I defended the Saw franchise long past the point where most self-respecting cinephiles and even genre geeks abandoned it. It was only after the moronic, baffling Saw IV that I got off the bandwagon. But as someone who thinks the franchise has (had?) something to offer beyond the admittedly questionable thrills of what smug know-nothings call "torture porn," I'm anticipating this month's annual installment with an ever-so-slight glimmer of hope. The first three films took a gimmicky serial killer concept and expanded it to something big and increasingly baroque, piling on twist after twist that, to me, consistently seemed bold rather than (merely) ludicrous. They were gruesome, yes, but they were also moody and visually exciting; Darren Lynn Bousman, in particular, seemed to take painstaking care in the second and third films to construct a cruel, self-contained universe around the crazy-ass story.

So here, briefly, are three things Saw V -- which sees the franchise's production designer David Hackl take over directing duties from Bousman -- could do to avoid the pitfalls of its immediate predecessor and restore my faith in the series.

If it's Halloween, it must be Saw. And it is. So it must be. Cinematical attended a press junket this week for Saw IV. It consisted of three interviews, with reporters from various outlets throwing out questions. The first was with Jigsaw himself, Tobin Bell (phoning in because he lives in Malibu, so wish him and his family well). The second was with Lyriq Bent (Rigg), Scott Patterson (Agent Strahm), and franchise producer Mark Burg. The third was with Costas Mandylor (Hoffman), Betsy Russell (Jill -- Mrs. Jigsaw), and franchise producer Oren Koules. Lionsgate hadn't screened the movie for critics (or even the actors!) as of this junket, as the representatives are extremely secretive about its plot, particularly a final twist. All we know is, despite having seemingly died at the end of Saw III, Jigsaw is back. Oh yes, and we know that there will be blood. Lotsa blood. We discussed what makes the franchise so popular, the phrase "torture porn," and the future of the Saw series.

Can you tell us what attracted you to the role yet again?

Tobin Bell: He's a big character. There could be nothing better for an actor than to have an opportunity to play a role where the character is sort of a multi-faceted guy. I mean, he is a scientist and a very well read guy and a man of conviction and passionate about what he does. There is something Shakespearean about him in a way. And there is a lot more story to be told. I feel like the Saw story doesn't play out in a linear way. It doesn't happen in sequence, necessarily. Whenever you have the opportunity to develop a guy like this, it's a blessing. It's what actors become actors for.

It's interesting to hear you talk about the thought process that goes into creating his back-story. Because if you ask an audience after they see a Saw film, they were there for the gore. They want to see someone's guts spill out on the floor. Are you rationalizing the character for yourself? Or do you really care about the characters in these films?

TB: I think that anybody who goes to one of these films wants to care about the characters. I think you can accomplish the same thing in the horror genre that you can accomplish in any other genre, whether it's a period piece, or a romantic comedy. I think there is an opportunity in a drama of any kind for the viewer to get involved with the characters. If you sell out completely on that, and I think that is what the horror genre has done for many years, people will not think of it very highly as a genre. Many genre films of the fifties and sixties were interested in the special effects, or interested in the scare factor, or the sci-fi factor. Jacob's Ladder is a very smart, well-crafted script. It is very scary. The Dead Zone with Christopher Walken. On its face, you have a man that looks at things and lights them on fire with his eyes. Look at the film. Christopher Walken draws you in. He makes you care about him. That's what makes the film work.

At this rate folks, I'd expect a new Saw film for the next -- whaddya think -- 10 years or so? Saw III absolutely annihilated the competition this weekend, racking up an estimated $34.3 million for the franchise's biggest opening yet. Not only is this huge for Lionsgate, but it also ruins at least the next Halloween for everyone else, as Saw IV will most likely hit theaters this same time in 2007. Eventually, we'll get another Friday the 13th and Rob Zombie-directed Halloween sequel, but will they be enough to tackle Jigsaw and his wacky diabolical schemes?

As much as it doesn't seem possible, there were other movies playing around the country this weekend. The Departed managed to hang on, dropping only 27 percent in box office sales over the last week, taking home $9.8 million. Not far behind was The Prestige ($9.6 million) which took a bigger hit, dropping 38 percent from the previous weekend. With its $90 million budget, Flags of Our Fathers ($6.35 million) currently holds a 10-day total of $19.9 million, which means Eastwood and friends are praying Oscar and his pal Buzz help drag this flick out of the gutter. Open Season (man, will this pic ever go away?) finally forfeited the fourth spot, sliding into fifth with $6.1 million.

And what about those Dixie Chicks and their controversial documentary Shut Up and Sing? Well, that puppy made plenty of noise in only four theaters, taking in a healthy $50,798. In just seven theaters Babel ($365, 801) also brought home some hefty figures. However, Catch a Fire (which debuted in 1,306 theaters) crashed and burned without much of a fight, as it wound up with a measly $2 million.

Full numbers after the jump.

Well there's a reason why the Saw franchise keeps churning out sequel after sequel -- on Friday alone, the bloody thing took home $14 million. That's up from the $12.1 million Saw II took in on its opening day. Damn, is it just me or are people really into this Jigsaw dude?

And it's not just audiences who are scared of the clown-faced serial killer, no one was down with releasing any of this fall's top box office contenders anywhere near Saw III. Both The Departed and The Prestige (less than $3 million each on Friday) were left to duke it out for second place, but their final numbers will come nowhere near the horror sequel, and Catch a Fire (the only other film going wide this weekend) couldn't catch this puppy even if Saw had its weekend gross sawed in half. When it's all said and done, Saw III will most likely double the original's opening with somewhere in the neighborhood of $36 million. With a fourth installment already in the works, just how many of these do you think we'll see?