Ringu

***1/2 1998. Directed by Hideo Nakata, RINGU is an adaptation of Kôji Suzuki's Ring. Here's the movie that began the whole Ring serie, Japanese and American. An urban legend turns out to be true when the niece of a journalist dies of terror seven days after having seen a strange video tape. With simple special effects and no blood, Hideo Nakata manages to create a disturbing atmosphere. Recommended.

That was my reason to check this out. I respect the fact this is were they got all the ideas for the Ring. I mean literally scene by scene. But I didn't care for this version too much. It doesn't capture the same level of creepiness at all. The dead bodies aren't anywhere near as creepy as in the Ring. I showed this to people who never saw the Ring first and they were less jumpy to this one. Perhaps had I seen this first I would appreciate it more but I just didn't feel it. To include this is subtitled. So I don't really care for that either.

To those who never even heard of this I'll break the story down. There is a video tape floating around with a curse on it. Whoever watches this video tape, gets a phone call saying they will die in a week. The main character happens to see this tape and searches for a way to survive this curse.

My recommendation is to see the Ring first. I don't care what anybody says. The Ring captures the level of creepiness far better than this version to me. To me, Ringu did it first but The Ring did it better.

How is it that Asian cinema accomplishes so much with so little? Having seen The Ring at the cinema it was hard for me to understand this one but, watching it again (and again) I come to realise that this is an altogether different film. As with most Asian films I watch, it relies on the stuff that made Hollywood great - good script, good direction, good acting, so on.
Creepy and atmospheric, there is a real story to this one.
Check it out.

With its creepy premise and tense, unsettling atmosphere, Nakata's made-for-TV psychological horror film became a surprise blockbuster in Japan, inspiring two sequels and an inferior American remake. What makes the original so scary is its unrelenting air of foreboding, not Hollywood-style shock tactics. When Reiko enlists the help of her ex-husband Sanada, a math expert, the mystery thickens. "Ringu" is not just a stylish, masterfully paced ghost story, it's also a sinister metaphor for the dark allure of our media-saturated age.

Product arrived quicker than expected and played perfectly. This movie is brilliant. Without giving too much away it revolves around a video that when viewed, kills those watching it within 1 week. A reporter gets hold of it and she and another person watch it and then embark on a race against time to solve it's origins. This film is a cracker and has got me hooked on Japanese horror films which are a cut above everything else. Enjoy.