Every Halloween for the past four or so years we have seen a new Saw film come out. Now that Saw V is here we already know that they have greenlit Saw 6. The franchise has managed to live on so long because I believe most people just want to see a horror film in October and Saw happens to be the one film that is always playing. Since Saw 2 I have felt the films have gone from bad to worse. Saw 4 was just awful and extremely complicating if you didn't have a very firm grasp on all of the films. This time around I think they became somewhat aware of the fan out cry and played everything out with a more logical scheme and made it a lot more easier to follow.
The story is really hard to go into detail without ruining some aspect of the plot but basically this one is all about FBI Agent Hoffman. After the house is cleaned out someone manages to survive one of the traps so he must go back and figure out a way to tie up all the loose ends. Like I said above if you were put off by the last film for being to confusing then this one should be much easier for you to follow along with.
Even though the story is easy to follow along it has to be interesting. Now I think this film really goes back more to the first film and explains how the traps were carried out. Despite the fact that I think this film is in on par with the first film I think it also is just more of the same. The traps after awhile just become more weapons of destruction and aren't as interesting as they once were. The film is not really horror anymore. Yes the blood does flow and there is plenty of gore but over time these films have just made that mandatory canceling out the horror of it all. In a way the audience is almost like Jigsaw. We have seen it all so much that it no longer affects us.
Besides some of the main characters this film really lacks any real people to root for. Well not even the main characters are really likeable. What else seems to detract from the film is that it has become quite evident that it wasn't the intention of these films to go on like this for so long from the beginning. But I do have to give the scribes a lot of credit here for being able to stitch them together the way they have. It is almost flawless. Almost.
I felt like I was watching more of the same the whole time. While it is much better than 3 and 4 it still comes across as just another entry. These films have almost devolved into a police procedural drama TV series. If you try and hop on in the middle you will be missing out on a lot of the story. That is the main reason these films will not stand up to the test of time. With another film still to come who is seriously going to sit down and watch all six in the future? Not me. Especially not with 3 and 4.
Overall however I think if you are already a fan of the Saw franchise you will like this entry. Though the gore is significantly cut back probably because Darren Lynn Bousman is no longer behind the camera. So don't expect as much splatter. A solid entry into the Saw franchise but if you are not familiar with the franchise.. don't even attempt to catch this one. I highly recommend however doing a marathon run of the first four films to catch yourself up. I would say to people who are wary of the film to just wait for DVD. With the economy the way it is you can spend your hard earned money on something much better than this.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Metal iPhone 4 Cover Protects Your iPhone 4 Without the Bulk of a Case
The iPhone 4's glass backing is remarkably fragile—even more so than the other iPhone models. If you'd like to keep it protected without making the phone bulky with a case, consider replacing the back with this metal back cover instead.
For a mere $12, you can save your iPhone from accidents by replacing the back cover with this nice, beveled metal one. It still wouldn't be too casual about dropping your iPhone, but if you're prone to accidents and don't like big cases, this is another great way to go.
For a mere $12, you can save your iPhone from accidents by replacing the back cover with this nice, beveled metal one. It still wouldn't be too casual about dropping your iPhone, but if you're prone to accidents and don't like big cases, this is another great way to go.
Movie Review. Easy A
Easy A is easily one of the funniest comedies of the year. It’s witty, clever, silly, and is anchored by a breakthrough performance by star Emma Stone. Comedies set in high schools are usually a grind, but Easy A is the best one since 2004’s Mean Girls. The film even has some smart commentary on the nature of reputation in the digital age and how easier access to information hasn’t made it any easier to get to the truth, especially when a lie can be so much juicier. And in between its smart jokes and thoughtful subtext, Easy A also has a big heart. That’s essential when your protagonist is cashing in on pretending to be a skank.
If you can believe that a young woman as lovely as Emma Stone would go unnoticed by boys, then the central premise of her character Olive will work for you. Olive Penderghast is a whip-smart girl who is completely anonymous at her school until she tells a white lie about losing her virginity to a fictional community college student. This lie becomes even more inflated after a bullied gay student asks her to fake having sex with him so that the other students will think he’s straight and stop making his life a living hell. Even if Stone weren’t so damn lovable, the script is always does a good job of clearly showing that the clearly-not-stupid Olive is doing a somewhat-stupid thing for the right reasons.
