Movie Review Recap: Saw Franchise

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Michael Cavacini

Over the past week or so, I’ve revisited and reviewed all of the Saw movies. I even saw Spiral, the ninth film in the Saw franchise, on opening night and reviewed it as well. For your convenience, below are links to all of these reviews, as well as a link to a post I wrote about meeting Tobin Bell and Costas Mandylor at Monster-Mania a few years back. I even got to interview Costas Mandylor for that piece! I hope you enjoy all of the time and work that went into these articles, and remember: the game is never truly over.

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Revisiting Jigsaw

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Michael Cavacini

Following the epic finale to the series in 2010, there were no longer new Saw movies to enjoy every year. Then, in 2017 Jigsaw was unleashed upon the world. Is it any good? Keep reading for my take on Jigsaw.

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Revisiting Saw 3D

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Michael Cavacini

Released on October 29, 2010, just in time for Halloween, Saw 3D was to be the final film in the franchise, and it was going out in a blaze of glory with a technology that was all the rage at the time: 3D! Kevin Greutert, who was behind the camera in Saw VI, returns to direct Saw 3D. I saw this movie in theaters, when it was released, to experience this final installment in Real D 3D. Is Saw 3D a love letter to fans that ties everything up nicely with a big, beautiful bow? Read on to find out.

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Revisiting Saw V

Posted on May 15, 2021 by Michael Cavacini

Released in 2008, Saw V featured the directorial debut of David Hackl, who had served as a production designer on Saw II-IV and a second-unit director on Saw III and IV. It is the first of the Saw sequels not to open at number one at the box office, yet it grossed nearly $114 million. Personally, I think Saw V is more enjoyable than Saw IV. Why? Read on for my thoughts.

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Revisiting Saw IV

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Michael Cavacini

Saw III is the greatest sequel in the Saw franchise and one of the most inspired and well executed horror films I’ve ever seen. Just one year later, in 2007, Saw IV was unleashed upon the world, and it had big shoes to fill. Once again, Darren Lynn Bousman was the director. However, there was a new writing team on board, and they were faced with the massive challenge of continuing and expanding on the intricately woven stories of the original Saw trilogy, which felt like a collective unit. Did the team succeed in making a worthy successor in Saw IV? Read on for my spoiler-filled thoughts.

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Revisiting Saw III

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Michael Cavacini

If you haven’t already read them, make sure to check out my retrospective pieces on Saw and Saw II. Today, I’m going to revisit Saw III. The story of Saw II was repurposed from a script by director Darren Lynn Bousman entitled The Desperate. It wound up being a fantastic sequel that features the most unnerving trap in the entire franchise — at least for me — in the form of a pit of needles. For Saw III, Bousman is back in the director’s chair. However, this time, Leigh Whannell, one of the original creators of Saw, has returned to write the screenplay. What follows is a spoiler-filled review of the movie. Make sure to read this after watching the film.

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Revisiting Saw II

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Michael Cavacini

Saw II is an excellent but brutal movie. It sets the formula for the sequels that follow, and it dials up the gruesome horror from the first film to an extremely high level. Behind the camera is Darren Lynn Bousman, the same man who is directing the new Saw movie, Spiral. Let’s dive into my thoughts on Saw II.