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Ringu Director: Hideo Nakata Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Widescreen, Dolby Audience Rating: Unrated Running Time: 100 minutes Studio: Universal Studios Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2003-03-04 Buy from Amazon |
 "Oh, please!"I too purchased this movie after reading so many great reviews. Gosh! Were we watching the same film? In a word, it stinks. Perhaps, if one spoke Japanese, it may have been a decent film, but the subtitling is the worst I have ever witnessed. Half sentences? Please. Perhaps one out of twenty lines are even translated, and those curiously unimportant. Without subtitling, the plot is almost impossible to decipher, and once you do, it's not scary at all. Don't waste your money.  "I Liked Both This One and The U.S. Remake"Creepy film. Not very bloody at all for a horror film: the scares come from psychological tension and an intriguing story. I like how they used scenes from the "killer" video as clues in uncovering the mystery (or part of it) behind the curse. Reminds me just a little of photographs in the Antonioni movie BLOW UP. Also, the "false" reflections the girl sees in the blank TV screens were a disturbing effect; you start seeing your own reflection while you're watching (unless you have one of those nonreflecting flat-screen TVs, I suppose). I saw the U.S. version THE RING first, so that one probably affects my perceptions of RINGU more than the other way around. Hard to review one without comparing it to the other. This one has somewhat less plot and fewer scare scenes than the THE RING does, but I don't think that lessens it any. The U.S. version has nicer, weirder visual effects and flashbacks, and its complex backstory behind the curse is more involving (I thought). But that kid in the U.S. version reminded me too much of the kid in THE SIXTH SENSE. And I thought that the increased number of foreshadowing (or backshadowing?) scenes in the U.S. film stole just a little bit from the big scene with the girl crawling out of the well; whereas the Japanese version has fewer scare scenes along the way, so the big scene hits you with more impact. Also, I thought the crippled motion of the girl in the Japanese version (when she walks toward the screen) is more unsettling than what we see in the U.S. version; as is how we never see her face at all in the Japanese version. But they're both clever horror films; if you like one you'll probably like the other. Couple interesting notes: A little web browsing reveals that the RING movies, novels, manga, and TV series have evolved into a whole minor industry in Japan. Also, the novel's author claims the title RING was originally as much a verb (as in to "ring" someone on the phone) as a noun.  "A must see alternaive to the US production!"This original Japanese version has spawned a cult following in the far east as well as several TV shows and sequel spinoffs. But you don't need to worry about that to enjoy this movie. While the basic plot and theme is similar to 'The Ring', this original is more primal, more compelling, and more fist-clenching than the U.S. remake. And if you do some research on the net, you'll find there that there is a whole subtle subplot that makes this movie even more exciting! This was 'The Matrix' of Japan! "Excellent Utilization of the Minimalist Approach"When a young girl dies mysteriously, presumably without cause, her aunt, a reporter, deems it necessary to investigate further. Reiko questions her niece's friends only to find that another student who attended the same school, and a couple of their friends, died on the same day, also without known cause. The link between these mysterious deaths appears to be a videotape that all watched together while spending the night away from home. Is this merely an urban legend, or is there actually some substance to the claims of these young students? Reiko ventures out to where the group stayed that fateful night when they watched this purportedly cursed video tape and finds exactly what she's looking for. A creepy, grainy videotape with bizarre images. Shortly after viewing the tape, she receives a phone call letting her know that death awaits her in exactly a week's time. Reiko enlists the aid of her ex-husband and psychic Ryuji to help her unravel this mystery. Together they analyze the video in hopes of discerning its maker and lifting the curse. Their task becomes more imperative when their son, Yoichi, comes across the video and watches it himself. Will Reiko and Ryuji be able to find a way to lift the curse in time to save themselves and their son? After having watched "The Ring" and been thoroughly scared by that movie, I simply had to watch the movie that "started it all," so to speak ("The Ring" and its upcoming sequel and prequel). Several people had told me that they felt this film was scarier than its American counter-part, while others felt the opposite. I don't exactly feel as though one is scarier than another. Rather, they are merely different kinds of "scary." This version is far subtler in its scare-tactics than is the American version. Rather than use extreme make-up and visual effects, this version takes advantage of a creepy score, good acting, and a great plot to make its audience squirm. At first, the Americanized version of the film appears to be almost a shot-for-shot remake of this film. However, as the movie progresses it becomes clear that there are several note-worthy differences between the two. Aside from the make-up and effects, one difference between the two was that "Ringu" was far less detailed than was "The Ring." In "The Ring," much of the plot gets spoon-fed to the viewers, while "Ringu" allows for one's own "filling in of the gaps." Some people may appreciate this more than others. I feel that this tactic allowed for more use of one's imagination, which can be far scarier than the alternative at times. Part of this difference in detail involves the videotape itself. In "Ringu," the tape is much shorter and seems to give less insight to the viewer. Both versions of the creepy video are equally unsettling, merely in different ways. Both create an incredible sense of elusive foreboding. Yet another difference is the role the young boy plays in both films. In "Ringu," he is merely a minor actor, while in "The Ring" the reporter's son plays a much more potent and crucial role. Either way, however, this doesn't really detract from the main plot of the film. Both of these films are wonderfully scary and shockingly disturbing in their own way. Neither version should be over-looked by any fan of the horror/thriller genre(s). If you haven't watched either of these films yet, then I would recommend this one first, as it's subtleties might not be as easily appreciated after having been treated to the pricey, hollywood-ified effects and make-up prevalent in the American counter-part. "Original is always better..."This film is a masterpiece. I first heard about it in 1999 and I've chased it down until 2002 when I bought it in Chinatown. It did not dissapoint me at all, but it did disturb me. The american version (The Ring) was a very good adaptation and it was entertaining but the way it works with this film is typical. Which ever version you see first is the one you will like better. Sure, The Ring had a better budget, special effects, marketing and so on. Ringu has pure atmosphere and that is what separates Asian and American films. I will admit that coming home from Chinatown at 2:30 am and watching Ringu immediately was not the best decision made (After the film, I was afraid to go to the bathroom; so what?) It did it's job, it scared me. Of course, living in the middle of the woods helped out. Give this film the chance it deserves. If you're an avid asian horror film fan like me, you know that this film has been imitated all over asia the past few years at a rapid pace. What does that tell you? |
