While at ShoWest Quint over at AICN attended the Lionsgate panel where Tobin Bell (Jigsaw) confirmed the news we broke months ago that he's signed on for both Saw IV and Saw V! Expect Jigsaw to return in October of 2008 as well, but don't expect Darren Lynn Bousman to helm for a fourth time. Production begins on Saw IV April 16. Jigsaw returns October 26 from a story by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton of Feast fame.
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8409
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Darren Lynn Bousman Speaks On 'Saw IV' Announcement!
In a shocking turn of events it was revealed the other day that Darren Lynn Bousman would be returning to helm Saw IV for Lionsgate. Now that the dust has settled, Darren has taken the time to address his fans about the announcement, which can be found inside. Watch for more news as it comes in. Production is scheduled to begin in Toronto on April 16.
Darren Lynn Bousman writes on his MySpace:
"SO after I have publicly gone on the record NUMEROUS times saying I WILL NOT return to direct SAW IV is it possibly true that, indeed I will be returning??? Ok... I should have never opened my big mouth... As I have now learned NEVER say NEVER... The rumors are in fact true... "I'LL BE BACK" (in my bad Arnold Schwarzenegger impression).
First off, let me dispel some rumors.... REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA IS HAPPENING!!!! (REPO OPERA myspace page is going up shortly) REPO is a ROCK OEPRA! Thus it is entirely sung... meaning over 35 songs have to be recorded and mixed PRIOR to us filming... That is going to take about four months... On top of that - I want to use the same crew as from the SAW films... That pushes me another two months... That means the EARLIEST I could shoot REPO would be September...
So here I have this gaping whole for the next 8 months before I could even begin shooting... I freak out if I am not constantly doing something... I was approached with Saw as an idea to fill that void... At first I turned it down just on principle... I have been WAY to lucky with the past films to warrant or RISK me coming back... And then I read the script... I read the draft of SAW IV... My first reaction....
FUCKING DAMNIT!!!!
This script was good... no... not good... GREAT... I was totally prepared for this script to JUMP THE SHARK - - I mean - we are on our THIRD sequel - where in fucks sake to you go from here? In the case of this script... UP!
I met with writers to give them my two cents... The next thing I knew I was all giddy like a school girl about where the film and the franchise was headed...
SHOW ME WHERE TO SIGN I screamed inside Twisted Pictures quite office...
There are those who have sent me emails asking "Are you fucking crazy? You're doing IV?" Well, yes, I am crazy... But I would be INSANE if I didn't do it... I get to work with people I love - make disgusting traps that spray the red stuff - and have an arsenal of material to offend, well, everybody... Plus, who else is going to let me get away with the sick shit that I do???
SAW IV is not a step backwards – it's a leap forward…"
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8258
Darren Lynn Bousman writes on his MySpace:
"SO after I have publicly gone on the record NUMEROUS times saying I WILL NOT return to direct SAW IV is it possibly true that, indeed I will be returning??? Ok... I should have never opened my big mouth... As I have now learned NEVER say NEVER... The rumors are in fact true... "I'LL BE BACK" (in my bad Arnold Schwarzenegger impression).
First off, let me dispel some rumors.... REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA IS HAPPENING!!!! (REPO OPERA myspace page is going up shortly) REPO is a ROCK OEPRA! Thus it is entirely sung... meaning over 35 songs have to be recorded and mixed PRIOR to us filming... That is going to take about four months... On top of that - I want to use the same crew as from the SAW films... That pushes me another two months... That means the EARLIEST I could shoot REPO would be September...
So here I have this gaping whole for the next 8 months before I could even begin shooting... I freak out if I am not constantly doing something... I was approached with Saw as an idea to fill that void... At first I turned it down just on principle... I have been WAY to lucky with the past films to warrant or RISK me coming back... And then I read the script... I read the draft of SAW IV... My first reaction....
FUCKING DAMNIT!!!!
This script was good... no... not good... GREAT... I was totally prepared for this script to JUMP THE SHARK - - I mean - we are on our THIRD sequel - where in fucks sake to you go from here? In the case of this script... UP!
I met with writers to give them my two cents... The next thing I knew I was all giddy like a school girl about where the film and the franchise was headed...
SHOW ME WHERE TO SIGN I screamed inside Twisted Pictures quite office...
There are those who have sent me emails asking "Are you fucking crazy? You're doing IV?" Well, yes, I am crazy... But I would be INSANE if I didn't do it... I get to work with people I love - make disgusting traps that spray the red stuff - and have an arsenal of material to offend, well, everybody... Plus, who else is going to let me get away with the sick shit that I do???
SAW IV is not a step backwards – it's a leap forward…"
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8258
B-D Has a Feast With The Writers of 'Saw IV'
The Hollywood Reporter announced this evening that Darren Lynn Bousman will return to helm Lionsgate's Saw IV (more details here), but what they failed to mention was which story was chosen for the screenplay. Bloody-Disgusting learned exclusively that Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton's (Feast, The Midnight Man) story was chosen to be developed into Jigsaw's fourth entry in the popular franchise, which was created by Leigh Whannell and James Wan. No details on what will happen to the other stories but word has it that Lionsgate is looking to release six films in the franchise. Could this be the start of a new trilogy??!!
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8249
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8249
UPDATED: A Jigsaw Shocker... Who Will Direct 'Saw 4'??!!
Ready for the shocker? Dying to know who will be directing Lionsgate's Saw 4? The Hollywood Reporter confirmed reports early this morning that Darren Lynn Bousman will helm the fourth installment in the popular franchise, which features a killer by the name of Jigsaw who tortures his victims to help them appreciate the life they took for granted. Bousman previously directed Saw II and Saw III for Lionsgate and is also in pre-production on his third feature film, Repo! A Genetic Opera. Read on for the official news!
Darren Lynn Bousman is set to direct "Saw IV." The director, who helmed the last two installments in the horror franchise, "Saw II" and "Saw III," will begin production in Toronto April 16, Lionsgate and its production partner Twisted Pictures announced Monday, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Also reuniting on the project is the "Saw" production team, with Twisted's Mark Burg and Oren Koules producing and Daniel Jason Heffner, James Wan, Leigh Whannell and Stacey Testro executive producing.
Executive producing for Lionsgate are president of acquisitions and co-productions Peter Block and senior vp acquisitions Jason Constantine. Key contributors to the first three films returning include editor Kevin Greutert, director of photography David Armstrong and production designer David Hackl.
"Having Darren behind the camera gives 'Saw IV' a real edge, so to speak," Block said. "He has led this franchise into boxoffice history while proving himself a modern master of psychological terror."
The film is slated for worldwide release on Oct. 26. The "Saw" series has thus far grossed more than $400 million worldwide.
"It's not often that a filmmaker is given the opportunity to follow a genuinely compelling character through two films, much less three," Bousman said. "So I'm very excited about picking up the reins on 'Saw IV,' and delving even deeper into the Jigsaw legend."
Following "Saw IV," Lionsgate, Twisted Pictures and Bousman will reunite for "Repo! The Genetic Opera," a horror opera Bousman will direct from an original story by co-composers and screenwriters Terrence Zdunich and Darren Smith.
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8243
Darren Lynn Bousman is set to direct "Saw IV." The director, who helmed the last two installments in the horror franchise, "Saw II" and "Saw III," will begin production in Toronto April 16, Lionsgate and its production partner Twisted Pictures announced Monday, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Also reuniting on the project is the "Saw" production team, with Twisted's Mark Burg and Oren Koules producing and Daniel Jason Heffner, James Wan, Leigh Whannell and Stacey Testro executive producing.
Executive producing for Lionsgate are president of acquisitions and co-productions Peter Block and senior vp acquisitions Jason Constantine. Key contributors to the first three films returning include editor Kevin Greutert, director of photography David Armstrong and production designer David Hackl.
"Having Darren behind the camera gives 'Saw IV' a real edge, so to speak," Block said. "He has led this franchise into boxoffice history while proving himself a modern master of psychological terror."
The film is slated for worldwide release on Oct. 26. The "Saw" series has thus far grossed more than $400 million worldwide.
"It's not often that a filmmaker is given the opportunity to follow a genuinely compelling character through two films, much less three," Bousman said. "So I'm very excited about picking up the reins on 'Saw IV,' and delving even deeper into the Jigsaw legend."
Following "Saw IV," Lionsgate, Twisted Pictures and Bousman will reunite for "Repo! The Genetic Opera," a horror opera Bousman will direct from an original story by co-composers and screenwriters Terrence Zdunich and Darren Smith.
