Showing the usual strength of well-received family-animated comedies, the film formerly known as “Rapunzel” earned an estimated $21.5 million over the weekend. The less than thrilling news here is that, as calculated by Box Office Mojo‘s indispensable weekend chart, it suffered a rather larger than usual second weekend drop for its genre of 55.9%. Still, I’m guessing we can attribute some of that to the post-holiday doldrums.

On the sunny side of the equation, the musical action comedy is already very close to the $100 million in its second weekend, and that’s never bad. On the other hand, the typically enormous CGI animation budget of $260 million makes that kind of number seem a hair less impressive. On the other other hand, when you consider not only the the worldwide box office, but the licensing, I think it’s fair to say that “Tangled” will be another profitable feather in the ever-more-humongous Disney cap.

Speaking of licensing, the runner-up was, of course, the once wizardly “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One.” Warner Brother’s deposit to Gringott’s this weekend is a relatively modest estimated $16.7 million, but the film will be hitting $300 million in the domestic market alone within a few weeks, so there’s no worries about this franchise in any way stumbling in its penultimate outing.

The weekend’s one new major release with the quirky and limited marketing campaign, “The Warrior’s Way,” I suppose proved the wisdom of hired distributor Relativity Media’s fiscal caution. At least that’s kinda sorta how they framed it over at Nikki Finke‘s place. Finke and Anthony D’Alessandro also noted that the film earned a C- Cinemascore rating to go with the tepid reviews of the few critics who shelled out coin to see it. The take was, to be blunt, pretty dismal — just over $3 million, though I should note it was in only about half the number of theaters of a typical wide release, so it could have been worse. On the other hand, that figure puts it in 9th place on its opening weekend, just below another action film not pre-screened for critics, last weekend’s “Faster.” On the other other hand (again), it’s per-screen take of “Warrior” was a couple hundred higher than its modern day macho competition.

Arguably, the really major box office action as Oscar season nears a climax was on the limited release front. “Black Swan.” In 18 theaters, the Darren Aronofsky film that reportedly combines dance, melodrama and psychological/body horror in the traditions of both early Roman Polanski and, I’m guessing, middle-period David Cronenberg (Dario Argento is getting name-checked as well, but probably more for style than bloodletting), benefited from huge buzz, Oscar talk for and the star power of Natalie Portman. It might also have a significant boost, from costars Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, and perhaps especially villainous Vincent Cassel. The French actor is emerging as something of a true international superstar with movies like the two-part “Mesrine” gangster opus and is a hugely familiar face to art-house audiences here.

Released by Fox Searchlight, “Black Swan” is getting very good reviews though a backlash is already building up over a plot and atmosphere that fans and foes alike seem to agree goes way over the top. The question is, it over the top in a good way or a bad way? It’s certainly going over the top in a lucrative way; it earned a whopping per screen average of $77,444 in 18 theaters for an estimated total of roughly $1.39 million. That’s just about $10,000 shy of being half of what “The Warrior’s Way” made in 1,622 theaters. Think about that.

I could end it right there, but I like to send a shout out to the underdogs — even when they star, unbelievably enough, Jim Carrey. The quirky same-sex rom-com and true crime flick costarring Ewan McGregor, “I Love You Phillip Morris,” did manage to hold up against the gay-and-gal friendly onslaught of the “Black Swan” well in its 6 theater release. It earned a solid per-screen average in six theaters of $18,833 for an entirely decent estimated total of $113,000 for distributor Roadside Attractions.

Eight years later, the “Saw” franchise is reportedly coming to a close, and although the history of the horror genre – specifically, the fourth “Friday the 13th” film – has taught us that no chapter is ever truly final, they’re at least trying to make us think they’re going out with a bang, eschewing a straightforward “Saw VII” and instead offering fans an additional dimension of gory fun with “Saw 3D.”

First up, Costas Mandylor and Kevin Greutert…

Journalist: So there’s, like, a volcano eruption of 3D films out there now, with the whole “take that and run with it” Hollywood attitude. What sets this one apart from other 3D horror films?

Kevin Greutert: Well, for one thing, this film was actually shot in 3D. We didn’t do a post-conversion like a lot of the other movies that have come out lately. I think that shooting it in 3D makes all the difference in the world, so it just looks that much better. This was shot with state-of-the-art cameras that are a lot more lightweight than any previous 3D films, so we were able to preserve the “Saw” style of doing a lot of stuff handheld and keeping the camera moving around a lot and very dynamic. Because technology is advancing so quickly, we were able to just take advantage on all aspects.

Journalist: Has 3D changed the blocking of the set and what you’re actually doing in the film?

