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abe · Apr 1, 2006, 11:57 PM

Should I Watch The Ring on TV Tonite?

This is the kind of film that would really frighten me. Is it THAT bad?

After reading this review I think I'll pass but I may record it. What do you think?

Appointment with Samara

English-language remakes of successful foreign films are rarely a good idea, but Gore Verbinski's close do-over of the phenomenally popular and absolutely terrifying Japanese ghost story RING (1998) is a shivery surprise: a frighteningly good horror movie with enough solid scares to freeze the blood of ardent fans and newcomers alike. It begins with the mysterious death of 16-year-old Seattle high-schooler Katie (Amber Tamblyn), found in a closet with her face horribly contorted; whatever killed Katie also scared her friend Becca (Rachael Bella) so badly that she now wanders the halls of a mental institution like a zombie. When Katie's aunt, reporter Rachel (Naomi Watts), starts poking around, Katie's friends tell her about a cursed videotape that supposedly kills anyone who watches it. The phone rings the moment the tape is over, the story goes, and a voice on the other end warns that you have seven days to live; a week later, you die. Rachel brushes off the tale as an urban legend, but the deeper she digs, the more sense it makes: How else to explain the fact that everyone who watched the tape with Katie died at exactly the same time? Rachel drives up to the lodge where the ill-fated teens spent the weekend before their deaths, and finds an unmarked videocassette in the front office. She pops it into the VCR and watches as bizarre images flicker across the screen: an eclipse; a woman brushing her hair; a box of twitching, severed fingers; a spectral little girl (Daveigh Chase) whom we later learn is named Samara. The tape abruptly ends and the phone rings; "Seven days," the voice whispers, and the countdown begins. Watts does great work here — she's got that mounting panic thing down pat — and the constant Seattle rain supplies an appropriately dank and airless mood. In simplifying the story (which spawned a series of novels, a manga, three movies and a TV series in Japan) writer Ehren Kruger (SCREAM 3) has also ironed out a number of kinks in the original screenplay while adding a number of creepy embellishments. The ending, however, is something of a disappointment: By toning down a final act of desperate cruelty, Kruger and Verbinski rob the finale of that resounding ring of doom, the stroke that insured the original a permanent place under your skin. — Ken Fox

Kitschy · Apr 2, 2006, 12:10 AM

It's one of the freakiest movies I've ever seen. I enjoy those kinds of things though. My vote: watch it AND record it.

ApplCmptrDood · Apr 2, 2006, 03:53 AM

Yeah, It was scary... Watch it.

abe · Apr 2, 2006, 04:00 AM

Thanks guys!

olePigeon · Apr 2, 2006, 05:24 AM

Maybe I'm alone on this? I thought The ring sucked ass.

Go rent The Exorcist and watch in 5.1 or better sound. Now THAT kicks ass.

abe · Apr 2, 2006, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

Maybe I'm alone on this? I thought The ring sucked ass.

Go rent The Exorcist and watch in 5.1 or better sound. Now THAT kicks ass.

The Exorcist IS a terrific film.

Hash · Apr 2, 2006, 08:24 AM

What was the original ending in the Ring, which is supposedly toned down in the remake? I did not watch the original and I am not planning to do, as the remake was horrifying enough.. but I am curious

ambush · Apr 2, 2006, 10:19 AM

I know my GF was terrorised while watching the ring. I thought it was unintelligent and unscary

vinster · Apr 2, 2006, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Hash

What was the original ending in the Ring, which is supposedly toned down in the remake? I did not watch the original and I am not planning to do, as the remake was horrifying enough.. but I am curious

You should watch the original. I actually turned the channel last night when Naomi Watts was pushed into the well by a TV as I'd lost interest at that point. The horror of the original doesn't use shock tactics, like the US remake, it's a psychological, creepy kind of horror. The original's ending will explain why the victims have such contorted faces, too.

B Gallagher · Apr 2, 2006, 10:35 AM

Watch the original. That's all. Don't worry about the remake.

abe · Apr 2, 2006, 10:45 AM

By toning down a final act of desperate cruelty, Kruger and Verbinski rob the finale of that resounding ring of doom, the stroke that insured the original a permanent place under your skin.

WTF

Un-unh. Nope. I do NOT want something to take up permanent residence under my skin.

I pass.

In my, "THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING" file, this one is remarkable.

