Courtesy The ‘Saw' movies are just creepy. And sick. And absolutely fascinating.

“If it's Halloween, it must be Saw.”

That's the tagline, a rather fitting one, for “Saw IV,” which hits theaters nationwide on Friday, Oct. 26. For the fourth-straight year, a “Saw” film is rolling out in theaters just before Halloween. The “Saw” franchise, in addition to garnering plenty of profit, also has made a cult star out of the Jigsaw killer himself, Tobin Bell. 210SA recently caught up with the veteran actor to get his thoughts on the success of the “Saw” franchise, his character's popularity and the possibility of not only “Saw V,” but “Saw VI.”

Considering the first “Saw” was shot for less than $2 million, did you ever think the franchise would become such a phenomenon?

No. I did think that it was very theatrical and I liked the script, but I didn't anticipate that it would find the success it has. No one did. I liked Danny Glover (Bell's co-star in the original “Saw”), so that was a big motivating factor for me. But I had no idea what it was going to become.

How are the writers able to keep it fresh, considering this is the fourth “Saw” in four years?

Nobody gets lazy because we're all aware that the eyes of the world are on this film. We don't take that lightly, so we increase the level of excellence.

Despite his evil ways, do you find something redeeming in Jigsaw's game?

I think he does. He thinks it's appropriate because he sees a lot of wrongs in the world and our lives. He thinks the world is going to hell, and it's no longer survival of the fittest. Although none of us would do what he does, he feels justified in his severity.

Do you see the comparisons between Jigsaw and Jason Voorhees, in that neither of you really emerged as the star until the second film in your respective franchises?

I don't know much about the Jason films or Freddy (Krueger), but I can say that in “Saw,” the guy on the floor (Jigsaw) was central. With what happened, he was the hub of the wheel. For the films to go forward, it was logical to include him. As it has gone on, (the writers) have continued to try to develop him and his rationale, and still keep him as the hub of the wheel.

Jigsaw is dead in “Saw IV.” Is he still the hub of the wheel?

Death is only one moment in life. I'm dead, but you don't know the rest. In many cultures, they don't consider death to be the final chapter. The “Saw” story is a puzzle. Do you put a puzzle together in sequential order?

No. You put a few pieces in this corner, a few pieces in that corner. The “Saw” story is put together like that.

How do you play a villain like Jigsaw, but still make him somewhat of a sympathetic character?

I never approach Jigsaw like a villain, and I stay on his side. In the films, he leads you down a path, and you get a result. If that casts him in a negative light, so be it.

There were quite a few questions left unanswered after “Saw III,” including the infamous tape covered in wax and some insight into your character's past. Will those questions be answered in “Saw IV?”

Yes. It will all be explained. But I haven't seen the film.

When will you see it?

I'll see it with an audience. I like seeing it with an audience so you can see the reaction to it. That's a fun way to do it.

What is your favorite “Saw” film?

I like “III” a lot, but I have to say “II.” I really liked the cat-and-mouse game with (Jigsaw and) Detective Matthews (played by Donnie Wahlberg).

Of Jigsaw's many traps, what is your favorite?

The needle pit (from “Saw II”). That freaked me out the most onscreen. It was like, “wow.”

I've read that the producers have already hired someone to write “Saw V” and “Saw VI.” Will the franchise live on after 2007?

I have heard something about the possibility of “V” and “VI,” and all I can say is that I like this story. The films are like chapters. If it can move along as a story, they go ahead and tell it. Not all pieces of the puzzle have been filled.

CLINT HALE | 210SA