Long ago, I made it my mission to check out the original Ringu Films. I figured I should probably get back to it. You see, I did the original Trilogy- the original, Part 2...and the replacement Part 2-, as well as the Prequel AND the South Korean Version. For whatever reason, I skipped the American Films. Too obvious, I guess. Regardless, I need to right that wrong. On top of that, they have made more- I covered Sadako 3-D back in 2014- that I need to talk about. On top of *that,* there's an even earlier version that I missed. There's also a TV Show- I need to get Bob on that or something. If you're new or want a refresher, use the Ringu' Tag to search for the previous entries- there's alot and it is only going to get bigger. Let's begin where things all began...in America...with Remaking Japanese Horror Films. Interestingly, this isn't one of the ones where the original Director just redoes his Film. Instead, it's...Gore Verbinski?!? In 2020, it is hard to associate the guy most connected to the Pirates of the Caribbean Films ushering in Japanese Horror Remake Fever! With some notable Cast Members and a big Budget- $48 million vs. supposedly around $1 million-, will it be a solid Remake? Let's see...
As the Series is pretty famous, I won't spend as much time on Plot Recap as I might otherwise.
It has also been 15 years since a successful, mainstream entry in the US, so I won't ignore it either.
Amber Tamblyn is killed by Sadako for watching the tape, foreshadowing her later death at the hands of Kayako in The Grudge 2.
Fun Fact: she's the only Actress to be in a Ring and Grudge Film (if you don't count the cast of Sadako vs. Kayako)
She's the Niece of Naomi Watts and was close with her son.
Said son is creepy and smart, foreshadowing this same thing happening to Naomi Watts in The Book of Henry!
It may sound crazy, but tapes were still the somewhat-dominant format at the time (though obviously on the way out).
In a curious decision, they spend a good chunk of the Film focusing on VHS Tape Technology, explaining things like how there is a signature on the tape made when recording, something that the cursed one lacks.
There's also an early obsession with old cameras, since being cursed makes your face blur up on Film for some reason.
Interestingly, a bit from The Ring 2 ended up in this Remake of the first Film.
We see the girl who found the Niece, who was so traumatized that she fears TVs and is in a Mental Ward.
The Film- like the original- focuses alot on the investigation. She studies the tape. She studies some names. She tracks down old articles that bring her to the Island where Not Sadako was born and died.
In the middle of all that, they work in constant bits to keep the eerie tension up- perhaps too much.
For a Film that cut a 'distraction' out (see the wrap-up), they sure kept all of these in!
As the countdown continues for Watts' seven days (curiously, there is none for our Male Lead), the unthinkable happens!
For a Film that cut a 'distraction' out (see the wrap-up), they sure kept all of these in!
You won't be able to sleep if you watch a cursed tape before bed, young man!
Watts and the guy- who turns out to be the ex-boyfriend and father of the Son- find the well where Not Sadako was thrown into when her powers made bad things like horse suicide happen.
The former falls head-first a dozen feet into the well, but is unharmed...somehow and finds the body, freeing it.
She, of course, tells her son that she freed the girl. He decides to tell her that this was a bad idea...which he could have done earlier.
Too late for her boyfriend (and his dad). In the aftermath, she makes a copy of the tape and...that's it. More on this ending in a bit.
A decent, if overdone Remake. The appeal of the Story is watching the woman- in all but one case- try to solve the ticking-clock mystery in time. The window dressing, as it were, is the creepy Sadako stuff. That's all you need. The American Remake overdoes- for me- alot of stuff. We need constant bits to remind of the strange power. We also need weird callbacks to other Japanese Films. For instance, water is all over the floor to Tamblyn's Room right before she gets killed. I know it is supposed to be from Not Sadako, but how can you not think of Dark Water (also by the original Ringu Director)? More blatantly, Not Sadako makes Watts cough up a long strand of her black hair. Gee, what creepy ghost was all about hair? I mean, I won't hold a *grudge* for this, but it seems out of nowhere. They also thrown in some weird stuff with horses and Evil Dad for good measure. The Film just can't let you go five minutes without 'ooh creepy' or 'ooh scary' and it is just too much. We know the threat. We know the time-table. That should be enough. There's also some confusion about the rules, as they tick down to Watts' potential death...even though she should be spared the moment she shows it to her boyfriend. Am I wrong? Does her Son seeing it also not count, as it is still the copy she made and left in the machine? Speaking of those rules, the original cut of the Film featured Chris Cooper as a killer that meets Watts. In the end, she tries to save the son by leaving the tape in his cell. Test Audiences found Cooper so interesting that his absence was apparently 'a distraction,' so he's cut entirely. There's also a sadly-dated Alternate Ending where another Copy ends up at a Blockbuster. Eh, Cooper is better.
Next time, I cover the *American* version of The Ring 2. Will it be the solid wrap up that the *second* Japanese version was? Stay tuned...
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