Hutchinson Leader - horror movies - Comments

I can't wait. I'm a blind

Aura_Lee — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:09:37 -0500

I can't wait. I'm a blind Saw fan. I loved the first two, the 3rd was ok, but the 4th was a little disappointing. I'll watch them every year in the hopes that someday they will make another one that made me giggle when they fool me in the end forcing me to watch it several times and look for clues that I missed the first time.

There's a Final Destination

Eric Kraushar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:10:53 -0600

There's a Final Destination 2 and 3?

Here are a couple other ones

Eric Kraushar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:28:09 -0500

Here are a couple other ones for you:

Corey Feldman/Crispin Glover - Friday the 13th IV
* Feldman went on to be a popular kid actor (The Goonies), while Glover was George McFly in Back to the Future.

Amanda Bearse - Fright Night
* Bearse played Marcy Darcy in Married with Children

Also mentioned in that list are Jennifer Aniston (Leprechun) and Kevin Bacon (Friday the 13th). Not to mention the scream queen, Jamie Lee Curtis.

Aura Lee: A fellow horror

Jorge Sosa — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:05:11 -0500

Aura Lee:

A fellow horror movie buff! Sweet!

I maybe came off sounding more harshly critical of "Saw" then I meant to. I loved the first two "Saw" movies. "Saw III" was still interesting but didn't seem as rock-solid.

Here's what I mean when I say, "The 'Saw' series copped ideas from 'Seven' but lacks its depth."

((SPOILER ALERT!))

Both movies are about a serial killer who targets victims based on what he sees as their moral failings. He justifies murder because he thinks his victims brought his vengeance on themselves.

Both John Doe and Jigsaw think they have the moral high ground. And they love an audience. They taunt the investigators and eventually lure them into traps.

Both Jigsaw and John Doe set up elaborate ways for their victims to get offed. As you pointed out, people in both series are faced with grisly choices. Not just the "vanity" victim, but ... (BIG-TIME SPOILER!!!) ... Detective Mills who has to choose between duty and revenge. He fails the test and ends up playing right into John Doe's evil scheme.

Both films also have surprise endings, so, I would say it's pretty obvious that the creators of "Saw" were heavily influenced by "Seven."

When I say "Saw" lacks the depth of "Seven," I'm thinking about how "Seven" has all these literary allusions in it. Dante's "The Divine Comedy" and the Bible are referenced quite a bit. With "Saw," the filmmakers primarily reference other movies, namely "Seven."

Also, I think the acting in "Seven" is generally stronger, but that's a matter of opinion. I think both Tobin Bell and Kevin Spacey play excellent villains.

I think both movies are pretty suspenseful, but in different ways. "Seven" is more psychological and "Saw" gets me in the gut.

One thing I really admire about the "Saw" series is that the filmmakers show it's possible to make a really scary and profitable movie without spending a lot of money.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)

The “Saw” series copped

Aura_Lee — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:28:03 -0500

The “Saw” series copped ideas from “Seven” but lacks its depth??????????

(spoiler alert!)
please explain. i'm a fan of "seven" but an even bigger fan of the "saw" series. i don't feel "saw" copped anything from "seven". sure people got to make some grisly choices in "seven", like the lady who had to choose between living without a nose and killing herself, but in "saw" and "saw ii" everyone has a way out. "seven" was more of a killer punishing people for the sins of society and "saw" is more about getting people to realize their pettiness and gets them to appreciate being alive. (for however short of a life they have left if they don't figure out the puzzle). with the exception of "Saw III" the "Saw" series, i feel, is far more suspenseful and thought provoking. it makes a person think about all the stupid things in one's life that seem to mean more than they should and one goes away with a feeling that life isn't so bad afterall. "seven" had a cool ending and i enjoyed showing that movie to friends just to see the reaction when that head comes out of the package,(i warned you of the spoiler alert) but the "saw" endings seemed much more exciting and made me want to go back to see the movie again to watch all the small little details that one might miss the first time fall into place.

Getting the wool would be

Matt McMillan — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:44:03 -0500

Getting the wool would be nearly impossible.

Eric: Thanks for this handy

Jorge Sosa — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 08:39:32 -0500

Eric:

Thanks for this handy guide :-)

No. 4: 3 stars...right up there with No. 2. It is the start of the "Tommy trilogies," who is played by Corey Feldman.

I forgot he was in that one. That was the last one I watched, with a bunch of friends, and we just kind of MST3K'd our way through it.

No. 6: 4 stars....most underrated of the Jason films. Thom Matthews plays a older Tommy and steals the show. Ok, maybe not steal the show, but his character is one you root for. Unlike the previous movies, this one has some comedy and action to go with the usual suspense.

I will definitely check this one out.

No. 7: 1 star....a house blows up and Jason walks out in one piece. Come on.

Wow. So, like, that was only thing about the "Friday the 13th" series that struck you as beyond the realm of possibility?

No. 8: 1 star....the movie shifts to Manhatten. The best thing about Jason is the woods scenary. Go back to Crystal Lake.

That sounds like it could be cool, if it were done well. By having Jason battle the Ghostbusters. Or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Happy Monday,
Jorge

I was a horror movie buff in

Eric Kraushar — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 19:19:14 -0500

I was a horror movie buff in my high school days and I even watched the first nine Jason movies in a row. Yes, that was more than 15 hours straight of movie. I'm sure a couple of tubs of popcorn were consumed.

I haven't seen Jason vs. Freddy, but have a copy of it and will someday watch it. Jason X in space, I'll pass.

Here are my Jason ratings:
No. 1: 3 1/2 stars...classic movie that is suspenseful and has a great cast that includes Kevin Bacon

No. 2: 3 stars...my third favorite of the bunch. It has a good flow and has many of the elements that make No. 1 good.

No. 3: 0 stars....a terrible movie that is very predictable and is basically the same as No. 2.

No. 4: 3 stars...right up there with No. 2. It is the start of the "Tommy trilogies," who is played by Corey Feldman.

No. 5: 1 star...has some funny scenes, but the New Beginning really isn't a new beginning.

No. 7: 1 star....a house blows up and Jason walks out in one piece. Come on.

No. 8: 1 star....the movie shifts to Manhatten. The best thing about Jason is the woods scenary. Go back to Crystal Lake.

No. 9: 0 stars...disturbing at times. Not worth watching.

So, I guess Jorge, I would only suggest seeing Jason 6. Don't worry about No. 5, you won't miss anything.

For more info on the series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_%28film_series%29

I have to agree with you

Jorge Sosa — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:09:34 -0600

I have to agree with you about "Psycho II." I rented it once out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I could've done without "Psycho III," though.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)

This is a great movie! I

tobybryan — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:04:24 -0600

This is a great movie! I only wish I could have seen it with out knowing the secret of "Mother". But since I was born 24 years after it was made the shocking twist at the end was well known to me. I also highly recommend its little mentioned sequel Psycho II released in 1983.