Remakes And Sequels Videos

Good news, Twilight fans. You have the first official news for the third Twilight installment, courtesy of our own Jen Yamato, FearNet and the New Moon junket.* The magically-coiffed Robert Pattinson has confirmed that Breaking Dawn will begin filming in Fall 2010, and that it's penciled into his schedule for next year. Of course, Dawn remains unconfirmed by Summit. The most controversial installment of the Twilight series, rumors swirl that the studio is hesitant to take it to the big screen. If it is made, it seems likely that it could be split into two films a'la Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Personally, I don't see Summit risking the money they'd make on #4, and they'll find a way to steer around the gorier aspects of the book. But now you know when to look for it, though you still have the madness of Eclipse pre-production to get through. Pattinson also dished on the movie I want to mark on my calender (Sorry, I dig boots and spurs more than vampires), a Western called Unbound Captives. The directorial debut of Madeleine Stowe, it stars Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Pattinson. The young heartthrob revealed that it's tenatively scheduled to begin shooting in early 2010, and he sounds enthusiastic for a role that'll be miles away from Edward Cullen. "I'm playing a kid who is kidnapped by Comanches when he was four years old, and he is brought up by them. His mother spends her entire life trying to find me and my sister. When she finds us, we can't remember who she is and can't remember anything about the Western culture she grew up in. I speak Comanche the whole movie. You can't really speak more differently from Edward." [Special thanks also goes to Collider who apparently pried the Breaking Dawn date out of Mr. Pattinson]Filed under: Action, Drama, Independent, Romance, New Releases, RumorMonger, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Western Permalink | Email this | Comments

Yogi Bear and Boo Boo are bringing sexy back -- and that image should make you ripe for nightmares tonight. If you doubt me, look to Variety, who reports that Dan Aykroyd, Anna Faris, and Justin Timberlake are set to go to Jellystone in Yogi Bear, which Eric Brevig is directing for Warner Bros. Aykroyd will be voicing Yogi, and he really is the most obvious choice to play the picnic basket thief. He's funny, he sounds gruff, and if it was live-action it would be a very terrifying thing to see. So thank goodness this is being done as a CG / live-action hybrid. Timberlake will be voicing Boo Boo. Yep. The man who wants to love your mother, put his d*ck in a box, and who will cry you a river will lend his vocal talents to playing Yogi's diminutive sidekick. In this update of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, expect Boo Boo to be a lot more of a smart aleck. (I was going to say "sassy," but I think that would be a far different Boo Boo.) Though Faris has done voice work before, it sounds as though she might be one of the live action elements to this unholy hybrid. Variety says she's set to play a documentary filmmaker. Presumably she discovers the tourist robbing bears, and makes a film of them. Or she has to help them preserve Jellystone against evil developers. Either way, she'll have to talk to big rubbery CG bears, and it might be kind of weird. What would be even weirder is if one or both bears fell in love with her, so let's hope she falls into the arms of whoever plays Ranger Smith. Shooting is expected to start in New Zealand next month.Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Casting, Warner Brothers, Family Films, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

At a press junket earlier this summer for 2012, Roland Emmerich told reporters he's not doing any more blow-'em-up flicks. "I would not know how to top this... It's just one of these things, you know. I had a hard time deciding to do another disaster movie, but... you cannot make a disaster movie if there's not something --- an idea in this disaster which elevates it to something more than a disaster. And so it was this idea, you know, that there will be a global flood and it's a retelling of Noah's Arc." Later he added, "It's not my last film, it's my last disaster film. And that's because I wouldn't know what else to do. It's just, you know what, I really didn't want to do this movie at first... But when I decided that the idea was too good to not do it for the reason I had done before, I said, okay, if I do it, I will do it in such a spectacular manner that nobody can top it for a long time. I have that pride in my work."Filed under: Action, Drama, Thrillers, New Releases, Sony, 20th Century Fox, Movie Marketing, Remakes and SequelsContinue reading Roland Emmerich May or May Not Blow Up the World Again Permalink | Email this | Comments

