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Saw IV

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Saw IV
Final theatrical release poster
Directed byDarren Lynn Bousman
Written byStory:
Marcus Dunstan
Screenplay:
Marcus Dunstan
Patrick Melton
Produced byLeigh Whannell
James Wan
StarringTobin Bell
Scott Patterson
Shawnee Smith
Lyriq Bent
Costas Mandylor
Betsy Russell
Justin Louis
CinematographyDavid Armstrong
Edited byKevin Greutert
Music byCharlie Clouser
Distributed byLionsgate
Running time
108 minutes[1]
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 Million (Approx.)[2]

Saw IV is the the fourth installment in the popular Saw horror film series, which was released in the United States on October 26, 2007. The fourth film's release date follows the series' tradition that the films be released the Friday before Halloween of each year. This installment continues the story of the Jigsaw Killer, and his obsession with teaching people the value of their own lives. Even though Jigsaw died in the last installment Saw III, this film focuses on his ability to manipulate people into continuing his work. Saw IV was directed by Saw II and Saw III director Darren Lynn Bousman, alongside with co-creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell returning as executive producers.[4] Unlike the previous three films, Saw IV was not written by Wan or Whannel.

Plot Synopsis

The film opens with the autopsy of the deceased Jigsaw Killer, John Kramer, who was killed in the ending climax of Saw III. During the operation, a wax-coated audio cassette is found in Jigsaw's stomach. Detective Hoffman is called to the scene, where he plays the tape, which states that although Jigsaw is dead, "the games have just begun".

The scene changes to two men awakening in a mausoleum, finding themselves in one of Jigsaw's pre-arranged "games". One man has been rendered blind, his eyes sewn shut, whilst the other is mute, his lips sewn together. In a desperate attempt to escape, the mute man kills the panicking blind man, takes a key from the blind man's neck, and frees himself, though, as he begins screaming in terror, the stitches tear free, and blood pours from his mouth.

The police, meanwhile, have discovered the remains of Detective Kerry, who was killed in one of the traps of Jigsaw's apprentice, Amanda Young, in Saw III. Sergeant Rigg, distraught at the find, leaves the scene as FBI Agents Perez and Strahm arrive and begin investigating.

That night, Rigg is attacked in his home and left unconscious, awakening to a series of interconnected tests that have been pre-arranged, the first of which taking place in his own home. Rigg struggles to free a woman named Brenda from the deadly device, though his tape suggests that he allow her to die. After saving Brenda's life, she returns the favor by attempting to kill Rigg, who is forced to subdue her. He later learns that she was under the impression that Rigg was there to arrest her for prostitution.

Finding clues to the next phase of the game, Rigg travels to a hotel and uses a key supplied by Jigsaw to gain access to a room that contains his next instruction. Rigg captures the next victim, Ivan, and moves him to another room which contains a vice that Rigg is instructed to place Ivan's head in. Surrounding by photos and video evidence of Ivan's sordid past as a rapist, an enraged Rigg decides to follow Jigsaw's advice and forces Ivan in the trap, who fails to complete it and has his arms and legs severed.

We are then shown a flashback of Rigg's past, before he became a member of SWAT, dealing with the apparent beating of a child by her father. Unable to confess the crime to Rigg, they were forced to let the man go, but not before his comments instigated Rigg to assault the girl's father. Rigg escaped prosecution, thanks to his underhanded lawyer, Art Blanc, who we recognize as the mute man from the first trap of the movie.

The FBI raid Rigg's home, believing that he may be connected to Jigsaw. There they find that Brenda has died from her injuries. The evidence there leads them to suspect Rigg and also helps them to discover Jill, Jigsaw's ex-wife, as a possible source of information about the recent traps.

Meanwhile, Rigg enters the now derelict school where the dreaded event took place, finding the deceased abusive father and his wife, chained together with a single spike piercing their body. A flashback shows the woman being instructed to escape her abusive relationship by removing the spikes from her body while simultaneously killing her husband. However, she is unable to remove the final spike do to the wounds inflicted by previous spikes. Instructed by Jigsaw that Rigg must stand aside and allow her to complete her own test, Rigg hands her a key which will unlock her from her shackles but tells her that she must remove the final spike herself as he follows his next clue but not before pulling the fire alarm so as to alert the authorities.

