The Amazing Colossal Saw VI German Premiere
I never saw such “Saw Six” sausage:
Killerzavatar, I stole your hot dog photo because all the sausages were eaten long before I got a chance to take a picture! I assume you saved yours for life in a freezer, like a certain law enforcement officer’s hand…
Elizabeth and I are having a fabulous time here in Germany. Martin from Kinowelt met us at the Cologne airport, and I hope Kinowelt’s experience with me has been as good as mine with them.
I really did forget to bring pants, so our first order of business was tracking down a clothes store, buying some jeans, then finding a tailor. Cologne is a very friendly city, and any time we opened our guide book, locals would step forward and offer to help. But how do you say in German, “I need pants!”? They were very patient with our typically American monolinguism.
Friday night we forced Martin to take us to a “traditional” Cologne restaurant, which featured thousands of beers in tiny glasses, and a kind of strange performance of little alpenfrauleins (?) called something like “Tiny Maria Sparkdancers”. We then took in the latest German cinema: Herr Roland Emmerich’s “2012″. Someone please tell me why the boat that is supposed to save humanity has an overide mechanism that prevents the engines from starting if one of the doors isn’t closed? There: I’ve found a logic flaw in the movie.
We met up in the morning with the rest of Kinowelt, and drove to the Weekend of Horrors, which was a great fan convention in a neighboring city. The trees are all in their autumn colors, and I found the countryside beautiful, even though this is considered a very densely populated region in Germany.
I was whisked straightaway to an autograph signing table, and the line of people was impossibly long. I actually couldn’t believe how many SAW fans were there, or how well loved the movies are. Many people had beautiful European editions of the DVDs that I had never seen before, and as I was hoping would be the case, there were lots of zombies, Jasons, accident victims, vampires, etc. One sad detail: George Romero wasn’t able to attend the event after all. I understand that it wasn’t his fault, but disappointing nonetheless.
Lots of folks from the various SAW internet forums showed up, and it was fun to see the faces behind the words:
Killerzavatar and I
Samuel and I
Kinowelt: the folks who made it happen
Members of SAWHOUSE, the German Saw forum
With smoke machine fanfare, I was brought to a stage for a few minutes of questions and attempts at answers. No, I did not give away the fate of Doctor Gordon, but of course the question was asked! And no, I’m not making Saw VII, but let’s not get into that… I don’t think I’ll ever get over my stage fright of being in front of an audience, but it was a gentle crowd, despite the faces that were slathered in blood and gore.
Afterward the very generous Calle Fritz of Kinowelt took us to dinner at an amazing restaurant built in the facility of an old coal mine. Sounds strange, but think “steampunk” and you’ll get it. I drank my first German red wine, and it was quite impressive (not that I know a ding dong about wine, but it vanished quickly, so I think my opinion was shared by all at the table).
Then it was onward to the Premiere. I didn’t know quite what to expect, but was whisked into the lobby of an immense multiplex cinema, right onto a red carpet with hundreds of clapping SAW fans! I was really caught off-guard, not realizing just how excited people are to see this movie. A signing table had been set up, and within seconds The Autograph Factory was kicked into gear again, and in the half hour I worked at it, I doubt if even half the people waiting were able to get a signature. It is still mind-blowing to me that anyone would want my siggy, except perhaps on a bank check, but there it is.
The craziest part was when I was brought to the theater itself. So many tickets were sold that the cinema owners had to kick out 2012 so that Saw VI could take over the big (500 seat) theater. That was pretty exciting in itself. I was placed out of sight on the sidelines while an MC prepared the audience, giving a long introduction in German that I couldn’t understand. Then when I was cued to enter the room, the trap was sprung: every single person in the audience was wearing a Billy mask!
The effect of walking before such a huge crowd and seeing the face of the SAW puppet replicated 500 times and staring back at me was, well, what I imagine a psychedelic drug trip must be like… (“The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch”, anyone?) It was a very worthy final moment for my SAW career, and I’m very grateful to the clever people who made it happen. The introduction included some Q & A (yes, the Doctor Gordon question was raised again), and there was a kind of raffle, in which five envelopes were hidden under random seats, and the winners received assorted gifts (mainly in the form of prosthetic body parts…)
Saw VI was shown in English, because the German dub is not available yet. I had to leave to do some press interviews, but I’m looking forward to hearing the response from the audience. When it opens to the public on December 3rd, let’s hope it does as well as I think it deserves.
November 15th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Oh, this is wonderful to read! Big thanks to Kinowelt for sponsoring the kind of event that Saw VI deserved. They really made the premiere and the Weekend event something to remember.
I’m glad you met KillerZav and Samuel and the Sawhouse fans. It’s too bad that autographing has to be so quick–everyone wants a few moments with you but then some people would be left with nothing. Ah well, the lucky ones got in line early.
Thank YOU for writing about the whole experience. And I hope you find more pants for the rest of your trip.