I didn't think it was possible for any movie to be too big for Michael Bay, especially not a Transformers movie. But judging from this candid DVD extra, even Bay thinks Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen veered on excessive, and he's promising to scale back when he tackles #3. As we speak, Bay is combing through the Transformers lore that Hasbro has sent him and pondering who or what will be smashing crap up in another installment. Just the way he says "Transformers lore" makes me want a story centered on Bay exploring ancient catacombs to uncover the missing Transformers arcana with Megan Fox as his sidekick. (She'll be packing a Ph.D in Hasbro lore because she's not afraid to be smart and sexy.) As Bay ponders how to go sideways from Revenge (his words, not mine), he does have a few ideas in mind. He wants more Bumblebee, and to explore the powerful relationship he has with Sam. He wants more characters, and more emotion. He wants it to be "more undercover" and "less exposed" which might be difficult for our transforming pals when they destroyed the Great Pyramid of Giza. At the end of the video, Bay decides to abandon plot ideas and offer a cash reward. Then he says "Just joking!" because come on, the man has to eat, and Fallen didn't make a kajillion dollars, just a few hundred million. However, maybe a few of you more skilled in Transformers lore than he is can make use of the address, and write him with what you want to see in #3. Check out the video of slippery promises below the jump.Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, RumorMonger, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Home Entertainment, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and ClipsContinue reading Michael Bay on 'Transformers 3': Less Action, More Emotion Permalink | Email this | Comments

After weeks of breathless speculation as to who would be riding George Miller's bleak highways of Mad Max: Fury Road, there's been a conformation. Variety reports that Charlize Theron has boarded the film, but that it'll be Tom Hardy (Bronson) who takes over the coveted lead. The script is being kept under tight wraps, so we still don't know if Mad Max: Fury Road will be a reboot or a sequel. Speculation has been rampant for more than twenty years, and as is the case with so many revived franchises, we'll probably end up being terribly wrong. Hopefully for the better. So, we only know that Hardy is playing "the male lead. Will it be the Mad Max, made so iconic by Mel Gibson? Or will Max have taken on some kind of mythological, Robin Hood like status in the barren wasteland, and someone simply takes on the title? It could go either way (but hopefully not the way of Kevin Costner's The Postman), and I'm excited that Hardy has the part. He's been one of those actors lurking under The Really Big Time, and this could be the film that pushes him into stardom. Theron's role might be the biggest and coolest surprise. She's a big enough name that I can't believe she'll be shoved into a corner as The Wife of Mad Max. Will she be a post-apocalyptic warrior too? I hope so. With so few remnants of humanity left, you need all the badasses you can get. It would be nice to see that reflected beyond Tina Turner. Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Warner Brothers, Fandom, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

No super-successful comedy series can stay away for long. Back in April, ShoWest brought news that the aliens were coming back for Men in Black 3. There was no word on which stars would return, or anything other than the faintest murmurings of a plan, but now things are coming together. THR's Risky Biz Blog reports that Etan Cohen, the scribe behind Tropic Thunder, will pen the script while director of the first two, Barry Sonnenfeld, returns for the third bout. With a script and director slotted into place, naturally, the next question revolves around Will Smith. As of now, the actor has no solid plans to return, but buzz says he is interested. As for Tommy Lee Jones -- his involvement is "uncertain." Smith has nothing pressing right now, so he's wide open (save from helping along his son's blossoming career), and Jones has only got two in-development features in his future. Read the rest at SciFi SquadFiled under: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Scripts, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

The original Boondock Saints was relegated to video store shelves before most would-be fans had an inkling it had passed them by in theaters. But eventually, chances are one night a friend would suggest watching this weird, violent movie about hot twin brothers with a serious gun fetish, Catholic complex, and Latin tattoos, and you'd pass the word along. Basically, Murphy MacManus (Norman Reedus) and Connor MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery) were blue-collar Irish guys who decided that they'd had enough of the scum on the streets and began wiping them out in various creative ways, although their favorite weapons were and remain the gun. Their buddy Rocco, a mob errand boy, was the de facto third Saint. Meanwhile, they're being tracked by a very odd FBI agent by the name of Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe in a fabulously bizarre performance) and three bumbling local cops. And then there's Il Duce (Billy Connolly), the infamous assassin who's finally paroled from prison. Ten years later, the Saints are in Ireland with Il Duce, aka their dad, when the word comes that someone in Boston killed a priest they knew and tried to make it look like the Saints did it. Game on. The boys shed their woolly sweaters and their long hair and beards and return to Boston.Filed under: Action, Comedy, Independent, New Releases, New in Theaters, Remakes and SequelsContinue reading Review: The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day Permalink | Email this | Comments