As the FBI and police investigate the crime scene, an accident with the now-completed trap occurs, spearing the forensic photographer through the neck and killing her. Frustrated and disgusted, Perez and Strahm search the school further, finding Jigsaw's puppet, Billy, and a tape addressed to themselves. Perez is told that Strahm is "about to kill an innocent man" and that "her next step is crucial". Peering closer to investigate a sound, the puppets face explodes sending schrapnel into Perez's face and revealing a camera hidden in the puppets skull.

Desperate, Strahm attempts to illicit information from Jill. Flashbacks reveal that Jill lost her and John's baby due to the inadvertent actions of a drug addict named Cecil. John was sitting outside of the clinic where Jill worked, waiting to pick up Jill, where he was solicited for sex by Addison, whom he would later place in a trap in Saw II. Noticing Cecil running from a scene where he has accidentally slammed a door into Jill, John investigates, finding Jill wounded, and carries her to the hospital. The baby is lost and John is visibly distraught.

John became obsessed with the idea that only the victim can change themselves and began developing traps to test subjects. Jill, having healed from her assault, came home to find John with Art Blanc, discussing a project that they were partners in. John showed no interest, still consumed with his loss and told them both to leave. He tracked and abducted Cecil, then placed him in the first trap he constructed. There, John explained to Cecil that the purpose of the trap was to make Cecil "as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside". Cecil escaped from the trap, at the cost of severely mutilating his face. John, unwaving, then goaded Cecil to assault him; Cecil lunged at John, who side-stepped the attempt, causing Cecil to throw himself into a pile of razor wire. John then left Cecil to die.

Moving back to current time, Rigg has followed his clue to the factory that the events of Saw III took place in, with Agent Strahm on his curtails using information obtained from Jill. As Rigg and Strahm move through the facility, we see Jeff, the protagonist of Saw III, working his way through the building. Strahm follows the noise that Jeff is making, leading him away from Rigg, while Rigg finds a door that will lead him to his final test.

Detective Matthews, Detective Hoffman, and Art Blanc reside on the other side of the door, each involved in a test. Matthews is revealed to have been held prisoner by Jigsaw for six months, given an iron cast to compensate for his shattered leg. Art has been instructed that once the time for the test is up, he can activate a switch which will free them all. Part of the test requires him to give Matthews a revolver with a single bullet. Each subject discovers, however, that if someone enters the main door, they will trigger another trap which will instantly kill Detective Matthews. An exhausted Rigg lunges at the door, smashing through it as Matthews shoots him in a vain attempt to stop him. The trap is activated and Detective Matthews is killed, his head crushed. Rigg shoots Art, believing him to be Jigsaw's accomplice, fatally wounding him. Rigg is told that he has failed his test; his obsession to save others has inadvertently led to their deaths. Rigg had been warned by superiors on at least two occassions not to open unsecured doors, which he did once more causing Matthews death. Had he simply allowed time to run out and not saved them, they would have been safe from harm and released from their traps.

Meanwhile, Strahm follows Jeff into a sealed room where he finds Jeff and the bodies of Lynn, Amanda, and Jigsaw. As Jeff waves his weapon in a threatening manner, demanding to know the location of his daughter, Strahm kills him in defense.

As Rigg lies wounded on the floor, Hoffman releases himself from his trap, revealing that he is involved in the game, a new Jigsaw apprentice. He leaves Rigg to die, stating "Game Over," before sealing Strahm inside his room.

It is then revealed that the events of Saw IV have run concurrently to those of Saw III, with Strahm intercepting Jeff just after the deaths of Jigsaw, Amanda and Doctor Lynn. The autopsy scene that occured at the beginning of the film is shown again, revealing it to have occured after the events of the film and not before. As the tape found in Jigsaw's stomach is played again, Detective Hoffman is told that Jigsaw's games have only just begun.

