Ringu

Starring:Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani, Yuko Takeuchi, Hitomi Sato, Yoichi Numata, Yutaka Matsushige, Katsumi Muramatsu, Rikiya Otaka, Masako, Daisuke Ban, Kiyoshi Risho, YÃ»rei Yanagi, YÃ´ko Ã”shima, Kiriko Shimizu, Rie Inou, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Miwako Kaji, Yoko Kima, Asami Nagata
Director: Hideo Nakata
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

A grainy, enigmatic videotape has the power to kill people seven days after they watch it. This brilliant premise fueled the 2002 Hollywood hit The Ring, but before that it conquered Japan in Ringu, Hideo Nakata's quietly unsettling study in terror. Fans of the U.S. version will find a less elaborate storyline and more primal fear in the original; the basic plot, however, still has a worried reporter (Nanako Matsushima) tracking down the meaning of the video--and, having watched it herself, she has only a week to work. The film's calm, economical style actually adds to the creeping sense of dread throughout, and the hair-curling set-pieces stand out in contrast. Like an old photograph of something evil, Ringu has the strange-but-familiar power to unnerve. Guaranteed, its effect will linger for at least seven days. Longer... if you're lucky. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

ringu review.......2007-06-06

Product arrived quicker than expected and played perfectly. This movie is brilliant. Without giving too much away it revolves around a video that when viewed, kills those watching it within 1 week. A reporter gets hold of it and she and another person watch it and then embark on a race against time to solve it's origins. This film is a cracker and has got me hooked on Japanese horror films which are a cut above everything else. Enjoy.

Many unanswered questions - but that's OK - a very original and welcome entry to the horror genre.......2007-04-14

When I saw the The Ring, I enjoyed it, but was also unsatisfied. The contents of the mysterious tape seemed arbitrary to me, and the randomly arranged images didn't make sense (my litmus test for anything that falls into the speculative range of fiction or film). When I saw Ringu, I understood much better. A little internet research on Japanese ghost stories was also helpful. Japanese ghosts are called yûrei, and there are subgroups within. Specific to this movie is the subgroup onryô - ghosts that are bound to the material word to avenge a wrong done to them while they were alive.

In Ringu, the contents of the tape are very specific, and each segment is relevant to something that happens, or has happened, in the story arc (the arc reaching well back in time). Most important, of course, was the discovery made by Asakawa (the reporter) regarding what I thought were floating letters, or moveable type. In reality, it was a newspaper article, and spoke of an eruption of a volcano on Oshima Island foretold by Sadako's mother, Shizuko. This article is what leads Asakawa and her ex-husband, Ryuji (who, in the book, I understand, was only her friend) to go to Oshima.

(I'm going to forego initial plot summations, and assume that most either have read such summaries or are familiar enough that it's not necessary.)

While on Oshima, Ryuji confronts Dr. Ikuma, and they speak of Shizuko's paranormal abilities and her sadness. Ryuji acknowledges having similar talents, and indeed, when he grasps the wrist of a fallen Dr. Ikuma, he sees Shizuko's ESP experiment where the reporters gathered called her a fraud, and one reporter died, with the same look of fear and horror that everyone else who has died after seeing the tape. Asakawa also witnesses this, though I don't know quite how that was managed, and after the reporter fell to his death, she witnessed a young girl in a white dress with long black hair running away. Shizuko shouted out after the girl - "Sadako!"

The white dress and long black hair are also important to Japanese ghost stories. White is (was?) the traditional funeral garb in Japan, and the unkempt black hair comes from Kabuki theater wear characters where different style wigs to identify themselves to the audience.

I found Ryuji's paranormal abilities too convenient. I mean, come on. A reporter is investigating deaths of teens that watched a tape. Her niece was one of them. Her ex-husband just happens to be one of the few people that can help lead her to the answers she *thinks* she needs. I like things wrapped up a little tighter than that. Coincidence does not a convincing film make.

(Don't read further if you haven't seen the film.)

Another thing that bothered me was the scene at the well. To assume that they needed to go back to the cabin where the first teens viewed the tape was a bit of a leap. Not much - I can accept that leap given the reasons Asakawa supplied, but it was still a bit of a leap, especially after accepting the leap of Ryuji's abilities. Also, they have assumed that to "rescue" Sadako's corpse from the well will quiet her, and end her vengeance. I admit to lacking a great familiarity with Japanese ghost stories, or Japanese horror, but even if we accept that this is something accepted as generally understood, then there's this: First, why was Ryuji in the bottom of the well *first*, forcing Asakawa (much thinner, frailer, weaker) to be the one to pull up the heavy buckets of water; Second, and far more important, why didn't Ryuji just kick around and try to find the corpse by himself? When he lowered himself to the bottom of the well, he was able to stand fully erect. It was a small well. One or two soft nudges with his foot would have found the corpse. As disgusting as it sounds, he could have closed his eyes, dived down in the shallow water, and come up with Sadako's skeleton.