November 15th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Sound like you really had a great time despite your busy schedule.
Thank you so much for ataking the time to do the meet&greet with us…that was awesome!
And now my hand holding a hot dog made the way into vyour blog..good thing after all considering the fact that I was pretty much forced to get one since everyone else had already finished theirs not thinking about taking a picture of the bun
Bt now to the most important part..the movie! I honestly have to say that I was blown away after watching it on the bis screen. Kevin, you really nailed it! The traps are really intense and the way those scenes were filmed is incredible. During the steam room trap I could almost feel the heat…totally awesome. So thanks again for a really great movie and for coming all the way to germany.
November 15th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Ok i don’t know what to say, it was just amazing
of course you can take my hotdog photo haha, and i didnt freeze it, but i kept the paper from the hot dog 
to buy new pants you should say “Ich brauche eine neue Hose, undzwar schnell!!” haha
. Before the movie started the sawhouse members were allowed to go into the empty theater and we placed all those masks there. i have some photos with the empty room and only billy masks on all seats and it looks like a saw army, it was so damn cool. i liked that it was the original cut in english without cutted scenes, but i saw some people walking out the theater, because they didn’t know it was the original movie and they couldn’t understand it, kind of sad though. Next month i’m going to see the movie in german of course and i’m really interested in the outcome of the translation.
I havn’t seen 2012, yet and i think i won’t because Saw VI will be always the better choice in theater, even if i saw it a few times in theater then. Yeah the countryside around there was beautiful and there were some old cool buildings in some streets too that make the cities around there look pretty cool. A lot of Zombies were pretty disappointed because they had to make the ZombieWalk alone then and i would have loved to see Romero too, but well badly it didnt happen. Same for Tobin Bell, i was hyped when they showed him talking about it on the big screen. Yeah i wanted to get your name on something else then a check xP and i was really happy that you actually knew who i was and that you knew how to write my username
Greetings to Elizabeth, too
- KillerZavatar
November 16th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
i know u must be sick of the dr gordon question but all i want to ask if they will ever reveal it i dont want the answer now i can wait till the next film
November 18th, 2009 at 5:59 am
I really hope you continue to update your blog in whatever endeavors you pursue in the future. Not only is it entertaining to read but your extremely motivating. You’re an awesome dude!
November 18th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Hey Kevin just wanted to let you know that I am trying to help you out in Australia. I have seen Saw VI at least 10 times, I’ve lost count. But it’s still so good every time and the ending is probably the best and most suprising just like 1 and 4 were for me… Good luck with future projects…
November 29th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Hello Kevin. Saw 6 Best Series, uluchshelos quality of shooting and the quality of the movie you .- fellow. Why not be said of advertising the film. I am a fan of the movie Saw and collect all that one can with the movie =) and posters on the computer too. very like a poster with the followers of a pig to 6parts but the Internet it is nowhere in a large amount = (((
director of the film and you because you have all the materials to 6 parts. Asked lionsgate they do not respond. I think you are closer to the people. and help fans. skinte it to me because I dream about it all looked on the internet but can not find it more than 1200 = (please Kevin.
vented on your site will all be grateful and believe in good people)))
kevin Reply:
November 29th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Thanks for the message!
November 30th, 2009 at 4:27 am
so that you do not help me too, a poster ?=((((
Please Kevin
kevin Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Hmm, maybe I don’t understand the question?
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:03 am
Hey, I am Tamika, And i have been trying so so so soooooooooo hard to get in contact with you, CAN you please!!!!! Email me, i need to ask for help with something, and you’d be great help, Email me at tamikaa-janee@live.com.au PLEASE.
December 4th, 2009 at 3:23 am
Hi Kevin, very pleased that you meet the fans))) I wrote to you that I collect posters from favorite movies (SAW) but can not find such a large poster size, and as a director, you have all the information about your child, and he (the poster2400x4000) is sure you have a computer large. vent it on the site. is what I pray you. thanks Kevin .=)
http://www.fullhalloween.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/saw-vi-2009-six-poster-collection5.jpg
December 4th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
and tell you there is mail on which I can write?
December 6th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I think he wants to know where he can get a bigger SAW poster. These huge banner etc….
But I think you (jigsawgrek) got the wrong address. Go ask your local theatre.
December 7th, 2009 at 4:48 am
Well, I am sure that Kevin and I hope it is him. but I have a poster on the wall there is a Comic Con 2009 , and I want on your computer. Kevin help)))
December 15th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Hi, Kevin!!
Nice text and nice pictures!!^^
I want to say that you are great, and “SAW” is the best horror film that i’ve watched in my life, specially “SAW VI”!!hehe…(Costas Mandylor rocks!!*-*)
I really like your job, and i can’t wait for “SAW VII”! (I wanna see what Hoffman will do with Jill Tuck!! lol)
Take care.
Tais Cristina.
December 24th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Merry Christmas!! *-*