Cast

Cast Character
Tobin Bell John Kramer / Jigsaw
Costas Mandylor Forensic Hoffman
Scott Patterson Agent Strahm
Betsy Russell Jill
Lyriq Bent Sergeant Rigg
Athena Karkanis Agent Perez
Justin Louis Art Blanc
Simon Reynolds Lamanna
Donnie Wahlberg Detective Eric Matthews
Angus Macfadyen Jeff Reinhart
Shawnee Smith Amanda Young
Bahar Soomekh Lynn Denlon
Dina Meyer Detective Kerry
Mike Realba Fisk
Marty Adams Ivan
Sarain Boylan Brenda
Billy Otis Cecil
James Van Patten Dr. Heffner
Ingrid Hart Tracy
Janet Land Morgan
Emmanuelle Vaugier Addison

Production

There were rumors about who was writing the script for Saw IV, including Patrick Melton.[5] On a news article on the same rumor site, an actual writer was revealed, Thomas Fenton.[6] There was also a hunt for the director of Saw IV before it was officially stated that Darren Lynn Bousman should direct the fourth installment. Two of the rumored directors were David Moreau and Xavier Palud.[7] It has been stated that 90% of the crew from the last movie will be back.[8]

On the official Saw fan page, director Bousman says: "Scott Patterson, the first day he shows up, he says, ‘I’m going to do something a little different here.’ And I’m like, ‘Alright.’ We yell ‘action’ and all of a sudden he started improvising and it was gold. It was like the best stuff I’d ever seen and he’s insane."[8]

Production offices opened on February 12 to begin the pre-production period. The filming of Saw IV began on April 16, 2007[9] and continued for 6 weeks.[10] The filming location for the horror film was Toronto, Canada,[11] the same place both Saw II[12] and Saw III[13] were filmed. Post-production period began on May 19th.[14]

Shooting for the film ended on May 30, 2007.[8] In an interview with Darren Lynn Bousman, he stated that the last work on Saw IV will happen in August to be able to have prints made.[2]

At Comic Con 2007 it was revealed that the MPAA had given the film an NC-17 rating for extreme graphic violence, mayhem, pervasive terror, and bloody torture. They would have to figure out whether or not to cut the film to achieve an R rating or release it as an NC-17 film.[15]

Lionsgate has teamed with the American Red Cross for the annual Saw IV Blood Drive.[16] Since the first Saw blood drive in 2004, Saw film-goers have donated nearly 38,000 pints of blood to help save as many as 112,500 lives. Collection totals have doubled year after year resulting in tens of thousands of lifesaving blood transfusions.

On August 30, 2007, it was announced that the film was officially rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture throughout, and for language. This was clarified by the new poster (which can be seen at the top of this page), www.ropeofsilicon.com, and numerous other websites.

On August 31, 2007, the official trailer was placed on Yahoo Movies. [17] At the same date, the official website for Saw IV was launched.

Videos of Jigsaw's puppet Billy were posted on Youtube, Myspace, Bloody-disgusting, Fearnet and ComingSoon.Net promoting the film.[18] An additional one was uploaded on Break.com.[19] Another one has also been seen at Yahoo.com.

Plot Production

As early as February 2007, the series creator/producer Leigh Whannell was reported to have stated that "many unanswered questions from Saw III will be answered, such as the tape Jigsaw pours wax over, Obi's connection to Jigsaw, among other things."[20] Rumours of Lyriq Bent's return as Rigg had been confirmed in April by director Darren Lynn Bousman.[21] Two other lead characters have been confirmed to be female, and the film itself is described as having more "character stuff" than Saw II after most of the original characters being killed in Saw III.[22][23]

File:Saw4clip061907.jpg

This file may be deleted after Tuesday, 30 October 2007.

Bousman has hinted that his blog on FearNet contains a clue on the film's plot in the form of a double entendre, and confirmed that his dog Chance would make a cameo in the film.[24] A post dated April 12 indicated that he would be using rats in a trap, while a post on the 16th stated that James Wan had actually been disgusted by some of his concept art.[25][26] Disgust with the film's content was reportedly widespread among its crew, with Bousman himself claiming to have regurgitated in the face of one scene.[25][8]

Several independent sources have reported that the film will pick up from the ending of Saw III with Jeff Reinhart attempting to find his daughter.[2][27] In an interview in June, Bousman specifically denied these reports to be true, and described the plot of the film as having "four different story lines going on."[23] He also indicated the first 20 minutes will contain extreme gore, enough that it might create a reaction from the MPAA board.[28] In another interview, he stated that Saw IV will be like a combination of all three movies, mostly the first and the second, also stating that the fourth film will help people better to understand the Saw series, while still being an independent film that can be understood if viewed first over any of the previous films.[2][23]

Tobin Bell has stated on the role of his character, the Jigsaw Killer, "You find out why I'm back in the very first scene" and his appearance in Saw IV will be connected to a "tremendous ending".[28][29] He will also be dealing with one of the two characters Perez and Straum, with the character in question being described as "one of the disenfranchised of the world" and in contrast to the "extremely educated" Jigsaw, he "hasn't had anything."[29] Another interview with Bell named one of the characters who would die in a trap as "Cecil."[30] Mark Burg confirmed in yet another interview that Jigsaw had indeed been killed off in Saw III and his role will be neither a ghost nor confined to flashbacks, while his practice of cutting a jigsaw piece in his failed victims will be further explored.[22]

File:Saw-iv-20070725052305279.jpg
The second released promotional shot from Saw IV, depicting one of the tests.