I have NEVER refused to see a feature film. I even watched "Faces of Death" several times (years ago). This is a first. Although I must say I've also refused to watch beheading videos.

vinster · Apr 2, 2006, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by abe

WTF

Un-unh. Nope. I do NOT want something to take up permanent residence under my skin.

I pass.

In my, "THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING" file, this one is remarkable.

I have NEVER refused to see a feature film. I even watched "Faces of Death" several times (years ago). This is a first. Although I must say I've also refused to watch beheading videos.

It's not that bad. If you watched faces of death repeatedly (a movie that stayed with me for some time after one viewing, although I was only 14 when I saw it), then you'll be fine with Ringu. Besides it's a classic filmmaking moment, rivaling the shower scene in Psycho.

Hash · Apr 2, 2006, 02:35 PM

vinster, i am afraid I am not going to watch the original, I'd rather prefer Lost in translation,
but could you tell me the original ending?

olePigeon · Apr 2, 2006, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by vinster

Besides it's a classic filmmaking moment, rivaling the shower scene in Psycho.

Where's the bitch-slap smiley?

Chuckit · Apr 2, 2006, 04:28 PM

I saw the original Ring, and I'm not sure what people are talking about being that different. The movie itself is very different, but the ending is the least changed part. I did like it better in the Japanese one, but I'm not sure how it was "toned down."

Incidentally, I thought the Japanese movie was basically a reverse of the American version. The American one had a lot of scary scenes and then kind of a lame ending. The Japanese one was more of a creepy-but-not-openly-horrifying detective story that built up to a great ending.

For anyone who did see the Japanese Ring, by the way, I recommend the prequel, Ring 0: Birthday. It's not really a horror movie, per se, but it's very interesting if you liked the original Ring.

baw · Apr 2, 2006, 04:59 PM

I like the Japanese version better.

production_coordinator · Apr 2, 2006, 05:06 PM

I've seen the Japanese and American version... I think the American version was fantastic. The cinematography was solid, and an interesting plot.

Ring II was awful.

vinster · Apr 2, 2006, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

Where's the bitch-slap smiley?

Oops, forgot to add that. Here's one:

vinster · Apr 2, 2006, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Hash

vinster, i am afraid I am not going to watch the original, I'd rather prefer Lost in translation,
but could you tell me the original ending?

Sorry, but I don't want to be a spoiler. If you really want to know, just read the reviews for Ringu on imdb.

Cheers,

sek929 · Apr 2, 2006, 05:41 PM

Good movie, scared the crap outta me when I saw it in the theater. A rare good horror movie from hollywood.

Chuckit · Apr 2, 2006, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by production_coordinator

Ring II was awful.

Which one?

sek929 · Apr 2, 2006, 05:59 PM

I think he is reffering to the sequel of the American "Ring."

Which, yes, was awful.

sminch · Apr 2, 2006, 06:10 PM

i thought that the remake was a lot more coherent (which has to be good), but while the original wasn't too thrilling through 99% of it, the final scene scared the jebusus out of me. the remake's ending just didn't have the same impact, imo.

sminch

Velocity211 · Apr 2, 2006, 06:14 PM

The american remake of the ring is soo boring. Not even scary, go rent Ringu, the original ring. That's scary

Chuckit · Apr 2, 2006, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

I think he is reffering to the sequel of the American "Ring."

Which, yes, was awful.

The Japanese Ring 2 wasn't really fantastic either. Better than the American one, though.

olePigeon · Apr 3, 2006, 11:57 AM

Ring 2 and The Ring were on par with each other... they both sucked. I'm getting the inclination that the only people who saw The Ring and thought it was scary were anime fans.

kikkoman · Apr 3, 2006, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by abe

The Exorcist IS a terrific film.

It was scary when I was a kid. I watched it when it came out on DVD I was ROTFLMA. The SFX were so bad I thought i was watching an SNL skit in some of those scenes.

sek929 · Apr 3, 2006, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by kikkoman

It was scary when I was a kid. I watched it when it came out on DVD I was ROTFLMA. The SFX were so bad I thought i was watching an SNL skit in some of those scenes.

Same here.

The only movie can can still give me chills after oh so many viewings is The Shining.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Apr 4, 2006, 08:28 PM

Ring 2 is one of the worst movies ever made. Part 1 is pretty good though.