Saw IV opens Friday, so I wandered over to Lionsgate’s Santa Monica office yesterday, where the indie studio was hosting its Fourth Annual SAW "Give Til It Hurts" Blood Drive. Lionsgate has teamed up with the American Red Cross to encourage Saw fans to drain a little of their own blood for, you know, life-saving purposes. Approximately 1,200 Red Cross centers across the nation are ready for donations from an entirely untapped demographic — torture-adoring movie fans.
This is all a noble cause, but isn’t there something weird going on here? The donation site was decorated with a variety of Saw memorabilia, including an eerie Jigsaw doll (to be auctioned online) and what was described to me as being the "Saw Pig" costume (a raffle prize). The donation chairs were set up so that you could watch the Saw IV trailer while giving blood, and after the withdrawal was complete, you could "unwind" by sitting in a comfy screening room and watching the trailers for all four Saw movies.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see anything relating to blood, let alone pigs, when I’m about to donate. Yet this isn’t a problem for other people. Last year, when Saw III (starring Tobin Bell, pictured) came out, Lionsgate collected over 23,000 pints of blood; this year they’re aiming for 60,000. Again, very noble, commendable, honorable, etc. Just weird.
Franchise stars Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, and Lyriq Bentshowed up to donate blood, and I tried to unearth a few details about the new installment from them, but their lips were mostly shut.
"It’s a combination of ‘Saw I and Saw II," said Bent,who returns as SWAT Commander Rigg. "It has the psychological element,the character drive and some blood and gore to top it off."
Scott Patterson, who’s also Gary on The CW’s Aliens in America,assured fans that, oh yes, there will be twists. "They’re going to beshocked by where this movie goes," he said. He also revealed that hesigned a contract for Saw V and Saw VI. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be in those films, but it’s definitely possible.
What it does mean is that you can pretty much mark your 2009 and2010 calendars (the series will supposedly take 2008 off). As a mereobserver to the Saw phenomenon, I must ask, how long can thisseries go on for? Or, more importantly, how long do you want it to goon for? And can horror movies such as the Saw series actually encourage you to donate your own precious red fluid?
Comments (1-10) of 10 Add your comment
Good cause, Bad movies.
No doubt. This is the ONLY good thing that can come of the torture porn phenomenon.
Wow. I had no idea Scott Patterson was in Saw IV. Probably cause the trailer is only like 35 seconds long. Still haven’t watched Aliens in America, so Gilmore Girls is the only thing I’ve ever seen Patterson in. I’m kind of intrigued now. If only I didn’t have to watch guts spill throughout the whole movie.
This franchise is going to become the Friday the 13th of the new millennium
Hey man, whatever works. I suppose if you’re into those hyper violent, extra gross movies the giving blood bit is no big thing.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!! Ok, so I checked out Sav IV earlier today & at least I enjoyed it a hell of alot more than SAW III, and I feel as though it actually ANSWERED more questions than the third chapter actually did. The gore factor is actually higher than the last one, and that wasn’t easy task with the drilling brain scene! Yeah I had no idea Scott Patterson was in this movie either, I was like OMG is that the dude from Gilmore Girls?!!? Haha Great Friday night at the movies though, except for all those DAMN kids in the theater….
http://www.myspace.com/splatterchatter
Giving blood is good…(Let’s talk blood)…SAW IV is awesome. Limited edition SAW hand/arm DVD set. Not sold in stores-know where you can find one? http://www.myspace.com/splatterchatter
dltbvy gjliy isqhcbpdt xmgty urwha algxcmz jcqlnea
dltbvy gjliy isqhcbpdt xmgty urwha algxcmz jcqlnea
punctilious post. due one detail where I bicker with it. I am emailing you in detail.