Take 4: Horror Overseas
Seems like American culture gets imported into (or exported out to, depending on what you're talking about) a lot of other countries, especially if specifically consider pop culture. But for some reason, Hollywood just can't seem to get enough of the genre of the Japanese horror movie...rewriting them, remaking them, and re-releasing them. This review pays tribute to four of those Japanese films, that originated some successful and not-so-successful horror films over here in the States.
In the Beginning: In the midst of dealing with a difficult divorce and custody battle, Yoshimi and her daughter Ikuko move into a rundown apartment complex, hoping to add some stability into their lives. And yes, I just pretty much lifted this from my review of the American version.
The Plot Thickens: Within days of moving into their new place, Yoshimi's bedroom ceiling begins to develop a serious leak. There's also the mysterious red backpack that her daughter stumbled upon, which keeps returning no matter how many times it gets thrown away. Oh...and the slightly spooky image of a little girl that Yoshimi keeps thinking she is seeing...
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about a 7. Pretty much every moment in the apartment complex elevator is accompanied by something somewhat freaky. And for some reason, ghosts are, like, ten times more frightening when 1) they are the ghost of a little kid and 2) their long hair covers their faces as they shuffle toward you.
Imports vs. Exports: As referenced above, Hollywood turned this into a horror film (same title) starring Jennifer Connelly. This is much scarier than the remake, though, focusing more on the slow spiral of terror that Yoshimi is going through, rather than on the question of her sanity. This made it more of a true horror film, in my mind, with the
remake being a bit more dramatic. The daughter also had a smaller role in this version, with most (but not, by far, all) of the creepy goings-on happening to Yoshimi. The ex-husband (played by Dougray Scott in the remake) had a much smaller role in the original, as well.
Curt's Take: Worth Considering - Even though I chose the Japanese audio/English subtitiles option (although you do have the option to watch it dubbed in English), I enjoyed this much more than the remake, and was much more freaked out by it. I also appreciated how the original didn't just point out the answers to the different mysteries going on in the film with a huge flashing neon sign, unlike the original. It made you work a little for the solution. All in all, if you run across it at your local video store, and haven't seen the original yet, you may want to check it out. And even if you have the seen the original, it's still worth considering.
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In the Beginning: Well, depends on how you define "beginning," because a lot happened in Ringu, the first movie in this series. Reiko and her son Yoichi have gone into hiding after all the shenanigans that went down with the Evil Video Tape of Doom, and now the girlfriend of the professor who was helping out Reiko in the first film is trying to track them down to find out what exactly is going on.
The Plot Thickens: Mai, the girlfriend, finds Reiko and her son, only to discover that Yoichi has some strange powers and is acting an awful lot like Sadako (the evil little spirit girl from the first movie, not to be confused with SuDoku, a popular way to pass the time on airplanes).
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about a 5. If you've seen either the original Ringu or any of the Americanized versions, you have more of the same types of scares, which is a little disappointing. More video tapes, more televisions, more weird history and flashbacks. Creepy? Yes, a little, but nothing earth-shattering. I did have an "Oh My God" moment when the creepy (and apparently death-inducing) montage of women combing their hair in mirrors and old abandoned stone wells in the forest started to appear on televisions without a VCR even being hooked up to them. Other than that, though...nothing terrifying.
Imports vs. Exports: It was a bit of a challenge watching this because it had been ages since I'd seen either Ringu or The Ring, and I couldn't keep straight what happened in one, but not the other, in order to best understand this sequel. Lots of differences between this and the Americanized sequel, though. The primary difference is the change in focus of the main character. In the American films, Naomi Watts plays Rachel (mother of Aidan), and is the main focus of both films in the series. However, in the Japanese version, the equivalent characters (Reiko and her son Yoichi) are relegated to secondary roles. The main character is instead Mai, who is seeking Reiko and her son. Other than that...don't remember enough about The Ring 2 to say what else is drastically different. Except that the Japanese original is better.