Official statements have revealed that the film will explore several plot elements relating to the character Amanda Young, who was also confirmed by Burg to be dead, including the upsetting contents of an envelope she saw and the man she killed in the first film. Amanda's portrayer Shawnee Smith was not on set during filming, however, so any appearance from her will likely be confined to flashbacks.[22][31] An article on Rotten Tomatoes has stated that Donnie Wahlberg is set to return as Detective Eric Matthews, although the actor is upset his character was not killed off in Saw III as originally planned.[32]

A clip of the film was released at the Comic-Con International 2007, revealing one of the "traps", as well as revealing the NC-17 rating given by the MPAA.[33] According to the interviews with the producers and directors, they had originally wanted to show the first 5 minutes of the film, but it was turned down by the CCI, so they chose instead to launch the trap clip. After the NC-17 rating was given, it was later released that they cut the film down further to receive the desired R rating.[34] The clip was later posted on the official Saw fan club web page with Lionsgate watermarks.

Three new stills have recently been released. The first is of a man in a chair, with knives wedged against his face. The second is a screenshot of the aforementioned clip, and the third is of Jigsaw's ex-wife, Jill,[3] screaming. All of which have been put on the Official Saw fan page.

The official teaser trailer was first released on August 31, 2007 to Yahoo! Movies.[35]

On September 11, 2007, Fearnet released an exclusive video titled "Autopsy". The autopsy taking place in the clip was none other than Jigsaw himself; as doctors cut open Jigsaw, a tape is discovered in his stomach. The words "WHAT THE FUCK IS ON THE TAPE?" appear on screen, and when Forensic Hoffman plays the tape, Jigsaw's voice states that his 'games' have only just begun. The video was promptly taken down the same day; but, it is now available to view on The Official Saw Fan Club, and saw4.com.

On September 19, 2007, a new video was released on saw4.com entitled "W.T.H. IS ON THE TAPE?" It is an edited version of the "Autopsy" scene with much of the gore edited out. Instead of the words "WHAT THE FUCK IS ON THE TAPE" appearing, the words "WHAT THE HELL IS ON THE TAPE" is shown instead, for TV friendly promotional purposes.

On September 28, 2007, 6 new images were released on The Official Saw Fan Club which shows:

  • Darren Lynn Bousman on one of the sets of Saw IV
  • A man in a room standing on a block of ice, and a chair with straps on it is also in the room.
  • Detective Matthews being dragged by a hooded figure.
  • The blind man from the Blind & Mute Trap.
  • From a flashback segment of the film, Jigsaw with his then-wife Jill.
  • A man in a box in his underwear surrounded by ice cubes (which has since been removed per Lionsgate's request).

Recently TV trailers for Saw IV have shown brief clips of Billy on a television screen, laughing and saying "Hello". A new trailer was also released, showing more flashes of things from the movie, including a wider shot of Cecil, the knife chair victim.

As early as October 12, a video of the "Knife Chair" trap has appeared on ign.com, showing Jigsaw talking with Cecil and explaining the rules of his game. It then goes on to show Cecil struggling with his trap, and various clips from previous trailers.

As early as the week of October 15th Saw4.com contained a secret clip that was unlockable by clicking on the numbers 1026 in the password box here. The clip shows Billy the Puppet explaining one of his "games" to Rigg.

On October 19, a new clip was released, showing Jill leaving her workplace. Cecil runs in with a knife and proceeds through the double doors of the clinic where Jill worked. Jill leans next to the wall and looks through the window in the door, and Cecil rams the door at that time. Jill was heavily pregnant, and the door hit her stomach. This caused Jill's baby to die, while John was outside waiting for her at that time.