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8243
'Saw 4' to Begin Shooting in April, Whannell Speaks!
B-D reader 'xerotheory7803' wrote in with some sweet news regarding Lionsgate's Saw 4, "Hey guys, just wanted to drop you a line. I just got in from the Monster Mania horror convention near Philly where they announced that SAW 4 begins production on April 16th! No official word yet on cast or crew, but they promised MANY twists and turns in the fourth installment. Creator Leigh Whannell said that many unanswered questions from SAW 3 will be answered, such as the tape Jigsaw pours wax over, Obi's connection to Jigsaw, among other things." Watch for the official announcement on a director when word comes in... we think we might know who it is!!
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8238
Read the article at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8238
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Updated SAWFreaks links
Just to lessen the confusion, there are 3 links to the SAWFreaks site. I'll go through and choose a permanent one this weekend. Right now, they are-
http://www.sawfreaks.tk
http://www.sawfreaks.cjb.net
and
http://www.sawfreaks.co.nr
All go to the same website!
http://www.sawfreaks.tk
http://www.sawfreaks.cjb.net
and
http://www.sawfreaks.co.nr
All go to the same website!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
New Interview With Darren Bousman
I just got this from a member on House Of Jigsaw. There's not a lot of info about SAW IV in it, but Darren does mention that he's read the script. He talks about his future projects too, which are sounding pretty interesting.
----------------------------------------
Daniel Robert Epstein: Have you started shooting Wichita yet?
Darren Lynn Bousman: Wichita got blacklisted from Hollywood I think. My whole goal in my tenure here in Hollywood is to offend and upset as many people as humanly possible, but I think that Wichita might have crossed the line. There is nothing in my mind that will ever top the disturbing factors that Wichita has. So don’t be looking for Wichita this year but I’ve got some other very interesting things out there that are very exciting. I want to do things that are crazy and unique and interesting and not just do the same the same rehashed pile of shit over and over again. It looks like one of my next projects is going to be a rock opera of all things.
DRE:That’s right; I remember that you were a huge fan of Jesus Christ Superstar.
DLB:Huge fan. I’ve been working with these two guys on this rock opera for years now. I directed a play called REPO! The Genetic Opera about five years back in Hollywood. I always said that if I ever get the chance to make the movie I want to make, I want to go make REPO. When Saw II hit, I called the writers up and said, “Guys, you better write a script right now. I guarantee I’m going to get this movie made.” So they went off and turned the play into a script. So Saw III is a hit and I was like, “I’m going to shoot a scene of this so people know what it is.” So much like James Wan did in the original Saw, I went out and I shot a scene with Shawnee Smith and Michael Rooker in it. It is like a throwback to Rocky Horror Picture Show and Jesus Christ Superstar and people got excited by it. The writers knocked it out of the park with the script and it seems that we will be doing it sometime this year.
DRE:Is it a Tommy-like rock opera?
DLB:I’d probably say that it’s the music of Rocky Horror Picture Show and the visuals of Blade Runner but it’s violent as hell. It’s a very in your face horror theme.
DRE:At 2006’s San Diego Comicon I met Shawnee Smith for the first time. She’s a lot shorter than I thought she was.
DLB:Can I please tell you that I’m in love with Shawnee Smith. I think I always will be.
DRE:I have a huge crush on her. I told you not to introduce me to her at some party and you brought her right over to me. I was so mad [laughs].
DLB:She’s beautiful and she’s great person as well. I was really lucky to work with her in Saw II and Saw III and I plan to continually use her for different roles. I knew she was in a band called Fydolla Ho but who would have known she has a major singing voice? So when REPO came up I was like, “Hey I need your help. I want you to come help me on this rock opera.” She was like, “Alright, what do you want me to sing?” At that point I wasn’t going to have her sing. But then I gave her the song and she knocked it out of the park. She sounds like a diva.
DRE:How was it getting to meet Darren Aronofsky in San Diego?
DLB:Amazing. I saw The Fountain and it was fantastic. Here’s this romance movie told in this fucked up way. It’s genius. I hate movies that dumb down for the audience. All these romantic movies that are out there with Jennifer Love Hewitt or Brittany Murphey, no offense to both, are just typical. But here Darren Aronofsky does his version of a love story and it’s this amazing, crazy thing called The Fountain.
DRE:I was shocked and surprised when there was some negative response to it.
DLB:It upsets me that movies like Pan’s Labyrinth and Fountain aren’t the ones having these huge opening weekends because they’re so innovative and original. Why aren’t people flocking to the cinema to see this stuff? Darren Aronofsky’s movies just continually evoke emotion. If I watch Requiem for a Dream, even after 30 times, I still get sick to my stomach. I still feel queasy.
DRE:You know what made me feel queasy, Donnie Wahlberg’s mushy foot [in Saw III].
DLB:[laughs] That was a good time on set. The best part was when you’re submitting to the MPAA, you know you’re not going to get an R rating. But you’re still going to send it in there anyway. In the initial edit, I think we had Donnie hitting his foot 17 times. The MPAA was like, “Not going to happen.” So every time we had to resubmit it to them we’d take one hit away. So I think I got the MPAA desensitized to seeing Donnie Walberg smash his foot.
DRE:The traps in the third movie had a much deadlier feel to it because of the character that was creating them but was it a different way of thinking up traps?
DLB:I went into this whole movie with a different mentality. I was like, “Okay I did Saw II and that was more like an action horror film which has people running around screaming and so on.” I wanted this one to be more emotional. So the traps are more emotional. For [Angus Macfadyen's character of] Jeff, we had an emotional choice for the character. Does he burn his son’s possessions? That’s not violent but in my mind that’s more disturbing than the pigs getting chopped up. Here is this guy holding onto his child’s death. Same thing with the freezer chick, it wasn’t necessarily gruesome but here he is standing face to face with a woman who could have possibly helped his son but she walked away. He has to decide if he’s going to save her or not. Also these traps don’t have anything to do with the victims. It’s not about the victims saving themselves. It’s all about, will they allow this other character to save them, which is something that hasn’t been done in the Saw films. It’s not hard to gross somebody out. That’s the easiest thing. Anybody can go get an 8mm camera, get cow innards and disgust people. It’s funny because one of the biggest problems that the MPAA had was with the scene of the freezer woman. Not because of the nudity or blood but because of the amount of time she was screaming in agony. That was great to me because I finally upset someone and it has nothing to do with violence.
DRE:I’m sure you guys knew Saw III would do very well, but 70 million dollars?
DLB:It was a risk for me to come back. I was sitting there biting my nails because if this thing ended up being less successful than the previous one I would look like the biggest fool in the world. When you hit the jackpot, you walk away. You don’t double down. I doubled down on Saw III and if I had failed it would have basically negated the success with II. I think that really helped streamline this movie and make it what it was. All of us, [co-writer] Leigh [Whannell] included, were very scared going into three like, “What can we do to not make this a Friday the 13th number 19? What can we do to make this further the story, not just further our pocketbooks?
DRE:How was it getting to direct Leigh for the first time?
DLB:[laughs] It was funny. My favorite part would be when Leigh would get all serious with his character and he would try to ask a question and I would either fall asleep or take a cell phone call. That was something he used to do when I would try to give him notes on the script, so it was a nice trade off. The sad thing is that a lot of Leigh’s scenes got cut. Hopefully one day there’ll be a director’s cut, I have to convince Lionsgate to let me do one, but I would like to put back one of Leigh’s best scenes back in.
DRE:I love Tobin Bell too
.DLB:Tobin is a super genius. He sits there and analyzes every line and he will ask you questions for 30 minutes about a line like “There will be blood.” He’ll philosophize about what those words really mean. Is he hearkening back to a darker time in his life when his mother might have said that to him? Eventually you’re like, “Okay Tobin, fine. Don’t say the line.” He goes, “No, I had to know.” Then he says it and it sends chills down your spine.
DRE:When Saw II was released you told me that some of the traps were left over from an old screenplay of yours called The Desperate. Was anything from that screenplay in Saw III?
DLB:No, there are some maybe in Saw IV. I think I’ll have the bravery to put them in. We have some great traps that have never been used yet.
DRE:Did you guys really get the Saw bathroom from Scary Movie IV?
DLB:Yeah, we did but we should have just built a new one. It probably would have been faster and cheaper because they didn’t do it to the right specifications. When you’re dealing with the fan base of the Saw films, you can’t fuck around and kind of make it look like the original bathroom. It has to be the original bathroom. So we spent about a week and a half trying to fix it and restructure to make it look like the way it does in the final project.
DRE:How was it working with Angus Macfadyen?