KG: Yeah, it affects the way we block the scene, because we want to maximize the feeling of depth in the image, even if it’s not an in-your-face moment where stuff’s flying into the camera. We still wanted it to look as rich and full of space as possible.

Journalist: At what point in the production process was the decision made that the film was going to be in 3D? Was that from the outset, or did that happen…

KG: It was decided…that was probably the very first decision made on the film, and I had actually hoped even before we made “Saw V” to direct “Saw VI” in 3D but wasn’t able to make that work. So by the time “Saw VII” came along, now there’s enough infrastructure in terms of theaters that are equipped with 3D equipment to go forward, and…yeah, no one ever thought twice about doing it in 3D.

Journalist: How does 3D enhance the storyline?

KG: Well, I don’t know how much it actually plays into the story. There’s a bit of self-reference in the opening scene of the movie, which is the first “Saw” scene that takes place in broad daylight, with a big crowd watching one of Jigsaw’s big contraptions at play. There’s, I think, a little bit of an implicit message about horror audiences watching voyeuristically. 3D, I think, just kind of takes that to another level.

Journalist: Costas, what keeps bringing you back to this franchise?

Costas Mandylor: You know what? In a way, luck. And the character seems to have worked. And, you know, when you collaborate with people like Kevin and a couple of the other guys before him, and you know what you’re doing together, it’s a comfortable situation where you don’t have to get really… (Hesitates) I mean, some guys in life are a pain in the ass, and they die. “Saw” does that really easy. I committed to it as best as I could, and spending time with Tobin (Bell) and seeing how committed he was to keeping a certain standard, not letting the fans down was really important to him, so it wasn’t just going to a gig, doing my thing, and leaving. I actually paid attention. There’s a great example of…when I first started, I think it was in “IV,” he had a great idea for a scene and he called me at, like, 11:30 at night. He goes… (Does a Tobin Bell growl) “Hey, Costas, are you awake?” Jigsaw’s calling me at midnight on the phone. I’m in trouble here. (Laughs) I went to see him…reluctantly…but we spent some time together, and the scene…that was a really long scene that we did, with the gun to the…? It just worked beautifully, because he put the effort in and forced me to be okay with putting in my ideas as well. So I’m still here ‘til the end of this one, and…we don’t even know the endings. But for now, I’m in.

KG: We have more control over Costas by not letting his character die. (Laughs) We hold that over his head every year.

Journalist: But that doesn’t keep Tobin from coming back!

KG: (Laughs) He has more screen time dead than he did alive!

Journalist: Does there come a time when you’re doing a series like this…I know that when you do sequels that maybe there’s a temptation where you have to outdo, improve, and do better with each and every film, but does there become a point, though, when you get to a certain stage where you can’t sort of outdo what you’ve done before, and so maybe you have to go in sort of a sideways direction with the franchise?

KG: Well, I think that’s why the decision was made to have this be the final chapter, because, like, I do think that we do and should always try to outdo ourselves, and I’m just not sure how much longer that process can be true to itself. So, you know, I don’t think we went sideways in this film at all. Actually, the scope of the production is a lot bigger than any of the other “Saw” films, so the idea was to go out with a bang rather than, as you say, go sideways or let it sort of deteriorate.

Journalist: Was the process different consciously, knowing that this was the final chapter?

KG: Well, sure, because we wanted to wrap up a lot of the lingering questions and storylines that had been around. Rather than do the trick of ending on a cliffhanger to sort of force people to buy tickets next year, we went all in with this. So that was very much part of the process from the beginning.

Journalist: So there’s no possibility of a “Freddy vs. Jigsaw” or…

KG: In Hell. (Laughs)

Journalist: Jason already went there.

KG: But he didn’t fight Jigsaw there!

Journalist: You mentioned the fans. How much attention do you pay to fan feedback, and did that have any input into the story?

KG: Well, I think the fans have a lot of impact on the series, whether they know it or not, because we pay a lot of attention to what we discuss with friends and what we read on all the various websites where people are talking about “Saw.” So we get a good sense of what’s working and what isn’t working just from watching those.

CM: And then I’m afraid to ask. I mean, we went to a big convention once… (Starts to laugh) …and this little skinny kid gets up, and he asks us something that nobody’s ever asked. And I looked up, and I said, “You little smart-ass.” And then I went, “That’s a Kevin question.” (Laughs)

KG: Yeah, right!

CM: The guys pay attention to detail. I think that’s part of the magic of the “Saw” movies. It’s clever, and people want to put the clues together and follow everything, and they really pay attention. And I think that everybody’s tried to be responsible to them, to not let them down.

KG: Yeah, nothing gets past the fans. If there’s a flaw…

CM: …they’ll let you know.

KG: (Laughs) We hear about it. Big time.