Curt's Take: Not a Priority - I think that because I was trying to remember all that went down in the original Ringu, it was hard to enjoy this one as much as I could have. Plus, there are some pretty abstract stretches to the movie, where I'm sure the characters are making logical decisions in their own little world, but where I'm just wondering what the heck is going on and why. If you sat through the original, give this sequel a shot. And if you have to choose between this or the American sequel, choose this. But other than that...eh...it was just okay.
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In the Beginning: Like the American remake, it's pretty hard to nail down the "beginning" of this film. Let's just say we witness a pretty brutal and cinematically disturbing attack in a Japanese home that ends up staining the lives of all who come into contact with it.
The Plot Thickens: The rest of the film follows the seemingly endless parade of victims who fall prey to the curse of the house. It's pretty simple actually, but also pretty interesting to see how all these different lives intersect with each other.
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about an 8. Like the remake, you've got a couple of damn creepy ghosts...with the compounded problem that they don't seem confined to the place of their deaths. Ghosts are one thing...ghosts that follow you when you run out of the frickin' haunted house are another. Still, the remake scored a little higher on the "fear scale."
Imports vs. Exports: I enjoyed both of these, but the American remake actually did a bit better in my book. The original had a lot less focus than the remake, coming off as more of a series of slightly connected stories about the lives that intersect with this cursed home than a cohesive tale with a beginning, middle and end. The original also tips you off a bit stronger at the beginning about what is going on in the home, while the remake shrouds the history of the house in a lot more mystery, and makes the investigation into the home a part of the story (which the original doesn't pull off).
Curt's Take: Worth Considering - If you have to catch either this or the remake, I'd actually recommend the remake. While both have a disjointed storyline, the remake's plot elements hang together a little more tightly, there's a more engaging storyline, and it's just plain scarier. If you're a huge fan of the remake (as I was), I'd still recommend taking a look at the original, just to see the remake's origins
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In the Beginning: A young girl goes to pick up a computer disk from a friend, who commits suicide while she's there. Elsewhere in Tokyo, an economics student who doesn't know much about computers, tries to connect his PC to the Internet, only to do so and find that 1) he keeps connecting to a website which just shows video of strange ghost-like people staring at him and 2) once he disconnects, the Internet starts randomly calling him.
The Plot Thickens: Their friends start disappearing one by one. If this was The Ring, you'd think they'd all have come in contact with that computer disk...but that's the creepy thing: the disappearances seem to be happening at random. Or are they? And what's up with the doors, windows and rooms that are appearing all over town, sealed with red masking tape?
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about a 6. The beginning is pretty slow, with any creepiness arising only because you're wondering what is going on. When there's about 50 minutes left in the film, it reaches a sort of tipping point, and it gets pretty out there. It's like the first half is a mystery, and the second half gives you a peek behind the curtain that gives a glimpse at what is going on, and it's pretty off-putting. So what's scary here? Some ghosts, sure...but also the fact that you don't know what exactly is happening.
Imports vs. Exports: Can't really speak to this one...it's the only one of these four films where I haven't seen the remake. It stars the girl from Veronica Mars, that much I know, and there are computers and ghosts trying to "break through to our side" and lots of red masking tape. I've added the remake to my Netflix queue, so will let you know what I end up coming up with.
Curt's Take: Not a Priority - I was rather confused about a lot here. I mean, sure, I followed the surfact-level plot and all, but I think there was a lot going on at a more symbolic/metaphorical level that I'm pretty sure I missed. Why characters did certain things or came to certain conclusions, for example. And the "why is this going on" behind the "what is going on." Because of this, I definitely plan on seeing the remake, and hoping that it will answer some questions...because while I didn't get a lot of what was going on, I did get the sense that what WAS going on was probably pretty clever. I'm sure lots of you out there are more on-the-ball than I am and would probably get was happening here, but I'd recommend checking out the remake, only because it might be easier to follow.