DLB:Angus was a lot different than all the other cast. Angus is a classically trained actor and he was in fucking Braveheart. That’s Sir Robert the Bruce. Every day he came on set it would take me a couple of minutes to shake off that I was talking to Sir Robert the Bruce. Angus was fun and he has a very dry sense of humor. A lot of the time I was like, “I think he hates me” because I would say something to him and he would look at me cockeyed but that’s just Angus. He adds so much. I’ll say, “Angus, it’s going to be crazy. I’m going to shoot this in a really fucked up way. I want you to throw your head from side to side and scream.” Then you turn the camera on and he would give you something ridiculous. I’ll give you a perfect example. When Tim [played by Mpho Koaho] was on the cross, I told Angus, “I want you to act completely crazy.” We put the camera on. He went to a place that I wish I could have put on the deleted scenes. He mocked Tim on the cross which is a thing that most actors would be scared to do. He threw his arms up and started mocking him. We showed it in a flash frame. It was great to have an actor who was willing to commit an experiment.
DRE:What’s it like having everything link up to the first film?
DLB:It’s fun and it’s extremely hard. Again, we’re dealing with fans who dissect everything. The minute a trailer is put online the fans have it on the internet, they inspect it frame by frame and they start pointing things out like, “This isn’t right. This head wound was a fifth of a centimeter to the right.” “It wasn’t a nine millimeter gun with two bullets, it was a glock whatever with one bullet.” It was so hard. We had an entire team of people who’s job it was to make sure everything matched what we were trying to match to. For example the flashback scene where Jigsaw put the head trap on Shawnee was done with obsessive compulsive precision. Those were actually Shawnee’s original clothes from Saw I. She had to go to her attic to find those original clothes. Then we had to put the tattoo that she had on which was just something she drew on that day. One of those little scenes that lasted maybe 30 seconds in Saw III took weeks of planning. We wanted seamless integration from the original film to this one.
DRE:Saw III ends with a cliffhanger, do you know how it’s supposed to keep going?
DLB:I’m not going to say. I read the script a couple days ago and I was pretty blown away because at some point you’re going to jump the shark. At some point it’s going to get ridiculous. You will have Jigsaw in space. You will have Jigsaw versus Leprechaun. But somehow they make it work. At the end of the script my jaw dropped. I was like, “Fuck, here I am the director of the last two and I was a hundred percent sure they weren’t going to trick me” but they did it.
DRE:Saw III is a much tighter film than Saw II. That’s just the nature of it because Saw II had so many characters. I’m sure when you look at Saw II, you see all the things you wish you could have done differently. Do you have different feelings about Saw III?
DLB:I’m extremely happy with Saw III. A lot of people ask what my favorite scene is and that’s probably when Shawnee is cutting herself. It’s such a small scene but when I first pitched that I wanted a scene of her cutting herself, everyone kept saying, “Okay, that’s great, but why do we need it in the movie?” My whole point was that it is not needed in the movie but so many times you have serial killers who have madness that isn’t grounded or based in any sort of reality. They’re just there. But here we have a living, breathing, character with flaws and has this compulsive disorder to cut herself. The little things make Saw III what it is.
DRE:The Saw movies are not so much scary as they are disgusting and disturbing. Would you agree?
DLB:Yeah, they’re not scary at all. One of my favorite things on Rotten Tomatoes is when people say the films are not scary. But I’ll be the first to say that the Saw films are not scary. They are fucked up. They are disturbing. They are gory. But they are not scary.
DRE:It is interesting that you freely say that.
DLB:I will be the first one to admit that and I think James [Wan] and Leigh would say that as well.
DRE:Do you think that’s why the Saw films get so much shit?
DLB:Yeah, because it does have elements of horror but it is not the classic idea of horror.
DRE:Do you have a desire to make scary movies?
DLB:Yeah, I think that I’ve done this now and hopefully after the rock opera that will be the next one.
DRE:If I get on the Saw message boards and write a bunch of traps I want to see, will they put them in?
DLB:[laughs] I think we’re pretty desperate for traps in four so please do. Maybe you’ll have a great idea and maybe I’ll take credit for it.
----------------------------------------
Daniel Robert Epstein: Have you started shooting Wichita yet?
Darren Lynn Bousman: Wichita got blacklisted from Hollywood I think. My whole goal in my tenure here in Hollywood is to offend and upset as many people as humanly possible, but I think that Wichita might have crossed the line. There is nothing in my mind that will ever top the disturbing factors that Wichita has. So don’t be looking for Wichita this year but I’ve got some other very interesting things out there that are very exciting. I want to do things that are crazy and unique and interesting and not just do the same the same rehashed pile of shit over and over again. It looks like one of my next projects is going to be a rock opera of all things.
DRE:That’s right; I remember that you were a huge fan of Jesus Christ Superstar.
DLB:Huge fan. I’ve been working with these two guys on this rock opera for years now. I directed a play called REPO! The Genetic Opera about five years back in Hollywood. I always said that if I ever get the chance to make the movie I want to make, I want to go make REPO. When Saw II hit, I called the writers up and said, “Guys, you better write a script right now. I guarantee I’m going to get this movie made.” So they went off and turned the play into a script. So Saw III is a hit and I was like, “I’m going to shoot a scene of this so people know what it is.” So much like James Wan did in the original Saw, I went out and I shot a scene with Shawnee Smith and Michael Rooker in it. It is like a throwback to Rocky Horror Picture Show and Jesus Christ Superstar and people got excited by it. The writers knocked it out of the park with the script and it seems that we will be doing it sometime this year.
DRE:Is it a Tommy-like rock opera?
DLB:I’d probably say that it’s the music of Rocky Horror Picture Show and the visuals of Blade Runner but it’s violent as hell. It’s a very in your face horror theme.
DRE:At 2006’s San Diego Comicon I met Shawnee Smith for the first time. She’s a lot shorter than I thought she was.
DLB:Can I please tell you that I’m in love with Shawnee Smith. I think I always will be.
DRE:I have a huge crush on her. I told you not to introduce me to her at some party and you brought her right over to me. I was so mad [laughs].
DLB:She’s beautiful and she’s great person as well. I was really lucky to work with her in Saw II and Saw III and I plan to continually use her for different roles. I knew she was in a band called Fydolla Ho but who would have known she has a major singing voice? So when REPO came up I was like, “Hey I need your help. I want you to come help me on this rock opera.” She was like, “Alright, what do you want me to sing?” At that point I wasn’t going to have her sing. But then I gave her the song and she knocked it out of the park. She sounds like a diva.
DRE:How was it getting to meet Darren Aronofsky in San Diego?
DLB:Amazing. I saw The Fountain and it was fantastic. Here’s this romance movie told in this fucked up way. It’s genius. I hate movies that dumb down for the audience. All these romantic movies that are out there with Jennifer Love Hewitt or Brittany Murphey, no offense to both, are just typical. But here Darren Aronofsky does his version of a love story and it’s this amazing, crazy thing called The Fountain.
DRE:I was shocked and surprised when there was some negative response to it.
DLB:It upsets me that movies like Pan’s Labyrinth and Fountain aren’t the ones having these huge opening weekends because they’re so innovative and original. Why aren’t people flocking to the cinema to see this stuff? Darren Aronofsky’s movies just continually evoke emotion. If I watch Requiem for a Dream, even after 30 times, I still get sick to my stomach. I still feel queasy.
DRE:You know what made me feel queasy, Donnie Wahlberg’s mushy foot [in Saw III].
DLB:[laughs] That was a good time on set. The best part was when you’re submitting to the MPAA, you know you’re not going to get an R rating. But you’re still going to send it in there anyway. In the initial edit, I think we had Donnie hitting his foot 17 times. The MPAA was like, “Not going to happen.” So every time we had to resubmit it to them we’d take one hit away. So I think I got the MPAA desensitized to seeing Donnie Walberg smash his foot.
DRE:The traps in the third movie had a much deadlier feel to it because of the character that was creating them but was it a different way of thinking up traps?
DLB:I went into this whole movie with a different mentality. I was like, “Okay I did Saw II and that was more like an action horror film which has people running around screaming and so on.” I wanted this one to be more emotional. So the traps are more emotional. For [Angus Macfadyen's character of] Jeff, we had an emotional choice for the character. Does he burn his son’s possessions? That’s not violent but in my mind that’s more disturbing than the pigs getting chopped up. Here is this guy holding onto his child’s death. Same thing with the freezer chick, it wasn’t necessarily gruesome but here he is standing face to face with a woman who could have possibly helped his son but she walked away. He has to decide if he’s going to save her or not. Also these traps don’t have anything to do with the victims. It’s not about the victims saving themselves. It’s all about, will they allow this other character to save them, which is something that hasn’t been done in the Saw films. It’s not hard to gross somebody out. That’s the easiest thing. Anybody can go get an 8mm camera, get cow innards and disgust people. It’s funny because one of the biggest problems that the MPAA had was with the scene of the freezer woman. Not because of the nudity or blood but because of the amount of time she was screaming in agony. That was great to me because I finally upset someone and it has nothing to do with violence.
