September 29 saw the release of two very different works of cinema. The first was “Saw X,” and the other was “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie.” An interesting dynamic has developed between the two, united in release date but separated in almost every other way. This is not a new occurrence, however.
With the recent release of Box Office hits “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” general audiences have already been proven to enjoy the irony of two such contrasting works releasing at the same time. Similar to the two summer cinematics, a kinship has formed between “Saw X” and “Paw Patrol.” It seems to be an ever-increasing trend to release opposing films on the same weekend, rather than delay the work to better its box office numbers. In a way, studios hope the publicity coming from the absurd juxtaposition of the two works will function as a net benefit to the overall earnings for the films. This novel form of advertising came right in time to replace cast-based publicity, which was lost with the Screen Actor’s Strike. With this dueling release, an inevitable question must be asked; Which film do the students at Point Park prefer?
To begin, it’s important to set up what both films have in terms of content, as this is of course the main factor in a student’s choice. “Saw X” is the tenth film in the popular Saw franchise. This R-rated horror sequel, held as a “return to the norm” for the series, certainly has an advantage in being seasonally appropriate. This major box office film aims to usher audiences into the Halloween season.
“Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” is the second theatrical release of the hit “Paw Patrol” franchise. Spawning from the 2013 Canadian children’s cartoon, the animated PG film sees the cast of working dogs gain superpowers from a mysterious meteorite. As an easy-to-digest plot, it is sure to gain from the prevalent and present focus on superhero media in today’s pop culture.
A survey was conducted on the day prior to the release of both films, spanning nearly 100 students, of varying majors, graduating years, and gender identities. The form included a simple question, that being the preference between the previously discussed films. As the results came in, it became a true battle of tastes.
In the end, however, Saw X succumbed to the more favored Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Beating Saw X with just a 4.6% lead, Paw Patrol took 52.3% of the Pioneer’s votes. Among the reasons listed, several claimed the Saw franchise was too much of a burden to begin, and others blamed franchise fatigue. One anonymous engineering major claimed, “Paw Patrol would at least be funny and the Saw series… needs to rest or do something different.”
However, Saw did win many votes due to its placement in the Halloween season. As
Lily the dance major puts it “Well it’s spooky season so I had to choose Saw X!”.
Although the films were released on the same day, there seems to be no need for any Point Park student to compromise their viewings in favor of a majority, as the diversity at the university has once again proven itself with this unlikely pair of films. Now it only remains to be seen if this split will still exist when the students are asked to make a choice between the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” film, and “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”, both releasing October 27.
