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Sunday over at Cinematical's sister site, Horror Squad, vigilant contributor Brian Salisbury picked up a news story from Arrow in the Head about Saw VI receiving no less than an 'X' rating for violence from the ratings board in Spain. While this might be minor news if the rating board awarded 'X' ratings to its predecessors, or even just some of the other horror films released in recent years that borrowed from the first film's gag-inducing inspiration, evidently Saw VI is the first-ever movie that has been awarded the killer rating for violence in the country's history, which begs makes us wonder what the board saw in, uh, Saw that made it so offensive?

Despite having seen only the first and sixth installments in the Saw series, I can attest that the new film is indeed gross and gory, featuring scenes like a showdown between two victims to shave off enough body mass (or maybe just body parts) to survive, and a merry-go-round fitted with six victims who more or less indiscriminately suffer from direct shotgun blasts to the chest. But personally I'm not sure that the movie is really any more violent or gratuitous than any of its predecessors, even those that I haven't seen; while one could perhaps make the argument that many of Jigsaw's victims were dubiously "guilty" at worst (or even outright innocent), making their deaths more tragic, it seems unlikely that the murkier morality of this film would earn it a harsher rating than any of the others.

Since I'm sure there are plenty of readers who have seen all of the films and are ready to weigh in with their own opinions, we'll put the question to you: Is Saw VI deserving of an 'X' rating?

According to longtime Saw editor and now first-time director Kevin Greutert, coming up with new and interesting ways to kill people is not as easy as one might imagine, especially when you've already come up with a gauntlet of gory deaths in not one but five previous films. "There's no point in trying to hide it," Greutert said in a roundtable interview in Los Angeles last week. "I think the films have this longevity because we've managed to rise to the task, somehow. But, it made me want to cry sometimes, sitting in a room, brainstorming and pounding my head against the wall. You can think of cool ways to kill people, but it still has to fit in with our story."

"It's very complicated, he insisted. "We want to always push the envelope to the end, in terms of insanity and mayhem, but if you go too far, it becomes campy or silly. It's a really tough balancing act." Ironically, Greutert is only the guy who has to bring those death traps to life; screenwriters Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan are the guys who have to actually develop and design them, making sure they're not only inventive and interesting, but that they actually reflect the personalities and storylines of the characters in each film.

Cinematical recently sat down with Dunstan and Melton to discuss Saw VI, the latest installment in the long-running horror franchise, to find out where they get those wonderful – and terrible – toys. In addition to describing their creative process, they talk about challenges of collaborating with a cast and crew filled with Saw experts, and reflect on why and how their debut on Project Greenlight didn't result in a dead end for their careers, as was the case with their predecessors.

The new horror film The Collector doesn't dilute its intense scenes with comedy or cartoonish visuals: it goes straight for the shocks. The pre-credits teaser scene gets your adrenalin going without visible bloodshed, and prepares you for something suspenseful and a bit strange. To set your expectations, it might help to know that writer Patrick Melton and co-writer/director Marcus Dunstan also scripted the Feast films and the third through sixth Saw films. In fact, the script was once considered for a Saw prequel film. Now you know what you might be getting into in terms of horror style.

The first 20 minutes of the film start a little awkwardly -- it takes a few minutes to figure out who's who -- but then the stage is set for major suspense and scares. Arkin (Josh Stewart) finishes a contractor job at a family's fancy house in the country. He's not paid enough to give his own daughter's mom the money she needs to evade some nasty loan sharks, though. So he decides to break into the rich family's house, since he knows they just left for a vacation, and steal some jewelry to make up the difference. He's got a deadline of midnight. And while Arkin's working to crack the safe, he hears disturbing sounds coming from the cellar ... what else is happening in what is supposed to be an unoccupied house?

