Only bad box office will stop 'Saw' franchise

The horror genre is my favorite. Halloween is soon, which makes it a good time to revisit the classics, like "The Exorcist" and "The Thing."

It also means yet another "Saw" film enters the theater.

Last year, I derided the entire franchise for being nothing more than torture porn for mouth-breathers.

Since then, I've spent more time with the franchise, intending to give it a fair chance.

The films are a joyless exercise, but have a certain appeal based on how far they're willing to go.

Admittedly, I've only watched the first three, so I can't give a complete reading of the franchise. The third was so painful to watch at times, continuing with the fourth was an unpleasant thought.

The first "Saw" is just poor — the low budget shows in every scene, and the performances are terrible (especially Cary Elwes's). The twist at the end is good and the death scenes are imaginative, but it's still nothing great.

The second and third have better production values, but the death scenes are almost unbearable to watch. In the second, one plot twist is centered aound locating a key hidden in a pit full of needles. Just talking about it is nauseating.

These issues aside, the "Saw" films aren't entirely unwatchable. Anything that is unapologetically distasteful can't be all that bad. Like all good horror films, they're the circus freakshow of cinema — albeit a little more extreme than the others.

Still, putting out a new installment every year is major overkill.

The franchise also didn't do itself any favors by casting one of the roles in "Saw VI" with a VH1 reality show — "Scream Queens." You don't get much lower than casting a movie with a reality show.

No matter. As long as the fan base is still wanting to see people die in elaborate ways, there will always be a new "Saw" film unleashed for Halloween.