Patrick Wilson, star of box-office hit Insidious is reuniting with director James Wan for a deja-vu heavy second go at those pesky demons. Egged on by the promise of more delicious money, those ardent fans of cash New Line have reunited  the pair to deliver pretty much the same again by the sound of things in The Conjuring.

This time round though beleaguered demon magnet Wilson and new addition Vera Farmiga are demonologists. Which is lucky, what with all of the demons:

A family encounters demons living among them in their New England farmhouse.

With a script from House of Wax writers Chad and Carey Haynes the film is based upon a real life account (I’m sure to the same extent that Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs was) of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and their visit to a family in the 70’s. Noted for their involvement in the obviously spurious Amityville Horror ‘incident’ (which conventional wisdom has it involved a lot of wine) the couple have bravely fought with ghosts, werewolf demons and gained unprecedented recordings of ‘knocking and rapping caused by a demon’, all of which sounds iron clad to me.

No doubt buoyed by the financial success of Insidious Wan was previously signed up to do a liopic (a biopic for the factually challenged for the facetious amongst you) of the couple but has instead settled on a specific case. It’s the old house + mostly invisible monster = money formula that Hollywood is raking over at a rate of knots currently. Even so, they’re always good for a few scares and Wilson and Farmiga are always good value so label me mildly  interested if a little sceptical.

Source: The Playlist

Welcome to our new regular section in which members of the HeyUGuys family discuss a variety of topics concerning all things cinema.

We’ll pick a topic inspired by what’s happening in the world of film and invite our writers to voice their opinions, an invitation we extend to you. If you want to submit your own answer, or respond to an answer from one of our writers, then please do so.

This month sees the return of Kate Beckinsale as the gun-toting vampire warrior Selene in Underworld: Awakening. It’s a series which has managed to last for almost a decade now, despite a middling critical and audience response for each film (the domestic gross for previous instalment Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was the lowest out of the trilogy), yet that battle between those two warring tribes is back once more (it’s perhaps no surprise that the addition of 3D had been factored in this time around).

With this in mind, we asked our writers if there were any franchises out there which have more than outstayed their welcome, or alternatively, were there any films yet to be greenlighted for a sequel which could benefit from a continuation in the story.

Kelly Alyse

As much as they are ridiculous, predictable and far-fetched, I still find the Final Destination series very entertaining. The audience watching the films aren’t expecting ground-breaking performances, or storyline that will baffle them for hours after they leave the cinema – they are looking for something light-hearted, silly and fun. The film’s writers do a great job coming up with the different scenarios the teens can get themselves into, and each one comes packed with a gruesomely awesome punch.

One I believe should be put to rest is the Saw franchise. The first film was brilliantly thought out and truly intense to watch, but the films have slowly declined into a world of sadistic torture that’s pretty unbearable. Coming up with scenes that rip a person’s chest open or pull eyeballs out just isn’t entertaining.

I realise you could say the same about someone being burnt to death in a sun bed, but the difference between the two franchises is the fact that Final Destination is made to be laughed at. Saw is made to terrify and cause trauma. I know which one I’d rather watch…

Ones I’d watch time and time again are the Transformers, Paranormal Activity, X-Men and Iron Man franchises, even though I do class these films as guilty pleasures.

Tracy Ladd

Please, no more Transformers! I really hope this franchise has reached the end but with rumours about a 4th twirling about, I don’t think it’s dead yet. As cheesy and over-the-top as i

t was, I adored the first one. I just rewatched it recently and it still holds up pretty well. I did a complete 180 on the second one and had nothing but loathing for it. I went to see the third one to see if it was any better. While it was better than the second, it doesn’t compare to the first. Transformers needs to be put out to pasture.

Speak ill if you must, but I really dug The A-Team. Sure, it planted its foot firmly beyond the borders of ridiculous, but I didn’t care. I loved the action and thought the cast did a great job working off each other. I liked how the movie ended and wished that they continued on with at least a second one just to see where it went. Sadly, that won’t happen.

As much as I adored Pierce Brosnan in the Bond role in Goldeneye, his others were severely lacking and just seemed to get worse. Then Daniel Craig took over and Bond got dirty. The fact that the series went gritty is what drew me back in and even though Quantum of Solace wasn’t quite what Casino Royale was I’m still glad that this franchise is still kicking.

