STACK #231 January 2024

MOVIE FEATURE

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misconception many

people share that horror filmmakers are disturbed individuals who must be psychopaths in real life. The reality is that most

of them are regular, well-adjusted people with strong creative flair and a penchant for make-believe. In fact, some of the most iconic horror directors are scholars who enjoy fluffy Disney movies

in their spare time. While filmmakers have a whole lot of fun when conceiving sick and twisted torture devices for movies, their enjoyment of creativity should never be misconstrued; it’s also a lot of hard work. ”It all has to work,” says Greutert of conjuring new ideas for human traps. ”They do have to have some recognisable way out, and we do want the nature of the trap itself to metaphorically relate to the flaw or the crime of the subject that’s inside the trap.” Greutert has been with the series for

several years, having directed Saw VI (2009) and Saw 3D (2010), as well as editing most instalments, including the original. He laughs at the question of whether he has a personal ’wince

Few movie franchises maintain theatrical stamina by the time they reach a tenth instalment, but the Saw series just keeps on dishing up the goods. Words Glenn Cochrane

barometer’ for each film. ”I mean, I know that I like it when I do

wince,” he confesses. ”I know I’m doing something right. If I’m wincing, then

• Saw X is out on Jan 17

somebody else is too.”

S TACK caught up with director Kevin Greutert and production designer Anthony Stabley to discuss the latest instalment and the legacy that precedes it. ”There are a lot of explanations,” says Greutert when contemplating the endurance of Saw. ”It’s all kind of mysterious on the one hand, but there’s a creative commitment on behalf of the team to really get it right. Tobin Bell really leads that charge, I think. You know, I would be embarrassed to go to Tobin with a script that doesn’t honour his work maximally.” ”There’s also that concept of self-sacrifice,” adds Stabley, who was responsible for bringing Jigsaw’s death traps to life. ”The audience contemplates what they would be willing to do. And the traps are characters unto themselves, and it’s just so much

even after death, the latest movie takes us back to the beginning, weeks after the original events. To remove any confusion, it’s essentially the new Saw II , or Saw 1.5 to be precise. Living up to the franchise’s reputation for being disgusting and grotesque, Saw X serves up a smorgasbord of gnarly treats that ought to make even the steeliest of fans squirm. It is by far the most extreme and depraved chapter yet, which, of course, is every horror movie-maker’s wildest dream.

Splatter movies have their roots in the classic French Grand Guignol theatre, which shocked audiences with grotesque sights of blood and gore. The confrontational form of entertainment was further exploited throughout the 1950s and ‘60s, and continues to be a major drawcard for audiences, as proven with movie series like Hostel , The Human Centipede , and Saw .

”They’re some of the most intense moments in cinema history,” says Stabley. ”We really revelled in the idea of taking from Mexican culture, and some ideas from torturing devices that were part of the Spanish Inquisition, and medieval times. And we

fun creating these diabolical things. The devices in Saw X show no mercy,” he adds with amusement.

tested each of these traps at least five to six times,” he reveals,

Tobin Bell has played the terminally ill serial killer John Kramer since the first film back in 2004, and with each instalment

assuring us that no cast or crew were harmed in the process. ”We wanted to ensure that the actors were safe.” There’s a common

finding clever ways to bring him back,

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