If I were a more superstitious person, I would start to think that Dimension's Hellraiser remake is cursed. It has been a long time since Clive Barker first signed on to help re-write his original story for the screen ... again, but here we are three years later and not a day closer to a finished product. The last anyone had heard was that Pascal Laugier (Martyrs) had signed up to direct. But, thanks to an update from Barker's Twitter feed, we now know that "Pascal Laugier is regrettably no longer on the Hellraiser remake. I think Martyrs is extraordinary, I don't know much more. I mean why would anyone tell me? I mostly discover these things here or through friends who still buy the trades."

The horror-remake has had a revolving door cast for a couple of years now, and Laugier isn't the first director to walk. Originally, the French directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (Inside / A l'interieur) were supposed to be shooting Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton's script, but Bustillo and Maury soon left the film thanks to "creative differences." Laugier was supposed to be their replacement, and we might be back to square one now that rumors are swirling that Dimension has plans to commission an entirely new script as well.

After the jump: so, will Hellraiser ever get made? Plus some of my fantasy picks for a new director.

Once the Weinsteins (finally) got around to releasing Project Greenlight Movie #3 (aka Feast), it found a rather warm reception on the horror circuit. And while screenwriters Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan were invited to join the Saw series and the Hellraiser remake, that doesn't mean the team doesn't have time for a sequel or two. (And that includes director John Gulager, who's also big for two more swings.)

We've been hearing little rumblings about Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds and Feast 3: The Happy Finish (?) for a little while now, but Fango brings us new word on a release date: Looks like Part 2 will be hitting video shelves on October 21. And since I've actually seen a few moments of Feast 2's unfinished gore-geyers, I can tell you one thing: They got the "sloppy" part right. Plot-wise, the sequel picks up right where we left off, with the crazy monsters now set to invade a nearby town. Expect a few familiar faces, several new victims, a lot of monsters, and tons of splattery mayhem. (It's like the Tremors series all over again, only in glorious "R"!)

Just in case dating a serial killer and hanging out with Rambo wasn't enough horror for Julie Benz, The Hollywood Reporter posts that she's got herself a starring role in the next Saw movie -- Saw V. The film, which is currently filming in Toronto, is being directed by David Hackl, from a script by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (as Scott mentioned back in February). Tobin Bell is returning as Jigsaw, but this latest victim isn't quite to his liking. As THR describes it: "Benz has been cast as a Brit with clothes and hair too proper and elegant to be a pawn in Jigsaw's latest games."

Well, at least she gets to be elegant. But really, when I see an actor like Benz who could be great on one show (or two, as in Buffy and Angel), top it off with a pretty notable gig on Dexter, but fill in the blanks with eh roles, I wonder if the real magic was just contained within one show or role. (The same could be said for Alyson Hannigan and her drama talents.) Is it just too hard to find a role similar to a snarky, strong, and in-control vampire woman? Benz can play a weak or troubled woman well, but she's at her best when she can command the screen and show her edge.

It's great that she's getting work; I just wish it was work that showed off more of what she can do, in roles that would give her some genre-free cred. At the very least, maybe she'll give Jigsaw a run for his money, even in fancy garb.

Saw V will be released on October 24.

One of the most ferociously entertaining horror flicks of the past several years is Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's Inside (aka A l'interieur), which will be hitting DVD a little later this year. We already knew that the Frenchmen had been tapped to direct the Hellraiser remake for Dimension, but the project recently got bumped back to 2009.

Now that the strike is over, the producers can take some steps towards getting the flick moving. To that end, horror-lovin' screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton have been hired to help get the new (Barker-approved) Hellraiser ... raised. Genre fans will remember Marc and Pat from their debut flick Feast, plus they also joined the Twisted team last year when they provided the screenplay for Saw 4. (And yes, they also worked on Feast 2. And Saw 5. Oh, and Feast 3.)

According to Shock, the duo also have The Midnight Man in production with Dimension, so obviously the studio likes these guys. More word on Hellraiser, Inside, Saw 5, The Midnight Man, and the new Feasts as it becomes available.