Kenji Lloyd

If I could pick one film to get a sequel it would be Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, hands down. The original is one of my all-time favourites, starring the likes of Gerard Butler, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Jeremy Piven, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, and of course, Toby Kebbell as the brilliant rocknrolla himself. At the end of the film, Ritchie threw in a genius nod announcing he’d be returning with a sequel, but sadly, it is yet to materialise.

After RocknRolla he directed Sherlock Holmes, (which exploded for him and Warner Bros.) and followed that with last year’s awesome Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and the third film has already been announced, which is great news. But as a lover of RocknRolla, I’m really hoping that Johnny, Archy, and the Wild Bunch will be back in The Real RocknRolla after that, because I can’t wait for Ritchie and his cast and crew to return to that world. Ritchie’s said he’s written a script, and that Joel Silver will pay for him to do it, so it’s just a matter of figuring out when. Whenever that is, it’s going to be amazing.

Adam Lowes

In all honesty, I think Bond should have been retired many years ago. No matter how many do-overs and reinvigorations, it’s a series which always follows that same ridged narrative path, with little in the way of surprises or any interesting deviations. As solid an actor as Pierce Brosnan was in the part, I wasn’t a fan of any of the films from the series he appeared in, and each successive adventure seemed to promise much, but in reality, the series grew increasingly preposterous and tiring.

The makers managed to bring something interesting to the table for Casino Royale (it’s obvious ole’ Jason Bourne was somewhat of an influence), but ‘Quantum’ was a serious step backwards, and returned the franchise to that simplistic structure which Craig’s first outing deliberately tried to avoid. Even the idea of Bond extricating himself from the secret service and making it a personal vendetta was the basis for Licence to Kill nearly twenty years previous, highlighting the lack of originality after a promising return for the character.

No doubt Sam Mendes will be hoping to bring something fresh and exciting to the world of 007 once more, but even with the heavyweight cast he’s assembled (the addition of Javier Bardem alone is a very exciting prospect) he has his work cut out.

Click below for Indiana Jones, more Pooh and an intriguing idea concerning Inception…

Essentially a one-joke set-up stretched over 93 long minutes, aside from a couple of humorous moments (and a very funny 3D gag before the film starts) Kill Keith falls flat as both a parody and a stand-alone comedy.

A popular breakfast TV show called The Crack of Dawn (think cheap Daybreak knockoff with even less charm) is fronted by hosts Cliff and Dawn (yep, she’s been given this name purely to be made the butt of a hopelessly unfunny joke) whose distain for each other is clear through their strained daily relationship on the sofa. Mirroring his stint on the Channel 4’s nineties morning show, The Big Breakfast, legendary UK TV fixture, Keith ‘Cheggers’ Chegwin is also employed by the show as their roving reporter for a segment called ‘Cheggers Knocks You Up’ (the dreadful double entendres keep coming).

Cheggers, as it turns out, is in line as one of the possible replacements for the coveted sofa gig after Cliff announces his departure. The only problem is his main competitors for the role (Tony Blackburn, Joe Pasquale and Russell Grant) are being dispatched one after another in various gruesome, torture porn-type scenarios. Will the murderous figure behind it all, dubbed The Breakfast Cereal Killer (REALLY?!?) be unmasked before he strikes again (no prizes for guessing who this turns out to be) and will gawky breakfast show production assistant and general studio whipping boy, Danny be able to save his beloved Dawn from meeting the same fate as her potential co-hosts?

With a tagline which reads ‘SAW meets RICHARD & JUDY’ it’s pretty clear that there was never the goal to create some kind of post-modern, meta comedy classic here, but nevertheless, Kill Keith is a lazy, ill-conceived affair which has nowhere to go once the flimsy premise has been established. The biggest shame is the creators have failed to coax anything resembling a performance from former primetime TV fixture-turned personal demon tabloid fodder, Chegwin. What could have been an interesting glimpse into the mind of a jaded D-lister driven to the brink (with the broad humour intact) instead is a gimmicky and frustratingly underdeveloped role for the TV star, resulting in a one-note performance. For the majority of his appearance on screen (particularly after the reveal) Chegwin spends most of the time, hangdog-like, gurning in the shadows. The fact that his story and the other celebs exist merely as ciphers to the main, joyless plot which follows the budding relationship between Danny and Dawn, illustrates how little the makers were interested in exploring that side.

It’s clear the director has gorged himself on episodes of Spaced, and he uses that style of visual storytelling to frame the film. Manic whip-pans, brief fantasy interludes and cartoonish frame wipes (and even the dreaded, hideously overused record scratch sound effect) may have worked on TV a decade or so back, but here they look incredibly tired and amateurish. He clearly lacks the skills of someone like Edgar Wright, who has shown how to successfully adapt and craft some of those techniques for that bigger, cinematic canvas.

