Ultra Rare Flix: The Ring- Kanzenban (1995)

A Film that I didn't know was hiding online all this time.  As part of my plan to try and do all of the Ring Films, I have to go to the beginning.  No, not the Books.  I'm sure that there's a different Blog for that.

No, it is time to go back to the first Movie...which is not Ringu.  

No, this TV Movie is the actual first. 
It has never been released in the US as far as I can tell. 
When it actually was released on Video in Japan, it was for two now-dead formats- VHS and Laserdisc!

This one promises to be the most accurate one to the Books. 
Is that a good thing? 
Does it, at the very least, make it stand out?  To find out, read on...

In a Cold Open, a teenage girl is alone at home when something scares her, chases her into the Bathroom (indirectly) and kills her.

Notably this one does NOT feature the crazy, distorted faces you associate with the Series.
I don't know if it is because they were following the Book or just couldn't afford it.

Our Hero is the Uncle of the girl and...wait?  Our Hero is a dude?

Yep.  This is the ONLY Ring adaptation out there to not decide to make him a lady- not that there's anything wrong with that.  Gender-swapping him and the kid is a choice that started with Ringu and just stuck.

He's still otherwise the same Character, so...nothing changes.  Still a unique aspect to the Film though.

He, of course, finds the tape and watches it.

I won't go too in-depth here, but the visuals are VERY different from any Ring Film too.

It's in Color, for one, and full of strange visuals like dice (see the Stinger) and a Volcano.  They all factor into the Story.

There's also no 'Seven Days' phone call- the Tape ends with the message for you.

Instead of working the case with an Ex-Husband (it was 1995 and Japan, so no), he works the case with a disgraced friend and former-Psychic.  Who doesn't know one?

The case goes all the same- Psychic Mom, scared people and the well-, save for one thing.

The final incident with Sadako involves her 'going all the way' with her boyfriend, only to discover that she has a pair of things that he didn't expect.

This leads to her ending up in the Well, thankfully re-framing the incident from her being raped to this (small improvement, I know).

As usual, they set Sadako free and she kills the friend. 
However, there is sadly no 'crawling out of the TV' bit.

Instead, you get arty flashes of color, her Mom appearing as a ghost and then her killing the guy.  No scary face or face hidden by hair either.

The Movie ends with him explaining all of this to the audience- thanks!- and going to make a copy, since his Pregnant Wife watched the tape.

There is no Sequel to this.  The End.

At this point, it is almost like a weird dream watching this one.  I've seen 3 versions of this Story already- Japanese, South Korean and American.  Hell, if you count that sort-of-canon Prequel, I've seen it 3 and a half times.  So when I see one that feels similar, but different in many ways, it is like a dream.  Things feel familiar, but many little things (or big things) are off.  The Film is solid, but I should point out one aspect.  To put it bluntly, it can be a bit 'sleazy.'  The first victim dies in the shower, so her blouse (with Snoopy on it- no joke!) is see through.  They also randomly cut from a conversation to this couple having PG-13 (or is it 15-Rating?) sex in a car.  It is important- since they are the third and fourth victims, respectively- but we didn't *need* to see the Actress topless for this.  She's also shown dead and topless- double fun?!?  Lastly, we get a bit more with Sadako in the flashback parts and when she appears at the end.  It's not excessive nudity, but it is weird to see in a Franchise who I almost criticized for showing Naomi Watts in her underwear in literally her 2nd Scene.  By comparison, that's nothing.  If you're not familiar with the Ring Films, this can work.  Do note that the only version online is not *great* quality.  That was a selling point for Gore Verbinski with Ringu though, since he claimed the lower fidelity of his copy added to the terror (or something).  If you're familiar with the Films, check this out for a very different, but familiar take on things.  It's just a shame that the Cursed Tape look more like Public Access Programming...

Next time, I go from the beginning to the end.  The most recent Ring Film didn't make it to the U.S. due to Quarantines, but life, uh, finds a way.  Stay tuned...