The film effortlessly weaves in pop culture, technology, and yet never loses its beat on the smart joke. Too often, a film’s attempt to be hip is so transparent that the result is sad and awkward. Easy A doesn’t have that problem and its references always feel natural and organic to the story and setting.
But without the right actress cast as Olive, then the script and Will Gluck’s skilled direction would be stymied. Thankfully, Emma Stone not only carries Easy A, but does such an outstanding job that I’ll be shocked if she’s not A-list after this movie. Her comic timing and facial expressions are sublime and she shows the comedic talents of someone well beyond her years. She makes Olive’s intelligence charming instead of abrasive and isn’t afraid to embrace the insecurities of her character. Let us hope that this is the first of many leading roles for this talented young actress.
Stone could carry this movie on her own, but she’s backed up by a wonderful supporting cast, most notably Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson who play Olive’s parents. They’re the parents we all wish we could have, not just cool and understanding, but damn funny. Tucci and Clarkson’s interplay with each other and with Stone is so natural that I would love to see a spinoff that just focused on Mr. and Mrs. Penderghast.
The film takes its title from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Olive relates to protagonist Hester Prynne and her public condemnation for adultery. As an act of rebellion, Olive sews the letter “A” risque pieces of clothing and wears it proudly. When her English teacher asks why she’s wearing the letter, Olive smirks and says, “Oh, it’s for awesome.” If all high school comedies were like Easy A, the world would be a better place, or at least a funnier one. The script is outstanding, Gluck’s direction had me heading out to see his previous film Fired Up!, and the film is worth seeing for Stone’s performance alone even though the whole cast is terrific. “Awesome,” indeed.
Rating: A-
If you can believe that a young woman as lovely as Emma Stone would go unnoticed by boys, then the central premise of her character Olive will work for you. Olive Penderghast is a whip-smart girl who is completely anonymous at her school until she tells a white lie about losing her virginity to a fictional community college student. This lie becomes even more inflated after a bullied gay student asks her to fake having sex with him so that the other students will think he’s straight and stop making his life a living hell. Even if Stone weren’t so damn lovable, the script is always does a good job of clearly showing that the clearly-not-stupid Olive is doing a somewhat-stupid thing for the right reasons.
The film effortlessly weaves in pop culture, technology, and yet never loses its beat on the smart joke. Too often, a film’s attempt to be hip is so transparent that the result is sad and awkward. Easy A doesn’t have that problem and its references always feel natural and organic to the story and setting.
But without the right actress cast as Olive, then the script and Will Gluck’s skilled direction would be stymied. Thankfully, Emma Stone not only carries Easy A, but does such an outstanding job that I’ll be shocked if she’s not A-list after this movie. Her comic timing and facial expressions are sublime and she shows the comedic talents of someone well beyond her years. She makes Olive’s intelligence charming instead of abrasive and isn’t afraid to embrace the insecurities of her character. Let us hope that this is the first of many leading roles for this talented young actress.
Stone could carry this movie on her own, but she’s backed up by a wonderful supporting cast, most notably Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson who play Olive’s parents. They’re the parents we all wish we could have, not just cool and understanding, but damn funny. Tucci and Clarkson’s interplay with each other and with Stone is so natural that I would love to see a spinoff that just focused on Mr. and Mrs. Penderghast.
The film takes its title from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Olive relates to protagonist Hester Prynne and her public condemnation for adultery. As an act of rebellion, Olive sews the letter “A” risque pieces of clothing and wears it proudly. When her English teacher asks why she’s wearing the letter, Olive smirks and says, “Oh, it’s for awesome.” If all high school comedies were like Easy A, the world would be a better place, or at least a funnier one. The script is outstanding, Gluck’s direction had me heading out to see his previous film Fired Up!, and the film is worth seeing for Stone’s performance alone even though the whole cast is terrific. “Awesome,” indeed.
Rating: A-
Monday, October 18, 2010
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