Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a short quickie one on one interview I did with Tobin Bell at ShoWest. I didn’t know I was going to talk to Bell until I was in the room. I was there to interview James Mangold about 3:10 TO YUMA (coming soon) and I was offered a chat with Bell, squeezed in just minutes before the Lionsgate presentation started. I’m a big fan of the first SAW movie and not so much of the sequels, but even in them Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw character has been consistently interesting. When I talked with him, it wasn’t really known what his involvement would be in the next SAW films, so it was a surprise to me when he admitted to being in SAW IV. When the Lionsgate lady led Tobin Bell over to me, I put my hand out to shake and he responded with a closed fist, holding it by my open hand for an awkward few seconds before I closed my hand and tapped knuckles with him. It was a bizarre introduction, but I didn’t find him to be as intimidating as I expected him to be. We don’t cover much, we literally had less than 5 minutes to talk, but there’s some interesting things below considering he hadn't even read the script for SAW IV at the time of the interview. Enjoy!!
Quint: So, what are you here at ShoWest for?
Tobin Bell: I’m to present an award to Mark Burg and Oren Koules, the producers of SAW. So I came down to make a little speech, to give them a “mazel tov.”
Quint: Now, I saw SAW at The American Film Market, right after Sundance…
Tobin Bell: After SAW 1.
Quint: Correct
Tobin Bell: Alright
Quint: And you know, what really hit me, was the first SAW was really the first American film to take the atmosphere of Japanese horror without the baggage of the genre, you know? It didn’t have the long dark hair, but everything with the pig head felt very much in tone with that genre. So I think that’s why it was such a hit.
Tobin Bell: Yeah, when was the last time you saw a film about two people locked in a room? It stayed there, you know? I mean, it’s essentially…. I thought that aspect of it was fascinating. I like the writing a lot.
Quint: Well, it’s a character driven horror movie, something it doesn’t get much credit for being.
Tobin Bell: And even though I was not terribly verbal as I lay in that pool of blood, I still… you know, whenever you go to the theater and there are three characters and even if the guy’s dead in the middle of the floor, he’s still there! And of course, you hear my voice throughout on the tape… so I’m just grateful that we had an opportunity to grow the guy through [SAW] two and [SAW] 3 and you know, it’s just good that we can create that whole character and do more than in [SAW] one.
Quint: So what are your feelings on becoming a horror icon? We haven’t really had that since somebody since maybe SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.
Tobin Bell: Depending on what you call an icon, in terms of career-wise, I don’t think about it. I concentrate on things I have coming forward, or some degree of control of. So I’m happy about it and I’m aware of it, but it’s not something that I even recognize.
Quint: I know that there’s a lot of talk about the next film [SAW 4]. There was a setup in the third one, where we could actually discover a little bit more about Jigsaw, like a back history with him. Do you think he will pop up in the next one and maybe seen in a flashback?
[Tobin nods his head up and down, silently. We both laugh]
Tobin Bell: I know it doesn’t make much of an interview, when somebody just nods their head, but yeah… I do.
Quint: For me it’s not a SAW movie without that character... But it seems that each movie seems to delve deeper and deeper into your character. After SAW 3, I’m like “OK, he’s gone, but it seems like they’re setting up…”
Tobin Bell: I haven’t read the script for SAW 4, so I find it difficult to comment. I don’t know where they’re going, but I can tell you that I’m in it and that I look forward to the very same things you’re talking about. They’re filling him out in ways that are compelling and interesting.
Quint: It’s kind of fascinating, because they really couldn’t make a prequel, considering the story, but they’ve now made Jigsaw and his history part of the big puzzle.
Tobin Bell: Yeah, I know they’re working very hard on the material and I know they want to keep the quality of it up. That’s all, so as soon as I read it, that’s what we’re going to be reaching for.
Told ya’ it was a short chat. It was fun talking with him, even for a few minutes. Hope you guys enjoyed the discussion even if it wasn’t very in-depth. -Quint quint@aintitcool.com
