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Saw III, a review by Rich

Title: Saw III

Movie Count:19 
TV Ep. Count:14 

Runtime:109
Certificate:18
Year:2006
Genres:Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Plot:In this Extreme Edition of Saw III, prepare for a truly terrifying experience from the master of cruelty. With extended scenes which have never been seen before, Saw III Extreme Edition features more gore, more shocks, more Saw. Suffering? You definitely haven't seen anything yet...
Jigsaw has disappeared. Along with his new apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the puppet master behind the cruel, intricate games that have terrified a community and baffled police has once again eluded capture and vanished.
While city detectives scramble to locate him, Doctor Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) and Jeff Reinhart (Angus Mcfadyen) are unaware that they are about to become the latest pawns on his vicious chessboard.

My Review:
Having enjoyed and marvelled at the originality of Saw 1, and been entertained by the breakneck Saw 2, this latest offering I viewed was a come-down.
There was little tension as witnessed in earlier films, the interjection of humanity was misplaced, and the gore was messy and nasty. The prémis of revenge and distress was a reasonable plot for such a film, I just wasn't convinced by the delivery, nor the performance of the gorgeous Shawnee Smith as the apprentice to Jigsaw.
There is a point when some films lose focus, this did that by what at times can only be described as more and more disgustingly violent and distressingly gory scenes, culminating in the 'chest' scene. Some sleight of hand, alluding to terrorising acts can be much scarier, but when it is slapped in your face like this the impact is unappealing.
There seems little merit in this Saw franchise going any further, but as we know there is now Saw 4 and 5 to digest at some point.





(From Rich's October Horror Fest on October 18th, 2009)

The Station Agent, a review by Rich

Station Agent



When his friend and co-worker suddenly dies, train enthusiast Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) inherits an abandoned railway station in rural New Jersey. A dwarf who avoids social contact whenever possible, Fin treks out to the property and moves in. However, his newly isolated life is disrupted by the arrival of the well meaning Joe and Olivia. Joe (Bobby Cannavale), is an outgoing operator of a roadside refreshment stand, and Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), is a reclusive artist who is grieving the loss of her son. As Joe and Olivia slowly bring Fin out of his shell, all three people are affected by their newfound friendships.

Charming film exploring the characters and relationships of 3 differing personalities. The film is a blend of humour, quirkiness, disappointment, sadness and in the end heart warming interaction. It is intentionally slow paced, a beautifully written simple story, directed with craftmanship, the actors excel, and the film washes over you like warm honey.
Don't expect action or suspense, but if you want to delve into a portrait of humanity and characterisation, then give this a try.
 


(From Riches Random Reviews on April 15th, 2009)

"Due South" marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

The Edge
This one didn't impress me too much. There was a couple decent laughs... but too few to be too enjoyable. I didnt care too much for the dream sequences.... though it was kinda fun to see inside Deifenbaker's dream. And there is a couple pretty good moments between Fraser and his boss.

Rating:


(From "Due South" marathon on August 24th, 2009)