Journalist: How do you feel about those who refer to this in the term of “torture porn”?

KG: (Sighs) Well, torture is involved in this film, but porn? I don’t know. It’s a little bit fetishistic, I suppose, but…I don’t know. I don’t really like the phrase “torture porn,” at least as it applies to “Saw.”

CM: (Puts up his dukes) Who said that?

KG: (Laughs) To me, it sort of cheapens what it is, which is a psychological thriller. If it was just one scene after another of people getting tortured with no storyline through it, then sure, but it’s not that, and everyone knows that. The only people who call it that are people who haven’t ever watched a “Saw” film. In my opinion.

Journalist: Is it important to you that the films have kind of a social consciousness level to them, as opposed to some of the other competitors within the subgenre?

KG: I think it enriches it a lot if it feels like it’s something that’s very today. We might have gone too far with “Saw VI” by having the healthcare angle… (Laughs) …but it’s the God’s honest truth that, when Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton came up with that idea, it was long before it was a political issue in a big way. And, frankly, Obama wasn’t talking about it…wisely…in the lead-up to the election, which was just a few days after the movie came out. And then as soon as the movie came out, bang, health care was all over the news, and it made it seem like we were kind of whoring with it. But, really, it just suited the character to be a crooked insurance dude, so…that was more a coincidence that us trying to make some kind of policy statement, which we absolutely were not.

Bullz-Eye: Costas, was the 3D process any different for you as an actor?

CM: Uh, yeah, I made the mistake of using one term loosely and saying it was a tedious process… (Laughs) …and somebody made it sound really bad. The bottom line is that it took a little longer, and the one that suffered more than anybody was (Kevin) and the camera guy, because they have to get it right. You know, calibration and being specific with lights and all that stuff. For me, it was a good excuse to go play with the crew that wasn’t on set and crack a couple of jokes. So I got to socialize a little bit more. But the only frustrating thing was sometimes you’re ready to do a scene and then, like, it’s another 40 minutes, so you’d go off and…we got used to that. But, you know, the payoff’s big, so in the end…

KG: I think you flexed your muscles more.

CM: Yeah, I was bulging more. I’d go to the bathroom and warm up a little bit, just check myself out. (Laughs) But it was very…the thing that was interesting, it took a little longer, but…the world’s changing, and it’s nice to be a part of that change, you know?

KG: I don’t think that it necessarily affects actor performance, per se, the fact that it’s in 3D, but I think the actors’ experience is a little bit different. 3D looks best, in my opinion, with wide-angle lenses, but in “Saw,” we love our close-ups, and the camera has this huge apparatus on the front of it that means that, in order to get a close-up, you’re banging against the actor. That can’t be fun, you know?

CM: But, you know, if the actor’s thinking about the camera…and some actors are really conscious of the camera, because it has to be your buddy and you have to stand in front of it…but, you know, you’ve got to do your job, and the camera can help you if you’re doing the right thing.

Journalist: Kevin, you directed…it’s only a small role, but the winner of the “Scream Queens II” contest in this one.

KG: (Laughs) That’s right!

Journalist: Was there security involved in keeping…how does she film this before it’s revealed that she’s won the thing?

KG: Somehow they were able to keep it secret, both with Gabby (West) and then with Tanedra (Howard) last year. They shot the “Scream Queens” episodes long, long before we made the movie, but somehow they kept it under wraps, so it wasn’t revealed until they wanted it to.

CM: It’s kind of surprising that one of the girls who lost early didn’t say, you know?

KG: What, you think there’s cattiness involved? (Laughs) Is that what you’re trying to say?

CM: (Laughs) I wouldn’t know.

Journalist: Are you a big horror movie fan?

KG: Of course. Yeah, absolutely.

Journalist: What are your favorites?

KG: Well, most recently, I was just talking to Cary Elwes about “Martyrs.” I really loved “Martyrs.” It’s just a fantastic movie. Brutal, hard to watch at times, but…it felt very elevated, with this odd reveal of what was really going on in that film. I think in terms of the “Saw” series, the Argento and Bava films were very influential, and I’m a big “Suspiria” fan. I don’t know if it’s horror, but I love the Herzog “Nosferatu.” I’ve seen that film countless times.

CM: Which one?

KG: “Nosferatu,” with Klaus Kinski.

CM: Ah, yeah. It’s weird, but wonderful.

Journalist: You went from editor of the series to director. How was that transition?

KG: Well, I always did want to direct. I didn’t think “Saw” would be my ticket to that when I cut the first one, but soon after that, I started positioning myself to get promoted. And it took awhile, but by the time it did happen, I was in pretty good shape in terms of it not being that difficult of an experience, because I knew and had rapport with the actors already, just from having edited the films, and knew the crew well and had worked with them as a second-unit director on “Saw V.” So it really wasn’t as kind of a giant change as you would think…even though physically it was, to come out of the cave and be in the bigger cave with lots of people demanding things.