DRE:I’m sure you guys knew Saw III would do very well, but 70 million dollars?
DLB:It was a risk for me to come back. I was sitting there biting my nails because if this thing ended up being less successful than the previous one I would look like the biggest fool in the world. When you hit the jackpot, you walk away. You don’t double down. I doubled down on Saw III and if I had failed it would have basically negated the success with II. I think that really helped streamline this movie and make it what it was. All of us, [co-writer] Leigh [Whannell] included, were very scared going into three like, “What can we do to not make this a Friday the 13th number 19? What can we do to make this further the story, not just further our pocketbooks?
DRE:How was it getting to direct Leigh for the first time?
DLB:[laughs] It was funny. My favorite part would be when Leigh would get all serious with his character and he would try to ask a question and I would either fall asleep or take a cell phone call. That was something he used to do when I would try to give him notes on the script, so it was a nice trade off. The sad thing is that a lot of Leigh’s scenes got cut. Hopefully one day there’ll be a director’s cut, I have to convince Lionsgate to let me do one, but I would like to put back one of Leigh’s best scenes back in.
DRE:I love Tobin Bell too
.DLB:Tobin is a super genius. He sits there and analyzes every line and he will ask you questions for 30 minutes about a line like “There will be blood.” He’ll philosophize about what those words really mean. Is he hearkening back to a darker time in his life when his mother might have said that to him? Eventually you’re like, “Okay Tobin, fine. Don’t say the line.” He goes, “No, I had to know.” Then he says it and it sends chills down your spine.
DRE:When Saw II was released you told me that some of the traps were left over from an old screenplay of yours called The Desperate. Was anything from that screenplay in Saw III?
DLB:No, there are some maybe in Saw IV. I think I’ll have the bravery to put them in. We have some great traps that have never been used yet.
DRE:Did you guys really get the Saw bathroom from Scary Movie IV?
DLB:Yeah, we did but we should have just built a new one. It probably would have been faster and cheaper because they didn’t do it to the right specifications. When you’re dealing with the fan base of the Saw films, you can’t fuck around and kind of make it look like the original bathroom. It has to be the original bathroom. So we spent about a week and a half trying to fix it and restructure to make it look like the way it does in the final project.
DRE:How was it working with Angus Macfadyen?
DLB:Angus was a lot different than all the other cast. Angus is a classically trained actor and he was in fucking Braveheart. That’s Sir Robert the Bruce. Every day he came on set it would take me a couple of minutes to shake off that I was talking to Sir Robert the Bruce. Angus was fun and he has a very dry sense of humor. A lot of the time I was like, “I think he hates me” because I would say something to him and he would look at me cockeyed but that’s just Angus. He adds so much. I’ll say, “Angus, it’s going to be crazy. I’m going to shoot this in a really fucked up way. I want you to throw your head from side to side and scream.” Then you turn the camera on and he would give you something ridiculous. I’ll give you a perfect example. When Tim [played by Mpho Koaho] was on the cross, I told Angus, “I want you to act completely crazy.” We put the camera on. He went to a place that I wish I could have put on the deleted scenes. He mocked Tim on the cross which is a thing that most actors would be scared to do. He threw his arms up and started mocking him. We showed it in a flash frame. It was great to have an actor who was willing to commit an experiment.
DRE:What’s it like having everything link up to the first film?
DLB:It’s fun and it’s extremely hard. Again, we’re dealing with fans who dissect everything. The minute a trailer is put online the fans have it on the internet, they inspect it frame by frame and they start pointing things out like, “This isn’t right. This head wound was a fifth of a centimeter to the right.” “It wasn’t a nine millimeter gun with two bullets, it was a glock whatever with one bullet.” It was so hard. We had an entire team of people who’s job it was to make sure everything matched what we were trying to match to. For example the flashback scene where Jigsaw put the head trap on Shawnee was done with obsessive compulsive precision. Those were actually Shawnee’s original clothes from Saw I. She had to go to her attic to find those original clothes. Then we had to put the tattoo that she had on which was just something she drew on that day. One of those little scenes that lasted maybe 30 seconds in Saw III took weeks of planning. We wanted seamless integration from the original film to this one.
DRE:Saw III ends with a cliffhanger, do you know how it’s supposed to keep going?
DLB:I’m not going to say. I read the script a couple days ago and I was pretty blown away because at some point you’re going to jump the shark. At some point it’s going to get ridiculous. You will have Jigsaw in space. You will have Jigsaw versus Leprechaun. But somehow they make it work. At the end of the script my jaw dropped. I was like, “Fuck, here I am the director of the last two and I was a hundred percent sure they weren’t going to trick me” but they did it.
DRE:Saw III is a much tighter film than Saw II. That’s just the nature of it because Saw II had so many characters. I’m sure when you look at Saw II, you see all the things you wish you could have done differently. Do you have different feelings about Saw III?
DLB:I’m extremely happy with Saw III. A lot of people ask what my favorite scene is and that’s probably when Shawnee is cutting herself. It’s such a small scene but when I first pitched that I wanted a scene of her cutting herself, everyone kept saying, “Okay, that’s great, but why do we need it in the movie?” My whole point was that it is not needed in the movie but so many times you have serial killers who have madness that isn’t grounded or based in any sort of reality. They’re just there. But here we have a living, breathing, character with flaws and has this compulsive disorder to cut herself. The little things make Saw III what it is.
DRE:The Saw movies are not so much scary as they are disgusting and disturbing. Would you agree?
DLB:Yeah, they’re not scary at all. One of my favorite things on Rotten Tomatoes is when people say the films are not scary. But I’ll be the first to say that the Saw films are not scary. They are fucked up. They are disturbing. They are gory. But they are not scary.
DRE:It is interesting that you freely say that.
DLB:I will be the first one to admit that and I think James [Wan] and Leigh would say that as well.
DRE:Do you think that’s why the Saw films get so much shit?
DLB:Yeah, because it does have elements of horror but it is not the classic idea of horror.
DRE:Do you have a desire to make scary movies?
DLB:Yeah, I think that I’ve done this now and hopefully after the rock opera that will be the next one.
DRE:If I get on the Saw message boards and write a bunch of traps I want to see, will they put them in?
DLB:[laughs] I think we’re pretty desperate for traps in four so please do. Maybe you’ll have a great idea and maybe I’ll take credit for it.
Friday, January 19, 2007
SAW IV OFFICIAL Exclusive Update
http://movies.ign.com/articles/756/756945p1.html
Exclusive: Saw IV Update
Franchise co-creator gives a status on the fourth installment and a peek at what his next project may be.
by Eric Moro
January 19, 2007 - With his latest horror flick, Dead Silence, set to hit theaters on March 23 (click here to watch the trailer), writer/director James Wan is setting his sights back on the franchise that burst him onto the scene nearly three years ago — Saw. Aside from news that a fourth installment is expected to unspool in time for Halloween '07(as has become a yearly tradition with the series), little else is known about the project. So when IGN Movies recently caught up with the filmmaker, we had to inquire into the film's status.
"We have someone in mind [to direct]," revealed Wan coyly. "We have someone in mind. And we're working on the script right now. That's pretty much where things are at. Saw IV is a tricky one for me to talk about because everyone wants to know about it, but it's just at such an early stage."
Fair enough. But with Saw III's rather "definitive" ending, one can't help but wonder whether the next film will follow the prequel route.
"That's kind of a weird one to answer only because pretty much all of the Saw films take place in so many different timelines," explained Wan. "Sometimes the film touches here, but then it goes all the way forward but then it goes all the way backward again. It does touch on so many different time frames. Is [Saw IV] a prequel or sequel? It's kind of all intermixed. We jump everywhere, and Saw III did setup a lot of elements where Saw IV may end up going."
As for the next project from Wan and his Saw partner, Leigh Whannell, expect a decidedly different kind of project.
"At this stage, Leigh and I are very keen on getting back together and working again and one of the subject matters that we love a lot… we want to do a noir sci-fi film," said Wan. "We're big fans of noir films, so we want to see what happens there. We're working on it."
