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    Movie Review

    Torture horror cycle gets a second spin with star-heavy Spiral

    Alex Bentley
    May 12, 2021 | 2:32 pm
    Torture horror cycle gets a second spin with star-heavy Spiral
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    The horror genre tends to run in cycles. The slasher movies of the ‘80s gave way to psychological thrillers in the ‘90s, which in turn led to multiple films utilizing “found footage” and then torture porn. That last one was especially prolific in the late 2000s, with six films in as many years coming from the Saw series.

    Even though 2010’s entry was named Saw: The Final Chapter (aka Saw 3D), we all know that nothing stays dead in the horror genre. The series returned with Jigsaw in 2017, and now it’s back in another form with Spiral, subtitled From the Book of Saw. This time around, it’s police who are being hunted by a possible copycat killer of Jigsaw, with Detective Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) leading the way trying to track the killer down.

    Zeke, however, has a lot of baggage attached to him. As a younger beat cop, he turned in his partner for killing a man without provocation, getting Zeke shunned by most of his fellow officers. He’s also the son of former police chief Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson), and is now being paired with a detective-in-training, William Schenk (Max Minghella). Zeke’s history comes back to haunt him as it becomes clear that he and the killer are using vastly different methods to accomplish the same goal: Get rid of dirty cops.

    Directed by Saw veteran Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Jigsaw writers Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger, the film treads familiar ground while offering a little something new. While the specter of Jigsaw’s legacy looms over the entire film, it’s the first film in the series not to deal with him directly. Instead, the killer uses his tricks – the tape recordings, the pig head mask, and the diabolical torture devices – to emulate him in almost every way.

    The whole point of a Saw film is to make the audience as uncomfortable as possible, and the kill scenes certainly do the trick, with victims faced with impossible choices that lead to gruesome results. Ideally, those scenes would be the culmination of suspenseful sequences set in motion by solid storytelling. However, as has been the case throughout the series, the writers have no skill in setting their story up, forcing their actors to bumble their way through clunky, often laughable dialogue.

    The best they come to being clever is an early scene where Rock delivers a diatribe about Forrest Gump that calls to mind the pop culture riffs of Quentin Tarantino in the ‘90s. They also have Rock throw out a New Jack City reference at one point, which is somewhat funny since Rock was in that 1991 movie. However, having a character talk about 30-year-old movies only shows how the writers have failed to move forward in their storytelling abilities.

    Rock makes for a decent lead, but the emotional range of the character is a bit beyond his talents. Every time he’s called upon to be extra angry or upset, his believability factor goes down. Marcus’ coworkers are mostly one-note characters, so none of the actors stand out in any way. Minghella, known mostly for his roles in The Mindy Project or The Handmaid’s Tale, has a nice turn, though. And Jackson is typical Jackson, sprinkling in expletives like he invented them.

    Saw movies have always been for a certain kind of moviegoer and their willingness to endure the sight of torture for their entertainment. Spiral, like all the other films in the series, is not a pleasant experience, but if it succeeds at the box office, it could be the start of another cycle for the always-popular horror genre.

    ---

    Spiral opens in theaters on May 14.

    Chris Rock in Spiral.

    Chris Rock in Spiral
      
    Photo by Brooke Palmer
    Chris Rock in Spiral.
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    Netflix News

    Netflix reveals details on new venue coming to Dallas Galleria

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jun 17, 2025 | 5:19 pm
    NetFlix House
    Netflix House
    Netflix House

    An entertainment experience from and about Netflix is coming to Dallas: Called Netflix House, it's an immersive venue set to open at Galleria Dallas at the end of 2025, with films, exhibits, food, and drink.

    The concept will allow fans to immerse themselves in Netflix shows, with themed clothing, food, and interactive elements such as a Squid Game-themed obstacle course.

    Dallas is one of two cities in the U.S., along with Philadelphia, where Netflix House will debut in late 2025. There are also plans for a location in Las Vegas.

    Spanning more than 100,000 square feet, Netflix House will be a permanent, year-round exhibit featuring popular Netflix shows and movies — including Wednesday, Squid Game, One Piece, Stranger Things, and A Knives Out Mystery franchise — through first-of-their-kind immersive story-driven experiences.

    For its locations, Netflix selected former department store locations spanning footprints of more than 100,000 square feet in shopping centers. The Dallas Netflix House is under construction on two floors of the anchor space in the former Belk store, on the northwest side of the shopping center.

    Outside these spaces, fans will be treated to sculptures and murals featuring characters from Netflix titles, as well as rotating installations with ticketed shows, and restaurants with themed dishes.

    What is Netflix House
    Building on more than 40 previous live experiences for Bridgerton, Money Heist, Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Perfect Bite, and Netflix Bites, Netflix House allows visitors to become the main characters in their favorite stories.

    A typical visit might submerge visitors into their own adventure such as participating in a round of Red Light, Green Light straight out of Squid Game, followed by mini-golf, or grabbing a bite from a menu of dishes inspired by shows and movies. Since each Netflix House updates its offerings, the experience may differ from one visit to another.

    Netflix House Dallas
    Visitors to Galleria Dallas will have what a release calls "terrifying scares" to choose from, including a journey into Creel House and one of Squid Game’s most thrilling challenges.

    • Stranger Things: Escape the Dark: In this immersive experience, journey into the ruins of Hawkins to find three missing townspeople … before the horrors lurking within find you.
    • Squid Game: Survive the Trials: It’s your turn to enter the arena! Play diabolical games, face off against the Front Man, and betray your friends for a chance to win it all.
    • Netflix RePLAY: Forget the arcade — our game room’s packed with physical challenges, immersive story rooms, and retro-style games where you can take on your friends, or play as a team.

    In a statement, Netflix chief marketing officer Marian Lee says, "this is fandom coming to life, where you can actually step inside the worlds you’ve been watching and loving for years."

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