On October 22, new clips were released on both Myspace and Youtube, showing Billy on a television screen talking about the film first weekend as it was referred as "Saw Weekend" as also a new trailer of the film was released. It also showed a scene from the first film when Adam and Dr. Gordon discover that the saws were there to cut their own feet. The following day, a Second Version of the "Saw Weekend" video was released onto MySpace showing the scene from Saw II when Amanda plays the tape for everyone. The day before theatrical release, the Third Version of the "Saw Weekend" video, it shows Detective Kerry, in Saw III, at home, as soon as the TV switched to a camera's point of view from her closet, Hoffman crept up from behind and kidnapped her.

Release dates

Sequels: Saw V & VI

Costas Mandylor has signed up for the next two installments in the horror franchise along with main character; Jigsaw, portrayed by Tobin Bell.[36]

It was confirmed through multiple sources that David Hackl, the production designer for Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV and second unit director for Saw III and Saw IV has officially been attached to direct both Saw V and Saw VI.[3]

The writers of Saw IV, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, will be writing Saw V and Saw VI.

References

  1. ^ "Saw IV - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  2. ^ a b c d e Darren Lynn Bousman Interview, SAW 4. Movies Online. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  3. ^ a b SAW V and SAW VI Director Already Signed!
  4. ^ Bousman Returns to Direct Saw IV. ComingSoon.net, 2007-02-20. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  5. ^ Yet Another 'Saw IV' Writer Revealed!Bloody-disgusting retrieved 2006-11-12
  6. ^ Actual writer for Saw IV revealed
  7. ^ Rumors about who to direct Saw IV
  8. ^ a b c d Saw 4 News. The Official SAW Website and Fan Club. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
  9. ^ Date set for filming
  10. ^ Production offices open Feb, 12th and filming set to last just 3 months
  11. ^ Location set for the filming of Saw IV
  12. ^ Saw II filming location MovieWeb retrieved 2005-27-10.
  13. ^ Saw III filming location Movieweb retrieved 2006-04-17.
  14. ^ IMDb post-production period
  15. ^ Saw IV Too Much for Comic-Con Retrieved on 2007-08-07
  16. ^ [1]Saw IV Blood Drive
  17. ^ [2]Saw IV Trailer
  18. ^ Jigsaw Takes Over The Web, New Video Teases Puzzle!Bloody-Disgusting.com retrieved 2007-10-04
  19. ^ Code Unlocked, Jigsaw Shows You What He Sees...Bloody-Disgusting.com retrieved 2007-10-13
  20. ^ 'Saw 4' to Begin Shooting in April, Whannell Speaks! Bloody-Disgusting.com, 2007-02-18. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
  21. ^ Walkuski, Eric. Saw IV gets Bent! Arrow in the Head News, 2007-04-10. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  22. ^ a b c 'Saw IV' Masterminds Piece Together Jigsaw's Puzzling Return. MTV.com, 2007-06-13. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
  23. ^ a b c 'Saw IV' Director Talks Sequel, MPAA, Twists and Traps! Bloody-Disgusting.com, 2007-06-12. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  24. ^ "Darren Channels Jigsaw." Darren's Blog, FEARnet.com, 2007-04-27. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  25. ^ a b "REPO MAN!!!" Darren's Blog, FEARnet.com, 2007-04-12. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  26. ^ "Disgusting James Wan." Darren's Blog, FEARnet.com, 2007-04-16. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  27. ^ Costas Mandylor Returns For Fourth 'Saw' Film! Bloody-Disgusting.com, 2007-05-11. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
  28. ^ a b Bousman and Bell on Saw IV! ShockTillYouDrop.com, 2007-06-12. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  29. ^ a b Saw IV: Tobin Bell Talks Jigsaw, New Characters & Crazy Finale! Bloody-Disgusting.com, 2007-06-13. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
  30. ^ EXCLUSIVE: Tobin Bell's First Interview Since Completing Saw IV! MovieWeb.com, 2007-06-13. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
  31. ^ 'Saw IV' Wraps, Shawnee Update, JIGSAW! Bloody-Disgusting.com, 2007-05-31. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
  32. ^ Wahlberg Upset Over Saw IV Cameo
  33. ^ SAW 4 Gets NC17 & Comic Con Clip
  34. ^ SDCC 07: More 'Saw IV' Casting News, NC-17?!
  35. ^ Saw IV teaser trailer at Yahoo! Movies
  36. ^ Actor Signs for more Saws
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