Connect with us

News

How the Original Mad Max Inspired the Entire Saw Franchise

Published

on

This weekend marks the hotly-anticipated release of Mad Max: Fury Road, which promises to be THE action event of the year. It’s the fourth installment in George Miller’s Aussie franchise, which kicked off way back in 1979 with Mel Gibson and Mad Max.

Gibson played policeman Max Rockatansky in the classic film, who sets out to avenge the murder of his young son – and maiming of his wife. At the end of the film he finally catches up with one of the men responsible, and oh boy does he get his revenge.

After running him off the road, Max shackles the man’s leg to his wrecked car, which is leaking gasoline. He sparks a flame nearby and hands the man a hacksaw, telling him that he won’t have time to cut through the chain and escape the impending explosion – but if he’s lucky, he can cut through his foot in time.

mamax

It’s a totally badass moment that reflects just how ‘mad’ Max has become, in the wake of the biker gang’s attack on his wife and son. And it’s also a moment that directly led to the creation of one of the most popular horror franchises of all time.

Saw creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan, who both spent their childhoods in Australia (Whannell was born there, while Wan moved there), are big fans of the Mad Max franchise, and it was the crude trap that Max set at the end of the original film that they credit for inspiring Saw.

Of course, Saw is a franchise entirely based on traps designed to test the human will to survive, but it’s in the first film that the inspiration is clear. The two main characters are shackled to pipes in a bathroom, by their feet, and in one highly memorable moment they realize that the villain provided hacksaws so that they could cut through their feet – rather than the chains.

So while you’re enjoying Mad Max: Fury Road this weekend, be sure to thank series creator George Miller for inspiring the Saw franchise – or curse him for it, if those movies weren’t quite your cup of tea. Either way, we’re pretty sure you’re going to LOVE Fury Road!

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

on

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.” 

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

on

Scooby Doo Live Action Netflix

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Scooby-Doo

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

on

The Deadly Getaway

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway
The Deadly Getaway

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading