We’re nearing the twentieth anniversary of the SAW franchise and with that came many, many battles with the dreaded MPA (MPAA).

In 2004, James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s independent Giallo slasher gave birth to what mainstream press would call “torture porn” (it’s not), reinforcing the stigma against the genre and horror fans. While that conversation is for another day, there is no arguing that the SAW films are pretty damn gruesome.

Now nine films deep, it’s unsurprising that filmmakers have gone to war with the MPAA.

During this past weekend’s “SAWathon”, Darren Lynn Bousman, director of SAW II-IV and this weekend’s Spiral, revealed that he had a helluva time getting an R-rating on SAW III and sought out the help of fellow horror filmmaker Rob Zombie.

Saw III trivia. I had to call @RobZombie and ask for help with the MPAA. Saw III received the NC-17 half a dozen times. Rob gave me advice on how to get that R. The only movie I had more trouble getting the R on was… SPIRAL. #SAWathon

— Darren_Bousman (@darren_bousman) May 9, 2021

“I remember a decade back having such a hard time getting the ‘R’ rating on SAW III,” Bousman told Bloody Disgusting when we reached out for comment, further elaborating. “At the time, the issue was the naked woman being frozen to death. I remember going back and forth trying to get that scene approved. I became so frustrated that I reached out to Zombie because he had always been given the ‘R’ on his films, which I felt were more intense and violent.”

Zombie had a pretty damn interesting strategy in dealing with the MPAA, which Bousman reveals not only worked but also made the scene better.

“Basically, the more I cut out and tried to cut around the scene, the more shocking it would become to the viewer. By trying to hide the violence, torture and nudity, the more the scene became exploitative. By inserting wide shots, the scene became sad and tragic. It also took away all sexuality – the very last thing I wanted was that scene to feel sexual in any way! I ended up writing an email to the MPAA stating my case, and eventually, they allowed it to stay. I’ve reached out to Rob a couple of times throughout the years and he has always been helpful and such a great dude.”

While the big headline here is about how House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects‘ director Rob Zombie helped Bousman figure out how to navigate around an NC-17, the buried lead is that this weekend’s Spiral: From the Book of Saw was even more difficult for the filmmaker.

“In my opinion, Spiral is by far the most commercial, and dare I say mainstream of all of my SAW films,” Bousman tells us. “That said, it was also the most difficult to get past with the ‘R’ rating. It took a lot of time and energy to ensure this film was given the ‘R’ rating. At this point, I feel that the moment a SAW film crosses the MPAA’s desk they are on the offensive. But in all fairness, I think with our insanely epic cast, maybe they thought it would reach a wider audience and they need to be extra diligent? I mean, as a father, I get it.”

In theaters this weekend, Spiral stars Chris Rock & Samuel L. Jackson and follows a sadistic mastermind who unleashes a twisted form of justice…

“Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.”

A tenth SAW is currently in development.