Editor's Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on January 27, 2006, and we're proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
“Oh yes, there will be blood,” goes the now-familiar dialogue line and ad slogan for Saw II, but the question begged by Lionsgate’s DVD is, Will there be a double-dip? Saw fans will recall that the original film was given a just-decent disc package the first time around about a year ago, followed by a significantly more substantial Uncut Edition right around the time the sequel hit theaters. Will history repeat itself DVD-wise as inevitably as it does in the movies themselves? We’ll know better by the time Saw III arrives on the big screen, but for now, Saw II has been graced with supplements that aren’t as extensive as one might hope—though what’s there is overall satisfying enough.
One quibble is that, as so often occurs these days, the audio commentary participants refer to deleted scenes that aren’t actually included in the extras package. On the other hand, the commentary itself is entertaining enough to make up for that lack. Director/co-writer Darren Lynn Bousman teams with actors Donnie Wahlberg and Beverley Mitchell, and the trio have a lot of laughs recalling the shoot, yet also reveal enough information about the production that the talk doesn’t seem too “in.” Most helpfully, they reveal clues to the surprise ending that are scattered about the movie but might have been missed upon first-time viewing. We also find out which moments were improved by the actors (Bousman is gracious about his cast’s contributions), that Shawnee Smith was pregnant during filming but never let on, how the whole movie (like its predecessor) was all lensed in and around one location and why it’s not a good idea to give actress Emmanuelle Vaugier too much sugar during a shoot. A discussion about the craft of acting occasionally sneaks in and Bousman, at the end, reveals a “griddle trap” from his original script The Desperate that got lost when it became Saw II—the only mention of the film’s origins as an unrelated project.
As for the death devices that did wind up in the movie, their creation is explored in the DVD’s best featurettes, collected under the umbrella title The Traps of Jigsaw. The creation of the Venus head trap, the needle pit, the hand cage and the furnace are all explored through interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; the longest and most interesting is the second, which goes into excellent detail about how Saw II’s most uncomfortable-to-watch scene was pulled off. If you’ve been wondering how the heck they filmed Smith rolling around in thousands of hypodermics and plucking them from her flesh without harming her, you’ll get all the answers here—though even watching how the illusion was created might make you flinch a bit.
If the 20-minute Traps section doesn’t sate your interest in the weapons and gore, Bits and Pieces briefly examines a few of the most notable props, like a spiked bat that required multiple doubles of varying weights, with makeup FX creator Francois Dagenais disclosing that Greg Nicotero supplied some of the film’s blood and bodies. Those interested in the production-art side will enjoy a gallery of detailed concept art and a quartet of storyboard-to-film comparisons. Less intriguing all around is Jigsaw’s Game, in which the filmmakers and cast chat about the villain’s schemes but don’t really point out anything you can’t glean from watching the movie itself.
That experience is given top quality in the disc’s 1.78:1 transfer, which is most impressive, sporting perfect sharpness and clarity no matter how grotty the images become. The greenish and yellow tints of Jigsaw’s lair are perfectly captured and even the more naturalistically hued moments are given heavy, threatening contrasts, with the mood furthered by edgy and eerie Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX and Surround 2.0 soundtracks. That such a technically sharp film was created on a budget Bousman claims to be only $4 million is a testament to Saw II’s producers—and it’s not the only one. Click on “In Memoriam: Gregg Hoffman” on the main menu, and you’ll read a moving tribute by Bousman to the late Saw franchise producer, who died last December at the age of just 42.