The intriguing presence of Chegwin (decked out in Kill Bill garb) on the promotional material will undoubtedly encourage some to seek out the film once it arrives on DVD, and while it occasionally strives to provide some amusing send-ups of TV culture (it takes enjoyable aim at the ridiculously simplistic phone-in quiz format), a small screen audience will probably feel short-changed too with this missed opportunity to humorously subvert the personas (particularly Chegwin’s) of these TV titans of yesteryear.

*½~~~ (1.5/5)

Ahead of Halloween, we’ve got some really great competitions give-aways so keep your eyes peeled on HeyUGuys for the next collection of movies. Let’s start off with Saw: The Complete Collection starring Tobin Bell as the infamous Jigsaw courtesy of Lions Gate Home Entertainment. All seven movies in one high definition box-set! It’s out to buy now but scroll down to enter our competition to win one of three copies….

Saw:
With a dead body ‘resting’ between them, two men (Leigh Whannell and Carey Elwes) wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who’s been nicknamed “Jigsaw” by the police because of his unusual calling card. Given six hours, a hacksaw, and a bullet, the two men try to figure out a way to freedom. Hot on the ‘Jigsaw’s trail is Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover), an equally insane cop who was once the victim of the Jigsaw’s evil scheme.

Saw II:
Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), the master of mind games, returns to toy with a new set of victims, once again chosen for their perceived lack of respect for life. His traps are crueller and even more mind bending than before. And this time the policeman (Donnie Wahlberg) on the case has more than his professional integrity at stake…

Saw III:
Jigsaw has disappeared. Now aided by his new apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the puppet-master behind the cruel, intricate games that have terrified a community and baffled police has once again eluded capture and vanished. While city detectives scramble to locate him, Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) is unaware that she is about to become the latest pawn on his vicious chessboard. One night, after finishing a shift at her hospital, Lynn is kidnapped by the deranged Amanda and taken to an abandoned warehouse where she meets Jigsaw, aka: John Kramer (Tobin Bell), who’s now bedridden and on the verge of death.

Saw IV:
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 grizzly 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…

Saw V:
Saw V concerns itself with detailing who will carry on with his bloody work. The film opens with a man strapped to a table above a pendulum. As the sharp blade begins swinging over his stomach, he has only a minute to stop it by inserting his hands into a device that will crush them.

Saw VI:
The deathly traps and cunning plotting return for this sixth entry in the hugely popular Saw film series. The editor for all of the previous films, Kevin Greutert, makes his directorial debut with this picture, once again written by ‘Feast’ writers, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. With Special Agent Stahm (Scott Patterson) dead, the sinister Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) has emerged to carry on Jigsaw’s murderous work.

Saw 3D: The Final Chapter*
The most twisted, gruesome and successful horror franchise in the world comes to a close in Saw: The Final Chapter. A deadly battle rages over Jigsaw’s brutal legacy as a group of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) survivors gather to seek the support of self-help guru, and fellow survivor, Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery). Soon though, the survivors really must help themselves as Dagen’s dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror…

*See Saw: The Final Chapter in 2D or 3D on the Blu-ray Disc – both versions of the film are included on this Blu-ray Disc. For 3D, you’ll need a fully capable 3D HDTV and 3D compatible blu-ray player.

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, simply answer the following question using the form below:

Who plays the character of Jigsaw in the Saw franchise of movies?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 31st October at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Insidious, the latest horrorshow from the Saw/Paranormal Activity set, has got great word of mouth from the many previews and screenings and the film opens in UK cinemas on the 6th of May.

We sat down with Director James Wan and Screenwriter Leigh Whannell recently and they seem genuinely pleased with their film and when we saw it at SXSW last month we had a good time with it, so why not ramp up that anticipation a little more with a look at the French poster eh? Mais oui.

Ecranlarge debuted this fine poster, which is a red tinged riff on the standard scary-kid-face image that’s being slapped on the curving walls of the Tube here in London. It’s not as stylish as these two posters but that is still one creepy poster.

Here it is,

It is not, however, quite as scary as this moment from The Exorcist,

From the creators of SAW and Paranormal Activity comes Insidious. I caught up with director James Wan & screenwriter Leigh Whannell and found out if they believed in ghosts and if they were demons who’s body would they decide to take over! The results were rather humorous and thus, this interview contains swearing.

