News

Face Off: Jigsaw vs. John Doe

Published

9 years ago

October 30, 2014

Any horror aficionado has their favorite villains. Whether you connect to them on a personal level, love the level of gore they bring to the screen, or appreciate the ingenious ways they dispatch their victims, almost any horror fan has, at one point or another, gone to bat for who they think is the best at being bad.

Freddy vs. Jason, Carpenter Myers vs. Zombie Myers, we’ve all had those late night disputes among friends before. I’m just here to put it in writing, and offer a few new pairings to debate. Today, I propose we all engage in a little introspection while we take a look at two men who turn into monsters when they’re made to face the darkness in humanity. Would they disapprove of how you life your life?

John Doe (Se7en) Vs. Jigsaw (Saw)

John Doe

Status: Deceased

Number of victims: 4 (although there were 7 deadly sins, ‘Sloth’ did not die, ‘Pride’ committed suicide, and ‘Envy’ was Doe himself, killed by Agent Mills. Yes, technically Mills was not wearing the contraption that caused Lust’s death, but as with the rest of the deaths, there was always the threat of death if his orders were not obeyed. Someone, one way or another, was going to die).

Motive: Extracting payment for sins

Signature: Each victim’s death is directly related to the deadly sin of which they’re guilty

Best quote: “We are not what was intended.”

Backstory: Not much is known about John Doe, other than the fact that he’s at least somewhat Biblically-minded, relatively intelligent, and was planning his murders for at least a year (Sloth was confined for that length of time).

Sexy factor: Meh. No one’s dressing up as John Doe for Halloween, I can tell you that.

Ingenuity: The clues John Doe left were much more inspired than the murders themselves.

Movies: 1

Final thought: John Doe was so completely invested in his concept that he orchestrated his “masterpiece” with his own death in mind! If that’s not commitment, what is? However, in a city plagued by crime and violence, a mere handful of connected murders is hardly a blip on the radar.

Jigsaw

Status: Deceased

Number of victims: 0 (Jigsaw gives everyone a chance to walk away alive, and has technically never actually killed anyone, although that probably wouldn’t get him far in court. The few inescapable traps were created by Amanda or Hoffman).

Motive: Testing unwilling participants’ will to live, and presenting a new appreciation for life to survivors through traps and torments built around each victims personal deficit.

Signature: Those who fell victim to Jigsaw’s games had a puzzle piece shaped piece of flesh removed, to symbolize they were missing survival instincts.

Best quote: “I want to play a game.”

Backstory: After his wife suffers a miscarriage, Jigsaw loses his happy thoughts and the couple divorces. After being diagnosed with cancer, Jigsaw (at this point only known as John Kramer) attempts suicide, and upon realizing he has survived his attempt, decides to spread an appreciation for life among those who most take it for granted in perhaps the most absolute twisted way possible.

Sexy factor: Perhaps recognizable most by his red and black robes, Jigsaw isn’t much of a remarkable figure. Billy the Puppet has more sizzle than Jigsaw himself.

Ingenuity: No one can argue that Jigsaw’s traps are some of the most physically and mentally damaging out there, and the level of creativity is definitely unmatched.

Movies: 7

Final thought: Jigsaw had a noble, if not horrifying, goal, but ultimately died with his closest mentee, Amanda, abandoning his vision. As Amanda was Jigsaw’s shining star, so to speak, his example proving his methods worked, her admission of disbelief means Jigsaw’s work was essentially for nothing. We got some sickening scenes out of it, though, so who really cares?

The Winner

Although Jigsaw is more well known, has more movies, and even had his own disciples, this isn’t a popularity contest. Jigsaw died a broken, sad man, whereas Doe’s death was the final touch he needed. If John Doe and Jigsaw faced off, it’s pretty clear that John Doe would walk away victorious. Mercy isn’t an option with him, as he proved when he killed Mills’ wife even as she begged for the life of her unborn child. Jigsaw, however, always leaves his victims in charge of their own fate. Doe is a man who willingly skinned his own fingers. He would stand a solid chance at beating Jigsaw’s game…if he chose to play.

Let me know who you’d like to see paired up next time, and of course, have a positively horrifying Halloween!

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Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

10 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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Movies

‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

12 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

^{Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott}

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

_{Great Movie Ride}

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

_{Alien Romulus}

^{Alien (1979)}

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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News

Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

13 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.