Own the rights?
18 out of 28 people found the following review useful: The movie hard core horror fans have been waiting for, 31 July 2009 Author: aprilataylor from United States
If you're tired of all of the watered down PG-13 so-called "horror" movies of late and if the thought of sitting through one more remake (or "re-imagining" as the studios have dubbed them) makes you want to tear your hair out then The Collector will be a welcome respite. Yes, there are similarities to Saw and Hostel and yes some will deride this flick as being nothing more than the latest entry into the "torture porn" genre but if you're a horror fan and you let those things deter you from experiencing this film on the big screen then you're going to miss out on a truly enjoyable evening at the movies.Full disclosure: I LOVED the original Saw and have at least liked all of the sequels. I wasn't a big fan of the original Hostel and there have been several other so-called "torture" flicks that have elicited no response from me other than a big yawn. The writers/directors of The Collector were involved in the creation of Saw 4-6 but I think that they've done a much better job with this movie.Don't go into this flick expecting a complete retread of Saw because you're not going to get it. Sure, there's a killer who utilizes a form of traps to kill people but his methods are different. First off, he gets his own hands dirty, unlike Jigsaw, who sits back and watches from a distance. Second, redemption apparently doesn't matter to him. The major difference between The Collector and Jigsaw is that Jigsaw gives people a chance to save themselves. The Collector doesn't want you to live... unless you're the one that he's chosen to collect (see tag line, "He always takes one").This film has a basic plot but it's in its simplicity that it excels. There are no convoluted layers to see past (or to laugh at, as is so often the case) and the basic setup doesn't try to be anything fancy. You'll learn everything that you need to know about the main characters within the first 15 minutes and then you can just sit back and watch everything unfold.The camera work is excellent and the film comes across as extremely dark, discordant and claustrophobic. The soundtrack is perfectly in tune with the feel of the movie and really heightens the timing of each of the scares.By now I'm sure that you've heard that the film is very bloody and that's an understatement. There is nothing contained within the trailers that will prepare you for what you're going to see on the big screen. The film made everyone in the audience be they young, old, male or female, gasp at least once.If you're into gore I highly recommend that you see this film and make sure that you stay until the end of the credits.
9 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Original and refreshing yet somewhat bittersweet, 2 August 2009 Author: Chris Sawin from Texas
The Collector is a film that is somewhat hurt by its own hype. It's written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (who also directs), the writing team who penned the last three Saw films (including part VI). News broke right before its release that the film was almost a prequel to Saw. In the horror community, being a part of the Saw franchise is a rather large achievement. Even if you're not a fan of the franchise, it's hard to deny how well the Saw films do at the box office as their gross revenue is sometimes up to ten times what the film's budget was. The down side is that The Collector seems to make this point blatantly obvious. The film gives off a sense of deja vu throughout its entire duration. The Collector's traps are very reminiscent of Jigsaw's traps, at least in the way they're set up (reverse bear trap in Saw compared to the bear trap scene in The Collector). The Collector also looks and feels like a Saw film. The quick edits that a lot of people expressed their dislike for in Saw are used more often than not in The Collector. Grainy and high contrast filters along with those quick edits make it a bit hard to distinguish what events are actually occurring on screen at times. The first ten minutes or so of the film feel like an extended music video. These qualities don't necessarily make the film bad, but a film that's advertised as being original shouldn't have so much in common with a well distinguished franchise in the same genre; let alone when some of the same people are involved. Something that may have been easily averted if the marketing campaign didn't throw that fact in the public's face.With all that being said, the film still has enough originality going for it to bring in horror fans. While the film does have its flaws (the main one being, how'd The Collector have time to set up all these traps?), they actually don't take away from the overall enjoyment for the film. What The Collector collects is rather interesting and even with its similarities to Saw, it's an original horror film that isn't a remake. Something we don't see a lot of anymore. What also might make or break the deal for horror fans seeing this film is that it doesn't shy away from blood and guts. The bear trap sequence alone is rather gruesome, but you do get to see some intestines make a cameo. So this definitely isn't for the squeamish. The film did leave a few open-ended questions, but they don't seem to be negative. The most memorable one is more of a sense of wondering why a certain character did a certain act rather than it being a glaring mistake. If this gets turned into a franchise (which depending on its reception, it just might), we'll probably get answers in the sequel(s). The Collector also seemed to establish a bit of tension at times, while the closing moments of the film were similar to a seesaw. The events that unfold seem to be going in one direction, but then quickly shift and go in another direction.TV spots are saying things like, "Horror has a new icon," and that The Collector is the best horror film to come out in years. While the latter could be debated, the first part of that statement could very well be true. I, personally, wouldn't mind seeing more of The Collector as I like the idea and the character. The film as a whole, however, may have let its influences shine brighter than its original aspects. In retrospect, The Collector is an entertaining horror film composed of a decent antagonist, standard acting, an original storyline, and a few buckets of gore.
