Saw

As Hollywood continues to either remake horror classics or produce cheap knockoffs in a bid to make a quick buck, it's good to see the occasional example of creativity popping up in the genre. Saw is the concept of two Australians — writer/actor Leigh Whannell and director James Wan — in which two men (Cary Elwes and Whannell) wake up in a room, chained and without any recollection of how they got there. And oh, there is a mysterious dead body between them. As the two men try to make sense of their life-threatening predicament, they are instructed that this is a game in which one of them can be saved if he kills the other. As Saw unfolds, so does the sick, twisted story behind Jigsaw, a sadistic killer who plans these tests for his victims. With a notable cast that includes Danny Glover as the cop on the trail, Monica Potter as Elwes's endangered wife and the ever creepy Michael Emerson, Saw is a cutting edge horror flick that leaves you guessing until the very last second. The DVD includes "Sawed Off," an informative behind the scenes featurette that reveals all of the film's secrets, as well as its origins. However, the commentary with Wan and Whannell is the highlight, as the two young filmmakers immediately reveal their natural schoolgirl excitement, even apologising for their inexperience in doing the play by play. Their hysterical Aussie-brand sense of humour is on throughout, beginning with Whannell admitting his fear of losing the American accent and sounding like the Crocodile Hunter in the first scene. Other funny moments include the "Trainspotting moment" in which Whannell puts his hand in the shit-filled toilet, the "squirmy scene" that forced one Toronto International Film Festival goer to earn the title "the Puker" and the epilepsy montage at the end that wraps everything up. Plus: Fear Factory music video, art gallery, trailer. (Lions Gate)