[SPA]

Next week's episode, Wake at the Lake -- commercial scene and Director's Cut are up and running on the CW website

[lulu1960]

In the TV Guide for May 12-18

They highlight the final episode of Aliens as The Season's Finale

Saying that Franny plays matchmaker for Raja and arranges an elaborate date as the first season comes to a close.

Apparently TV Guide is still clueless about the fate of Aliens. CW must not have sent out the memo.

[SPA]

Originally Posted by lulu1960 (View Post) In the TV Guide for May 12-18 They highlight the final episode of Aliens as The Season's Finale Saying that Franny plays matchmaker for Raja and arranges an elaborate date as the first season comes to a close. Apparently TV Guide is still clueless about the fate of Aliens. CW must not have sent out the memo.

CW may not have sent out the memo -- but we sure got the memo, didn't we!!!

Stupid, silly, stupid, network.

Thanx for the description, Lulu.

[KbatMO]

Remember my math equation!
They gave us less than 2 weeks warning for GG, a successful show (in CW land) for 7 seasons. --> Less than 1 season of Aliens = the CW will give us about a day's notice. "So what's the problem?" { }

Season's finale, huh? No heroism at TV Guide, either. (Probably because Kristin @EW picked up the Scott scoop.)

Thanks, Lulu!

[SPA]

The Director's Cut for the last episode of Aliens is up and running on the CW website. It looks cute -- and from what I saw it didn't look like a "wrap up" of the show, but then again, did they know it was when filming the this episode.

[lulu1960]

I truly believe they did not know that the show wasn't going to last. I think if there was no writers strike they may have even done more episodes.

And I believe they thought they would get renewed.

[KbatMO]

ITA lulu. The strike been on long - and ratings were a bit higher - when the CW ordered 5 more eps. on top of the initial 13 ... so things were looking good! No reason after 18 eps. not to expect 5 more at min. Plus - a quick end of the strike (or at that point ... if the strike had been averted!) would've meant ordering those 5 more eps. pretty quickly. They had no way of knowing the strike would intervene. Plus if Aliens started to find their audience ... or at least maintained ratings ... it would've been fine. I have a conspiracy theory - not usually my style but I'm not kidding: I think that Aliens did something that's nearly impossible: sophisticated social satire in a way that's totally warm-hearted and compassionate toward "the players" ... and possibly I don't watch enough of the programs lots of other people do - but when it came to sex and teenagers (and grown-ups!) and some very "personal" issues (Rocket Man ... and Community Theater ... and this past week's ep. - for ex.!) - I don't know of another sitcom that's gone out on that much of an edge - amounting to teenage sex ed. --> I think initially the CW couldn't ignore the intellectual quality of the show - plus just say the word "Muslim" in lots of circles and people head for the hills. Raja has dark skin so they buried it among programs with mostly or all African American casts ... whose audiences are probably higher proportion of African American and black audiences vs. other programming. Then after "Chris" they tune in and see a kid dressed up like a Muslim living with a white, midwest family that - for some - evokes the term "Wonder Bread"! Aliens was the antithesis of everything else the CW broadcasts (no offense to anyone intended - I mean on the "controversy" meter!) They made NO use of the huge amount of attention the show received (relatively speaking), both with TV critics and in academia / among thinktanks, national cultural associations, etc. That's extremely rare!! So here's the conspiracy theory: I think the executives buried it on purpose. Too edgy, too potentially controversial, too smart. They couldn't handle it ... so they drove it at full speed at night in a fog through an area of the north Atlantic Ocean in winter, full of massive icebergs (i.e., just like the Titanic). They had an unsinkably intelligent, witty, well-cast, well-acted, well-written, and well-directed program ... and they sunk it!
Gee, I wonder if Leonardo diCaprio will star in the movie version? Might not be bad if he could get Scorsese to direct!
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[SPA]

