This franchise has been the father of the whole “torture porn” genre, a genre that at one time seemed to have a lot of legs. But the disappointing returns for Hostel 2 and Captivity might be signs that the public is getting sick of the sick genre.
Of course, the Saw films have been a bit different than the films they inspired. They mix a healthy dose of psychological torture to go with the physical kind. Killer Jigsaw devises sadistic tests for his victims in a sick means of teaching them the lesson that life should be appreciated.
Of course, the film does have to deal with the fact that both Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda were killed at the end of the last movie. That is a hard thing for the franchise to try and get over.
2. Dan in Real Life (1,921 Theaters, Rated PG-13): This more than just a movie. This is a study in the interesting career paths of comedians Steve Carell and Dane Cook.
Both come from the world of comedy—Cook from stand-up, Carell from Second City and the Daily Show. But their film career took divergent paths.
Carell stayed mainly with comedy, making a name for himself with small roles in Bruce Almighty and Anchorman: The Ron Burgundy Story before breaking out with The 40-Year Old Virgin. Over the last two years, he has provide a voice in Over The Hedge, appeared in the Oscar nominated Little Miss Sunshine and took the lead in Evan Almighty. The comedy varied from wild and wacky to sweet and subtle.
Cook, on the other hand, has taken a different path in his movie career. He has appeared in action films (Torque), dramas (London), thrillers (Mr. Brooks) as well as comedies (Waiting, Employee of the Month, Good Luck Chuck). What’s more amazing is that he seems to fit in well in each.
And now, the two are in a romantic comedy, playing brothers with feelings for the same woman (Juliette Binoche, no less!). Just another entry in the diverse resume I’m sure both these men will have.
Now, the predictions.
This is what I predicted for last week:
- 30 Days of Night
- Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married
- The Game Plan
- The Comebacks
- Rendition
And this is how it turned out:
- 30 Days of Night
- Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married
- The Game Plan
- Michael Clayton
- The Comebacks
Better than the last two weeks. This makes me 28 for 55 with an average of 50.9%, This week is risky and I might not score that highly. Here’s my guess:
- Saw IV
- 30 Days of Night
- Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married
- The Game Plan
- Dan in Real Life.
Part of me thinks that Saw IV won’t be at number one and Dan in Real Life will be much higher, but this line up is more logical.
What do you think?