14 out of 23 people found the following review useful: Disgusting,Suspenseful, Awesome, 1 August 2009 Author: Mister Nelson from United States
I saw this film yesterday with two of my friends.It was this or Funny People but I've lost faith in Adam Sandler since "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" And none of us wanted to watch Harry Potter so walking in to the The Collector it was fifty fifty that it was going to be any good considering it's from the writers of the last couple of Saw movies. But I was surprised at how great it was. The setup was quick the violence is gory and there was some scary disturbing moments plus the last couple of minutes were really intense. And The Collector puts Jigsaw,Jason,and Freddy to shame at least in my opinion.Plus this was way better than the amazingly crappy Transformers 2.
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Legitimately good movie, until the end..., 31 July 2009 Author: condoman22 from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The Collector was a very suspenseful movie until the ending, which was kind of disappointing. But besides that, the movie was great as a whole. I was kept on the edge of my seat, and it was very unpredictable at many parts. Sure, there were some bad parts that should have been fixed, but that is part of a scary movie genre.At some point, the saw creators need to learn how to end the movie, but if you can survive with a mostly bad, but part good ending, I would suggest seeing it. The acting, traps, and being in a house that is completely dark is a good premise for the movie, and it works very well for the most part. I enjoyed the movie for my money. If you are a person who wants a perfect ending, do not go see it then. You will be disappointed. But otherwise, besides a few parts, It was a pretty intense film, and I am not going to lie, I would not want to be the robber stuck in a house with a serial killer.
7 out of 11 people found the following review useful: A Poor Man's Saw, but Worse..., 3 August 2009 Author: Christian-Loescher from United States
Name-dropping is an extremely common tactic in cinema, and much to the chagrin of movie fans who would just as soon save twenty bucks, it usually works. I suppose it would be difficult to not name-drop in some regard; how else, with the multitudes of movies many every year, would a film with no extremely well-known actors and actresses get any publicity at all? The pushers of The Collector therefore chose to highlight two individuals involved with Saw IV, V, and VI fame, no doubt hoping that Saw franchise followers, of which there are throngs, would see The Collector and make it an overnight hit. And me? Of fulfilling the name-dropping purpose, I am 100% guilty, but unfortunately, would just as soon have saved twenty bucks.The opening of the film appears promising: a man and a woman return home to find their power off, and discover a strange box in their bedroom that moves menacingly. The ending of that scene, coupled with the imagery accompanying the electronic/industrial opening soundtrack, does in fact remind of Saw, but that's where the good similarities end.The Collector's central actor Josh Stewart, who looks as if he could be Sean Penn's younger brother, plays Arkin, a longtime handyman for a rich family. Arkin's ex-wife has apparently accrued a sum of debt with loan sharks, and is relying upon Arkin to get her enough money to appease them. Arkin, utilizing his ties with associates he met while in prison, enters an agreement with said associates whereby he will rob his employer in order to get money by midnight of the day in question. As it turns out, his employer, played by Michael Reilly Burke (of the titular role in indie flick Ted Bundy), is a jewel broker, and has a safe hidden in his bedroom that contains a very large gem. We also get glimpses into the lives of Burke's screen wife and two daughters, one a teen, and one much younger. So far, so good - a story not that much out of the ordinary, and an intriguing movie intro that implies Arkin will run into similar happenstance.This is the point at which the movie's plot starts to unravel. After determining that the family would be gone on vacation, Arkin enters the home to burglarize it. Right away he is met with danger, as he hears another person enter. During Arkin's evasion of this other figure, he finds that not only is the family still at home, but they are being held and tortured, and the house is filled with traps (razor wire, acid, knives, and the like). Arkin chooses not to rob the family, but instead, attempts to save their lives from this malevolent invader. Okay, I'll buy it, but the rest had better be good.Unfortunately, clichéd scenes follow, especially akin to the Saw franchise and Hostel. Blood? Check. Gore? Check. Nudity? Check. But the main problem? None of the scenes are as inventive, scary, or gruesome as the aforementioned, a fact which would be redeemable with a thrilling story. Throughout the course of the film from the above point on, I was entertained, but only just enough to not be bored. And when The Collector came to a close, I couldn't help but think: that's it? Simply put, save your twenty bucks and your next hour-and-a-half. The Collector, though an interesting idea, fails to match its own ambition, and should only be seen by those desperate for gore before the next Saw entry.