It could be argued that I'm demanding something from J-horror that it will never provide because it doesn't want to: common sense. That's fine. But a bit more effort and I'll bet the filmmakers could have come up with something to tie everything up a bit neater, and made it a better film. But I'm not complaining, as much as it may seem like it. I enjoyed the film immensely. It was my first experience to non-Hollywood horror, and the lack of black cats was almost enough to make this a five star experience. Indeed, there was very little of anything to frighten us in this movie, other than the atmosphere created by the events. When you watch a movie that can do that to you, you're watching a good movie.

It's odd to note that the American film tried to make a more cohesive story, and one that didn't rely on what I'm terming coincidence, but instead created something more confusing. The only thing I preferred in the American version was the "final TV scene". When I saw that in the theater, that was seriously creepy. It's been quite a while since anything made me squirm.

Made a lot more sense than the American version............2007-02-21

Well, I sure wish I had seen this one before The Ring. I was hardly spooked while watching this, mainly because it followed The Ring so much. However, it was nice to see a fresh concept behind the evil girl.
While it may not give you nightmares, this one sure is good. Definately a good addition to anyone's collection. If you don't mind reading subtitles, that is.

Spine-chilling horror without blood or gore.......2007-02-13

It is not surprising why even Hollywood is copying movies from the east (Japan, Korea and even Thailand) these days when you see the quality of movies such as "Ringu". If you are looking for slasher-horror then this movie is not for you. On the other hand if you are looking for a good scary movie then "Ringu" will deliver. The story is uncomplicated and comes with a lovely ending. The heroine, Nanako Matshushima is not only pretty but speaks beautiful Japanese. So much the better instead of listening to some poor English dubbing. The lovely piano tunes in the movie reminded me of Vangelis in his heydays. I wish I hadn't seen "Scary Movie", that turned out to be a spoiler for several scenes in "Ringu". If you haven't watched the Hollywood version or any of the spoofs of this movie check out "Ringu", the original and you'll be pleasantly surprised. It is considered to be the best horror film to come out from the east spawning the way for dozens of similar movies not only in Japan but all over the oriental east. I must check out "Ringu 2" the sequel sometime before I watch another spoof or spoiler.

An Effective Horror Film: Creepy And Nuanced!.......2007-01-24

There are many varied opinions between the two Ring films. "Ringu" released in 1998, and its American counterpart "The Ring," starring Naomi Watts have their favorites, depending on whether or not one viewed the first one from Japan first, or viewed the American version first. For most Americans it was the latter. However, I liked them both. And yet, I can understand why many in the USA would prefer the American version over the Japanese film. Since I liked them both, it is difficult for me to prefer one over the other.

Moreover, they both have their own distinctive styles when it comes to the nuances of horror. I have always felt that the Japanese were superior to this than American film-makers were; as the gore and violence are part and parcel of American horror films. On the other hand, having seen my fair share of Japanese horror films over the past 40 odd years, I would have to say that Japanese film-makers can put just as much gore into a film as American film-makers. The film "Ringu" was directed by Hideo Nakata, and I believe he did an excellent job with this particular film.

I have never read the book the film is based on, therefore, unlike some of the other reviewers I cannont comment on how the film and book correspond. However, for those who have not seen the film "Ringu," give it a chance. You might find that you like it. Moreover, this would give you a good chance to compare the two films, and see firsthand how the Japanese and American directors and screen writers differ on what they feel are shocking to their audiences. Plus, you get to compare the cinematography of the two films. What is similar? What differs?

One of the great things I like about Japanese horror films today is that they are different, some good, some not, but they are definitely different in style than their American counterparts. Also, it is important that films be viewed in their own languange with subtitles. You REALLY get more out of the inflections of the characters than if they were speaking in English. There was a time when I was younger that if you watched a Japanese film on television, odds were that it was not subtitled or in Japanese. And the English translations were horrid. Having seen great Japanese films at the theatres, and then the occassional viewing on TV, this made for one terrible viewing. Anyway, enjoy the film it is worth your watch. And if you happen to like the US version better, that's ok, because it's a good film too! [Stars: 4.5]

Ringu Anthology of Terror (Rasen/Ringu/Ringu 2/Ringu 0)

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Full Circle.....
Ringu ANTHOLOGY
The full circle of "Ringu"
doesn't connect the dots
I would have to say this is a fascinating series

Ringu Anthology of Terror (Rasen/Ringu/Ringu 2/Ringu 0)
Starring: Koichi Sato , Miki Nakatani , Hinako Saeki , Shingo Tsurumi , and Nanako Matsushima
Director: Jôji Iida , Norio Tsuruta , and Hideo Nakata
Manufacturer: DreamWorks / Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009X765K
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Amazon.com

