Screen Time

Seriously. Did anyone out there really think that back in 2004, when the original “Saw” was released, that we’d be expecting “Saw IV” to hit theaters this Friday? Plus, it’s been reported that “Saw V” and “Saw VI” are on the way, making the awkward catchphrase “If it’s Halloween, it must be ‘Saw’” true, at least until 2010.

I’m no big fan of the torture movie genre, especially the “Saw” series, but I know a lot of people are. (How else could they justify making five theatrical sequels in almost as many years?) Anyway, “Saw” buffs can catch a video interview with director Darren Lynn Bousman here. Also, Movieweb just posted a long interview with star Tobin Bell, aka Jigsaw, and don’t forget about the new and gross “Saw IV” red band trailer here. It features the line “Just lean forward into the knives … with your face.” Enjoy it, but make sure you’re not having lunch while you watch it.
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Photo courtesy Lionsgate

Like action-packed, post-apocalyptic vampire movies? Then Dec. 14 is your day. That’s when “I Am Legend” hits theaters nationwide. A brand new trailer for the upcoming Will Smith flick just popped up on the Web and it features a lot more action scenes and special effects than the original teaser trailers. Watch it here.

I’m a fan of the classic horror novella by Richard Matheson, on which the movie is based, but it looks like this movie will diverge a lot from the book, which I guess had to happen. The book was really about the hero’s isolation and internal struggle. This new movie looks like it’s more about Will Smith’s struggle to be defined as an action star. Still, I have hope.
It can’t be any worse than 1964’s “The Last Man on Earth” can it? Plus, the CG vampires don’t look too bad. I’ll be at the theater Dec. 14.
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Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

I’ll say this for filmmaker George A. Romero - he’s done us all a big favor. By virtually creating the zombie genre with “Night of the Living Dead” way back in 1968, the filmmaker paved the way for great movies like “28 Days Later,” “Shaun of the Dead” plus that great “B****, get out the room!” scene in “The 40 Year Old Virgin.” But I think he should have stopped hemorrhaging fake blood and wanky scripts way back in the 70s.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s an unpopular opinion. Romero’s a “legend.” A “master of the craft.” Sure, he made some great horror movies years ago that worked as brave social commentary. Yes, he inspired some maverick filmmakers. Fine. But, did you catch his last movie, the dreadful mind-numbing wreck “Land of the Dead?” That one made it official - Romero’s knack for weaving unexpected social messages into genre movies has been successfully passed on to other, finer filmmakers. Plus, the dude really needs a good editor and a dialogue writer.

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