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Dark Water (2002)
In the Beginning: In the midst of dealing with a difficult divorce and custody battle, Yoshimi and her daughter Ikuko move into a rundown apartment complex, hoping to add some stability into their lives. And yes, I just pretty much lifted this from my review of the American version.
The Plot Thickens: Within days of moving into their new place, Yoshimi's bedroom ceiling begins to develop a serious leak. There's also the mysterious red backpack that her daughter stumbled upon, which keeps returning no matter how many times it gets thrown away. Oh...and the slightly spooky image of a little girl that Yoshimi keeps thinking she is seeing...
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about a 7. Pretty much every moment in the apartment complex elevator is accompanied by something somewhat freaky. And for some reason, ghosts are, like, ten times more frightening when 1) they are the ghost of a little kid and 2) their long hair covers their faces as they shuffle toward you.
Imports vs. Exports: As referenced above, Hollywood turned this into a horror film (same title) starring Jennifer Connelly. This is much scarier than the remake, though, focusing more on the slow spiral of terror that Yoshimi is going through, rather than on the question of her sanity. This made it more of a true horror film, in my mind, with the
remake being a bit more dramatic. The daughter also had a smaller role in this version, with most (but not, by far, all) of the creepy goings-on happening to Yoshimi. The ex-husband (played by Dougray Scott in the remake) had a much smaller role in the original, as well. Curt's Take: Worth Considering - Even though I chose the Japanese audio/English subtitiles option (although you do have the option to watch it dubbed in English), I enjoyed this much more than the remake, and was much more freaked out by it. I also appreciated how the original didn't just point out the answers to the different mysteries going on in the film with a huge flashing neon sign, unlike the original. It made you work a little for the solution. All in all, if you run across it at your local video store, and haven't seen the original yet, you may want to check it out. And even if you have the seen the original, it's still worth considering.
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Ringu 2 (1999)
In the Beginning: Well, depends on how you define "beginning," because a lot happened in Ringu, the first movie in this series. Reiko and her son Yoichi have gone into hiding after all the shenanigans that went down with the Evil Video Tape of Doom, and now the girlfriend of the professor who was helping out Reiko in the first film is trying to track them down to find out what exactly is going on.
The Plot Thickens: Mai, the girlfriend, finds Reiko and her son, only to discover that Yoichi has some strange powers and is acting an awful lot like Sadako (the evil little spirit girl from the first movie, not to be confused with SuDoku, a popular way to pass the time on airplanes).
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about a 5. If you've seen either the original Ringu or any of the Americanized versions, you have more of the same types of scares, which is a little disappointing. More video tapes, more televisions, more weird history and flashbacks. Creepy? Yes, a little, but nothing earth-shattering. I did have an "Oh My God" moment when the creepy (and apparently death-inducing) montage of women combing their hair in mirrors and old abandoned stone wells in the forest started to appear on televisions without a VCR even being hooked up to them. Other than that, though...nothing terrifying.
Imports vs. Exports: It was a bit of a challenge watching this because it had been ages since I'd seen either Ringu or The Ring, and I couldn't keep straight what happened in one, but not the other, in order to best understand this sequel. Lots of differences between this and the Americanized sequel, though. The primary difference is the change in focus of the main character. In the American films, Naomi Watts plays Rachel (mother of Aidan), and is the main focus of both films in the series. However, in the Japanese version, the equivalent characters (Reiko and her son Yoichi) are relegated to secondary roles. The main character is instead Mai, who is seeking Reiko and her son. Other than that...don't remember enough about The Ring 2 to say what else is drastically different. Except that the Japanese original is better.Curt's Take: Not a Priority - I think that because I was trying to remember all that went down in the original Ringu, it was hard to enjoy this one as much as I could have. Plus, there are some pretty abstract stretches to the movie, where I'm sure the characters are making logical decisions in their own little world, but where I'm just wondering what the heck is going on and why. If you sat through the original, give this sequel a shot. And if you have to choose between this or the American sequel, choose this. But other than that...eh...it was just okay.