Looks like this is the first news, post-production of Saw V. -- Spoilers --


Here's the link

After months of speculation, wonder, and debate, Lionsgate has finally released a brief synopsis as to what the next SAW sequel will be about. Are you ready for it? In the fifth installment of the SAW franchise, Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But when his secret is threatened, Hoffman must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends. I guess I should have warned those out there who haven't seen SAW IV about that huge freakin' spoiler regarding Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) being the 'new' Jigsaw. Then again, Lionsgate doesn't seem to care if the world knows who the killer is in SAW V, so I'm not gonna worry about it either. What leads to the mystery here? And I quote, Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. See that? 'Seemingly.' Which means there's somebody else ready to pop out of the final reel and give our minds a final ***** before the credits role. SAW V is set to star Julie Benz, Mandylor, Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Mark Rolston, Samantha Lemole, Meagan Good, Carlo Rota, Greg Bryk, and Laura Gordon. Is Benz the new killer???? I guess we'll have to wait until October 24th to find out, when SAW V hits theaters everywhere.

So it seems official, Hoffman is the new Jigsaw

[Pasadora]

Thanks for posting that, Deb. Is it October yet?

[Pasadora]

Sorry, double posting but have you seen this?

And now, kiddies, a very important message from Twisted Pictures' Mark Burg: "This movie is thematically all about cooperation, about learning to work with people, not just by yourself. You can accomplish more with a partner or a teammate in life." You'd think he was talking about some upcoming family fare. Think again. Who says there's nothing educational to glean from the Saw franchise? That's right. Burg, who has overseen every Saw film with partner Oren Koules, speaks of the latest chapter, Saw V, which is hitting theaters on October 24th. This week distributor Lionsgate held a cocktail reception where press got to mingle with the cast and crew of the latest installment. An event like this is like dining with the CIA. It's every man for himself. Everything is a secret. No one can tell you anything. Still, Shock pressed Burg, production designer-cum-director David Hackl (taking over for II - IV director Darren Bousman) and Saw V leading man Costas Mandylor (who plays Detective Hoffman) for as many details as we could get. "We first started talking to Hackl about wanting to be a director around Saw III," explains Burg with a laugh. " I'm convinced he had a couple of traps that he knew he had that he wouldn't give Darren [Bousman]. We did the deal with him to direct Saw V before we did Saw IV. So, during IV he must've had a couple of traps up his sleeve." He may be right. Hackl beams with pride when he tells us there are seven sadistic traps on display in his chapter. And if you thought the opening of IV was gruesome (Viva La Autopsy!), "Our opening is...it's something," smiles Hackl. "People turn away in the editing room when they come in and see it. Our composer, Charlie Clouser, can't even watch it." "The traps we have in this movie are simple but scary and spooky as all hell," Burg adds. "One requirement with the traps is that they have to be anything you can buy at the Home Depot." Fans can rest assured part five, written once again by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, will move the film forward rather than in a lateral direction - such as what Saw IV did. "I think we made it a little too complex," reflects Burg. "To this day I still hear people who didn't get that it happened at the same time [as part III]. Maybe we didn't do a good enough job in executing it, in all honesty. But Saw V is a little be more linear, easier to follow. We'll have two great twists at the end. My hats off to Patrick and Marcus, I don't know how they do it." "What I liked about Saw IV is that you got to see why Jigsaw went nuts," Mandylor says, exuding his appreciation for how Hoffman has evolved from a man of the law to a disciple of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell reprising his role). "In part V you get to see why I get dragged into it, why I catch [Jigsaw's] eye and why I get ****ed up. And it's a pretty good reason. All I know is that everyone dies and I live and I'm very grateful for it." In Saw V, Hoffman's allegiance to Jigsaw is threatened to be made public and the detective is forced to "eliminate all loose ends." "I get some really good heavy scenes with Tobin," the actor adds. "That was good for me because I get into his head, to see how he began. All I did was learn from [Bell]. He would call me for little rehearsals. It's more than knowing just the lines, it about getting into his brain." Mandylor concedes he'll return for Saw VI ("There will be death," he whispers), a chapter that's already on the lips of the producers and will be directed by series editor Kevin Greutert. "[Writers] Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan came in recently to discuss Saw VI," says Burg. "We end Saw V where you're like, 'Oh, ******, what happens now?' We've got a great idea for Saw VI. We've got a great beginning, a couple of themes we want to play around with and we've got a great twist ending. So, now it's how do we get from A to B?" Keep it here for more snippets from our evening with the Saw V gang!

