Saw

"I want to play a game..."

Those words have taken on such a wonderful and nostalgic meaning for horror fans the world over thanks to the massive success of one of the most profitable and widely-beloved horror franchises of all time. That of course being "Saw", created by future cinematic masterminds James Wan and Leigh Whannell.

The series is now legendary in its status, and held among the other great franchises as horror-royalty. Even having been honored by Guiness World Records for its wide success and adoration. Yet, like many other icons of horror that came before, the roots of "Saw" were somewhat more humble- a dream project of a few film students trying to get their first film made. And this is best represented by this short- film... produced by the creators as a tool to help sell their concept and script to potential producers and investors.

Based upon a modified excerpt from the original completed script, "Saw" (2003) revolves around a man named David, who is kidnapped from his ho-hum job as a hospital orderly and taken to a secluded location. Now with a device around his head that will rip his jaw apart in mere moments of time unless he can complete a dark and devious task set forth by his captor... David will be forced to make a terrible and potentially life-shattering choice should he wish to stay alive...

Should that sound familiar, it is for good reason. The short is essentially a miniaturized and slightly restructured version of the sequence involving the character of Amanda as seen in the final feature-length film released just one year later. Yet, for something you have essentially seen before- arguably more refined in the theatrical film- it's still as enthralling and terrifying as ever thanks to the expert direction and sharp storytelling of Wan and Whannell.

It's shocking with how small a budget and how fast a shoot this short had that it's also so darned stylish and well put-together. It's very close to the quality of the future films that it spawned. James Wan's visual stylings are obvious and evident even from this small beginning, and Whannell's knack for structure and creating truly unsettling scenery is on full display here. He also turns in a pretty good performance as David- the main character here.

True it may not be quite as good as the feature films at their best, but still, for what is essentially a proof-of-concept slapped together by two friends who just wanted to find the support to make a movie- it's fantastic!

I give it a very good 9 out of 10. Fans of the series, fans of horror and even first-time filmmakers could learn a thing or two from this short!

The short film, SAW, shows very clever filmmaking in the horror genre. There hasn't been anything clever like this short film for years.

David, an orderly of a hospital, has been kidnapped and faces his ultimate test. He must survive by killing another man that holds the key to his freedom. He wakes up, having a rusty contraption strapped to his face. Then, a mysterious puppet on the TV says if he doesn't remove the trap off his face in sixty seconds, his jaw will be ripped open.

Once this short gets green-lit into a major motion picture, this exact scene has been tweaked up and was used in the first SAW film. It's heart-pounding and fun to watch! I recommend this short film to not just to SAW fans, but to curious folks that want to take step into the world of horror. Great short film!

'Saw (2003)' is the short film Leigh Whannell and James Wan decided to make just before taking their script to the USA to seek funding for their feature film of the same name. Although it's somewhat rough around the edges (as most Saw movies are), it's remarkably fully formed and absolutely conveys the atmosphere and energy of the soon-to-be mega horror franchise it's trying to get off the ground. The success of 'Saw (2004)' is really inspiring, as Whannell and Wan really just decided to take matters into their own hands and make the movie they wanted to make. This short film shows exactly what they're both capable of with, essentially, mere scraps, and it's easy to see why producers jumped on the opportunity to fund the real deal. It's an entertaining, somewhat unsettling short with a simple but effective premise and a suitably stressful execution. It conveys the sense of grimness and grit so essential to the Saw series, all while being notably more contained and less gruesome. It's a really solid effort by all accounts, and it's doubly interesting to see as a fan of the franchise. Plus, Billy has a little hat...

31 Days of Spookoween: DAY NINETEEN

Film #19: Saw (2003)

Review: James Wan's early short is a wonderful, if extremely brief and simplistic, horror story. While mildly amateurish in spots (clearly, Wan was still learning quite a bit as a filmmaker when he made this, and the same can be said about any earlier work from any director), "Saw"'s overall effect is highly successful. It is a genuinely scary treat for fans of more disturbing, harsh horror (although, despite the "Saw" movies now being known for their abundance of "torture porn", the gore/blood in this film is extremely minimal; most of the disturbance is more psychological, which is always great to see), and it's short enough to be viewed by almost anyone, no matter how busy their schedule may seem.

One word popped out of my mouth when i reached the credits (after the "woaaahhh") ...."Amazing". this is one of the very few thriller movies that have actually got my heart pumping and it's guaranteed to do the same to you. Even if you've been known not to react very emotionally to movies in the past (I definitely haven't until now), you'll find yourself to be holding your head at various times and yelling at the characters at others. Unlike other times i watched movies, i didn't stop watching this one when the credits appeared, partially because of the song (Bite the hand that bleeds by Fear Factory) which fits one of my favorite genres of music (industrial metal), but most importantly i personally thought that the makers of the movie were complete geniuses. I'm sure you've heard this in a lot of movie reviews but i sincerely and literally mean it when i say "You must watch this". Incredible movie i promise you'll enjoy it.