Confession: I’m a fan of the Saw franchise. Sure, they’re guilty pleasures, but they’re surprisingly fun, and I’d even go so far as to say that the first one is a modern horror classic. They may have devolved into silliness as the franchise wore on (give or take SAW VI, which is actually a fairly strong satire of the health care industry), but the original is a tense thriller with a moral center that’s deeply underrated. So, when I heard that Chris Rock was a fan of the series and wanted to put his own spin on the property, I was in. Now, earlier today we got the first Teaser Trailer for his take, going by the title Spiral (also known as Spiral: From the Book of Saw). You can see the Teaser momentarily, but this is shaping up to be a breath of life into an IP that was running out of steam. For those who are unaware, this is a sequel/spinoff to the Saw series, more or less inspired by what’s transpired in the franchise so far. The official synopsis is as follows, from Lionsgate: “A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in SPIRAL, the terrifying new chapter from the book of SAW. Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past.  Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.” Darren Lynn Bousman (three time helmer of a Saw flick) returns to direct, with the last installment’s screenwriters Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg adapting a story by Rock himself. Jordan Oram handles the cinematography, while the supporting cast also includes Marisol Nichols. Among the producers are former Saw masterminds James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Just going by the Trailer, the movie does appear to be a mix of gritty procedural and horror, like we’ve come to know and love. Aside from that, a lot of questions still remain. That’s not a bad thing, either, as this Teaser is certainly doing its job. Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock in anything is worth investing some time in, but this? Oh my, yes. Anyway, you can see the First Trailer for Spiral next, but the film won’t be hitting until [...]