Journalist: Would you not say, to play devil’s advocate, that these sort of films lend themselves to that sort of filmmaking, that being an editor makes you more successful in putting together a film that’s almost like a jigsaw, no pun intended?

KG: Yeah, for sure. The films have always been very editing-intensive, you know. James had kind of a graphic design sense of cutting the film, and I think by knowing the films inside and out it helped a lot when I was on the stage, you would be surprised how many countless little micro-decisions have to be made on the spot. Is someone wearing a wedding ring? Would there be blood on this side of their face? And I would literally have to think back, “Well, in ‘Saw II,’ that’s what happened, and it must have been about three weeks…” I mean, that sort of stuff, those sort of issues are very common on the set, and, yeah, it helped a lot having cut the films.

Journalist: Can you talk about bringing Cary back and what it’s like to have his character bookend the series?

KG: Well, it was a very pleasant surprise to find out that we finally got Cary Elwes back into the franchise. It was something that we wanted to do and needed to do for a really long time. I’m just very glad that it happened. It was…well, I don’t want to… (Hesitates, then laughs) Everything I want to say is laden with spoilers, so let’s just say that it was very fun to hear his voice booming across the set.

In a moment of perfect timing, this proved to be the last question, at which point Greunert and Mandylor were escorted to their next stop. Within a few moments, we were introduced to Cary Elwes and Betsy Russell, who took a seat and began their turn at answering our questions.

Journalist: Cary, when we were doing our last roundtable, we ended it by talking about what enticed you to come back to the franchise. Can you talk about that a little bit?

Cary Elwes: Well, the reason that I’m here, really, is because of the fans. They’re the ones that campaigned heavily to bring Dr. Gordon back. They got involved in writing to the studio and E-mailing and in the blogosphere and chat rooms, so I really have them to thank. So the producers came to me, and when they showed me the script, I thought it was very clever the way they brought me back, and I thought…seeing as this was the last one, I thought it would be a nice way to bookend the series and answer a lot of unanswered questions about what happened to him.

Journalist: When you first started this role, “Saw” was just an independent horror movie that was coming out of nowhere, and now, when you come back to this being a huge franchise that’s coming out every year, how does that feel?

CE: It’s incredibly, really. I mean, I never expected it. I think I can speak for the original filmmakers, James (Wan) and Lee (Whannell), that none of us had any idea that it would turn into this huge thing. So we’re thrilled, obviously, and…it’s the fans. It’s the fans that keep coming back, and they’re really involved and really passionate about it. So we have them to think.

Journalist: I’ve seen a number of people say it baffles them how your surgeon character didn’t think to saw off just his heel instead of his whole foot.

CE: (Laughs) That’s a good question. That’s funny. Yeah, I don’t think he was thinking too hard at the time, being a professional surgeon. Good question. I know Shaq sawed off the wrong foot, right? (Laughs) Yeah, uh…

Betsy Russell: You’re not the writer.

CE: I’m not the writer. Exactly.

BR: We’re only actors.

CE: I only take direction.

Journalist: Well, how much do you bring your own sense of developing your internal back story to the characters, or do you just leave it whatever the writers give you?

CE: For me, I…I went and met some neurosurgeons over at UCLA, just to get a sense for what it was like to play one, and I was privileged enough to do the rounds with them. But, you know, James and Lee had written such a full character for me, and a lot of it was really on the page, so a lot of the hard work was really done for me.

Journalist: When you walked off the set at the end of the first “Saw,” did you think that there was any hope for Dr. Gordon to come back, or was he dying in that hallway somewhere?

CE: I thought he was dead. (Laughs) I thought anyone who sawed his leg off with a rusty hacksaw was not going to get very far. But, you know, this is filmmaking, and these guys are very inventive in the way that they’ve brought characters to life that seemingly were not going to see the light of day.

Journalist: And I guess a similar question regarding Jill, at what point in the filming process, going all the way back to “Saw IV, did you know what was in the box and where that was going to take the character?

BR: I didn’t know there was a box. (Laughs) And I don’t think any of us did ‘til “V.” So you never know ‘til you read the script, and there it is, and I’m, like, “Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe this is happening! I’m so excited!” So it’s sort of, like, every time it’s a new experience. Every time we open those scripts. A lot of cast members don’t get the last 20 pages, so most of the cast members don’t even know. I mean, I’ve been privileged, thank God, I’ve read the end every time, but a lot of them haven’t, so…it’s been quite mysterious.