Exclusive: Saw IV Update
Franchise co-creator gives a status on the fourth installment and a peek at what his next project may be.
by Eric Moro
January 19, 2007 - With his latest horror flick, Dead Silence, set to hit theaters on March 23 (click here to watch the trailer), writer/director James Wan is setting his sights back on the franchise that burst him onto the scene nearly three years ago — Saw. Aside from news that a fourth installment is expected to unspool in time for Halloween '07(as has become a yearly tradition with the series), little else is known about the project. So when IGN Movies recently caught up with the filmmaker, we had to inquire into the film's status.
"We have someone in mind [to direct]," revealed Wan coyly. "We have someone in mind. And we're working on the script right now. That's pretty much where things are at. Saw IV is a tricky one for me to talk about because everyone wants to know about it, but it's just at such an early stage."
Fair enough. But with Saw III's rather "definitive" ending, one can't help but wonder whether the next film will follow the prequel route.
"That's kind of a weird one to answer only because pretty much all of the Saw films take place in so many different timelines," explained Wan. "Sometimes the film touches here, but then it goes all the way forward but then it goes all the way backward again. It does touch on so many different time frames. Is [Saw IV] a prequel or sequel? It's kind of all intermixed. We jump everywhere, and Saw III did setup a lot of elements where Saw IV may end up going."
As for the next project from Wan and his Saw partner, Leigh Whannell, expect a decidedly different kind of project.
"At this stage, Leigh and I are very keen on getting back together and working again and one of the subject matters that we love a lot… we want to do a noir sci-fi film," said Wan. "We're big fans of noir films, so we want to see what happens there. We're working on it."
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Second Unit Director in Heavy Talks to Helm 'Saw IV'!
Today Bloody-Disgusting has learned that Saw III production designer and second unit director David Hackl is in heavy talks to direct Lionsgate's Saw IV, which is aiming at an October 26, 2007 release. Personally I love the idea of Lionsgate giving a new talent the chance to make his mark, especially since he's worked so close to Darren Lynn Bousman on both Saw sequels. We checked in with Bousman who had this to say, "I fully support the idea of David Hackl directing the next 'Saw' film..." Just to be clear, David is not signed on yet but we wish him the best of luck! More details when they come in.
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/7926
Fucking awesome news! =D
For those of you in the dark, this means good news for the SAW franchise's future. David Hackl was involved in SAW, SAW II, and SAW III, so he definately would know how to make SAW IV.
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/7926
Fucking awesome news! =D
For those of you in the dark, this means good news for the SAW franchise's future. David Hackl was involved in SAW, SAW II, and SAW III, so he definately would know how to make SAW IV.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
SAWFreaks Update
For any of the SAW-related Ebay auctions that visit my site/forum, I'm going to add a "SAWAuctions" page to my site. It should be up before the end of next week. I'll try to update it frequently, and I'll find the most reliable auctions I can, so hopefully nobody will get ripped off. More updates soon to come.
Disclaimer- I'm not held reliable for any problems with the auctions posted on my site. I'm just giving links to the auctions, and am in no way involved with them.
Disclaimer- I'm not held reliable for any problems with the auctions posted on my site. I'm just giving links to the auctions, and am in no way involved with them.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
SAW IV Confirmed!
It's been officially confirmed by Mark Burg, SAW IV will happen! This is the message from Mark Burg-
"There will be a SAW 4 next year so long as we get the script right and I too promise to try and not f*ck it up. By the way, the story line for SAW 4 is amazing and absolutely no one will see where we are going with it.
Mark Burg"
This message can be found at http://www.houseofjigsaw.com/board/showthread.php?t=8439
"There will be a SAW 4 next year so long as we get the script right and I too promise to try and not f*ck it up. By the way, the story line for SAW 4 is amazing and absolutely no one will see where we are going with it.
Mark Burg"
This message can be found at http://www.houseofjigsaw.com/board/showthread.php?t=8439
Monday, November 06, 2006
SAW 3 TOPS BOX OFFICE!
$34 million just on opening weekend alone. Pretty bad-ass, eh?!
So, judging by the ending to SAW III, how the hell could there be a SAW IV? We'll just have to wait and see.
So, judging by the ending to SAW III, how the hell could there be a SAW IV? We'll just have to wait and see.
Shawnee Smith Interviewed
Read the full interview here-
http://www.officialshawneesmith.com/interview.html
DC: The last interview we did, the very last thing I asked you was, “What do you want for Christmas?” So the first thing I’ll ask this time is, did you get your wish?
SS: (Laughs) Yep. (Shawnee’s Christmas wish was to hold her newborn son in her arms.)
DC: And?
SS: I thought I was gonna die getting that wish. My first birth, I had pain relief.
DC: You didn’t for this one?
SS: No. I made some kind of inhuman noise. (Television producer) Andy Ackerman was generous enough to rehearse with me through pilot season to try and get my pilot juices going again two weeks after giving birth—he has four kids. He said (regarding the noise), “Oh, yeah, that’s a kind of bray that all kinds of beasts in the animal kingdom do.” There was some term for it, but it sounded, when I made it, like a dying ox. It was this really low, low, guttural— It was the sound that singers in metal bands make, something similar to that. (She lets loose a low-frequency howl that sounds like a Jack Klugman imitating a foghorn.) My ex-husband was always trying to get me to make that sound in my old punk rock band, Fydolla Ho, and I just couldn’t get it.
DC: You needed the life experience.
SS: Yeah. I finally found the tone. (Laughs)
DC: Too bad there wasn’t a tape recorder in the delivery room. Or was there?
SS: Hey, it’s all on video.
DC: Well, obviously you think of motherhood as something you’re really enjoying, something that’s particularly meaningful to you.
SS: It’s been, essentially, my experience with truth and love. Being a parent is like standing in front of a brick wall of consequences. Somehow we are allowed this illusion of an absence of consequence in life and the illusion of freedom. You get relieved of that illusion when you have kids, because you see almost immediately direct consequences--everything you say, every choice you make. And having another little infant in my life reminds me that they’re just pure essence. It’s such a gift, this first year. Whenever I connect with him, his presence is so pure. It makes me really miss my daughter being this age. And it really condemns me in a lot of ways. I’m either facilitating her presence in my exchanges with her, or I’m not. And there’s been a lot of ways that I’ve helped build this husk of a personality over her seven years. It’s inevitable. It has to be built.
DC: Do you find it’s hard to be a new mother and to also interact with her in the way she’s come to expect? How much of a balancing act is it?
SS: Sure. I forgot, too, how much work a newborn is. Those first six weeks, especially, are like running a marathon at full sprint.
DC: And when you’re in the middle of it, it seems like it’s never going to end, never going to change.
SS: Mm-hmm. So, yeah, she got totally neglected that first six weeks. (Laughs)
DC: She’s better now, though, right?
SS: Yeah. It’s a constant striving for balance. It’s good, and it’s been good for everybody. It’s been useful for her not to be the center of attention for a while, because that won’t serve her in finding true love of her own.
DC: How do you feel new motherhood has renewed you, other than just remembering what it’s like to take care of somebody so small?
SS: Every time I come to him in a day, every time I look into his eyes, there’s none of the things that constantly pull you out of being present and having that pure exchange-- whatever history has been built, whatever habits. A child, a baby, doesn’t have an agenda as such, so you’re not guessing at what their motive is or whether they have one or not. There are just those automatic mental, emotional triggers that get pulled and the connection is made.
DC: There’s a purity about that that’s got to be refreshing, especially when you’re in a business where you are constantly guessing about things like people’s motivations. You know, as a parent of an infant, that you’re needed in every possible way. That’s scary, but it’s also nice bit of awareness to have.
SS: Also, when I look at my son it’s an affirmation that there’s more than this life. I don’t look at him and go, “Oh, what a cute little baby—“I mean, I do go, “God, what a cute baby!” But it’s not limited to that. I can see that, in a lot of ways, he knows a lot more than I know. He’ll start forgetting soon. But right now he knows a lot more. I know it; I’ve just forgotten.
DC: An infant who is just starting to be alive goes through a tremendous process of adaptation.
SS: Yeah, every time he wakes up, I look at him and think, “Ah, you’re back.” And you can see him getting back into his body and settling back in. It’s hard to remember what they seem to know—that there’s more than this. Everything about every day feeds our bodies and affirms that this, the material world, is what’s “real.” If you can’t feel it or buy it or eat it, it must not be real.
DC: Other than the arrival of Jakson, what’s been going on since we last talked officially?
SS: Well, it went like this-- Jakson, TV pilot season, Saw III and the home renovation you see going on around you right now.
DC: That’s a big enough bite to chew on.
