Ring (2001)

A grainy, enigmatic videotape has the power to kill people seven days after they watch it. This brilliant premise fueled the 2002 Hollywood hit The Ring, but before that it conquered Japan in Ringu, Hideo Nakata's quietly unsettling study in terror. Fans of the U.S. version will find a less elaborate storyline and more primal fear in the original; the basic plot, however, still has a worried reporter (Nanako Matsushima) tracking down the meaning of the video--and, having watched it herself, she has only a week to work. The film's calm, economical style actually adds to the creeping sense of dread throughout, and the hair-curling set-pieces stand out in contrast. Like an old photograph of something evil, Ringu has the strange-but-familiar power to unnerve. Guaranteed, its effect will linger for at least seven days. Longer... if you're lucky. --Robert Horton Amazon.com

The great original

Back in 2002, I saw "The Ring" before I saw "Ringu." At first, I was scared s***less when I saw "The Ring", but then after a few repeated viewings, it started to grow dull. Then, I saw "Ringu" two years ago, and I must say that the original Japanese version is the better one. In "The Ring" there are some over-the-top imagery, and some loud sound effects in order for us to "jump". But here in "Ringu", it's all very quiet, and very eerie. I guess what works here is that the slow pacing actually hightens the tension much more so. And the cursed videotape is much shorter (only about forty seconds), but the images are far more effective. And let's not forget Sadako. She's far more frightening than Samara: to me, little kids ruin modern horror films. And the way she attacks her victims is absolutely terrifying.

If I had to choose, then I would go for "Ringu." Sure, "The Ring" had more special effects and more "jump" scenes, but "Ringu" works for its simplicity and its silent eerieness.

A+ November 25, 2008

Boring!!!

I thought I should check out the original version of "The Ring", since I've heard good things about it. Big mistake! "Ringu" is unbelievably mind-bogglingly boring. It dragged and dragged. I had the hardest struggle not to fall asleep. And this is called a horror movie? Now I appreciate the American version even more. There seems to be no point in going into details. "The Ring" is just in every aspect superior to its predecessor. Once you've seen the remake (and liked it), don't bother with the original. Save your precious time! November 2, 2008

HIDEO NAKATA, OPUS 3

***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. February 10, 2008

A Ground Breaker

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. July 18, 2007

Ringu

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. July 13, 2007

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