Rabu, 25 April 2012

Saw horror film cruise: Concerns over holiday based around 'torture porn'

Saw horror film cruise: Concerns over holiday based around 'torture porn'

By Travelmail Reporter

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When it comes to travel experiences, cruises are rarely viewed as being at the more adventurous end of the spectrum. A one-week voyage will usually involve nothing more extreme than a few sunny days at sea, a stop or three at colourful ports in the Caribbean or Mediterranean â€" and perhaps even a polite dinner with the captain.

Saw

Macabre: The Saw films feature scenes of gore and extreme violence

Less likely are possible encounters with ‘serial killers’, cocktail parties with gaudily-painted puppets and the screenings of movies that have been described as ‘torture porn’.

But this is the prospect facing horror-movie fans who sign up to a special cruise that will be themed around the blood-splattered film franchise Saw.

Due to depart New York on August 11th, this five-night sailing aboard the 2974-capacity liner Carnival Glory will also call at the Canadian cities of St John (in New Brunswick) and Halifax (in Nova Scotia).

However, the main draw for lovers of the gory and the macabre will be a chance to mingle with ‘stars’ of the Saw films â€" including the actor Costas Mandylor, who has made regular appearances in the movies.

Passengers will also have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the creepy wooden puppet that crops up in every Saw film â€" as well as, somewhat incongruously, Dan Yeager, who will play the infamous mass murderer ‘Leatherface’ in an upcoming remake of the 1974 slasher classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Launched in 2004, the Saw series has now stretched to seven movies, with the most recent â€" Saw 3D â€" hitting cinema screens in 2010.

Some might question whether this is a franchise suitable for a themed cruise.

Saw

Bloody: Close-up scenes of mutilation have seen the Saw films described as 'torture porn'

Based around the schemes of the criminal mastermind ‘Jigsaw’, the films feature violent scenes of mutilation, torture and death. Viewers frequently see lingering shots of the films’ ‘victims’ losing limbs or being crushed by industrial machinery.

And the films have not been without controversy.

In January 2011, a frightened 10-year-old won a banning order against a trailer for Saw 3D after viewing the promotional clip on terrestrial television at 8.29pm.

The trailer had been cleared for viewing after 7.30pm, but in the wake of the claim, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that it could only be shown after 9pm.

The ASA commented that:

'We considered that, although the ad was clearly for a film and therefore based in fantasy, the scenes of people in the cinema â€" particularly those where they were suddenly trapped by metal restraints and where the figure reached out and pulled a cinema-goer back towards the screen â€" linked the scenes from the film with a recognisably real situation.

'We considered it was therefore likely to cause distress to young children who might not make a clear distinction between the scenes from the film and the scenes in the cinema, and a post-7.30pm restriction was not sufficient.'

However, potential cruisers may be less concerned about potential distress on the voyage â€" and more that it may not provide sufficient value for money.

Saw Leatherface

The Saw films have featured actors such as Donny Wahlberg (left) - while, somewhat incongruously, cruisers will be able to meet the actor playing 'Leatherface' (right) in a new version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Reacting to the news of the planned sailing on the American news portal USA Today, commenter Lori Manning reacted simply: ‘I was expecting a thrilling horror-filled adventure. Not taking pictures with a puppet. And going to Canada.’

Fares for the Saw cruise start at US$779 (£495) per person, based on two people sharing a cabin. Tickets can be booked via www.sawatsea.com.

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