So many great Blu-rays out or coming out right now. I have been wading through both Back to the Future and the Alien Anthology this week. Crazy awesome stuff there.

TIME FOR THE BOX SET

The Saw franchise is a phenomenon familiar to fans of 80’s slashers. If the formula works, then why mess with it too much? And why not put one out every year? Well, like anything that overexposed, eventually the well was going to run dry, and Saw VII – or Saw 3-D – suggests itself to be the end of the franchise.

This is because the numbers have been going down. The first film did $55 Million in 2004, the second $87 in ’05, the third $80 in ’06, IV $63 Million in ’07, the fifth $56 Million in 2008 and the sixth $27 Million last year. The series peaked, and saying you’re ending something can drive up the numbers for a last entry. And then also 3-D, which might be a selling point here to get back those who liked it but then gave up. Lionsgate has had this in their back pocket for a while, and it’s been good to them. The films have low overhead, and much like the Tyler Perry films it’s been consistently profitable. Which also means that they may just take a year break or two from their “final” entry.

I have compared these films to the Friday the 13th franchise in the past, and I think that’s fair in terms of the pace in which those films were put out – even if the Friday films are more fun to watch. These aren’t the best horror films, but they have their committed fans. So, if nothing else I guess that means in ten years they’ll be an awesome box set of some kind.

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND PREDICTIONS

Saw is the only new title this weekend. The franchise is down, but it is the end.

1. Saw 3-D – $21.7 Million
2. Paranormal Activity 2 – $15.5 Million
3. Jackass 3-D – $9.9 Million
4. Red – $9.8 Million
5. Hereafter – $8.8 Million

Sunday we’ll do it again. Next week, next week the Fall season begins.