Insidious is released in the UK 6th May.

Synopsis: Josh and Renai have three children, the oldest is ten-year-old Dalton. As they begin to settle into a new home, they experience strange noises and other unexplained phenomena. Soon Dalton is rushed to the hospital in a coma, suffering a severe head injury after falling in the attic. Months slip by, and the doctors still have no explanation for his continuing coma. When the boy is returned home under his mother’s care, more frightening events occur in the home. The mother is so horrified that she moves the family to a another new home in hopes of leaving the fearful memories behind them.

The family quickly discovers that the haunting has nothing to do with their home. The supernatural outpouring is coming from their comatose son. Several scientific experts observe the son, the family and their home. They determine that Dalton is trapped on the other side in a dark world they call The Further. The parents team with the scientists to try to bring their boy back from The Further and save him from the clutches of a dark entity that hopes to claim him as his own.

Here’s an interesting piece of industry news (via Deadline) which immediately begs the question “why hasn’t this been initiated sooner?”

Lionsgate (the studio that Saw built) are planning on creating three low-budget features (all under $2 mil) in a new scheme which, if deemed successful, could pave the way for up to 10 films a year.

The three titles due under the banner are Rapturepalooza from ‘Bill and Ted’ writer/producer team Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, Gay Dude – an adolescent high-school comedy about two best friends (one gay, one straight) who vow to lose their virginity before graduating high school, and supernatural thriller, 6 Miranda Drive, by Wolf Creek writer/director Greg Mclean.

Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group president Joe Drake has offered this rather obvious, yet thoroughly appealing reason behind the venture:

“Microbudget films involved minimal overhead and very little risk, but a potentially high reward.”

Will other studios adopt this business model if these films prove to be a success? In this era of cost-conscious filmmaking, the idea that commercially-minded micro-budgeted features could be the way forward is certainly an exciting and attractive prospect for both the moneymen and the creative hub.

Momentum Pictures have been in touch to offer us 10 pairs of tickets to a screening of their new movie, Insidious before it hits hits UK cinemas. The movie is released on 29th April but we’ve got the chance for you to see it on Thursday 7th April at a central London location.

Insidious is directed by James Wan, written by Leigh Whannell and stars Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey and Lin Shaye.

Synopsis: Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) have a happy family with their three young children. When tragedy strikes their young son, Josh and Renai begin to experience things that science cannot explain.

James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the co-creators of Saw, join forces with the producers of Paranormal Activity to take you on a mind-bending journey into the world of the unknown. INSIDIOUS is produced by Jason Blum, Steven Schneider, and Oren Peli and executive produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones.

You can find out more about the movie on their official Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/insidiousuk

To be in with a chance of winning one pair of tickets to Insidious at 6.30 on 7th April in London, just answer this simple question using the form below:

Who plays the character Josh Lambert in Insidious?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• You must be able to make it to the screening of Insidious on April 7th at 6.30 in a central London location
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close Thursday 4th April 12.00 midday GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

For the uninitiated, the Cube films are under-seen gems.

The first film, Cube, opens in a cubic room, with the unfortunate occupier immediately sliced and diced by an unseen booby trap. We then meet more prisoners, who realise that they can can move from one cubic room to the next in any direction, with some rooms lethally booby-trapped and numeric codes at each doorway giving a clue as to the way to proceed. It was stripped-down sci-fi at its finest – no spoon-feeding or easy answers and lots of imaginative use of a shoe-string budget.

Cube 2: Hypercube expanded well on the first film’s premise, introducing time loops into the Cube, but continuing with the pleasingly imaginative booby-traps and grisly deaths. Kind of like Saw, but with skill, craft and inventiveness rather than unpleasantness for its own sake. Cube Zero then went back to before the first film, showing more of the outside world and how the Cube was developed. By shifting outside the Cube it lost much of the claustrophobic dynamism of the previous films, but had a few good ideas and at least slotted into the overall mythology in a logical, coherent manner (I’m looking at you, Star Wars prequels).

As is the case with all good ideas, Lionsgate want to start milking the series again. In an astonishing development, they are also looking at making the new film in 3D. They are currently fielding pitches, however it is unclear whether they are looking at a reboot, remake or straight sequel. If it can match the quality, inventiveness and atmosphere of the first film, then all will be well, but I’m not expecting too much at the moment.

We’ll bring you more as this develops. In the meantime, check out the trailers below for the previous series entries. Be warned, Cube Zero gets a bit icky.

