Since we finally got the chance to see the gripping “Saw IV” –which was less grisly, but just as good as its predecessor — we figured it was about time to revisit the other installments of this groundbreaking horror series. And, so did Lionsgate, which has reissued unedited director’s cuts of all three flicks with tons of bonus features in the six-DVD box “Saw Trilogy” (Lionsgate).
Here’s a quick recap in case you’ve been living in a Third World country for the past four years: “Saw” (2004) introduces the sinister yet moralistic serial killer Jigsaw, and begins with two characters chained to a metal pipe, who wake up in a bathroom next to a dead body. They soon discover they are part of Jigsaw’s “game,” in which sinners can absolve their sins and learn the value of life by being tested by torments that almost always kill them.
“Saw II” (2005) In the somewhat disappointing, but still sickly enjoyable sequel, Jigsaw traps a batch of folks, one of whom is a detective’s son, in a shelter and subjects them to lethal doses of nerve gas. Through a recorded message, he explains to them that in order to survive, they will have to find the antidote within two hours. Of course, the place is rigged with traps and death is everywhere. “Saw 3” (2006) is the nastiest of the batch. Here, Jigsaw is in the last stages of a battle with cancer, so his apprentice, Amanda, kidnaps a female doctor to keep the demented arbiter of justice alive long enough to finish his latest game. This contest involves an angry father who lost his son to a drunk driver and the procession of Jigsaw’s victims he must encounter the get to the man who was behind the wheel. “Saw Trilogy” includes lots of behind-the-scenes footage, various documentaries and, of course, games. Let the games begin.
The Killing Kind (Dark Sky) — This 1973 psychological horror flick features murder, mayhem and boobies, but at its core is a study of the effects violence, sex, overly doting parenting and betrayal have on the mind of a confused and unbalanced man. The Curtis Harrington feature stars John Savage as Terry Lambert, a man forced to take part in a gang rape, for which he is arrested and imprisoned for two years. Upon his release, Savage moves into his overprotective mother’s boardinghouse. At first, he seems rehabilitated, but — as any “Psycho” fan will understand, he gradually becomes unhinged and seeks revenge against those who have wronged him.
The Slaughter (Lionsgate) — Yeah, this one’s filled with mediocre (at best) acting, trite stereotypes and a zombie tale that will be familiar to anyone who has seen “The Evil Dead.” Yet, despite all the negative elements, “The Slaughter” is pretty darn entertaining. Chalk this up to the cool-ass kill scenes, abundant gore effects and some well-timed slices of humor that prove writer/director Jay Lee never takes himself too seriously.
Amateur Porn Star Killer (Cinema Epoch) — While “The Slaughter” works because of it’s lack of seriousness, “Amateur Porn Star” succeeds for the entirely the opposite reason. The movie, conceived and directed by Shane Ryan, is about a sexual predator who hunts down a teenage girl and films himself seducing, humiliating, raping and murdering her.
There’s nothing funny, creative, artistic or enjoyable here, and the nudity is far from titillating. Instead, Ryan (who also stars in the film) triumphs by presenting a gritty, horrific and inescapable scenario shot on video with hardly any edits. It’s difficult to watch, unsettling and as real as a simulation can get. And it’s delivered without one drop of blood being spilled, a plot element that in no way takes away from the terror of the project. In a world of reality TV and home video on the Net, “Amateur Porn Star Killer” is sobering, believable and more timely than ever.
Killing Spree (Camp Motion Pictures) — Originally released in 1987, this schlock-gore fest features a crazed-looking suburban blue collar dude, Tom Russo, with a seemingly insatiable wife — no wonder he’s insanely jealous. When Russo reads his wife’s diary and finds first person stories about her banging every male that steps into the house (his best friend, the TV repairman, the lawn guy), Russo snaps and conceives creative ways to slaughter those he believes have rendered his wife impure. It’s only after he carves a body trail large enough to fill an Olympic pool that he discovers the diary was filled with fictional stories his wife was writing for a romance mag. Humorless, bloody and stupid as hell, “Killing Spree” is a classic example of ’80s shot-on-video horror movie making gone haywire. Almost as entertaining as the flick the documentary “Blinded by the Blood,” which details Ritter’s history as a movie man, the making of “Killing Spree” and the trouble he had shopping it in a market overly saturated with low budget gore.