What's happened to all the great movie nudity lately? Billy Crudup started the year off with a bang, so to speak, with his big blue penis in Watchmen, and Marcus Nispel's Friday the 13th reboot featured sweaty sex and generous amounts of naked female flesh, but the summer and fall seasons have been curiosly bereft of talked-about sex scenes or body parts. Jessica Biel's bravely-bared breasts and backside in Powder Blue went direct to video, Hayden Panetierre nonchalantly limited her exposure to 'side boobage' in I Love You, Beth Cooper, and Megan Fox decided to keep her nipples to herself in the proudly feminist relationship drama ('cause it sure wasn't horror) Jennifer's Body. In my youth, movies educated me about the wonderful diversity of naked bodies. Today, television and the Internet have stolen much of the thunder once claimed exclusively by the theatrical experience. (Case in point: Susan Sarandon's daughter, Eva Amurri, just made a big splash by going topless in Californication.) No wonder Terminator: Salvation director McG teased the audience at WonderCon earlier this year, bringing actress Moon Bloodgood up on stage and asking: "Who wants to see Moon's boobs in the picture?" She later said: "I'm a woman, I have boobs, it's a beautiful shot." As anyone who saw the movie in a theater knows, though, her toplessness was cut, reportedly as part of Warner Bros.' effort to secure a PG-13 rating. The unrated director's cut is due out on DVD and Blu-ray on December 1, and the deleted scene has, apparently, hit the Internet (watch it after the jump). The verdict?Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Fandom, Home Entertainment, Remakes and SequelsContinue reading Moon Bloodgood's Topless 'Terminator: Salvation' Scene: Worth the 'R' Rating? Permalink | Email this | Comments

When word hit that Ridley Scott was on board to direct the long talked about A L I E N prequel, what ran through your mind? Were you thinking lots of alien action? A Giger-iffic closer look at the xenomorphs? If so, you might want to start reeling back those alien expectations. Empire Magazine recently got the scoop from Scott, and he's got something else in mind. The director was in London for his daughter's debut at the London Film Festival when he told the mag about his ideas for the prequel. He said: "We know what the road map is, and the screenplay is now being put on paper. The prequel will be a while ago. It's very difficult to put a year on A L I E N, but [for example] if A L I E N was towards the end of this century, then the prequel story will take place thirty years prior." Empire takes this to mean a human focus for the film. I wish that dreaded set of Star Wars prequels hadn't made me recoil at the thought of any ultra-updated FX in prequel stories. However, on the bright side: If Scott tackles things in a similar way -- looking to Giger for inspiration, for example -- it's sure to be a beauty of a film. Are you up for this A L I E N prequel, or do you wish the past just stayed in the uncharted murky depths?Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, RumorMonger, Scripts, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ah, that dreaded black cloud known as the remake/re-imagining. It hovers, eliciting a neverending sense of ire in the moviegoing public. Yes, some of the backlash comes from nothing more than passionate fandom. But it also comes from how these projects come to be. Studios grab them willy nilly with nothing but dollar signs flashing in the eyes. Projects hit that could never even dream of being even half as good as the original. And many just don't seem to get it -- preferring to keep the name and ravage both the story and the spirit of the original, rather than just using it as a jumping point for inspiration. And while it may be a bit premature, the trailers for Alice Wonderland have a definite sense of getting it. A new trailer aired during the Scream Awards (check it out after the jump), and while it's really Mad Hatter-centric again (I want more of the Queens!), it's got the feel of the subject. Sure, we've all got our favorite Alice incarnations and ideas on how it should be, but Tim Burton seems to have a definite sense of how to evoke the same whimsical feel within his vision. It's not copycat, nor wildly diverging from what we're used to. The FX flow beautifully, that sense of fun is in every scene, and within the first few moments, I actually started imagining some of my favorite mystical films getting a similar treatment. I would never want Labyrinth without Jim Henson and David Bowie, yet I can't help but imagine the film updated with today's technology. This is what these films should do -- warm you to the idea because they're good -- because they understand their subject and know how to invoke the same passion. Has Burton charmed you with his vision?Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and ClipsContinue reading Re-Imaginings That Get It: New 'Alice in Wonderland' Trailer Permalink | Email this | Comments

