Laura and I went to go see Saw IV in theaters yesterday (on Halloween), as we haven't been on a date in forever and a half. Now, bear in mind that she loves the Saw movies (except for the third one), and I think differently. I enjoyed the first one just fine, but like the Scream series, they just didn't need to make any more of them.

The first flick was fine and dandy: two guys trapped in a room trying to figure out how they got there and why. The second flick was a huge rip off of the movie Cube (a highly superior film as far as I'm concerned). The third flick was a cookie-cutter sequel, trying to explain stuff that didn't need explaining and show aspects of a character who is more creepy the less you know about them. Mostly, it was a gross-out gore fest with little plot. This fourth "episode" in the Saw series is better than but not dissimilar from the third flick, further expanding upon subjects that didn't really need clarification and asking questions about things that we the audience were not aware were even questions. Mostly, it allows Hollywood to make more money and keeps horror makeup artists in the business until a movie worth working on comes down the pipeline.

I won't go into the details of the flick so as to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say that I was curious how this movie would play out because Jigsaw died in the 3rd movie (hope I didn't spoil it for anyone). Obviously, someone new has taken on the role and has been testing people - as some random character's backstory is explained and other character's loose ends are tied up (usually through dying). The ending just didn't make any sense in this flick, and without giving away the "twist" I think I can just say this: The series needs a timeline. A chronological series of events that shows what happened where and when, and why.

I'm sure that after they cap off this newly revealed killer of the Saw movies, they're reveal that Jigsaw (played masterfully by Tobin Bell) pulled a Keyser Soze on the audience and never had brain cancer and never actually died. Just wait, there's your ultimate twist right there. ;)

A comment on the trailers: It appears that M-TV music video directors are no longer content to have their work be exclusive to 2-3 minute quick-cut minis, because there's another Step Up movie coming out. Now, when I was in high school no one was able to dance like this - even if they tried. And certainly no one was trying to show off that they could dance like that if they could. Dancing has about as much street credibility as a face full of acne. So when I saw the trailer for Step Up 2: Electric Boogaloo, I instantly tasted some vomit.

This flick is so far removed from my world (and as far as I know, reality in general) that it really has no place in theaters. Sure, the fact that people can do those moves is impressive and I could never do it in a million years. I'm not saying don't make the movie, I'm saying why try to loosely fit some urban city plot around a series of music video sequences? The movie's already been made 8 times in the last 3 years, and countless times on M-TV in 2-3 minute installments. If rappers wanted to move like N-Sync, then hire their dance coreographer and learn to dance. Don't make a movie about it. Stay to your music videoes, and for the love of god don't follow in the footsteps of those before you who somehow accidently fell into directing a real movie (or what should have been a real movie, but was - in that director's hands - an abomination of celluloid).

I'm sure someone wants to see a movie like this, and that's what direct to DVD releases are for. That, and Leprechaun sequels. But I hate to see Hollywood so starved for new film (and revenue) that they can only spit out remakes or older (better) movies, remakes of TV shows, remakes of foreign flicks (like Jessican "no talent" Alba in The Eye), and crappy dance movies.

Even the comic adaptations are starting to get old with me, mostly because they're not honoring the source material (hint: Wanted isn't about a Fraternity of assassins that save the world like the movie would like you to believe, it's about a secret society of supervillains that rule the world). It's getting to the point where comic companies are even producing their own films now (ie: Iron Man) because they're no doubt sick of Hollywood's interference in their creative properties.

In summary, Hollywood sucks and I had a good time with my lady. How was your Halloween night?