by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
C Rated R 107 min.
Rave reviews from my friends told me a couple years ago that Saw is possibly one of the most disgustingly gory pieces of fiction to every grace the screen. After seeing it, I pretty much agreed. The sequel was equally gross but not quite what the first one was. The idea of a third film made me roll my eyes a little, but I gave it a shot on opening weekend. Saw III is what you might expect from this series: there’s plenty of blood, plenty of violence and plenty of outrageous traps that will leave you wondering about the mental health of the filmmakers.
Jigsaw (Tobin Bell; TV’s “24”) is back once again to test humanity’s ability to survive extreme situations. Instead of focusing on the police’s attempts to capture the sadistic vigilante, the third installment of the Saw series takes us into his lair where he is dying due to an inoperable brain tumor. As he himself struggles to survive his final tests, his test subjects too are toiling through task after task to hopefully find redemption.
This time the main test subject is Jeff Reinhart (Angus Macfadyen; Equilibrium), a father who has lost a son and is unwilling to forgive those responsible, leading him to neglecting his wife and surviving child. As he confronts each person who has wronged him, he is given the choice to forgive and suffer to save them or hold his grudge and watch them die. Meanwhile, Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith; TV’s “Becker”) have a second test subject in their midst, a doctor (Bahar Soomekh; Crash) who has been commissioned to keep the ailing madman alive until Jeff makes it through his test. If she fails, they both will die. Of course, there is always more to Jigsaw’s games than is revealed.
As with the first two films, Saw III has done extremely well at the box office. In its opening weekend the film has made over $33 million, surpassing its production budget two times over. The film is currently the number one movie in America, with the second place film, The Departed, trailing by $24 million. Thanks to the overwhelming success of the third film’s opening weekend, plans to make Saw IV were announced on Monday and the film is expected to take to theaters Halloween 2007.
If you enjoyed the first two films, there is no way you will dislike the latest installment. The film is just as twisted and downright wrong as its predecessors and the complex web of plotlines and twist endings remain in tact. Like the first two films, the mystery elements add a lot to the story, taking it from a gratuitous gore-fest to a really bloody think piece. Granted, it’s not a complicated movie that will keep you up at night deep in thought, but it may cause some dialogue between moviegoers as to the value of life and the lengths one would go to in order to save their own. Alright, maybe that’s a leap, but it certainly is possible and, I hope, partially the intentions of the filmmakers, who have said in interviews that these films are meant to be more than just slasher flicks.
Here’s the thing: I do OK with gore; blood and guts really don’t bother me. With Saw III, however, I was literally squirming in my seat. Some scenes were almost painful to watch. It got so bad for some that at least two people at the screening I attended walked out. Granted, these people didn’t look like your average Saw fans, but still. It isn’t scary or jumpy in the true horror sense, but it is haunting, with imagery that will stick in your mind for days afterward. Saw III went through seven different passes before obtaining an R rating from the MPAA, receiving an NC-17 rating every previous time. It’s hard for me to fathom what this film looked like uncut! I imagine it must have been pretty nauseating.
Saw III is for the fans. I don’t see anyone on the fence about these films watching the third one and finally getting a revelation. It just isn’t going to happen. From a non-fan’s perspective, the film is confusing, disgusting and not worth the time or money. People who are well versed in this mythology, however, will enjoy seeing where the story goes and will be interested in seeing a fourth installment.
There’s more than one way to turn a profit on a horror flick, and the folks who put out Saw III have found yet another way to increase their profit margin: sell everything related to the film, from incidental props to parts of the set. On the official web site There’s a direct link to the E-bay web site, put up by Raybin Management, a company that specializes in hawking movie memorabilia. Raybin has agreements with some of the top producers in the industry, giving them access to props, set pieces and wardrobe that might be otherwise destroyed or carted home by the actors. The man behind the company is John Raybin, who has written for just about every collectables magazine out there. The company is also involved with the trade of baseball cards.
Raybin has an exclusive contract to sell all Saw III wardrobe, props and autographs. Each item comes with a tamper resistant hologram on a certificate of authenticity from Twisted Pictures, guarantying that you have received the genuine article.
Here are a few of the items up for grabs on E-bay: The bloody tape recorder Jigsaw uses at the end of Saw III is at $700, with about four hours left on the bidding. A fake ice chip from the side of Jigsaw’s deathbed is currently at a paltry $15, but there was still a day left on the bidding. One of the 43 tiles in the bloody bathroom is also up for the bidding. This one has Shawnee Smith’s signature and is going for about $250 with four days left on the bidding.
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