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Unsure About the Fuss, 1 August 2009 Author: FoxBarking from United States
I have read some comments about how good this movie is and I am not sure I can agree. The previews left a whole lot open as to what was going to happen. Upon entering the movie (since I don't read spoilers) I really had no idea what direction this film was going to go.The direction of the film is the first thing I have to take issue with. At times, it is brilliant. There are camera angles and shots that just made my jaw drop. However, there were things, such as the seemingly meaningless shots of arachnids and insects and the long musical stances showing stills of the characters that I did not get.This movie could have really hit home for me if it tried harder. At first, it seemed to be pulled from my very nightmares. I have dreams often of being wrapped in barbed wire and having to slowly extract the wire without causing too much damage. If I am not dreaming about that, I may dream about having fish hooks around and not only trying to not get snagged, but once I get snagged, trying to be careful to pull them out causing the least damage possible.However, in these dreams, the situation I am freaked out about is not solely based on gore. It is intricate, and I am trying to cause the least damage possible. This is not something that happens much in this movie.I don't want to give anything away. I really don't like people who feel they have to post spoilers because they can't comment on the movie without doing much. I gave the movie 5 stars, but I would have given it 8 if not for the ending. There was a good chance to end this movie uniquely and it ended up having a typical horror movie ending.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Cynicism reaches a new level, 21 August 2009 Author: mercuryix2003 from United States
Possible Spoilers (not that it matters):Want to see children graphically tortured? How about animals? If you do, you're probably one of the ones who have rated this film highly. The writer for the "Saw" movies has decided that "horror" equals "torture". In this case, an entire family is slowly tortured to death in front of each other by a serial killer who gets away with everything in the end; with a setup for a sequel (didn't see that coming, did you?)"The Collector" is a celebration of sadism, and makes a comment more than anything about how the writer and director view their audience; wanting more and more violent and sadistic torture scenes as "entertainment"; without plot, purpose or reason. We learn nothing about the serial killer's reasons to torture, other than it's something to do, we learn nothing about the family, and we don't care about anything except the animals that are being slowly tortured, though the filmmakers claim "no animals were harmed". I really don't think either director or writer could care less if any animals were harmed, any actors were harmed, or any audience members were harmed as long as they made money on this film. Their contempt of the audience (and people in general) is seen clearly in this film, and the film is more of a record of their mentality and attitude towards people than anything else. Watching this film feels exactly the same as paying to see a show, then watching a homeless man who hasn't had a bath in six months masturbate in front of you, then tell you there's more to come. And expecting you to pay for it. The reason I haven't included a description of the plot or characters is that there isn't one. It's simply a celebration of the torture of helpless victims, written by someone who seems unaware of how desensitized they have become after writing three other screenplays like it, and making the mistake that their audience is as desensitized as they are. There is only one scary thing about this film; the fact that there are people out there as desensitized to suffering as the writer, who will watch it. And not only watch it, but enjoy the pointless sadism and torture that the writer celebrates, all in order to make twelve bucks. I have to wonder if there are better ways to make money.