Journalist: So, Cary, I have to add personally that I grew up loving “Princess Bride” and “The Crush,” and I definitely had a crush on you.

CE: (Laughs) Thank you.

Journalist: Do you think that the “Saw” franchise has brought a new audience to explore your older work?

CE: I hope so. I’m not sure. I don’t know how many fans of “Princess Bride” will come see “Saw” or vice versa. (Laughs) I hope so!

BR: If they’re real fans, they will!

Journalist: It was a logical progression!

CE: (Laughs) Thank you. That’s the right answer, yeah. But, you know, I’m very blessed. You’re lucky as an actor that you’re remembered for anything or be a part of anything that ends up being successful, like those films have been, and this one. So I’m very blessed, and I feel very grateful for that.

Journalist: Can I just ask if you’re looking to do anything in comedy again?

CE: Well, I’m doing “Yellow Submarine,” which is kind of fun. We start shooting that next year, and that’s going to be a lot of fun. I like to mix it up a bit, you know? I try not to do too much of the same thing, although this is a return for me in this film. But it was such an interesting script, and I love the director, Kevin Greutert, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. And, like I said, the fans really demanded that I come back.

Journalist: Are you guys big horror fans?

CE: Yeah, I am.

BR: I’m not.

Journalist: What are some of your favorites?

CE: I grew up on Hammer horror films as a kid, you know, ‘cause I grew up in England, so those were very heavily part of my childhood, and they were obviously very popular and successful when I was growing up in England. So I grew up on those, and then I naturally progressed to films like “The Shining” and “The Exorcist.” Now, I’m a big fan of Guillermo Del Toro. He’s brilliant. But Kevin…this guy outdid himself with this film. I saw it a couple of weeks ago, and…it’s without a doubt the most graphically violent movie I have ever seen in my life. I mean, hands down. It’s relentless. It really is. I mean, at one point, I was just laughing hysterically, it was just so unbelievably intense…and it’s not a film I want to sit through a second time. (Laughs)

Journalist: (Betsy) looks like the laugh was a bit of a surprise.

BR: I haven’t seen any yet.

CE: Well, you’re laughing out of fear. You can’t believe this kind of thing is taking place in front of your eyes.

Journalist: Yeah, sometimes you either laugh or throw up, so…

CE: You have to, right? It’s relentless. It’s…it’s unbelievable.

Journalist: How do you project that fear as an actor? Because you’re in such an intense, emotional state for the entire run? How do you do that? How do you deal with that? Do you bring that home?

BR: I’ve had a lot of drama in my life… (Laughs) …and I’ve used it well, I think. I’ve had a lot of pain and a lot of break-ups and miscarriages, and, you know, when I was 20, I didn’t have all of that to pull from, so I’m grateful that my life has been topsy-turvy. (Laughs) And, yeah, I really use that a lot in my character study, sure.

CE: I have been fortunate. I don’t have a lot of drama in my life…

BR: You’re not a girl!

CE: (Laughs) …so I just act. That’s what I do.

Journalist: So pretty much, like, on the page, you read it and there it is, and that’s it.

CE: Yeah.

Journalist: Is there any sense of a responsibility on set, knowing this is the final chapter, since, you know, next Halloween there’s not going to be another “Saw”?

BR: (Breaks into mock sobbing)

CE: Well, I think there’s a responsibility to the fans that we do a good job, and I really feel that we have. They’re not going to be disappointed. There’s no way.

BR: Yeah, I was definitely feeling the pressure with this one. I mean, just to do a good job and end on a high note, in a way. Just to be the best Jill I could possibly be. (Laughs)

Journalist: Who are the fans of “Saw,” if you had to describe them?

BR: These fans get it. They get that “Saw” has a heart and a soul and a life of its own. I mean, seriously, I read these things, and my tears are falling down my face, and, truthfully, I do spiritual psychology, and these people are very spiritual, and they are getting the message behind “Saw,” which is, “Appreciate your life, be grateful in every moment, make the best choices that you can.” And forgiveness. If you really read between the lines and listen, that’s, to me, what I take away from Jigsaw and his plan and putting these people in traps that are doing things the way that he doesn’t believe is the way it should be done. He has an opportunity, having cancer and everything, to say, “Okay, I know the end of my life is coming. These people don’t necessarily know when it’s going to happen, but if they did, and the time is now, what choices would they make differently?”

Journalist: So you’re saying Jigsaw is a force of good?

BR: I think behind everything that he’s doing, in the end, his message is gratitude and making the right choices. Yeah, for sure.

Bullz-Eye: What was the experience of filming in 3D like for you guys?