Source: Shock Till You Drop.



Yahoo have released a new poster and images from new movie, Insidious which is directed by James Wan, and stars Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Angus Sampson, Ty Simpkins and Andrew Astor.

Wan was responsible for the Saw franchise so this could be one to watch for new original ideas. Jamie placed the trailer for Insidious a while ago which you can see here.

Insidious is released in the UK 6th May.

Synopsis: Josh and Renai have three children, the oldest is ten-year-old Dalton. As they begin to settle into a new home, they experience strange noises and other unexplained phenomena. Soon Dalton is rushed to the hospital in a coma, suffering a severe head injury after falling in the attic. Months slip by, and the doctors still have no explanation for his continuing coma. When the boy is returned home under his mother’s care, more frightening events occur in the home. The mother is so horrified that she moves the family to a another new home in hopes of leaving the fearful memories behind them.

The family quickly discovers that the haunting has nothing to do with their home. The supernatural outpouring is coming from their comatose son. Several scientific experts observe the son, the family and their home. They determine that Dalton is trapped on the other side in a dark world they call The Further. The parents team with the scientists to try to bring their boy back from The Further and save him from the clutches of a dark entity that hopes to claim him as his own.

Click the images below to enlarge.

SAW: The Final Chapter the last instalment from the world’s most successful horror franchise in history is available to own on DVD and eye popping 3D Blu-ray from March 7^th 2011.

Synopsis: As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw’s ( Tobin Bell)  brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery) , a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror…  SAW : The Final Chapter also stars Cary Elwes, Chester Bennington, Betsy Russell, Gina Holden and is directed by Kevin Greutert.

We’ve been given the chance to give away three copies of the movie on Blu-ray along with a Saw t-shirt.

To be in with a chance of winning this great movie on Blu-ray, all you have to do is answer the following question using the form below:

Who plays the character, Jigsaw in the Saw franchise?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 7th March 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

Joining the ranks of horror franchises that won’t die, Final Destination is not only back for a fifth instalment, but it would appear that plans are already afoot for not just one, but two follow-ups.

Dread Central has been chatting to Candyman and FD veteran Tony Todd, about his involvement in number 5 (currently in post-production) and he let slip on plans beyond that feature:

“The producer told me as we were leaving Vancouver that if it opens at Number 1, they’re going to shoot the next two simultaneously.”

So there you have it. The destination to this long-running series (the first was released in 2000!) looks to be anything but final. I wonder if this little reveal will encourage the makers of Saw to begin devising another set of traps and torture scenarios?

Free from having to keep resurrecting a villain in desperate and contrived ways, (hello Jigsaw, Michael, Freddy and Jason) the formula for the Final Destination films suggest that an almost infinite amount of stories could be mined from the premise. For the next film, Death is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of co-workers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse.

At this rate, don’t be surprised if your teenage kinds are still paying a visit to the multiplexes of the future to see what gory fate is in store for those deceivers of doom.

FilmNation, via Shock Till You Drop, have released the first official teaser trailer for upcoming horror-thriller Insidious.

Directed by James Wan, who launched the hugely-successful Saw franchise, Insidious stars Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Angus Sampson, Ty Simpkins and Andrew Astor.

A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

Insidious will be released in the US on April 1.

It is easy to underestimate the Saw franchise. As the series has progressed, each instalment has received less and less critical attention as it is presumed to have degraded to Jason Takes Manhattan levels of craptitude.

The truth is, however, that the six (going on seven) films in the Saw series have achieved something no other horror franchise could have dreamed of: $738,465,450 worldwide.

While I am the first to admit that the more recent instalments have wavered in quality, they are buckling under a dense, convoluted plot rather than  nuking the fridge with a space-set adventure (Jason X, Leprechaun: In Space) or post-modern metafilm (Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Scream 3, Halloween: Resurrection). Instead, the producers continue to craft intricate and comparatively competent installments on a yearly basis.

With Freddy and Jason rebooted and defanged for a teenage audience, it is nice to see Jigsaw stave off the law of diminishing returns so valiantly while maintaining his bite and relevance.

Hallmarked by its use of complex and ingenuous traps, the Saw series continues to dream up intricate ways to kill people. A franchise that never once resorted to having some scantily clad young woman run up the stairs away from her would-be killer, Saw instead pits all too human characters in life or death situations where they must make a potentially life altering (or ending) choice: sacrifice and change or die.