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Entertaining, but far too flawed, 9 August 2009 Author: Simbafan from United States
Okeydoke. I just saw this about a half hour ago. WOW.**Some Spoilers Ahead!**If there's one thing that I REALLY got from this movie, other than 2 hours of torture porn, its that the SAW people have NOT lost their touch (as so shown in Saw V). Just as a note, I am a very big fan of the Saw movies (save for V, which was a big letdown) The Collector was a decent film, as far as suspense, twists, and fear go, and I'll explain why a little further down. As far as a storyline...there's almost none. Basically what you know from the trailers is the story; A guy breaks into a house to rob it, only to find that a madman known as the Collector is already there, torturing the family who lives there, and he must find a way to escape while simultaneously saving them. Granted, there's a few minor details that really don't play too much into the storyline, like the fact that Arkin (the protagonist and robber) is only robbing the house, (whose owners are his employers and his job is to help with the remodel they are currently going through)out of necessity because his wife and daughter are under threat of some loan sharks for money. The owners of the house are in possession of a stone that is worth enough to pay off the loan sharks.But thats ALL that we don't know from the trailer. Other than that, you will walk into this movie knowing EVERYTHING already. The only thing you can expect now is suspenseful moment after suspenseful moment...and gore.Did I mention the gore? This film brings it by the BUCKETS and there are rare moments when it doesn't stop. They literally leave nothing to our imaginations, which the SAW creators have prided themselves on doing. Which is why, I reiterate, the SAW creators have NOT lost their touch. I can handle gore, blood, guts, etc just fine. But this movie had me cringing in my seat. And it takes a LOT to get me to do that. So if you see this, be prepared for some gut-wrenching (pun intended) gore.I said earlier that this movie was a decent film because of the suspense, twists, and fear that it brings. This is simply because it DOESN'T END until the last moment when the credits roll. They establish Arkin's character at the beginning to where we care JUST ENOUGH that we want to know what happens to him. And so begins the labyrinth of suspenseful moments, faceless screams (for a bit anyways), diabolical booby-traps, and "OMFG" moments. These nonstop moments send us on an emotional roller coaster ride as we follow Arkin and wonder if he's going to make it through. That worked for the movie, which made for, while scary and gory, an entertaining movie experience.But this movie is FAR from flawless. As stated before, there is practically no storyline. That alone is a bit of a turnoff. Another is the OVERusage of gore. It was simply way over the top on this film. And then, of course, with every horror film, we, as the audience, can say "Well so-and-so could have done...and he could have lived." or "There was a weapon within his reach that he could have used." or something along those lines. In any normal horror movie, there's a few memorable moments where we think of those ideas, but it doesn't ruin the film.THIS FILM HAD TOO MANY OF THOSE MOMENTS.Just off the top of my head, I can think of over 10 instances where Arkin had a weapon at his disposal to use against the Collector, one of which was IN HIS POCKET. The diamond that he steals from the safe is about the size of his fist! USE THAT TO BASH THE COLLECTOR IN THE HEAD! ...Goosefraba...goosefraba...goosefraba (Anger Management quote for those of you who don't know) But probably the WORST factor to this film was simply the Collector himself. He left me thinking one word.WHY? Why was he doing this all? There is a moment in the film where one of the Collector's previous victims explains that "The Collector collects people he wants and kills the rest that are unworthy." ...well, WHY does he collect these people? What purpose does it serve? Is he just an insane madman, or does he have an actual purpose for "collecting" them? A villain needs a LEGITIMATE motivation for doing what he is doing other than "Because it's scary". I'm sorry, but THAT does not fly with me.Alrighty then. All in all, the suspense and the care for Arkin propelled this movie forward through to the end, but the lack of story being replaced with the overkill of gore and the lack of a motivation for the Collector was just too much for me. It was entertaining, but I will not be seeing this film again.
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Predictable, boring and unbelievable, 4 August 2009 Author: czjrox_2 from United States
The Collector, a new horror that's trying to bring about a new horror icon such as Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, had good intentions but ultimately fails. The basic summary is an ex con skilled at opening safes, decides to invade the family's home (while they're on vacation) where he has been doing housework to steal a jewel intended on paying his wife's debt. But when he enters the house he discovers that not only has the family not left, but they're being held captive by a man known only as The Collector. Their only hope, the con is forced to race against the clock to save the family from the madman and find the missing daughter who's hiding in the house. There's just one problem: The Collector has rigged the entire house with boobytraps intent on killing those who trip the wire.Overall, the entire thing is just too unbelievable. I couldn't even enjoy the clever mastery of the tricks, for they were too far fetched. The acting was sub-par, especially from the leading hero. He was as dry as unbuttered toast and I found myself not being able to care less if he lived or died. And it's obvious from the beginning that the movie is trying to re-invent a classic horror movie and icon so everyone dies, lamely and The Collector, while very much human, never portrays a scar. The basic point is that films like this are just getting old. I'm begging, begging for some originality, but won't receive it from this film.
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: A lower budget Saw, 1 August 2009 Author: mac8204 from United States
Before seeing this show, I was surprised by the lack of advertising done for it. In fact, I'd never even heard of the movie until a few days before it came out. After watching the movie, I understand why. It seems as if the producers are ashamed of this movie which, by the way, was not shown to critics for some reason???? Probably because their reviews would have destroyed any hope for this movie. The storyline in this film is almost nonexistent and the little story that there is doesn't make much sense. The killer sets up multiple complicated traps throughout the house in less than ten hours. Also, where exactly is the family while he is doing this? You would think they would be home packing for their upcoming vacation. Since this is a horror movie, it is assumed that there must be at least one naked girl and one couple killed while having sex. The movie does follow through on that with a random strip club and a sex scene which ends in death.I would go on to say how terrible the end of the movie was, but the end just seemed to fit right in with the rest of the movie. I'm just glad it was a short film.
Add another review