CE: I found it very enjoyable. It’s the first 3D movie I’ve made, and I think it was a very wise choice on the filmmakers’ part because, as I say, I saw the film, and it lends itself particularly well to 3D. There’s a lot of… (Clears throat) …limbs flying at you.

BR: (Bursts out laughing) He still can’t get over it. He saw the movie a couple of weeks ago, and he’s still in shock.

CE: It’s really intense. But the filmmaking process really wasn’t that much different. Kevin gave us some notes here and there to change your movement or a line or…just very slight variations in terms of movement to help with exploiting the 3D process. But the most part, we didn’t want to do anything gimmicky.

BR: Yeah, we weren’t, like, “Okay, this is 3D now, we’re going to have look this way or that way.”

Journalist: So there’s no yo-yo scene.

CE: That’s right. We cut the yo-yo scene.

BR: And it was just…I mean, every scene took hours to set up. Everything took forever, and the cameras were huge, and…

CE: It was the first time the crew were using them. It was the first 3D equipment ever in Toronto.

BR: Ever.

CE: So these cameras were arriving, and this crew, who are incredible, really had to hit the grown running.

BR: They went to seminars and everything.

CE: It was a real learning curve for them. They had very little prep time. The first week or so was a little slow, but after that, we hit our stride.

BR: It was still slow, though. The whole process was very slow. And it was cool. Like, they’d say, “Oh, do you want to see some cut footage? We just have a little bit of stuff cut together. You want to come check it out?” And I’m, like, “Am I in it?” And they’re, like, “Yeah, you’re in it.” “Okay, fine, I’ll look.” (Laughs) So then I would go to a corner, there’s a big screen TV, we’d put the cool little glasses on…some glasses had people’s names on them, usually producers only…and we’d watch the scenes cut together. And it was, like, “Whoa, this is so cool! It’s like you’re actually in the room!” I mean, I haven’t seen that many movies 3D…you guys probably have…but it’s actually like being in the scene. It’s really awesome. So I’m excited for it.

Journalist: Have you ever thought about the legacy of “Saw,” in terms of how people view “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th” series so many years later?

BR: All the time. I think about it all the time. I think that my grandkids are going to be, hopefully, in love with Jill Tuck. You know, going, “Oh, my God, that’s my grandmother up there!” Or, “That’s my great-grandmother!” I’m hoping that my kids are going to be studying “Saw” at college. I’m hoping they go to college, but…yeah, I mean, it’s incredible to be an actress, anyway, to leave something with the world, hopefully, and just to leave a legacy like this for fans that are our fans…? It’s a great feeling. I’m happy about it. I’m grateful.

CE: Yeah, uh…what was the question again?

BR: (Laughs) Sorry!

Journalist: Just, uh, have you considered the legacy of the films?

CE: Oh, uh, yeah, I’m proud of the fact that the films are a little bit more of morality tales, and I’m glad that they’re not just films that are violent for violence’s sake. I wouldn’t want to be part of that. And, so, at least they have something redeeming about them.

BR: Totally. Yeah, you can take away from “Saw” whatever you want to take away from it, but subconsciously I think people are getting the message. That there is a message. Like, think about it before you make that choice to go steal that, or rip these people off, or run over this person and then be a hit-and-run driver. I mean, think about it. Jigsaw could be after you!

Journalist: Do you have any good Tobin (Bell) stories?

CE: Yeah, Tobin’s great. It was nice to see him again after so long and to work with him again. He’s wonderful. He’s very…it’s funny, for a guy that’s playing serial killers, he’s actually a really big softie. And I’m sad he’s not here today, because I know he would’ve been a part of all this, but he’s shooting right now, so…

BR: He has a son a year younger than my kid’s age, and we live in the same neighborhood, and my son recently said, “Mom, isn’t it weird that you guys both live in this little community? I mean, if there are ‘Saw’ fans out there, don’t you think they should come to this neighborhood?” I was, like, “Uh, yeah…” (Laughs) But, anyway, his son plays baseball, and so he’s the coach to his little 8th grade or 9th grade son’s baseball team, and he says he gets in the huddle and he starts doing the Jigsaw voice, and they start screaming. (Laughs) So he’s really into it. You see him out throwing balls to his kid, and…you know, as an actor, to be working with someone like him, it’s a dream. It really is. I’ll be, like, “Tobin, what are you doing here, sitting next me having lunch?” He’s, like, “Well, I didn’t really come down to have lunch. I just think we should really talk about our scene and how we’re going to approach the producers about getting a little more time with this or rewriting that…” I mean, he’s engrossed and obsessed and wants to make it the best movie it can possibly be. And that’s why they’ve kept him around for so long: because he’s so great at what he does, and he gives 1000%.

