Mendelson's Memos: Failing upward? Director of much-loathed Saw V to direct Saw VII.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Failing upward? Director of much-loathed Saw V to direct Saw VII.

So let me get this straight. After two much-loathed sequels including a fifth film so unloved that it partially caused the sixth film to more or less flop, Lionsgate is not sticking with the director Kevin Greutert of said sixth Saw picture, even though fans agree that it was one of the best in the series. No, they are bringing back David Hackel, who's lone directorial attempt mortally wounded the franchise. Great move, idiots. Saw VII (coming October 22nd) may be as boring and pointless as Saw V, but it'll be in 3D!

Scott Mendelson

3 comments:

Nick said...: Often people mix up the writing and the director. There was nothing wrong with the *direction* of Saw V. It was all in the plotting.

As much as I hate to rag on the writers of Saw IV, V, and VI, I have to blame failures on them (not so much VI). After all, these guys were the same guys who wrote the unbelievably excellent "Feast." However, they were also the guys who wrote the unbelievably awful "Feast 2" and "Feast 3." In other words, for every Saw VI that these guys write, they're also gonna write a Saw IV and V. I'm just hoping that VII is more like VI.; November 11, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Nick said...: (I forgot to say this: remember, you mentioned the lackluster Saw IV in this post, but failed to mention that IV was directed by the same guy who did II and III, which had different writers.); November 11, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Scott Mendelson said...: Agreed on the second point. I was going to mention that in a later post. In Darren Lynn Bousman's defense, I presume the only reason he agreed to helm Saw IV (since he explicitly intended Saw III to be the series finale) was to get funding for Repo: The Genetic Opera. Having said that, I should have mentioned it above and appreciate the response.; November 11, 2009 at 8:23 PM