Saw 34 - Short Review

I will start this review by making it clear that I despise the Saw franchise. While I enjoyed the first couple of films upon their release the franchise quickly spiraled from a relatively simple premise into a ridiculous convoluted mess that came pretty close to unintentional self parody. It was always difficult for me to understand how this franchise continued to survive and be profitable despite all of its flaws. Therefore, I am always happy to spend some time with a project that attempts to skewer this franchise for what it is.

"Saw 34" is a short 6 minute video that is currently available on Funny or Die. The creator of the video contacted us and asked if we would be willing to check it out. Apparently made for a meager 60 bucks and a pizza this is played as the 34th entry in the Saw franchise which I am honestly surprised isn't a real thing yet. Of course the key to whether or not this will work as a parody is how successfully the creators can skewer everything that's ridiculous about the Saw films.

Without giving too much away I think that overall they succeeded in creating a product that fans and haters of the Saw films will enjoy. All of the key points are addressed such as the fact that Jigsaw always seems to have someone willing to put on a pig mask and assist with abducting people off of the street. In Saw 34 it's a guy named Keith who is still in training. The ridiculous monologues that Jigsaw always has to deliver to his victims are in here as well only he's become so bored with coming up with crap to say that he resorts to reading the ingredients off of a Cheerios box. All he needs to do is read the words in that gutteral Jigsaw voice and they come off as both threatening and intellectual. The fact that it would be almost impossible for every scenario to play out exactly as planned is also addressed. What are the odds that all of the victims would so simply be abducted and that all of them would play directly into the traps the way Jigsaw plans. Everything is so dependent on the reactions of the abducted that it's almost impossible to accurately predict what they will do or say. Lastly the have to address the traps themselves. Everyone that's seen a saw film knows how intricate and over the top the traps and scenarios became as the films moved along. By the time Saw 34 comes around Jigsaw has exhausted his ideas and capabilities to the point that the victim simply needs to make a choice between an apple and a banana. Sam hates bananas but the apple is spongy, the choice is his.

Overall I enjoyed Saw 34. I am not usually a big fan of parody because feature length parodies tend to overstay their welcome and the jokes just become a barrage of pop culture references. However, in small doses like this where the focus is on one single film the format can shine. They are able to poke fun at all of the things that make Saw so ridiculous without ever going overboard. It's just the right amount to make anyone who has seen even one of these films have a good laugh. I would definitely recommend you go and check this one out!

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0727307ec5/saw-34

Podcast Episode 30

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Episode 30 is a packed one at just over 2 hours with Adam, Mike and Jeff all returning to the MTF studio following our brief hiatus. For the main part of our show we first return to the low budget world of Fred Olen Ray with 2004's Tomb of the Werewolf. We then take a trip back to the 80's with the 2013 found footage flick, "WNUF Halloween Special". Also, Adam argues that Jaws is the greatest film ever made, Mike tries to convey just how bad the new Ninja Turtles movie is and much much more! Enjoy!

Phoenix Fearcon

Hey everyone, we wanted to take a minute to let everyone know about a cool event coming to the Phoenix Arizona area in November of 2014. On November 1st and 2nd Fearcon descends on the city of Phoenix. Fearcon is Arizona's largest independent horror event and looks like it will be a blast for anyone able to attend. In addition to a lineup of guests including Ken Foree, Debbie Rochon, Tiffany Shepis and more they will also be screening a bunch of independently produced features and short films. So head on over to their website www.phoenixfearcon.com for all of the details and how to stay updated and if you are in the Phoenix area on the 1st and 2nd of November be sure to check out Phoenix Fearcon!

Stage Fright (2014) Review

I love slasher movies. Musicals, not so much. It's not that I hate all musicals. In fact, there are a handful of horror musicals that I really enjoy. Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Cannibal the Musical and more recently Repo the Genetic Opera all managed to successfully merge horror or science fiction with full fledged musical numbers. So, while I was hesitant approaching Stage Fright I've seen horror musicals work so I kept my mind open.

The film opens as most slasher movies do with a murder and it's surprisingly graphic. A knife is put into the back of a character's head and is then violently stabbed multiple times. It sets off a tone that I wasn't expecting from a horror musical which is dark and graphically violent. The tone changes pretty quickly though as we flash forward several years to a musical theater camp and our first musical number featuring all of the kids in the camp. We also see that Meat Loaf is the camp leader who is given plenty of time to show off his own vocal talents. It's bright, cheery and funny and is in stark contrast to the opening scene. Throughout the movie there are major tone shifts like this and it is actually kind of an issue. The slasher element is brutal with kills that are ultraviolent in nature. This is juxtaposed with a summer camp comedy film that borders on parody. There's no point where the two really seem to mesh well together so it feels like two different movies trying to come together. It's a similar issue that I find with "The Burning". That films feels like an 80's summer camp comedy with a slasher film thrown in to bookend it. This feels like a summer camp parody with a slasher movie shoehorned in. There needs to be some compromise in style on both ends so that the film feels cohesive.

The killer is a kabuki masked psychopath who screams like the lead singer in a metal band whenever killing someone. The costume works and the killer certainly comes off as menacing given how violently they take out their targets. The practical effects are also very good. One scene in particular features a victim having a lightbulb with the lamp still attached shoved into his mouth and is then viciously thrown away like a ragdoll. It's effectively gruesome as are most of the on-screen kills throughout the movie and is in line with some of the nastier giallo or 80's slasher films.

In the final act the movie does come together better as the students perform their end of camp production while the killer runs around behind the scenes picking many of them off. As usual the killer and their motives are revealed (thought it's not too difficult to figure out who it is) and it all plays out in typical slasher movie fashion. While I wasn't blown away by Stage Fright I can recommend checking it out. It's not something I see myself revisiting any time soon but for a one time watch it's got some great kills, solid performances, catchy musical numbers, and some genuinely funny comedic moments involving all kinds of genre tropes. It's on Netflix for the moment so check it out!

Score: 3/5

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Podcast Episode 29

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Episode 29 features some lengthy discussions on a variety of topics including how to kill Wolverine, Rob Zombies newest venture, TMNT and more! We also review Class of 1999 2: The Substitute and Grim Prairie Tales. Enjoy!

Watch "Class of 1999 Part 2" on Amazon
Purchase "Grim Prairie Tales" on Amazon

Scumbag Hustler (2014) Review