Ju-on (2003)

The Sludge

True horror is watching an over-hyped Japanese horror film that has as its hideous monster a six-year-old Japanese boy with his face caked in white make-up, mascara and his big moment to scare comes when he bulges his eyes and goes: "Ssssssssss!" Wow, I had a heart attack and had to rush to the emergency room for a heart transplant.

One grows bored quick when it seems that every recent japanese horror film always has ghost children and they all have the same make-up person who thinks that by caking their face with white powder and using a pound of black mascara then that's really going to terrify a a horror addict in the year 2008 whose used to CGI monsters or at least fiends done on a brilliant level--like those hooded ghouls in the terrific THE STRANGERS that I saw last week.

The American version was hardly any improvement but at least it did try to stir up some decent scares which this one didn't. Oh, I think in this one they also had a woman created to look like a human spider but you could still tell it was a human being beneath all that make-up. July 13, 2008

Not worth my 25 cents

Some guy that was really into horror movies told me this was the scariest movie he'd ever seen. Since I'm a horror movie junkie, with a great appreciation for B-lists, I gave this movie a try. It was NOT worth the 25 cents I paid plus shipping and handling. I proceeded to give that guy a roundhouse kick. February 11, 2008

The Original is the Best!!

It is sad that they made "The Grudge" for america, They should have redubbed this in english.
The Grudge Movies suck!!
If you are goin to watch one, watch JU-ON(The Grudge).
It maybe low budget but it's better!!
By the way I'm not goin to tell you about the movie, it would ruin it for you, I will say it's worth the buy!!
I rate this movie a 8 from 1to10!! October 19, 2007

One Of The First Great J-Horror Movies

I'm sure by now most people have heard of the american version of this movie the 'Grudge and Grudge 2' but these version are what the true horror of the movies should have been about in the japanese version you felt sad when one of the characters was taken by the curse and I know that I wanted a few of them to get through it alive unlike the american ones I couldn't care less if any of those people got it and I was rooting for the grudge to take care of Sarah Michelle Gellar I definitely liked what happened to her in the early start of Grudge 2 so I say if you're choosing between this or the Grudge go for the better version THIS ONE
August 7, 2007

*Meow* . . . Toshio? . . . Is that you?

American Horror cinema has been in hibernation for too many years (or am I alone in thinking this?!) . . . and while we await a resurgence in original American horror, we give thanks for Asian Horror (note the word "original" because I have little interest in seeing remakes of "Texas Chain Saw," "Black Christmas," and "Halloween" . . . ohhhh yeah, just in case you didn't know, Rob Zombie is remaking Carpenter's "Halloween." Grrreeeaaatt.)

But let's face it . . . Asian Horror accomplishes what American Horror rarely does (even the best of it) . . . it gives its audience "the creeps." It exploits every iota of the uncanny . . . leaving its audience a sweating, quivering wreck. Nonetheless, often times, you will find a delayed reaction to these films . . . you'll be driving home from work and instantly feel a cold shiver . . . "Toshio? Is that you?" Or worse, they appear in our nightmares . . . "Toshio? Is that you, again?" They work on a VERY deep, VERY subconscious level. Understand, there are rarely the "cheap thrills" that you find in American Horror, rarely the predictable scares . . . instead, the tension in these works builds to a skin-crawling crescendo. And Ju-On certainly is the quintessential example. (This film will show you why hiding under your covers is a VERY bad idea!!)

The approach to Ju-On is rather surprising. It is a series of interconnected vignettes (think "Pulp Fiction"). And while this is initially confusing (especially if you experienced the American remake), it is a valuable approach . . . so, be patient. And if you do not understand everything the first time through, that's perfectly normal;) Many people enjoy multiple watches . . . enjoy unraveling its layers of mystery!

Ju-On falls into the sub-genre of "Haunted House" . . . but not in the cheesy "Amityville Horror" way (which I actually love), but in a "Ummm, someone should burn down that house NOW" way. Trust me, you will never, EVER think of your attic in the same again!!

As a final note about this film, take time to listen to the audio commentary reel . . . it is Sam Raimi!! If anyone has ever given America genuinely original horror, it is Sam Raimi (and Romero, but I digress!!)

So, do not sit around waiting for the next great American horror film . . . I do not believe it is not coming anytime soon. Instead, watch Ju-On. And then watch Ringu, and Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara (the original "Dark Water"), and Marebito, and Audition . . . you get the picture;)

Suggested Reading: McRoy, Jay. "Cinematic Hybridity in Shimizu Takashi's Ju-On: The Grudge." Japanese Horror Cinema. Ed. Jay McRoy. Honolulu: U of Hawaii P, 2005. 175-184.
February 15, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...