.

The final reveal is downright freaky and will make the audience quickly rewind the events of the film in their heads. The character thought to be the main killer, and wonderfully played by creepy actor Michael Emerson (star of television’s Lost) is merely a pawn of someone more sinister.

Saw (2004) savagely hacked its way into viewers’ heads with a sophisticated, plot-driven experience with a film style enhanced by an independent look.

It’s had its day but it must never be forgotten for the influence left behind.

2000 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Thriller

Stranger Than Fiction-2000

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Stranger Than Fiction-2000

Director Eric Bross

Starring Mackenzie Astin

Scott’s Review #1,298

Reviewed September 14, 2022

Grade: B+

An interesting note about Stranger Than Fiction (2000) is that it stars director Todd Field in a dual-acting role.

The director is not a household name, at least not yet, but is known for directing two gems: In the Bedroom (2001) and Little Children (2006). Rewarded with Oscar nominations for both, he acts too.

This is not a setup for a joke that he should not act and should stick to directing, since he does a decent job acting.

The irony is that he doesn’t direct the featured film, Stranger Than Fiction; Eric Bross does.

The film has its share of intrigue, which carries through until the end when the plot gets messy and ridiculous. I mean, messy and ridiculous.

I’m all for twists and turns in a good film, but sometimes a speeding train can derail, and that’s what ultimately happens with Stranger Than Fiction.

But for most of the running time, it’s solid entertainment, black humor, and thrills.

I was immediately interested in the story when an author named Donovan Miller, with hours to kill at an airport bar because of a delayed flight, told a curious patron the story of his novel, Stranger Than Fiction.

As I drifted into the world of Salt Lake City, where the book’s events take place, I anticipated juicy drama.

An interesting bit of advice is to pay very close attention to this first bar scene.

Four twenty-something friends, Jared (Mackenzie Astin), Austin (Todd Field), Emma (Dina Meyer), and Violet (Natasha Gregson Wagner) meet for drinks at the local bar. They pull a prank on Violet’s boss for fun and call it a night.

Later, Jared shows up at Austin’s place injured and covered in blood, declares he’s gay, and spews a strange story about a dead guy in his apartment. The foursome investigates, and things get interesting.

The cinematography has a muted, dull style that feels like an independent film but also looks amateurish and made-for-television.

Even though it was made in 1999, it feels quite 1980s to me.

Unclear whether this style was used or if the budget was just low. I love independent filming, but this didn’t do Stranger Than Fiction any favors.

None of the characters are fascinating, and the writers, Tim Garrick and Scott Russell, unsuccessfully try to give the camaraderie among the four principals a sitcom feel. The constant bantering and bickering are getting tiring.

It feels like NBC’s Will and Grace meets Friends.

Where Stranger Than Fiction excels is in its twists, which make me forgive the other mistakes and the forced chemistry between the actors. I salivated for the next plot reveal and couldn’t wait to see how the events would unfold.

Once the friends agreed and made the foolish decision to dispose of the dead guy instead of calling the police, I knew I was in for hijinks or a caper.

As the gang gets deeper and deeper into shit like hitting a homeless guy with their car, parking illegally, and getting their car towed, more characters are introduced and threaten their plans.

This is all well and good until things spiral out of control with a dizzying explanation of events that involve blackmail, suicide, backstabbing, and jealousy.

Since the author is describing a fictional novel, this might have been okay until it’s revealed that the events actually occurred.

By that time, I didn’t care anymore.

Nice effort for a while by Stranger Than Fiction (2000), and fans of black comedy should take notice. With a strong premise and mostly good buildup, the follow-through failed, leaving me bewildered rather than completely satisfied.

2008 Films, Gore, Horror

Saw V-2008

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Saw V-2008

Director David Hackl

Starring Tobin Bell, Donnie Wahlberg

Scott’s Review #532

70098905

Reviewed December 1, 2016

Grade: B

The Saw franchise films are fun, bloody, late-night flicks.

It is quite helpful if you see them close together, and in sequence, as they either continue or backtrack to previous films- past knowledge is very helpful.

Saw V (2008) is no exception, as we learn the hows and the whys of serial killer Jigsaw, an apprentice, and detective Mark Hoffman.

What would possess this man to follow in the footsteps of Jigsaw?

In their heyday, the Saw films were intriguing and more cerebral than the standard slice and dice ’em offerings.

I like these films because there is usually a plot twist or some other surprise connection to an earlier entry to look forward to.

Also, the victims are not merely innocent but are in the wrong place at the wrong time, nor are they killed for the sake of killing.

They typically have embezzled someone, maimed an innocent party, or caused someone pain in some fashion, so the audience does not feel sorry for them, making their various tortures tolerable to watch, if not satisfying.

In Saw V, as far as the kills go, we are treated to somebody being sliced in half, a decapitation, another blown to bits by a detonating bomb, bloodletting, a crushing to death, and various other forms of mutilation.

This is all well and good, but by Part V in a franchise, even the most clever of stories run out of gas, and by this point, the series is feeling a little tired, although still enjoyable for the puzzle of story connections.

Saw V (2008) is a very bloody film, so not intended for the squeamish.

2010 Films, Horror, Horror-Camp, Horror-Comedy

Piranha 3D-2010

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Piranha 3D-2010

Director Alexandre Aja

Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Elisabeth Shue, Ving Rhames

Scott’s Review #529

70108986

Reviewed November 29, 2016

Grade: C-

2010’s Piranha 3D is a tongue-in-cheek horror comedy that saves itself from being a complete drivel by having some sense of humor.

Remarkably, it stars some decent talents- Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames, and Elisabeth Shue.

The film is pure fluff- not high art in the least, with no message or purpose to be found.

The film is terrible, but kind of fun at the same time. It’s camp and not to be taken at all seriously.

The plot is simplistic and standard horror fare- a school of piranhas are unleashed after an underwater earthquake, kill a fisherman, and ravage a college vacation party on a lake.

The college kids come to Lake Victoria to party and lounge on the beach, and typically, are dressed precariously. They are unceremoniously ripped to shreds by the angry and hungry killer fish.

Shue and Rhames must have hit rough times, and have required a paycheck to star in this. They play a Sheriff and Deputy- laughably unbelievable- as they try to protect the beach-goers from a grisly fate.

Dreyfuss plays a ridiculous and unnecessary role as the aforementioned fisherman.

On a serious (and sour) note, the objectifying of women is shocking in this day and age. Haven’t we seen enough stereotypes in one lifetime?

A few cool kills and humor, but Piranha 3D (2010) is a dumb, popcorn horror film.