According to Bloody-Disgusting, Lionsgate is planning to shoot Saw V and Saw VI back-to-back, perhaps to make sure they have two sequels in the can prior to any sort of Hollywood strike. Either that, or they're just testing director David Hackl and his crew to see how fast they can write and shoot these suckers. Of course, I won't be happy until they write, shoot and have a Saw film in the can in one month, with 12 sequels to watch each year. Maybe by that time they'll figure out a way to clone Tobin Bell before the guy gets so used to being Jigsaw, that he winds up going on a mass killing spree for real. Screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton (Feast, Project Greenlight) wrote Saw IV, and they're also signed on to write two more sequels. Good for them! At least someone came off that Project Greenlight show ready to kick serious ass.

The most interesting note to come attached to this Bloody-Disgusting story is that, apparently, Lionsgate may skip a year with the Saw films. Yup, that means October 2008 would come and go Saw-free. This has not been confirmed yet, and folks are on it as we speak, but that's what's being reported. Should Saw IV absolutely demolish the box office, I imagine Lionsgate may re-think that strategy. But if Saw IV doesn't put up big numbers, then maybe it would be a good idea to take a year off, let the fans breath, and then come back with a Saw V and Saw VI that absolutely rock. What do you think? Are you ready for the Saw franchise to end? Do you want to keep seeing one installment each year? Or, would you be down with them taking a year off?

I covered the very cool Texas Fearfest for Comcast's FEARnet last March, and one of the very entertaining filmmakers I got to chat with was Feast director John Gulager. (Goofy video interview here.) The guy all but promised a sequel, but since things were still in the very early stages, nothing was even remotely locked in or "news-worthy." (Actors and filmmakers talk sequels all the time, especially in the horror division, and lots of 'em just never materialize.) But here's some pretty excellent news for you Feast-hungry fans: We're probably looking at a pair of sequels!

While talking to Fangoria, Feast and Saw 4 co-writer Marcus Dunston (who was also at Fearfest!) let it be known that on top of the two new Feasts, we can also expect a veritable salad bar of sloppy gore goodness: "Feast 2 and 3 are coming together, with [director John] Gulager back ... with the vulgarities we've currently scripted, and if we don't get deported, we just may have the NC-17-rated monsterfest that was only hinted at in the first film." Dang, sounds good to me!

For those who haven't Feasted yet, I'll remind you that the Project Greenlight flick, while certainly not a flawless piece of genre gristle, is a fast-paced, well-cast, admirably gooey and perfectly enjoyable concoction. Despite the Weinsteins' uncertainty on how to handle the flick, I'd say it's definitely found a place in the gorehounds' collective heart since it hit video last year. Good to know that Dunston, Gulager and co-writer Patrick Melton will be back on board, at the very least. The retention of the original creative team gives one a little more hope than usual.

Old-school schlock-slinger William Castle was known for a whole lot of things ... but, for the most part, quality filmmaking was not one of 'em. He was, however, one helluva showman, constantly coming up with new in-theater gimmicks to keep his Saturday afternoon chiller flicks well-populated by thrill-seeking kids. One of Castle's best-known flicks is 1959's The Tingler, which was about a creature that lives within the human spinal cord, and starts, like, vibrating when its host gets extra scared. And to help sell the flick, Castle had these little doo-hickeys installed into the theater seats ... and they'd vibrate every time a scary part showed up! Neat-o!

So now that every horror movie from the past 33 years has officially been remade, it looks like the folks at Sony have tapped Feast writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan to pen a remake of The Tingler. That's all the info we have so far, but the Feast boys seem to be pretty busy these days: Apparently they're also working on a draft of Saw 4 and have something called The Midnight Man on the way.

This is far from the first time a William Castle flick has been remade: 1959's House on Haunted Hill was remade in1999 and 1960's 13 Ghosts was remade two years later. Combine the best components of all four of those movies into one package, and you might have a really good horror flick.