From the reverse bear trap to the needle pit to the shotgun carousel and every brutal, bloody invention in between, few franchises are responsible for as much modern genre iconography as Saw, James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s claustrophobic horror classic.
Soaring beyond the confines of its modest budget, the first film permanently altered the landscape of horror in 2000s, and in celebration of its 20th anniversary, Saw is (finally) heading back to theaters.
Starring Cary Elwes, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell, and a (then-unknown) Leigh Whannell, Saw follows a pair of unsuspecting strangers, Adam (Whannell) and Lawrence (Elwes), who wake up in a grimy bathroom, chained to a rusty pipe. With nothing but a dead body and a couple of old hacksaws between them, Adam and Lawrence’s plight quickly becomes a twisted, desperate bout for survival, and the genesis of a franchise now 10 films strong (and still kicking).
For the past two decades, the release of a new Saw installment has been a seasonal staple (having first hacked is way into theaters on October 29, 2004), so it’s only fitting that the franchise will return to cinemas just days before its birthday (and Halloween). Beyond being just an anniversary screening, though, Fathom’s two-night Saw event will also mark the first time that Saw unrated has been shown in theaters—the film’s first theatrical run was an R-rated one that trimmed eight seconds of extra gore.
In addition to being the first time the unrated cut of Saw has gotten a widespread theatrical release, the Saw 20th Anniversary event will also feature another treat for pigheads: a new introduction from franchise mainstay Tobin Bell, a.k.a. John Kramer/Jigsaw. According to the fathom events website, the bonus content features Bell “discussing SAW fandom and his iconic performance as John Kramer.”
Though it’s unfortunate that there won’t be a new Saw movie hitting theaters on the 20th anniversary of the franchise’s inception (Kevin Greutert’s Saw XI was originally slated for a September 2024 release before being pushed to 2025), this Fathom event is just the latest in a series of celebrations honoring the original Saw. Beyond Fest recently announced Whannell, Elwes, and Bell would reunite with producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg for a 20th anniversary Q&A, while Saw: The Unauthorized Parody Musical continues its national tour—it’s safe to say that Jigsaw has no shortage of devotees.
If you’re brave enough to play the game, tickets to the 20th anniversary rerelease of Saw unrated are on sale now via Fathom‘s website.
Published: Sep 20, 2024 04:57 pm