Last March, the trades confirmed that Peter Berg was the latest director brave enough (or foolish enough) to tackle a new adaptation of Frank Herbert's legendary Dune. News has been scarce since, though just last month Berg was assuring MTV that he was still involved, and that he was trying to crunch Josh Zetumer's 200-page script into something manageable "without offending the purists." Other than some intriguing Robert Pattinson casting rumors, there hasn't been much for fans to really discuss or rant about. But an intriguing story has popped up on Pajiba. Their inside source claims that Berg has dropped out of the Dune remake, and that Paramount is scrambling for a new director. The search is fraught with difficulty for Paramount, according to Pajiba's source. "The search, however, has run into two issues: 1) they're looking for a director who can put the movie together for under $175 million, which sounds manageable, but they don't want anything resembling the crap effects of the '84 film, and 2) they want a director who already has a preexisting passion for the novel and is enthusiastic about the project." But the search has allegedly landed on two splashy newcomers: Neil Marshall and and Neill Blomkamp. Marshall is said to be the frontrunner, championed by producer Kevin Misher. But the studio lukewarm on Marshall's resume and likes Blomkamp, who they feel has the "vision" for the film. This is all rumor and speculation at this point, and nowhere is it stated why Berg dropped out of the remake. (A schedule conflict would be likely. Berg has one heck of a full plate.) There's also something a little too dreamy about those mentions of Blomkamp and Marshall. I'm very, very curious to see how this little rumor is played out, and if it could lead to a Dune adaptation that's palatable and faithful to Herbert.Filed under: Action, Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, RumorMonger, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

When I first began writing at Cinematical, I was certain I would remember every single news story that I had written, and would be able to call up every single project at a moment's notice. I think that ability lasted six months. So when there's news about the Short Circuit remake, I have to shake my brain a bit to remember that it's actually a real thing. If I feel that way, you probably do too, and will feel a similar jolt when you hear that Short Circuit: The Remake* has a director. Yes, it's being remade, and they consider Wall*E to be its promotional reel. Now Variety reports that it can boast Steve Carr as its director. Carr is perhaps best known for bringing the world Paul Blart: Mall Cop, a film that shook the winter cinema for weeks and weeks on end. Now he'll be directing the "subversive" Short Circuit that was penned by Dan Milano. At last, Variety tells just what Dimension Films considers to be a radical script: "Built by the military to be a highly sophisticated weapon, Johnny 5 develops a conscience and personality after being hit by lightning. He befriends a lonely boy and his fractured family." So, in other words, it's the plot of just about every lost puppy / cat / alien movie ever made between 1980 and today. Even worse, it sounds suspiciously like it borrowed all its shocking new element (a lonely boy) from The Iron Giant or even T2: Judgement Day. Perhaps every film that came before this remake was its promotional reel. It's all been leading up to this one, folks. *Not its official title by any means. It's my own.Filed under: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Scripts, Family Films, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

So here's some "less is more" comic book flick news* that may make you feel a little better about Spider-Man 4: Apparently A) there will be only one villain, which would be great, and B) that villain will (finally!) be Curt Connors aka The Lizard. And here's the best part: We don't have to wait for some gimmicky casting ploy, because the franchise already has the excellent Dylan Baker playing the role! Yes, Peter Parker's one-armed college professor will, after waiting patiently through three villain-packed films, get to shed his humanity and terrorize our favorite web-slinger with cold-blooded reptility. (Reptileness?) Both MarketSaw and Collider have more information, but of course details are very sketchy at this early point. If these early reports are true, I offer a back-pat to Sam Raimi and his writing / producing team for trying to scale the next sequel back a bit, instead of trying to wedge six baddies into the flick just to sell a few extra Happy Meals. It's safe to assume that Mr. Raimi considers Spider-Man 3 the weakest of the series, and if the new goal is to simply deliver an old-school mano e mano face-off between a man-spider and a man-lizard, well I'm just fine with that. Odds are you'll see more Spider-Man 4 news at this very website as it becomes available. *MarketSaw.com seems pretty confident that their source is accurate on this information, but of course we should take it all with a grain of salt until we get word from someone on the production team, and on the record. Filed under: Action, Sony, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