After catching the original installment on home video (I know, right!) I have returned to my local mutliplex religiously to witness each new episode before my Halloween festivities. Each year I am entertained, impressed and completely mortified by another tale of dubious morality. Unlike the torture porn copy-cats that scare-mongers such as The Daily Mail (please, it’s time to let Childs Play 3 rest in peace) have labelled its legacy, Saw is a relatively reserved horror which, at its best, scrutinises how human beings act under pressure and at its worst, forces you to look away in mock disgust.

Anyway, I digress. What of that convoluted plot? The disgruntled claims that the franchise has not only disappeared into narrative loops but up its own ass. With Saw 3D mere days away, I thought it wise to scare newcomers into acquiring the complete saga and refresh fans on the twists and turns which have peppered the series to date. With each installment ending on a Hello Zepp leitmotif that would put the Eastenders theme to shame, audiences are consistently left dangling as the jigsaw is pulled out from under your feet. That the principal protagonist has been dead since Saw III just acts to demonstrate the dramatic demands the filmmakers have been bending over backwards to maintain.

Saw, the first installment in this lucrative Lionsgate franchise, got off to a humble beginning with two men (Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell) trapped in a disused toilet with what appears to be a blood-soaked corpse, a revolver and a pair of rusted hacksaws. With each man’s leg chained to a pipe, a shared history is slowly revealed through a complex structure of flashbacks within flashbacks. Notified through a recorded microcassette message that the infamous Jigsaw Killer (a misnomer – Jigsaw’s victims always choose, whether directly or indirectly, to kill themselves) would like them to play a game, the protagonists come to the horrifying realisation that they must use the saws on themselves if they wish to escape. Ending in a cacophony of tension as Elwes’ Dr. Lawrence Gordon saws off his leg and which crescendos with the revelation that the corpse is not a corpse at all, but Jigsaw himself, Saw climaxes with the brutal death of Whannel’s character and the fate of Lawrence sickeningly inevitable.

Manipulated to the scene of Jigsaw’s latest game, Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) is led to an abandoned steel factory where they find Jigsaw aka John Kramer aka Tobin Bell severely weakened by cancer. Computer monitors within the factory alert Matthews to the impending disaster facing his son Daniel, namely that he and seven others are trapped in an abandoned house which is set to fill with nerve gas in precisely two hours. As Daniel is selflessly led to a safe-room by fellow hostage Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), Detective Matthews fights his way into the house only to realise that the events broadcast via the computer monitors transpired hours earlier. He is attacked and left to die by Amanda, who is revealed to be Jigsaw’s protégé having survived the trap formulated for her. The events of Saw II are shown to have taken place after the first movie after the decomposing remains of Dr. Lawrence’s foot are glimpsed in the toilet come safe-room.

Saw III opens with Detective Matthews’ escape, having broken his foot out of the shackles with a derelict toilet lid. The film, however, does not continue in this vein, instead focussing on a bed-ridden John Kramer and the murderous exploits of his increasingly uncontrolable protegé, Amanda Young. A new game is conceived, one which requires depressed doctor Lynn Denlon to keep Jigsaw alive while new victim Jeff undergoes three tests to free his daughter. Securing a gun from one of his tests, Jeff arrives just in time to witness Amanda shooting Lynn out of jealousy (Jigsaw, hallucinating, had previously confessed his love for Lynn having mistaken her for his estranged wife). Jeff shoots Amanda and Jigsaw, which in turn delivers the final blow to a wounded Lynn. Saw III ends with a dying Jigsaw setting Jeff one final task in order to free his daughter. Finding a balance between character and set pieces, coupled with the franchise’s most explosive finale, makes the third installment a personal favourite.

With the first trilogy complete and the two antagonists dead, Saw IV opens with the graphic autopsy of John “Jigsaw” Kramer during which a wax-coated microcassette is recovered. Directed at Detective Hoffman, the series’ latest protagonist is soon embroiled in his own game, Jigsaw not about to let a minor case of death stop him from teaching people the value of their own lives. When the recovery of one of Jigsaw’s previous victims suggests that a second accomplice might have been involved, Hoffman is left to cover up his own involvement in Jigsaw’s affairs as another detective (Scott Patterson’s Strahm) closes in on our new villain, interrogating John Kramer’s ex-wife for information. The autopsy scene is replayed during the film’s dénouement, revealing the events of Saw III and IV to have been taking place simultaneously.

