12A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 1, 2004 ARTS 4 Grisly 'SAW' provides Halloween horror By Ian Dickinson Daily Arts Writer By transcending the fears of the everyday, James Wan, director of the new psychological horror film "SAW," delivers a horrifying look at the world of a sadistic serial killer. The unconventional thriller delves into terri- tory beyond the scope of similar films ("Se7en," "Silence of the Lambs") and manages to cre- SAW At Showcase and Quality 16 Lions Gate Films ate an environ- ment that is both physically brutal and psychologically unnerving. Starring Cary Elwes ("The Prin- cess Bride") and Leigh Whannell ("The Matrix: Reloaded") as two strangers held against their will in a restroom by the mysterious Jig- saw Killer, who kidnaps his victims and forces them to kill or be killed, "SAW" explains the killer's his- tory through a complicated series of flashbacks. As a film, "SAW" has its faults, including relatively poor acting that features Danny Glover as a stereo- typical black detective, a role which already seemed hackneyed when he co-starred in "Lethal Weapon" 17 years ago. Nor are the characters particularly well-developed. Elwes and Whannell's characters' back- grounds aren't fully made available until the final third of the movie, which makes for a confusing and cluttered finale. As a vehicle of the horror genre, however, "SAW" is haunting. It pro- vokes in the viewer everything a hor- ror movie should. The film exudes suffering and fear, while Wan man- ages to synthesize disturbing atmo- spherics with action and gore. Even when the film is focused on the imagery of a grisly murder, Wan provokes anxiety with a regimen of tight shots and confusing effects that disorient the viewer before he is fully capable of understanding the situation, which helps make the film more frightening. Wan's ability to manage two dis- tinct plot lines is also admirable. While keeping the viewer focused on the events unfolding in the archa- ic urban bathroom now functioning as a veritable dungeon, flashbacks are used to explore the history of the killer and the quest to apprehend him. "SAW's" most frightening moments occur when the film goes back to old crime scenes inspected by Glover. Wan, for every crime scene, reenacts what happened in dizzying and mortifying sequences as heavy on visual effects as they are on blood. "SAW" differs from influences such as "Se7en" and "Silence of the Lambs" in its focus. While other thrillers overdevelop the apprehen- sion theme and the crime drama, Wan centers on the murders them- selves. The police investigations in "SAW" are all conduits for more horror, rather than breaks from action. There are absolutely no lulls in "SAW" that give the viewer a brief respite. Rather, the film is a relentless onslaught of sadism with- out pause. For all its gore, though, the film attempts to be intelligent and multi- faceted. Well-made though it is, "SAW" also tries to give the kill- ings a philosophical legitimacy. The Jigsaw Killer, as he is explained in the film, targets society's "weak," for a sort of nihilistic subplot. It's relatively hit-or-miss but provides a refreshing twist on the genre. The film also has a game theme to it compelling the viewer to discover the killer's identity. Comprehen- sive investigation scenes, like those employed in most films of the genre, are redundant because the audience is already running through the clues in its collective mind. The use of the game aspect and the philosophical undertones add extra dimensions to the film. "SAW" does have its flaws, but thanks to Wan's directorial innova- Beautiful Girls have little to say on 'Learn' Oh, I get it. They're trying to be IRONIC. By Jacob Nathan For the Daily With their first full-length album, Learn Yourself; the Australian-based Beautiful Girls show why they should not record a second. This album is a melting pot of mediocre rap, reggae, roots and funk. Despite a few instances of pretty instrumentation Beautiful and pleasing har- Girls monies, this album Learn Yourself has nothing new San Dumo to offer. The lyr- ics, while attempt- ing to be deep and thought-provoking, prove to be shallow and meaningless. Derivative and trite do not begin to describe this uninteresting album. Through seeking to capture what made Jack Johnson - who is thanked in the liner notes - remotely interesting for a short while, the Beautiful Girls have failed dismally, and demonstrated that even on their debut, their sound is stale and exhausted. The songs on the album that feature rapping are laughably bad. This band is incapable of producing rap that would allow the listener to take them seriously, as they cannot escape goofy inflections and nasal delivery. The poor acoustic. guitar progressions in the background do not help their cause. The rhythm is uninspired and choppy, thus making the songs difficult to listen to. This is most noticeable on the tragic "Music," on which lead singer Matt McHugh ironi- cally repeats the line, "I got music / And it makes me feel alright ... I got music / And it takes away the pain." It remains to be seen if this music will do anything but the opposite of those bold claims. On a few songs, when the band real- '.44. 4w44 44 ,,. 14 . 4 I I'm STILL too old for this shit. tion and a superb ending, the film ranks as one of the scariest horror films of the last 10 years. It's a film that tests the limits of decency to an extent that makes it almost evil, which in this case is wonderful. izes they aren't Public Enemy,.there is room for hope. The one bright spot is the song "La Mar (The Ocean)," which reveals that given the right material, McHugh's voice can transcend the medi- ocrity of Beautiful Girls's weak genre. The bluesy background makes this song at best good, and at worst, pleasant. This small success is quickly forgot- ten, however, when the rest of the album is digested. Instead of sticking to the low-key folksy style that caters to the band's strengths, they attempt to make themselves much funkier than could ever be possible for these archetypal white surfer dudes. The song "Cash Money" represents a tremendous failure as the band tries to fuse their style with a country-western tinge. The horrendous "Black Bird" shows that this band can- not ever have anything remotely resem- bling an edge to their music. The title track, "Learn Yourself," offers pseudo- religious imagery in the lyrics mixed with high-school-level philosophical meanderings. Despite their best efforts to produce something original and valuable, Beau- tiful Girls have succeeded in doing exactly the opposite. The songs are muddy and indistinguishable, with the whole project lacking focus and direc- tion. 