Journalist: Can these films be difficult for the both of you as actors because they’re so technical? Because I can’t help thinking that you could do, like, the performance of a lifetime, and then they go, “You know ,that one was off because the 3D registration wasn’t quite right.” So in some ways, the acting almost can become secondary to the technical demands.

CE: You know…

BR: That’s life.

CE: Look, it’s no different than…I mean, cameras go bad whether they’re 3D or just regular digital cameras, you know. Digital cameras, I’ve worked with the red cameras a couple of times, and if you’re in a hot room, that thing can overheat and just shut down, like any computer. Your Apple shuts down sometimes. So, yeah, I mean, like I said, it was a new process for a lot of the crew with these cameras. We did have one breakdown that actually could not be fixed, so we had to go and send out for another one, but…like, back in the old days, before digital, you had the hair in the gate.

BR: I was just thinking that!

CE: So, you know, it’s really no different.

BR: And you’ve always just got to believe that if that one didn’t work, you’ve got a better one inside. If you go, “Oh, my God, that was, I think, the best I can do.” They’re going to say, “No! You can do one better! It wasn’t our fault. You can do better!” (Laughs)

CE: Actors are hams. They like more takes.

BR: We beg for it. We always think we can do better. Even if it was pretty good, it’s, like, “You can do better…”

* Johnny Depp is apparently wanting to star in a new version of Dashiell Hammett’s “The Thin Man,” or perhaps the series of really fun movies starring the great William Powell and Myrna Loy that the original 1934 movie adaptation spawned. I’ve no particular clue why he’d want Rob Marshall — not a bad director at all, but also not a great one and prone to ADHD editing — when he could have his pick. Of course, selecting a Nora Charles to go with his Nick will be half the fun — the possibilities are pretty endless though for some reason the only person I can think of right now is Cate Blanchett. She’s great, but don’t ask me why she comes to mind. It’s probably the fatigue. One big problem: Nick and Nora are a couple of merry alcoholics — or at least huge problem drinkers. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle that aspect of the property in today’s more abstemious world, although I suppose Nick Charles isn’t that far removed from Jack Sparrow or Keith Richard.

* They worked mostly in other media, but they all had their moments in the movie sun: RIP Barbara Billingsley, Tom Bosley and, er, Bob Guccione.

* Cinephile’s cinephile uber-blogger David Hudson, who is based in Germany, gives us a fascinating post-mortem look at a writer and filmmaker I’ve never heard of until now, Thomas Harlan. The key fact here: Harlan’s father directed “Jew Suss,” the most notorious narrative antisemitic film produced by Joseph Goebbel’s Nazi UFA, and had been actively dealing with the legacy.

* Sometimes an actor blends so seamlessly into a part you wonder whether she is really even acting at all.

* In the battle of Hobbit-man Peter Jackson versus the NZ/Oz/U.S. unions, it sure looks like the unions blinked. This is probably the first such battle where I’m glad of it.

* “Giallo” is the name for the subgenre of bloody horror flicks from Italy that predated American slasher films with more mature characters and a heck of a lot more style from directors like Mario Bava and Dario Argento. Apparently wanting to get in on the whole self-awareness thing, Argento, who unbelievably is only just turning 70, made a movie actually called “Giallo” starring Adrien Brody. Brody says the producers didn’t pay him and is suing them and blocking the release of the movie for the time being. That’s always a mistake — not paying your star, I mean.

* Ben Affleck is considering switching from character-driven crime fiction adaptations to a character-driven fantasy-drama adaptation, “Replay.” I gather the book by the late Ken Groomwood is an old favorite of my highly esteemed colleague Will Harris and won a World Fantasy Award in 1987. Why have I never heard of it before?

* “Heckraiser“?

* Today’s tie for the “is this really news” prize: Robert Downey, Jr. “eyes” playing a really intense guy who gets involved in paranoid wackiness. Also, crazed lunatic Mel Gibson follows the path of reformed ear-biter Mike Tyson and will appear in “The Hangover 2” according to the totally awesome-in-my-book Jodie Foster, who seems to be doing whatever she can to try and salvage her widely discussed movie, “The Beaver” by trying to help repair his insanely in-shambles image. Talk about strange bedfellows.

* Not silly at all and quite possibly tragic. It appears there was a very serious stunt-related accident on the set of “Transformers 3,” or perhaps it was a not so stunt-related “freak accident,” says Nikki Finke.

* L’affaire Depardieu et Binoche est tres bizarre. (If my French is incorrect and it almost certainly is, please send complaints to the UCLA languages department.)

* The concept art from the canned Pixar film, “Newt,” is beautiful. Maybe someday we’ll get to see the abandoned footage. Their discards are probably at least twice as good as most finished films.