EXCL: Producer, Director, Actor Talk Saw V - ShockTillYouDrop.com

[SPA]

I hadn't seen this, Susi -- great find -- thank you for posting. It looks like that they are focusing on Hoffman -- and when he says that he kills everbody, I'm suspecting that includes Agent Strahm.

Part of me is sad about this, the other part isn't. It's like I know this is what he wanted, and I'm happy for him -- I just want him out of this genre for a while. Let him revisit it again, if he wants to, in about 5 years.

[KbatMO]

Thx vv much Susi and SPA! Susi, were there any pix at the cocktail reception - or the entry ("red carpet")? (Wanna see Scotty!)

Now mystery: will or won't Agent Peter Strahm (our SP!) get killed off in Saw V or return for VI, like Mandylor?!! Bright side (trying, here!) ... from here on out buzz - spec'ing on returns for VI = Scott ... not Costas. And since Tobin IS in V and will be in VI ... Costas isn't new Jigsaw per se ... he's the new Jigsaw wannabe!! Not just semantics: the character "Amanda" was the wannabe in Saw III and she came close - but she "failed" Jigsaw's final test and that got her killed. What does everyone think this stuff about "cooperation and partnership" means? Two Jigsaw apprentice/wannabes? Saw IV ends and Costas locks Scott into freezer room (autopsy room?) --> will Scott be Costas' new partner ... or maybe the new cast members in V - 1 actor + 2 actresses? More questions!! All good for the box office! And for us to about!

ITA SPA, and as U well know, I will be vv happy when Scott's out of horror genre. That's far from a guarantee he won't be in films w/ violence however - whether physical (Miami Vice), emotional (Damage) or both (A Clockwork Orange) - using examples of his fave films. He seems to be drawn toward films that create excitement, get adrenaline pumping, heart pounding, & have viewers "sitting on the edge of their seats"! Small, possible bright sides, rationalizations, etc. - all spec(!):

1 - Maybe his getting grossed out while filming Saw V is what Scott needed (finally!) --> "Enough with the gory stuff already!" Devil's advocate: Lionsgate = major powerhouse in "the biz" at this point in time ... and Scott's agency, Evolution Entertainment, seems to be tied into them closely. His decision to join them appears to be a decision to pursue guy flix (vs. chick flix ... to generalize). Now he is one of their top 3 or 5 clients (!!) in terms of imdb starmeter and box office proceeds. The sign will be whether he remains with Evolution or signs with another agency. Seems to me until he's got the next project "signed + sealed" - that is after Saw V and not incl. Saw VI ... he's less likely to switch agencies - unless it's unequivocally such a big jump in status that it practically guarantees bigger, better roles....

2 - Julie Benz is (increasingly!) on very short list of the hottest new actresses for 2008 (new = rising star!) I watched Dexter last week just to check her out and concluded she's a very good actress - not just another pretty face / body.

3 - Saw V will steamroll over the prof'l critics and horror film freaks who have said the SAW franchise has gone on too long. I see Saw V breaking all previous Saw box office! If Hackl's direction isn't noticeably inferior to Bausmann's, it will be a huge hit - and Hackl will be the latest "wunderkind" - boy genius director. Also good for PR. Saw V collectibles will be hot + increase value of all Saw collectibles. Saw VI may not even be the last installment!

Let's keep thinking biggest and bestest - no matter what! Scott needs good karma!!

[SPA]

A new director for Saw VI:

Bloody Disgusting learned from Saw V Director David Hackl that he'll be stepping aside letting Kevin Greutert take the reigns. Greutert will be making his directorial debut with Saw VI, but he's been involved with the franchise since the beginning editing all the films. Saw V hits theaters this October 28th with Saw VI to be announced 2009.

link

There's no guarantee that Scott will be in Saw VI, but he did sign up for IV, V, and VI -- just thought I'd bring this over. I'm wondering why Hackl isn't taking the reins of Saw VI????