Awakening with his head sealed within a glass box which is slowly filling with water, Agent Peter Strahm is forced to perform a tracheotomy upon himself with a pen. With that, Saw V begins. Using a key which hangs around her neck, Jull Tuck opens a box that she has received in the mail, its contents apparently of grave importance. Meanwhile, as a new group of victims awaken to almost certain death, Strahm’s pursuit of the truth lead him to piece together Hoffman’s involvement in a series of traps from previous movies. During their final confrontation, Strahm’s mistrust of Jigsaw inadvertently leads him to saving Hoffman and dooming himself to not only death, but taking the blame for everything Hoffman has done.

Saw VI, which placed second at the box-office following the release of new-horror-on-the-block Paranormal Activity, sees Jill Tuck reveal the box she had received in the previous movie to contain six envelopes, a package, and a reverse bear-trap device. While Hoffman uses envelopes 1 through 5 to test insurance executive William Easton, she withholds the final envelope from him. Once Easton has been tested, Jill electrocutes Hoffman and mounts the reverse bear-trap to fulfil her ex-husband’s final request. Despite throwing away the key, however, Jill’s attempts at killing Hoffman are unsuccessful, though he is scarred from his ordeal.

While it would of course be impossible to distil each film into a single paragraph, many of the franchise’s complexities have been paid off throughout the existing three films and are therefore less relevant to this article than others. Many of the victims and traps are tied, through numerous plot devices, to other characters and events,  however what is important to know is where we are now – going into Saw 3D.

Saw 3D will conclude Detective Hoffman and Jill Tuck’s battle for John Kramer’s legacy, it will also reunite a number of Jigsaw survivors – including Doctor Gordon, returning for the first time since the original Saw – under self-help guru Bobby Dagen. Eleven new traps – the most for any film in the franchise – will feature, including the ‘Garage Trap’ which has been described as “too violent” to have been used in any of the previous installments. From the trailer alone we can glimpse Ryan and Brad, who are put in control of the fate of mutual lover Dina; as well as Sydney, who must battle her abusive boyfriend for survival.

Saw 3D will end an era. Although it sparked the torture porn wave it has outlasted its imitators, tying itself into nots to deliver compelling and dramatic narratives on an annual basis. Having defined a decade, and providing this really is the final chapter, I look forward to dismissing the inevitable remake as ‘not nearly as good as the original.’ Saw has become synonymous with Halloween, an event movie which has transcended any one director, protagonist or villain. More than just another horror film or another 3D cash in, Saw 3D promises to end a franchise on a high and I, for one, cannot wait a second longer.

Here’s a bite-size piece of news for you all.

Deadline has revealed that Dimension Films have already put together the creative force for their intended sequel to Piranha 3D, with the intention of getting the film out in US theatres by late August next year. Do I smell another yearly horror franchise to fill that hole once the final Saw film (Saw 3D no less!) is released?

The studio has actually tapped the writers from that film (Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan) to do this sequel, and Project Greenlight winner John Gulager is also onboard, replacing Alexandre Aja in the director’s chair.

The first Piranha hasn’t matched the success of the first Saw film on it’s cinema release (so far, it’s only made 1m more than it’s estimated budget of $24m) but international audience figures were decent and the makers must be predicting big DVD business.

Deadline are reporting that James Wan, the co-creator and director of the original Saw, is set to direct a film adaptation of the comic book Nightfall. Currently in co-production between Platinum Studios and Aurora Productions, Nightfall follows a man who is sent to a prison run by vampires.

Wan was quick to declare his love for the premise:

“The minute I heard the concept, I was in. Reading the graphic novel cemented that. Like Saw, it’s a simple concept that, if executed properly, will be so cool.”

With Wan set to oversee the script, his Insidious, which will play in the Midnight Madness programme at this years’ Toronto Film festival, could give us a better sense of his directorial style.

While the premise might promise a certain degree of intrigue, you have to wonder just how much more blood-sucking general audiences can be willing to take.

The source graphic novel was created and written by Scott O. Brown, with illustrations provided by Ferran Xalabarder.

Blood: The Last Vampire fights its way to Blu-ray and DVD November 2. The movie is a slick and stylised English adaptation of the hugely popular cult hit anime series of the same name. The movie is full of blood and gore, so in celebration of this release, we have compiled a short list of some of the bloodiest films to date. Chances are, if you loved these films and relished the blood, then you will love Blood: The Last Vampire. The name speaks for itself!