SS: Yeah. Nothing much has been going on in my world. (Laughs)
DC: Well, I know you can’t get into too many details, and I wouldn’t ask you for them, but what can you say about Saw III?
SS: It’s a love story and a tragedy.
DC: Not the response I was expecting!
SS: It’s different than either Saw or Saw II .
DC: One of the things that I think is interesting about these movies is that, as opposed to the average Jason Voorhees kill-fest, the Saw series is driven by the philosophy behind the killing as much as the revealing of the elaborate traps. Whether that philosophy is a warped one or not, it is still a philosophy that creates believable motivation in the set-ups to the killings, rather than just setting the table for mindless, unfathomable bloodletting.
SS: There’s a genuine sort of search for truth that goes on in every department, from writing to directing, to acting, to props, to costumes, painting, set design, all of it.
DC: And it translates, certainly in Saw II, into a more interesting beast. This philosophy, if you will, can be refigured through a host of different characters and set-ups, so each new movie has the potential to set itself apart from a narrative standpoint. The most shocking things in that second movie were the discoveries the audience made about your character. We were witness, from the first movie, to how you were transformed-- in a way that’s not acceptable in standardized storytelling—not into angel of mercy in the typical sense, but a damaged angel, one who is just forming her own warped take on the mind-set of the most influential person in her life.
SS: Absolutely.
DC: Yet, in reading people who have written about the first two movies, particularly those who don’t seem to think much of them, there sometimes seems to be a set of preconceptions working there. Those who disdain the genre, or the specific subset of horror that has come to be known as “torture porn,” are often lumping the Saw movies into categories that don’t indicate just how transgressive the Saw movies, particularly II, actually are. Not just in terms of gore, either, but in terms of violating some of the basic tenets of the genre, like being so up front about imploring or otherwise insisting that the audience examines why it wants to see some of what it has come to see, or why it’s so easy to understand, and perhaps even, to some degree, empathize with the Jigsaw philosophy on a basic level. This is a disturbing route for the series to take, but a meaty one, and one that doesn’t let the audience off the hook in terms of its level of enjoyment. And it bodes well, I think, for Saw III.
SS: The movie is serving something bigger than any one individual part of it, whether that’s the director’s vision or the storytelling of the writer or the talents of the actors. So the series has to change its shape and form to grow, which is a bizarre and unlikely occurrence, especially in this marketplace.
DC: It’s the antithesis of what usually happens with a sequel-driven franchise which is, “Let’s make another one, and let’s make it as close to the last one as we possibly can.”
SS: Right. Keep the formula, and just make it “more”—bigger, gorier.
DC: I remember a couple of reviewers writing about Saw II who were pissed that the movie didn’t travel exactly the same road as the first one.
SS: Well, they should get ready to get pissed again!
DC: What was it like for you to find out what direction this character, Amanda, was going to go? And what kind of reaction did you get from people who either liked, or didn’t like, the second movie, based on the trajectory of your character?
SS: I haven’t yet encountered anyone who had a negative reaction personally. And Saw III evolves Amanda in ways that, as an actor, you just dream of. It’s like the character arc that never ends. I went from being an actress who typically had one scene or two scenes in big movies—the joke was, my characters never had an arc—and now the half-a-day’s work I do on the independent, low-budget horror movie turns into the arc that keeps on giving. In Saw III you really get to know Amanda, and there actually is a person here to get to know.
DC: To my eye, that was clear from the first movie, and so for me the way your role keeps expanding, in size and importance, in each movie feels like a kind of vindication of what I saw in that first wonderful performance you gave in Saw.
SS: It’s weird. It’s like there’s some kind of fairy dust on it, as if I’d mapped the whole thing out, starting with part one. Everything is connected, and it’s beyond me. There’s some bigger something at play—luck, or whatever.
DC: In that first movie, just in that two minutes you were on screen, there was a concentration of some kind of acting energy or essence that I don’t think the movie exploited. If it had, you would have had a much bigger part.
SS: And it’s interesting, too, how Saw II, of all the things it could have been—I happened to get pregnant. It wasn’t planned. So I had a four-month-old pregnant body, and I decided to chop my hair in a crazy manner. As an actor I could have just gone for the gold in that part. I could have spruced up my physical appearance, given myself more lines. But instead I took half my lines away from myself—“Do I really have to say this here, or can I just--” You know, I purposefully was very subdued. Well, the hairstyle wasn’t so subdued, but it wasn’t like—Like, her sexuality was totally repressed. And I had no idea that there would be any kind of pay-off for any of that in Saw III. Maybe it was because I was four months pregnant that I just wasn’t concerned, I had bigger things on my mind, I don’t know. But it’s been an actor’s dream to be able to connect it all in a meaningful way.
DC: Paradoxically, you weren’t trying to attract attention to yourself. And my guess is, you probably had to deal with some consequences of that, in the promotion of the film, because you couldn’t really talk about what you were doing, or what you weren’t doing, in the film.
SS: Yes. The marketing and promotion was skewed purposefully toward Beverly Mitchell, just to put people off the scent of the twist at the end.
DC: There’s integrity in your performance in the second movie, too. You did some great things in Saw, and looking at the second movie you might think, “Okay, she’s dialing it down here. The performance isn’t as distinct as it was in the previous film.” And it only becomes clear as the movie ends that there’s a rationale for that, and in a way your entire performance in Saw II is still rooted in the very unlikely choices you made in the first film to not wave your arms and call so much attention to yourself, to not chew the scenery. I actually thought it was rather brave to basically give yourself to the concept, and to the other actors.
SS: That’s what we were talking about. And maybe that’s the fairy dust of the Saw franchise—everyone sees to be serving something bigger than the individual.
DC: Talk about Tobin Bell (who plays “Jigsaw” in all three films).
SS: Working with him was the kind of experience that you hope, as an actor, you get once in your career. He’s one of the under-the–radar actors—kind of like myself—who’s been around for a long time.
DC: And his parts tend to be on the small side.
SS: But he fills every one of them out as though every part were as good as Jigsaw. Acting is a sport, like a game of tennis, and you and your opponent take turns setting the level of play. Rehearsal with Tobin was intense. All his script pages were taped to the wall of his hotel room. He was looking for flow and details within the script. He’d ask one question, which would lead to 10 more questions, which would lead to 10 more questions. And we’d keep asking ‘em. We’d just walk around the city of Toronto and talk, stop at a café, have some coffee, ask some more questions.
DC: Would you say that your work with Tobin in Saw II, and now Saw III, has been the most fruitful collaboration you’ve had with another actor?
SS: Well, Becker was certainly a fruitful collaboration. And so was Leaving Las Vegas, even though it was a tiny part. And even Summer School. But as far as a serious tennis match, working with Tobin on Saw III is it.
DC: This is a process that I don’t think a lot of people, even fans of this genre—maybe particularly fans of this genre-- believe takes place. And in most cases it may not happen. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why the Saw movies stand out to the degree that they do. I just can’t imagine anyone sitting around on the set of Friday the 13th Part 7 talking about character motivation.
SS: Well, it might not still be happening by the time Saw VII rolls around. But it does sound weird to be talking about things like “the search for truth” in the context of making the third part of a horror franchise. And if you dare bring the concept of true love into it, it’s laughable, right?
DC: To those who have a pretty good idea of what a horror movie should be, maybe that might sound pretentious. But horror is a very malleable genre. It can be adapted to just about any kind of purpose-- political, social, satirical. There can be, and should be, more to it than just the gore factor.
SS: Yeah, I’ve definitely gotten an education in this genre in the last couple of years, as well as more of an appreciation.
DC: If you looked back on everything that you’ve been able to do so far with your acting, is there one project that you feel particularly proud of, one that touched you in a singular way that made it more special than the others?
SS: Mmm… probably Saw III. Isn’t that a silly answer?
DC: Not necessarily, because I see it coming from a place that’s clearly not marked “junket promotion sound bite.”
SS: (Laughs) That didn’t even enter my mind! If anything, I’d move against that kind of answer, especially at this stage. But I had the time of my life—personally, professionally. I had both my kids with me. I had a starring role, so I was really involved in the process on many different levels. It was challenging, frightening, no pun intended, and fun.
DC: Tell me a little about working with Darren Bousman again on Saw III.