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Ju-on: The Grudge (2003)
In the Beginning: Like the American remake, it's pretty hard to nail down the "beginning" of this film. Let's just say we witness a pretty brutal and cinematically disturbing attack in a Japanese home that ends up staining the lives of all who come into contact with it.
The Plot Thickens: The rest of the film follows the seemingly endless parade of victims who fall prey to the curse of the house. It's pretty simple actually, but also pretty interesting to see how all these different lives intersect with each other.
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about an 8. Like the remake, you've got a couple of damn creepy ghosts...with the compounded problem that they don't seem confined to the place of their deaths. Ghosts are one thing...ghosts that follow you when you run out of the frickin' haunted house are another. Still, the remake scored a little higher on the "fear scale."
Imports vs. Exports: I enjoyed both of these, but the American remake actually did a bit better in my book. The original had a lot less focus than the remake, coming off as more of a series of slightly connected stories about the lives that intersect with this cursed home than a cohesive tale with a beginning, middle and end. The original also tips you off a bit stronger at the beginning about what is going on in the home, while the remake shrouds the history of the house in a lot more mystery, and makes the investigation into the home a part of the story (which the original doesn't pull off).Curt's Take: Worth Considering - If you have to catch either this or the remake, I'd actually recommend the remake. While both have a disjointed storyline, the remake's plot elements hang together a little more tightly, there's a more engaging storyline, and it's just plain scarier. If you're a huge fan of the remake (as I was), I'd still recommend taking a look at the original, just to see the remake's origins
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Pulse (2001)
In the Beginning: A young girl goes to pick up a computer disk from a friend, who commits suicide while she's there. Elsewhere in Tokyo, an economics student who doesn't know much about computers, tries to connect his PC to the Internet, only to do so and find that 1) he keeps connecting to a website which just shows video of strange ghost-like people staring at him and 2) once he disconnects, the Internet starts randomly calling him.
The Plot Thickens: Their friends start disappearing one by one. If this was The Ring, you'd think they'd all have come in contact with that computer disk...but that's the creepy thing: the disappearances seem to be happening at random. Or are they? And what's up with the doors, windows and rooms that are appearing all over town, sealed with red masking tape?
Fear Factor: On a scale of 1 to 10, this gets about a 6. The beginning is pretty slow, with any creepiness arising only because you're wondering what is going on. When there's about 50 minutes left in the film, it reaches a sort of tipping point, and it gets pretty out there. It's like the first half is a mystery, and the second half gives you a peek behind the curtain that gives a glimpse at what is going on, and it's pretty off-putting. So what's scary here? Some ghosts, sure...but also the fact that you don't know what exactly is happening.
Imports vs. Exports: Can't really speak to this one...it's the only one of these four films where I haven't seen the remake. It stars the girl from Veronica Mars, that much I know, and there are computers and ghosts trying to "break through to our side" and lots of red masking tape. I've added the remake to my Netflix queue, so will let you know what I end up coming up with.Curt's Take: Not a Priority - I was rather confused about a lot here. I mean, sure, I followed the surfact-level plot and all, but I think there was a lot going on at a more symbolic/metaphorical level that I'm pretty sure I missed. Why characters did certain things or came to certain conclusions, for example. And the "why is this going on" behind the "what is going on." Because of this, I definitely plan on seeing the remake, and hoping that it will answer some questions...because while I didn't get a lot of what was going on, I did get the sense that what WAS going on was probably pretty clever. I'm sure lots of you out there are more on-the-ball than I am and would probably get was happening here, but I'd recommend checking out the remake, only because it might be easier to follow.
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Next Time on Take 4: Although we're a good ways into Season Three right now, thought I'd take the time to look over Seasons One and Two of another remake...this time of a hit BBC comedy. Yes, it's time to visit The Office.
posted by Curt at 12:33 AM
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