The Trailer Park: Saw III

"Live or die, make your choice."
The third in the hit torture film series is set to slash its way onto movie theaters across the nation this October. The big question is how long they be able to keep it going? I guess the answer is as long as they are economically feasible and making money. Look at the long running horror series of the 1980s, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween, among others. It is clear that even when quality dips, these types of movies can still turn a profit. Don't get me wrong, I somehow find myself among the viewers, so I do my part.

I am just curious how they will keep the Saw franchise fresh, or if it will become stale and repetitive. To be honest, I liked the first Saw, despite its flaws, and I liked Saw II, but not as much as part one. I don't find Jigsaw to be nearly as compelling as the horror movie icons of those 80s slashers. That is probably be because the Saw films are not horror films. They are essentially murder mysteries with some torture thrown in. The problem is that the torture has become the central point and purpose. Nothing wrong with that, I like to have a little blood with my movies, but I also like to have a strong story and characters to go with it and these have not paid off in that regard.

Anyway, as soon as the second film was a hit last Fall, they immediately green lit a third. The teaser trailer is out now, having debuted in theaters with the excellent The Descent. The trailer reveals a bit about what I believe is the initial setpiece. It looks surprisingly like a scene from Hellraiser, with a person suspended on a series of chains, ala Pinhead. It is also revealed that Tobin Bell's John Kramer is still alive and well. Also returning to the cast are Dina Meyer and Shawnee Smith.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman returns for this outing, following his big screen debut with Saw II. The screenplay was written by Leigh Whannell based on an idea from the creator and director of the original, James Wan, who co-wrote and co-starred in the original film, and co-wrote the sequel. It will be interesting to see how this turns out

The trailer is now online at the new movie website, and here. The blood hits the screen October 27, 2006, just in time for Halloween.

"Oh yes, there will be blood!"