SS: I think the world will taste many fruits of The Great Darren Bousman’s talents-- he likes to be referred to as The Great Darren Bousman. (Laughs) Darren was a total unknown, a wild card, for Saw II. I remember talking to James Wan (director and co-writer of Saw) and saying, “Oh, my God, do you think this guy can pull it off?” And not only did he pull it off, but he was a first-time director and he put his own stamp on a franchise. Well, I guess it wasn’t a franchise then, but he sure helped make it one. I mean, he stands tall on the shoulders of many talented people, but he knows it, and that’s pretty rare. It was smart on the producers’ part to put the same team behind him for Saw III. But even in Saw III he outdid himself from the previous movie. He put a new stamp on the series. He could have thought, “It’s a fluke. This movie I did was a success and I’m taking a chance doing part three, so I’d better just stick to the same formula.” But instead, he fought every good fight. I mean, there were all-out creative battles, and that happens in a worthy creative endeavor. But, intuitively, he knew what to fight for, and he fought.
DC: Did he collaborate on the script again, with James Wan and Leigh Whannell?
SS: Yeah, they all worked together on the initial concept, and then Darren and Leigh really got in there and reworked it together. Then Tobin and I got up to Toronto and started doing our own rehearsals and research. We had to fill in the life of these characters’ relationship—everything that will never be addressed in the script but has to be there for the movie to work. And so a lot of that ended up influencing the script in different ways—stuff that Darren and Leigh couldn’t have come up with just sitting in a room, talking. It’s stuff that came out of these characters. Darren told me that one of his favorite scenes in the movie is a scene that came out of just that process—a character moment with Amanda. And he said it’s one of his favorite scenes because it has nothing to do with the story. Right, and it’ll probably end up on the editing room floor! (Laughs) But he loved it because it’s purely a character moment.
http://www.officialshawneesmith.com/interview.html
DC: The last interview we did, the very last thing I asked you was, “What do you want for Christmas?” So the first thing I’ll ask this time is, did you get your wish?
SS: (Laughs) Yep. (Shawnee’s Christmas wish was to hold her newborn son in her arms.)
DC: And?
SS: I thought I was gonna die getting that wish. My first birth, I had pain relief.
DC: You didn’t for this one?
SS: No. I made some kind of inhuman noise. (Television producer) Andy Ackerman was generous enough to rehearse with me through pilot season to try and get my pilot juices going again two weeks after giving birth—he has four kids. He said (regarding the noise), “Oh, yeah, that’s a kind of bray that all kinds of beasts in the animal kingdom do.” There was some term for it, but it sounded, when I made it, like a dying ox. It was this really low, low, guttural— It was the sound that singers in metal bands make, something similar to that. (She lets loose a low-frequency howl that sounds like a Jack Klugman imitating a foghorn.) My ex-husband was always trying to get me to make that sound in my old punk rock band, Fydolla Ho, and I just couldn’t get it.
DC: You needed the life experience.
SS: Yeah. I finally found the tone. (Laughs)
DC: Too bad there wasn’t a tape recorder in the delivery room. Or was there?
SS: Hey, it’s all on video.
DC: Well, obviously you think of motherhood as something you’re really enjoying, something that’s particularly meaningful to you.
SS: It’s been, essentially, my experience with truth and love. Being a parent is like standing in front of a brick wall of consequences. Somehow we are allowed this illusion of an absence of consequence in life and the illusion of freedom. You get relieved of that illusion when you have kids, because you see almost immediately direct consequences--everything you say, every choice you make. And having another little infant in my life reminds me that they’re just pure essence. It’s such a gift, this first year. Whenever I connect with him, his presence is so pure. It makes me really miss my daughter being this age. And it really condemns me in a lot of ways. I’m either facilitating her presence in my exchanges with her, or I’m not. And there’s been a lot of ways that I’ve helped build this husk of a personality over her seven years. It’s inevitable. It has to be built.
DC: Do you find it’s hard to be a new mother and to also interact with her in the way she’s come to expect? How much of a balancing act is it?
SS: Sure. I forgot, too, how much work a newborn is. Those first six weeks, especially, are like running a marathon at full sprint.
DC: And when you’re in the middle of it, it seems like it’s never going to end, never going to change.
SS: Mm-hmm. So, yeah, she got totally neglected that first six weeks. (Laughs)
DC: She’s better now, though, right?
SS: Yeah. It’s a constant striving for balance. It’s good, and it’s been good for everybody. It’s been useful for her not to be the center of attention for a while, because that won’t serve her in finding true love of her own.
DC: How do you feel new motherhood has renewed you, other than just remembering what it’s like to take care of somebody so small?
SS: Every time I come to him in a day, every time I look into his eyes, there’s none of the things that constantly pull you out of being present and having that pure exchange-- whatever history has been built, whatever habits. A child, a baby, doesn’t have an agenda as such, so you’re not guessing at what their motive is or whether they have one or not. There are just those automatic mental, emotional triggers that get pulled and the connection is made.
DC: There’s a purity about that that’s got to be refreshing, especially when you’re in a business where you are constantly guessing about things like people’s motivations. You know, as a parent of an infant, that you’re needed in every possible way. That’s scary, but it’s also nice bit of awareness to have.
SS: Also, when I look at my son it’s an affirmation that there’s more than this life. I don’t look at him and go, “Oh, what a cute little baby—“I mean, I do go, “God, what a cute baby!” But it’s not limited to that. I can see that, in a lot of ways, he knows a lot more than I know. He’ll start forgetting soon. But right now he knows a lot more. I know it; I’ve just forgotten.
DC: An infant who is just starting to be alive goes through a tremendous process of adaptation.
SS: Yeah, every time he wakes up, I look at him and think, “Ah, you’re back.” And you can see him getting back into his body and settling back in. It’s hard to remember what they seem to know—that there’s more than this. Everything about every day feeds our bodies and affirms that this, the material world, is what’s “real.” If you can’t feel it or buy it or eat it, it must not be real.
DC: Other than the arrival of Jakson, what’s been going on since we last talked officially?
SS: Well, it went like this-- Jakson, TV pilot season, Saw III and the home renovation you see going on around you right now.
DC: That’s a big enough bite to chew on.
SS: Yeah. Nothing much has been going on in my world. (Laughs)
DC: Well, I know you can’t get into too many details, and I wouldn’t ask you for them, but what can you say about Saw III?
SS: It’s a love story and a tragedy.
DC: Not the response I was expecting!
SS: It’s different than either Saw or Saw II .
DC: One of the things that I think is interesting about these movies is that, as opposed to the average Jason Voorhees kill-fest, the Saw series is driven by the philosophy behind the killing as much as the revealing of the elaborate traps. Whether that philosophy is a warped one or not, it is still a philosophy that creates believable motivation in the set-ups to the killings, rather than just setting the table for mindless, unfathomable bloodletting.
SS: There’s a genuine sort of search for truth that goes on in every department, from writing to directing, to acting, to props, to costumes, painting, set design, all of it.
DC: And it translates, certainly in Saw II, into a more interesting beast. This philosophy, if you will, can be refigured through a host of different characters and set-ups, so each new movie has the potential to set itself apart from a narrative standpoint. The most shocking things in that second movie were the discoveries the audience made about your character. We were witness, from the first movie, to how you were transformed-- in a way that’s not acceptable in standardized storytelling—not into angel of mercy in the typical sense, but a damaged angel, one who is just forming her own warped take on the mind-set of the most influential person in her life.
SS: Absolutely.
DC: Yet, in reading people who have written about the first two movies, particularly those who don’t seem to think much of them, there sometimes seems to be a set of preconceptions working there. Those who disdain the genre, or the specific subset of horror that has come to be known as “torture porn,” are often lumping the Saw movies into categories that don’t indicate just how transgressive the Saw movies, particularly II, actually are. Not just in terms of gore, either, but in terms of violating some of the basic tenets of the genre, like being so up front about imploring or otherwise insisting that the audience examines why it wants to see some of what it has come to see, or why it’s so easy to understand, and perhaps even, to some degree, empathize with the Jigsaw philosophy on a basic level. This is a disturbing route for the series to take, but a meaty one, and one that doesn’t let the audience off the hook in terms of its level of enjoyment. And it bodes well, I think, for Saw III.
SS: The movie is serving something bigger than any one individual part of it, whether that’s the director’s vision or the storytelling of the writer or the talents of the actors. So the series has to change its shape and form to grow, which is a bizarre and unlikely occurrence, especially in this marketplace.
DC: It’s the antithesis of what usually happens with a sequel-driven franchise which is, “Let’s make another one, and let’s make it as close to the last one as we possibly can.”
SS: Right. Keep the formula, and just make it “more”—bigger, gorier.
DC: I remember a couple of reviewers writing about Saw II who were pissed that the movie didn’t travel exactly the same road as the first one.
SS: Well, they should get ready to get pissed again!