Click image below to view full poster Cinematical has just received this exclusive new poster for Sherlock Holmes, due in theaters on Christmas Day. No more reserved stuffiness for this detective -- there's not a magnifying glass and classic hat in sight! Talk about a poster that boils the feel of a film down to one snazzy collection of images. Color us not surprised -- Robert Downey Jr.'s confident smirk alone is enough to tantalize, but there's also Jude Law with the campy and inquisitive Watson brow and a background of images ranging from a bottle of poison (cyanide, not any sort of booze) to faded glimpses of Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong. As the trailer and now this poster attest, Downey Jr. and Law are itching for roguish fun of a whole new flavor. Set in 1891, Guy Ritchie's take on the famous detective finds Holmes and Watson battling an evil cult leader named Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), whose devilish schemes could give the crime-fighting duo their toughest challenge yet. "Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country" (read the full synopsis after the jump). Of course, with a depravity that knows no bounds as he brawls and flirts his way to the truth. Sounds like the perfect roguish antidote to sappy holiday fare, doesn't it? Click on the image below to view the full poster. Gallery: 'Sherlock Holmes' Poster Filed under: Action, Classics, Mystery & Suspense, Remakes and Sequels, PostersContinue reading Exclusive: 'Sherlock Holmes' Poster Premiere! Permalink | Email this | Comments

It's impossible to top an icon like John Wayne, but the Coen Bros' True Grit is shaping up to have a better supporting cast than the original did. (Hey, Wayne supposedly didn't like Kim Darby either.) Variety has just announced that Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in talks to join Jeff Bridges in the Coens' remake. Bridges will play Rooster Cogburn, while Damon is in talks to play La Boeuf, the Texas Ranger who pairs up with Cogburn and Mattie. I'll probably anger the Glen Campbell fans out there, but I think this is a vast improvement over the original casting. I can actually buy Damon as a Texas Ranger. Brolin will be taking a walk on the nasty side, as he'll be playing Tom Chaney, the man who gunned Mattie's father down for the gold he had in his saddlebag. While Chaney wasn't the most pleasant fellow in the original, there's no doubt that Brolin will increase the menace and nastiness. I think we can all agree Brolin has done no wrong since his No Country For Old Men comeback, and this is the kind of role that'll be delicious to watch him tear into. The film is set to go into production in March 2010, and the Coens won't waste any time in the editing room as it's slated to be released in late 2010. Filed under: Action, Classics, Drama, Casting, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Western Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jay Roach's Dinner for Schmucks is adding another seat at the table for Ron Livingston; the movie also stars funny guys Zach Galifianakis, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd. Dinner is based on the famous French movie directed and written by Francis Veber, Le d ner de cons, otherwise known as The Dinner Game, which won a C sar for best writing. Dinner is the story of a dining group with a rather interesting twist; they have a contest to see who can bring the biggest idiot to dinner. Soon enough, though, the guests realize their little snarky game isn't so harmless. The question is, who will be the biggest schmuck? Carell and Rudd star, and either could be schmucky, although Carell can play dumb with a straight face pretty damn well. (He loves lamp, after all.) However, I can't picture Zach Galifianakis as a bougie dinner party guest and not a schmuck. Maybe he's a more minor schmuck? In any case, this dinner table is getting full of schmuckitude, and will give all us writers a great chance to exercise our mastery of Yiddish slang for weiners.Filed under: Comedy, Casting, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