Also:

Bloody Disgusting has a story up about Saw 5 having 3 different endings for dvd, information on the video game traps & actors in the film; and some artwork

link

[Pasadora]

Susi, were there any pix at the cocktail reception - or the entry ("red carpet")? (Wanna see Scotty!)

I was wondering about that too, but I couldn't find anything. Unfortunately.

will Scott be Costas' new partner

I don't know if I want him to be a bad guy. But maybe it's better than him getting killed in a horrible trap.

Thanks for that, Deb. 3 different endings. Wow, that's cool.

ETA:
Found a little interview with Julie Benz

Julie Benz is certainly no stranger to the genre, in fact, she embraces it. She played Darla on Buffy and Angel, survived attacks in Burma with John Rambo, will soon come face to face with The Punisher and her boyfriend Dexter is a closet serial killer. Sound like your dream woman? We caught up with Julie this evening and chatted about her role in Saw V, the latest installment in Lionsgate's long running (and uber successful) franchise, which is set to hit theaters October 24th. How long were you on set for Saw V? I was there for two weeks, [but] it was a very intense two weeks. Can you tell us anything about your character? I play a woman named Brit, very ummm, a real estate developer she's ruthless a [real] thoroughbred, very corporate, her job is her life, everything is about her career. Was there any special convincing necessary to bring you on board? When I got the offer I said yes, no hesitation. They didn't even show me the script, I had no idea who I was going to play. It's exciting to be a part of a movie that's part of a boxed set. It's a tightly run ship. Everybody’s been working together pretty much since the first Saw. I had done a movie years ago with Greg Hoffman one of the producers of the original Saw, he was developing Saw and has since passed away and for me it was also kind of like that spiritual reinvention. It was like wow, be a part of something that Greg Hoffman had created. Maybe he's up there [watching]. We’ve never been on the set of a Saw film, the series is so guarded, but I hear from people who have been on set that it’s a very unnerving experience, just being there. I had nightmares about shooting it. Not about shooting the movie like I normally have like remembering your lines or craft services doesn't have chocolate (laughs) this was more about my character and what she had to do. The things she had to deal with, her emotional life. I was having really bad nightmares from it. I started getting sick, thinking about the things I had to do. I got nauseous and I would throw up. I would forget [that] it's not real. How was David Hackl for a first time director, did he know what he was doing? Wait, is he here? (laughs) Yeah, he's right over there… He was wonderful! (laughs) Every scene we would have a discussion about every character’s role and how it was going to play out. It was the first time I ever showed up [to a set] and saw a storyboard. He had every scene worked out, every shot and as an actor to visually see how he was going to shoot it and tell the story, then you gauge your performance based on the shot list. He was very gentle too, he was great talking to the actors, and he didn't threaten you. (There's a slight pause) Have you had directors threaten you in the past? No, well, no, umm, Stallone kind of threatens you but in a friendly ummm, way. (laughs)

EXCLUSIVE! Rita Talks 'Dexter' and Season 3! - FEARnet

[KbatMO]

V. cool - thanks for bringing that over, Susi! Scott is signed up for 3 pic deal - but I think that's at the discretion of the producers ... meaning if they decided for the sake of the plot to kill off SP in V - they still have to pay him for VI ... so it would certainly make more sense to use him! ... but it's not guaranteed that he'll appear - we'll still have to wait until they announce the Saw VI cast. I can't imagine that will happen until after the first few weeks+++ after Saw V appears in movie theaters. Of course with Saw ... there's always a chance of Strahm getting killed in V, but that doesn't mean Scott's not in VI ... it's pieces of a huge jigsaw puzzle ... the biggest jumble = time.

Another rookie director! Lionsgate / Mark Burg et al. are using the SAW flix to train a new generation of horror/ action/ special-FX directors. That's just what the industry needs!
Can't imagine that's as fun for Scott as it was working with Darren in IV ... granted the freedom after GG made it more fun, but still. Then again - I s'pose the advantage of "newbies" = "zen mind/ beginner's mind" ... i.e., they're more open to possibilities more experienced directors have learned to avoid - --> "anything is possible" mindset ... I bet Scott loves working with people who "think outside the box". He's definitely into young, up-and-coming new talents