Directed by James Wan. Written by Wan and Leigh Whannell. Starring Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Danny Glover and Monica Potter.
Plot: a man kidnaps people and puts them through “tests” for survival.
With the Saw re-imaginings coming soon, we figured we’d put up the first three movies. In the first movie, if you don’t know the story already, two men wake up in a dilapidated bathroom with no memory of how they got there. One, a photographer named Adam (Whannell), the other, a doctor named Lawrence Gordon (Elwes). They each have a tape and access to a tape recorder. Adam’s tape says he needs to try to escape, while Gordon’s tape says that if he doesn’t kill Adam by a certain time, that his wife and daughter, who have apparently been kidnapped, will be killed.
Through a series of flashbacks, you learn a lot more. About Adam, about Gordon, about the notorious Jigsaw Killer the police are still looking for. The rules are simple, right? Wrong. At least, we think so. The rules aren’t fair for everyone. Innocent people die and others have no chance. Adam, for instance, had no chance.
It’s a highly original concept, but the Jigsaw Killer is not righteous. He’s just another bad serial killer. It’s highly innovative though. The cast is superb. The effects were amazing. It was an unsettling beginning of an era and we didn’t see the end coming.
Also, and you may not know this, but original the kidnapper was supposed to do “rapey” things to Gordon’s wife and daughter and Whannell actually kept it out for “going to far”. Congrats to him for that!
I suppose I could list my favorite movies here, but instead I'll give you a strange glimpse into what makes me TaraRomero.
1. I met George Romero. He was the kindest and sweetest man. He talked to me for longer than he should have with the line getting longer. He also held my hand. And when he noticed the ladybug I have tattooed on my wrist, he said he liked it and asked me it's name. Till then, it had not had a name. Now, I call him George.
2. I love stickers. All stickers. I just adore them. I even ask for stickers for Christmas! As a matter of fact, the birthday that just past, every member of my immediate family gave me sticker packs as gifts. Affordable and extremely appreciated.
3. I have never put much stock in astrology or horoscopes, but I LOVE the magic of the MBTI. Omg. I am an INFP and it actually sounds just like me. Introverted mostly. Creative always. Heart before head and not the most logical. Totally me! For better or worse.
4. It's no surprise I count horror so high up on the list of things that make me, me. However, it's so within my soul that I was part of the Horror Club in college. Interesting bunch. And even took a Horror Lit class as an elective. I got an A.
5. Coffee always makes me happy. Always. I'm particularly fond of caramel macchiatos. But I'll drink black coffee if it's the only thing available.
6. I hate shock for the sake of shock and endings that depress me. I always mention the movies Within (2016) and the Eli Roth produced, written and starred in, Aftershock (2012), as proof of this distate I have. I abhor the idea that just because I like horror, some people think I'd actually praise a movie that lets you think the "Final Girl" just made it through the night, only to slap her in the face with a tsunami.
7. We are big time animal people. I mean, if I could, I'd have an elephant, a bear, a zebra, a penguin, an otter and a meerkat, living with me. Seriously though. We have 2 dogs right now and 2 cats. Both cats we picked up when they each came to our front door hungry. And both dogs we got from 2 different sets of neighbors. Both who, unfortunately, don't know how to care for pets long-term. But they're happy and healthy now!!
8. Revisiting my love of horror, one of the above cats, my cat, is a little black guy named Church. Because Pet Sematary. His middle name is even Pascow. To give credit where credit's due, the name was DJ's idea. But he loves horror too!
9. I'm big into art. Along with movie posters and an Anne Frank quote, I have some actual paintings on my wall. I really think Dali paints beautifully when he wants to. And if I don't get to see Michaelangelo's Pieta in person some day, I will be very disappointed.
10. Lastly, I find Emily Dickinson's poetry intriguing. I took an elective course about her as well. But do you know I injected horror even there? I was given a poem to dissect and I picked one on death, of course. Then, I researched old "Death Photos" and even printed out copies for everyone in the class. They were so interested in looking at them that it stopped them from all looking at me, and I was able to deal quite well with my stage fright. Haha
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