'SAW' filmmakers discuss art of fright I e.. 5... ...... DS..i.-- By Linasey Bieber Daily Arts Writer How do two 27-year-old Aussies with no profes- sional experience write and direct their own movie with A-list actors and the support of a Hollywood studio? They make a low-budget indie film centered on a one room set in an abandoned warehouse. And, of course, a little bit of sweat, talent and luck helped, too. Director James Wan and writer/actor Leigh Whannel met at film school, the Melbourne Insti- tute of Technology, where they became friends. The inspiration for "SAW," their debut script, emerged from a combination of childhood nightmares and the lack of money necessary for a film with more than the few sets in the film and fuller complement of actors. They first tried to get the movie produced in Aus- tralia but were turned down. "It's a frustrating mix- ture of luck, timing and all this other stuff when it comes to somebody giving you money," Whannel remarked with his crisp accent. Their dedication to the script finally paid off when the two showed the only clip of the movie they had previously filmed to Lions Gate Films in Los Angeles. They gained the studio's interest and after showing them the first rough cut, the deal was signed. The directors faced a challenge in making the film frightening to modern, jaded audiences. "Our biggest fear was that it was going to turn into a comedy. When you're making a horror film, you're hoping it scares the hell out of people, not make them laugh," Whannel commented. The entire film was shot within 23 days, not allowing for any down time on the set. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," explained Wan. He said that it was a bit intimidating to work with actors such as Danny Glover, Cary Elwes and Monica Potter as a first-time director, but the stress of making the movie left him with no time to feel uncomfortable. Whannel still sees the difficulty of a horror- themed film standing the test of time. "A success- ful movie is one that resonates with audiences without being corny. Video stores are wastelands of forgotten films; dinosaur remains. A select few get remembered and you watch the films that get remembered, so I guess a successful film is one that does not get forgotten." Whannel is still reluctant to admit to his celebrity status. "You'll have to ask somebody that's famous," he comments. "It is cool to be on the other side for a change though." I V, WN a 4 THIS WEEK IN DAILY ARTS HISTORY Courtesy of Lions Gate Films Conditions worsen at the Frieze Building . Whannel knows how it feels to be in the public eye in Australia because he hosted TV shows in ear- lier years, but this will be all new for Wan. After a sneak preview in Birmingham in early October, the bouncers at the Blue Martini wouldn't let the filmmakers in the bar because of their jeans. Maybe after the nationwide premiere of "SAW," Whannel and Wan will start to be recognized. "IF U2 WERE ANY MORE FRIENDLY WITH THE AUDIENCE, THEY'D BE SITTING ON ITS LAP - OH, WAIT A MINUTE, I THINK BONo DID DO THAT DURING ONE SONG." - FROM THE DAILY'S REVIEW OF THE U2 CONCERT AT THE PONTIAC SILVERDOME PUBLISHED ON Nov. 3, 1997 4 I I U MMMMM9 It's time to support students, parents and teachers! Make a difference....please cast your vote for... Peter Ponzetti State Board of Education Pro-Union Employees - Pro-Affirmative Action - Pro-Public Education WWWVOTEPETE2004.TI( Paid for by Peter Ponzetti for State Board of Education This is a paid advertisement. The Draft Both John Kerry and President Bush claim that they will not reinstitute the draft. The question must be asked: Which president could be forced to reinstate it. It is no secret that John Kerry has always been despised by at least 80% of Vietnam Vets. That figure comes from polls being conducted by various veterans' organizations. The contempt is a result of the 1971 false testimony that Kerry gave in front of Congress when he testified that we routinely committed rape, torture and other atrocities while serving in Vietnam. 0 $ Co ns 9m C: 04"4 $10 Rush Tickets on sale 9 am- 5 pm the day of the performance or the Friday before a weekend event at the UMS Ticket Office, located in the Michigan League. 50% Rush Tickets on sale begin- ning 90 minutes before the event at the performance hall Ticket Office. , '', I R .. ASTHNMA\ RESEARCH STUDY 4 All,4 '4. 4 y~.~ .R 4 4.. 4. 0~ Le Concert Spirituel Herv6 Niquet, music director THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 8 PM St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church ALL-HARPENTIER PROGRAM Messe de Monsieur de Mauroy Marche pour les trompettes Te Deum Doctors in the area are conducting a research study to test the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication in the treatment of asthma. You may be eligible for the study if: * You are at least 18 years old " You are generally healthy with the diagnosis of persistent asthma " You can manage your asthma symptoms safely with regular use of albuterol only " You have not been a smoker within the past year " Study-related assessments, albuterol inhalers, and investigational medication at no charge. Kopemuan Uuartet FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 8 PM Rackham Auditorium a