Blood: The Last Vampire (2009)

It is clear to see that Blood: The Last Vampire sticks true to its gory genre. In many of the scenes, Saya is surrounded by a group of demons. The creativity of their deaths is the winning factor here, for example in one scene she decapitates a demon by throwing a metal grate at it, and slices another in half to create an upward blood fountain, always escaping the blood spurts after killing someone. Ultimate gore!

The Shining (1980)

In The Shining Wendy sees blood rushing out of elevator doors which sloshes down the hallway. What puts this scene onto our list is the sheer amount of blood on display! It is a sea of blood. It flows like a river and encapsulates the viewer. It’s pretty shocking for a film of its time, and a timeless classic to this day. Not to mention the rest of the films climatic expertise and creepiness.

Blade (1998)

Perhaps one of the most creative uses of blood is seen in Blade. Picture the scene ““ clubbers dancing away at a night club, when blood starts spraying out of the fire sprinklers all over the patrons below. To your typical clubber, it’s pretty sick. However, naturally there are some vampires in the club, who are thrown into ecstasy, and start to gyrate with each other under the slick red rain. Enter Blade, who proceeds to kill the instantly identifiable vampires by shooting and stabbing them. Lots and lots of blood, in a contemporary setting, what more could a horror fan want?

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

In A Nightmare on Elm Street we witness an unbelievable amount of blood in a very familiar place- one’s bed. Dragged into the middle of his bed by the infamous Freddy, Glenn is literally sucked into the underworld. Following his being dragged down into the depths, copious amounts of blood then spray aggressively onto the ceiling. The Blood shoots out of it like a geyser, or a high powered pressure washer. It’s all pretty surreal and strangely amusing to watch. His screaming mother only adds to the dark humour.

Kill Bill (2003)

When one thinks of bloody films, of course Kill Bill comes to mind. Specifically the scenes from The Bride where “˜88′ crazy suited men try to kill her, but get a little more than they have bargained for. And the highlight of this bloody battle? When The Bride kills one of the 88′s by pulling his eye out completely. She also does a break dance move and cuts the shins, ankles, and legs of the 88′s, spraying their blood everywhere. That girl can move, and it is mesmerising yet stimulating to watch!

Saw (2004)

Another high contender in the gore stakes is the Saw collection. In one particular scene in the first Saw, Amanda’s head is in a reverse bear trap. There is a key to unlock it, but it’s buried in the guts of her seemingly dead roommate. In true Saw fashion, Amanda is expected to use a knife to retrieve the key from his stomach. The next few minutes see her riffling through his liver, intestine and other organs. As one can imagine, this is quite a messy job and she ends up covered in his blood and guts. Several points for creativity!

Scream (1996)

No horror movie list would be complete without reference to the ultimate classic, Scream. Let’s take the Casey Becker scene. She is running from the killer and, well, she doesn’t get very far. He stabs her in the chest, slits her throat, and then continues to stab away until she couldn’t be any deader, and his knife couldn’t be any redder. He kills her brutally with a kitchen knife! Lovely and lots of blood for good measure too.

Final Destination 2 (2003)

Final Destination 2- or actually any of the Final Destination collection- wins where gore is concerned. In this particular scene we see another incredibly gruesome and original death take place. A woman is involved in a car accident that causes a piece of pipe to break in her car. Whilst fire fighters use machinery to free her from the mangled car, the airbag goes off and the back of her head is thrown onto the broken pipe. Her death is unexpected and sudden, leaving her with a pipe coming out her forehead, with brain matter and a pool of blood streaming down her face.

Hannibal (2001)

Another master of creativity would be Mr. Hannibal Lecter. Remember the scene where he tied up Detective Pazzi with duct tape in Hannibal? Having secured one end of a rope round the detective and the other around a separate chair, he sliced his abdomen and threw him off a balcony. The rope around the chair stopped Pazzi mid fall, but not his guts. These kept falling, out through the hole in his stomach, and spilled onto the ground below as the force of gravity took its toll. What an ingenious, blood-thirsty, gory way to kill.

Carrie (1976)

Carrie takes blood to the high school movie. A geek that falls victim of the bitchy girls at school thinks she has finally overcome it all when she wins the coveted title of prom queen. Unfortunately for her, some of her tormentors manage to tip a bucket of pigs over her whilst on stage, in front of the entire student body. The neat thing about this scene is the realism, the fact that it could actually happen. As Carrie stands dripping in blood, the scene is compounded by the awkward silence that follows and the true horror of her situation comes to light.

Blood: The Last Vampire is out on Blu-ray and DVD November 2

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