The biggest enemy of the Footloose remake isn't a music-hating preacher, but its own Creative Differences. After it finally recovered from the loss of Zac Efron by recruiting Chace Crawford and Julianne Hough, Variety reports that Footloose has now lost its captain. Director Kenny Oretega has left the project due to "differences over tone and budget." Reportedly, Ortega's vision included elaborate dance sequences and a budget of $30 million or more. But Paramount's Adam Goodwin had something different in mind. He saw Footloose with a little less dancing, a little less music, and a lot more edge. He was also hoping the budget would come in around $25 million. Who is right? I don't know. If you want something closer to the original, I'd say Goodwin is spot on. Kevin Bacon did his lithe dance moves in barns and car washes. It was on the cheap. It was also pretty edgy (relatively speaking) in its handling of teenage sexuality. Is any remake going to feature its heroine yelling "I'm not even a virgin!" in the middle of a church? Nah. They'll just dress her sexy. Paramount is now on the hunt for a new director in order to kick off its Sunday shoes and begin filming by 2010. I was going to say "Maybe this'll be the end of this silly remake" but there's no way that'll happen. Instead, I vote that this Footloose be made with two simultaneous storylines. As they tell the story of the repressive Midwest, we'll also learn about the behind the scenes drama that mirrors the onstage action. Will Ortega's lush vision of music and dance win out? Or will the repressive Goodman crush his freedom of expression? It would be like The French Lieutenant's Woman for high schoolers. Filed under: Music & Musicals, Romance, Paramount, Celebrities and Controversy, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

Last summer, it was reported that Columbia was setting up a remake of My Fair Lady and that Keira Knightley was pursuing the iconic, Cockney role of Eliza Doolittle. While Knightley has been "attached" ever since, The Telegraph reports that Scarlett Johansson was also vying for the role. But Knightley won out, and the Telegraph not only confirms that she's got the role, but that Joe Wright will be directing. Emma Thompson is writing the script. Knightley has been taking singing lessons ever since the possibility came up (and I actually think she proved she had a good voice in The Edge of Love), and I think she'll be absolutely charming as Doolittle. But then I'm biased towards her. Even if you aren't (and I expect many "too skinny!" comments), I think the combination of Wright and Thompson pushes this into very, very promising territory. Thompson can do no wrong by me. What will really tip the balance is who they cast as the grumpy, misogynist Professor Henry Higgins. The Telegraph reports that Daniel Craig is being considered, and he'd certainly be ideal as the grim Higgins, probably moreso than the dapper Hugh Jackman. I wouldn't mind seeing Patrick Wilson become a contender, and I half wonder if Gerard Butler's vocal chords were trotted out on Saturday Night Live as an audition. Just you wait, and practice your R's, and we'll see whose face Knightley must become accustomed to. Filed under: Classics, Music & Musicals, Romance, Casting, Sony, RumorMonger, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Daniel Craig Permalink | Email this | Comments

This one is for the increasingly few of you who have steadfastly stuck with the Saw franchise through thick-and-thin in the aughts. The opening weekend numbers for Saw VI are the weakest since the first film, mostly thanks to some stiff competition from breakout hit Paranormal Activity. But box-office returns aren't everything. So: what'd you think? I wrote this little piece before the release of Saw V last year, in the mode of a frustrated fan hoping for a revitalized franchise. It didn't happen; Saw V was boring and incomprehensible, and I was ready to skip the sixth film altogether. Then it got some decent reviews, and I thought what the hell. I'm glad I did. Saw VI, which sees editor Kevin Greutert take over directing duties, is easily the best Saw movie since the third. That may not be the most enthusiastic bit of praise I've ever issued, but miracle of miracles: the fifth sequel to a half-decent horror flick is legitimately pretty good. Here's how I think Saw got some of its bite back: Thriller momentum. For the first time in three years, a Saw movie is exciting, in an old-fashioned what-happens-next sort of way. There are creative traps a-plenty -- some of the most ingenious ones in the series, for those who are into that sort of thing -- but the film doesn't depend on them: it has a semblance of a protagonist, and a story that moves forward, and draws you in, and makes the 90 minutes feel like less. Which is related to my next point, namely: Filed under: Horror, New Releases, Box Office, Contests, Remakes and SequelsContinue reading How 'Saw' Got Its Groove Back ... If Not at the Box Office Permalink | Email this | Comments