What happens in theSawescape room does not stay in theSawescape room.
After ascreening of the new filmSaw X(the franchise’s 10th entry to date), I got to walk through an abbreviated version ofthe OfficialSawEscape in Las Vegason Sept. 18. Though the normal experience lasts about an hour, I was in and out in minutes — but the frights still stuck with me well after I found the “exit” sign.
Don’t let the giggling fool you, that’s just my go-to reaction when nervous.
Something unsightly awaited me at every turn, whether it was a loud contraption signaling someone’s demise or an actor in full horror makeup giving it their all, pleading for my help as they found themselves inside one of Jigsaw’s merciless traps.
There were screams — including and especially from me — and the jump scares had this already-jumpy person covering their ears and eyes.
Benjamin VanHoose inside the Official Saw Escape Experience in Las Vegas.courtesy of Lionsgate
courtesy of Lionsgate
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It was inside the final section, a recreation of the iconic cruddy bathroom set from the 2004 originalSaw, that I felt fully immersed in the world of the films.
The painstaking attention to detail was clear, and I tried to appreciate it as much as I could while also staying on high alert for the next pig-masked assailant who’d chase me away with the threat of a flashing taser. Fight-or-flight mode was dialed to the max.
TheSawexperience — which was voted theNo. 1 escape room in aUSA Todaypollback in 2018 — featured nods to the newest film, including a tubular eye-vacuum trap.
Saw Xdirector Kevin Greutert, who’s been involved with the movie franchise from its start, told me it takes a lot for a trap idea to be deemed too gross for the final cut.
“Rarely is something too extreme forSaw,” he says.
Benjamin VanHoose with Billy (aka Jigsaw) from “Saw X”.Benjamin VanHoose
Benjamin VanHoose
What keeps us coming back for more after 20 years of these movies? Producer Oren Koules explains, “For the fans, we try to be consistent. We try to give them a two-hour escape to whatever they get out of the movies. … There’s gotta be a little nervous humor. We tried not to take it so seriously.”
Admission for the OfficialSawEscape in Las Vegas starts at $49.99, with private VIP options also available. It’s open Wendnesday through Sunday. Reservations are required.
Saw Xis in theaters now.
source: people.com