* I have a feeling we’re going to hear a lot about “The Black Swan” through Oscar season. It apparently wowed them in Venice though the thoughtful and quirky cinephile critic emeritus J. Hoberman of Village Voice finds it “borderline risible.” To me, remaking “The Red Shoes” with a dash of Dario Argento and even DePalma (not my favorite) sure sounds pretty cool.

* Christopher Rosen may be a doubter, but I say keep hope alive, Kristen Bell!

* Director Tomas Alfredson, who did such a great job on “Let the Right One In,” is shifting genres from very young vampires to depressive real-world style spooks like George Smiley (Gary Oldman this time ’round) in “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” Michael Fassbender, however, left to be a superhero so now Tom Hardy of “Inception” is stepping in. That should work okay, too. (I finally saw “Inception,” by the way, and…I’m too tired to talk about it now, which is sort of how I felt as I was watching it, actually.)

* Is “Hunger Games” really “The Running Man” with teens or more like “Battle Royale” made safe for an American audience? Sam Mendes, Gary Ross and David Slade duke it out to see who’ll realize whatever it is. Interesting to see the name of the talented writer Billy Ray involved here.

* Crocodile Dundee may now roam free in the Outback — I mean the branch of the steakhouse chain in Burbank.

*  I suppose the big news today is that it really appears as if there’s already an Edward Norton replacement after his departure as the Hulk from “The Avengers” was egregiously mishandled by Marvel’s Kevin Feige. The choice appears to not be Joaquin Phoenix but the first-rate, not nearly famous enough Mark Ruffalo. He is the deceptively low-key actor I’ve been rooting for since catching him in “You Can Count On Me” back in 2000. (It was my favorite movie of that year and also made me a life-long fan of Laura Linney.) Ruffalo is currently in the year’s probable indie-smash, “The Kids Are Alright.” As sussed out from various reports by Kevin Jagernauth of the Playlist, it appears he’s still in some pretty serious negotiations that are not yet really anything like a done deal. He’s a shrewd choice for Marvel and this would be a good way to salvage a thoroughly unfortunate situation.

* Joaquin Phoenix might not be the Hulk, but the probable mockumentary (or not) about him made by his brother-in-law, Casey Affleck, has been picked up by Magnolia. I’m not looking forward to the already infamous “Cleveland steamer” scene. Just FYI, much as I admire John Waters, “Pink Flamingos” is on my short “never see” list, but that infamous final scene is a lot worse, I suppose. I get ill just thinking about it.

* The fascinating outlandish career of arthouse poet turned stoner-action-comedy specialist David Gordon Green may take another fascinating turn if he really does remake Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” — which, I somehow managed to sit through some fifteen years or so back despite my squeamish/scaredy cat ways, because, among other reasons, it’s so freaking beautiful. Also, I’ve always had the hots for Jessica Harper.

* If you want to know who the best, most essential, and most thoughtfully cinephilish bloggers and blogs are, check out the terrific blogroll from the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Congrats to my old bloggy compadres Dennis Cozzalio, Kimberly Lindbergs, Farran Smith Nehme, and Greg Ferrera, among others, for making the prestigious list.

* Nathaniel Rogers didn’t get a mention, though he certainly deserves it. The openly actresexual blogger did, however, get a very nice interview with his idol, Julianne Moore, who I kind of idolize myself. More congratulations are in order.

* I suspect that those old Steve Reeves Hercules movies will wind up being a lot more watchable than whatever Brett Ratner makes of the mythical strongman. I’m sure he can’t top the Disney animated film, even if it wasn’t the greatest of the studio’s nineties animation output. Cue the “do you like to watch gladiator movies”  jokes.

* If you’re wondering why the post two posts below this one has no video, here’s why. Somebody let me know if there’s a new version up, since the whole thing is a bit of a legalish technicality.

* Note to my friend, Zayne: Yeah, I missed this reconstruction of a lost ultra-obscure exploitation gangster film tonight about kidnapping the Pope (and asking for a $1.00 from every Catholic in the world — though  these days I doubt they’d pony up). I’m therefore bummed.

* Alison Nastasi has an interesting response to a fairly thoughtful rant by Dustin Rowles on the controversy around the new cover art for the remake of another film on my probably never-see list, “I Spit On Your Grave.” The poster is obviously in horrible taste, but isn’t that kind of the point?

* Now that a fourth tape is out, I wonder if Mel Gibson will get the message and give up the drunk dialing.

* I’m confused. If the planned film with Jeremy Piven and Thomas Jane is in any way actually closely modeled on John Cassavettes’ “Husbands,'” as director Mark Pellington seems to say, then I don’t think it should be called a “thriller.”