Movies
[Remember This?] Original ‘Saw’ Trailer Ushers In a New Horror Era!
In October we’ll be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s Saw, which was put into wide theatrical release on October 29th, 2004. To me this is hugely significant since the film, along with Hostel four months later, helped usher in a new era of horror.
Some people call it “Torture Porn”, but Mr. Disgusting and I don’t think torture porn actually exists. It’s true that a lot of these films were markedly more brutal than their mainstream predecessors, but to call them porn implies that we’re just patiently wading through the movie to get to the money shots (the kills, in this case). That’s not the case. If anything, I’d argue that some of the sh*ttier slasher movies fill the porn model more fittingly. Films where we’re tolerating flat, poorly acted characters just waiting for the brief moments of pleasure when they’re dispatched. If we’re talking about intent, that’s porn. Saw and Hostel had plenty of interesting ideas and ambition that outstripped the lazy retreads that were littering the landscape and they were unfairly punished with that term.
In the case of Saw, it’s interesting to see how this new wave of horror was initially marketed to the public. Show them too much and they’re turned off, show them too little and you never gain their interest in the first place. I actually think the trailer does a nice job of setting up both Jigsaw’s modus operandi and the queasy concept of sawing through your own foot. It places the focus on the film’s innovative concept, the acknowledgement of which single handedly dispels the notion of “torture porn.”
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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