DC: What was it like for you to find out what direction this character, Amanda, was going to go? And what kind of reaction did you get from people who either liked, or didn’t like, the second movie, based on the trajectory of your character?
SS: I haven’t yet encountered anyone who had a negative reaction personally. And Saw III evolves Amanda in ways that, as an actor, you just dream of. It’s like the character arc that never ends. I went from being an actress who typically had one scene or two scenes in big movies—the joke was, my characters never had an arc—and now the half-a-day’s work I do on the independent, low-budget horror movie turns into the arc that keeps on giving. In Saw III you really get to know Amanda, and there actually is a person here to get to know.
DC: To my eye, that was clear from the first movie, and so for me the way your role keeps expanding, in size and importance, in each movie feels like a kind of vindication of what I saw in that first wonderful performance you gave in Saw.
SS: It’s weird. It’s like there’s some kind of fairy dust on it, as if I’d mapped the whole thing out, starting with part one. Everything is connected, and it’s beyond me. There’s some bigger something at play—luck, or whatever.
DC: In that first movie, just in that two minutes you were on screen, there was a concentration of some kind of acting energy or essence that I don’t think the movie exploited. If it had, you would have had a much bigger part.
SS: And it’s interesting, too, how Saw II, of all the things it could have been—I happened to get pregnant. It wasn’t planned. So I had a four-month-old pregnant body, and I decided to chop my hair in a crazy manner. As an actor I could have just gone for the gold in that part. I could have spruced up my physical appearance, given myself more lines. But instead I took half my lines away from myself—“Do I really have to say this here, or can I just--” You know, I purposefully was very subdued. Well, the hairstyle wasn’t so subdued, but it wasn’t like—Like, her sexuality was totally repressed. And I had no idea that there would be any kind of pay-off for any of that in Saw III. Maybe it was because I was four months pregnant that I just wasn’t concerned, I had bigger things on my mind, I don’t know. But it’s been an actor’s dream to be able to connect it all in a meaningful way.
DC: Paradoxically, you weren’t trying to attract attention to yourself. And my guess is, you probably had to deal with some consequences of that, in the promotion of the film, because you couldn’t really talk about what you were doing, or what you weren’t doing, in the film.
SS: Yes. The marketing and promotion was skewed purposefully toward Beverly Mitchell, just to put people off the scent of the twist at the end.
DC: There’s integrity in your performance in the second movie, too. You did some great things in Saw, and looking at the second movie you might think, “Okay, she’s dialing it down here. The performance isn’t as distinct as it was in the previous film.” And it only becomes clear as the movie ends that there’s a rationale for that, and in a way your entire performance in Saw II is still rooted in the very unlikely choices you made in the first film to not wave your arms and call so much attention to yourself, to not chew the scenery. I actually thought it was rather brave to basically give yourself to the concept, and to the other actors.
SS: That’s what we were talking about. And maybe that’s the fairy dust of the Saw franchise—everyone sees to be serving something bigger than the individual.
DC: Talk about Tobin Bell (who plays “Jigsaw” in all three films).
SS: Working with him was the kind of experience that you hope, as an actor, you get once in your career. He’s one of the under-the–radar actors—kind of like myself—who’s been around for a long time.
DC: And his parts tend to be on the small side.
SS: But he fills every one of them out as though every part were as good as Jigsaw. Acting is a sport, like a game of tennis, and you and your opponent take turns setting the level of play. Rehearsal with Tobin was intense. All his script pages were taped to the wall of his hotel room. He was looking for flow and details within the script. He’d ask one question, which would lead to 10 more questions, which would lead to 10 more questions. And we’d keep asking ‘em. We’d just walk around the city of Toronto and talk, stop at a café, have some coffee, ask some more questions.
DC: Would you say that your work with Tobin in Saw II, and now Saw III, has been the most fruitful collaboration you’ve had with another actor?
SS: Well, Becker was certainly a fruitful collaboration. And so was Leaving Las Vegas, even though it was a tiny part. And even Summer School. But as far as a serious tennis match, working with Tobin on Saw III is it.
DC: This is a process that I don’t think a lot of people, even fans of this genre—maybe particularly fans of this genre-- believe takes place. And in most cases it may not happen. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why the Saw movies stand out to the degree that they do. I just can’t imagine anyone sitting around on the set of Friday the 13th Part 7 talking about character motivation.
SS: Well, it might not still be happening by the time Saw VII rolls around. But it does sound weird to be talking about things like “the search for truth” in the context of making the third part of a horror franchise. And if you dare bring the concept of true love into it, it’s laughable, right?
DC: To those who have a pretty good idea of what a horror movie should be, maybe that might sound pretentious. But horror is a very malleable genre. It can be adapted to just about any kind of purpose-- political, social, satirical. There can be, and should be, more to it than just the gore factor.
SS: Yeah, I’ve definitely gotten an education in this genre in the last couple of years, as well as more of an appreciation.
DC: If you looked back on everything that you’ve been able to do so far with your acting, is there one project that you feel particularly proud of, one that touched you in a singular way that made it more special than the others?
SS: Mmm… probably Saw III. Isn’t that a silly answer?
DC: Not necessarily, because I see it coming from a place that’s clearly not marked “junket promotion sound bite.”
SS: (Laughs) That didn’t even enter my mind! If anything, I’d move against that kind of answer, especially at this stage. But I had the time of my life—personally, professionally. I had both my kids with me. I had a starring role, so I was really involved in the process on many different levels. It was challenging, frightening, no pun intended, and fun.
DC: Tell me a little about working with Darren Bousman again on Saw III.
SS: I think the world will taste many fruits of The Great Darren Bousman’s talents-- he likes to be referred to as The Great Darren Bousman. (Laughs) Darren was a total unknown, a wild card, for Saw II. I remember talking to James Wan (director and co-writer of Saw) and saying, “Oh, my God, do you think this guy can pull it off?” And not only did he pull it off, but he was a first-time director and he put his own stamp on a franchise. Well, I guess it wasn’t a franchise then, but he sure helped make it one. I mean, he stands tall on the shoulders of many talented people, but he knows it, and that’s pretty rare. It was smart on the producers’ part to put the same team behind him for Saw III. But even in Saw III he outdid himself from the previous movie. He put a new stamp on the series. He could have thought, “It’s a fluke. This movie I did was a success and I’m taking a chance doing part three, so I’d better just stick to the same formula.” But instead, he fought every good fight. I mean, there were all-out creative battles, and that happens in a worthy creative endeavor. But, intuitively, he knew what to fight for, and he fought.
DC: Did he collaborate on the script again, with James Wan and Leigh Whannell?
SS: Yeah, they all worked together on the initial concept, and then Darren and Leigh really got in there and reworked it together. Then Tobin and I got up to Toronto and started doing our own rehearsals and research. We had to fill in the life of these characters’ relationship—everything that will never be addressed in the script but has to be there for the movie to work. And so a lot of that ended up influencing the script in different ways—stuff that Darren and Leigh couldn’t have come up with just sitting in a room, talking. It’s stuff that came out of these characters. Darren told me that one of his favorite scenes in the movie is a scene that came out of just that process—a character moment with Amanda. And he said it’s one of his favorite scenes because it has nothing to do with the story. Right, and it’ll probably end up on the editing room floor! (Laughs) But he loved it because it’s purely a character moment.
SAW 3 Clip
| PLEASE NOTE: The clip is EDITED for Television. This does not reflect the scene that is in the actual final film. It's more violent then this. | |
SAW 3 Info
Only 3 more days until SAW III hits theaters.
The House Of Jigsaw Forums has been getting visits by SAW II and SAW III director Darren Lynn Bousman, and J. LaRose who plays Troy from SAW III. Be sure to put down Jigsaw_Killer as the referer if you register.
Soundtrack info on http://www.sawsoundtrack.com/
The House Of Jigsaw Forums has been getting visits by SAW II and SAW III director Darren Lynn Bousman, and J. LaRose who plays Troy from SAW III. Be sure to put down Jigsaw_Killer as the referer if you register.
Soundtrack info on http://www.sawsoundtrack.com/
Monday, October 23, 2006
Final Saw 3 Trailer
The final(So says Yahoo Movies) SAW III trailer was released on Yahoo Movies as of today. Click here to see it-
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/sawiii.html;_ylt=AkYqGI0GSMlztOixWqasGR5fVXcA
Much better than the second, this one actually scared me a little bit, just made me jump. Don't know why though.
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/sawiii.html;_ylt=AkYqGI0GSMlztOixWqasGR5fVXcA
Much better than the second, this one actually scared me a little bit, just made me jump. Don't know why though.
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