The release of Ringu - Anthology of Terror is a pretty shrewd marketing move. Even though the four discs are bare bones in content (no special features at all), the set is bound to be a must-have for completists who've gone ga-ga over the Asian horror craze -- not to mention anybody else looking for a terrific entrée to the genre. In case you're unaware, Ringu was the Japanese phenomenon that spawned the Hollywood thrillers, The Ring and The Ring Two. The Japanese hit also led the way for a slew of other Japanese and Korean movies that gave global prominence to a unique style emphasizing psycho chills over blood, guts, and the overt scare tactics that have pretty much defined Western horror movies in the modern era. The four entries in the Ringu cycle are a little uneven, but legitimate DVD library mainstays for anyone with even a passing interest in classics of horror.

Ringu -- The granddaddy of Asian horror, or J-horror, was based on a bestselling novel by Koji Suzuki (as are all the movies in this set) and directed by Hideo Nakata, both of whom have become icons of the genre. Unlike the Americanized version, Ringu is perhaps more nerve wracking for the psychological tension it develops in the mystery of a cursed videotape, Sadako, the tormented girl dead for 30 years at the bottom of a well, and a little boy and his mother who must unravel the secret before the curse catches up with them. The details of life in modern Japan become all the more sinister as routine is upended by unfathomable madness.

Rasen -- This weakest entry in the set is a direct sequel to "Ringu," and tries to weave a plot thread about a virus that infects any person who watches the cursed video. Though it adheres to some of the genre standards, the thrills are few and far between. Even for a story where a high level of suspension of disbelief is required, the plot line of a doctor trying to solve a mystery that clearly has no scientific basis just feels wrong. There are also precious few innovations of style in what comes off as little more than a perfunctory exercise.

Ringu 2 -- Back in style, form, and disturbing content, this more apt sequel again finds director Hideo Nakata at the reigns (as he was for the much different take of Hollywood's The Ring Two). The story follows the young research assistant of Ryuji, one of Sadako's victims from the first film, as she becomes involved in the mystery of the tape. Ringu 2 intriguingly expands on the themes of the original film while resurrecting some of its characters and introducing new terrors. It also expands the stylistic limits of how horror movies can be all the more effective for stressing subtlety, intelligence, and uniqueness of vision.

Ringu Ø -- Perhaps the most absorbing of the four, this prequel to the Ringu saga takes place 30 years in the past. It reveals the origin of Sadako's miserable journey to becoming a hateful spirit seething with wrath, rotting at the bottom of an old well waiting to reap vengeance on those who cast their gaze in the wrong direction. Full of inventive visual flair, there are some seriously creepy moments and ingenious sequences in the story of an acting troupe whose members mysteriously vanish or go insane. Sadako may or may not be behind it all, but the bloody finale makes clear that she'll have her revenge, whether she is to blame or not. --Ted Fry

Customer Reviews:

Full Circle............2007-03-19

This is a great way to get all the original Japanese versions of the ring, in some way there is a lack of bonus materials, but after seeing the movies somehow you don't need it. That's why a give 4 stars to the set. I will not go in details about each movie, because there are so many reviews around.If you are a fan of this genre and of Japan culture /cinema is a great adition to any dvd colection.

Ringu ANTHOLOGY.......2007-02-21

The set is a good one to have.

It includes the forgotten sequel Rasen, which is the weakest movie in this viewer's opinion but still interesting to watch.

The order I suggest watching them in is Ringu, Ringu 2, Ringu 0, and then Rasen.

All four movies are a good watch overall and Sadako is creepier and scarier than portrayed in the american remakes, however I prefer the first Ring remake compared to the original Ringu as a more enjoyable watch.

The full circle of "Ringu".......2006-12-20

This DVD set is very great to watch! I love the Japanese movies. I really love all of the movies on this DVD set. These are very good movies! Every movie on this set is very good. I love it.

doesn't connect the dots.......2006-01-21

Three films, Ring 0, Ringu & Ringu 2 and Rasan (the original Ringu 2 was not given official sequal status because it was such a departure from the first film). All four are watchable, Ringu & Ring 2 may be the better but Rasan is the direct sequal and tells the fate of the surviving characters of Ringu. The real let down is Ring 0 wich really leaves us more confused about events, not enlightened. Each is entertaining, but they don't fit together they way they should.

I would have to say this is a fascinating series.......2006-01-07

For years I've watched American horror movies. From a teen to an adult, I've probably seen it all...from stalker to slasher, from aliens in outer space to boogeymen in closets. So. With that in mind. I've become tiresome with American horror films. It seems the new wave in horror films are nothing more than fake snuff films, i.e., Hostel, Saw 1 and 2, Wolf Creek. As someone who has a undergrad degree in world history, I've read enough about torture from Romans to the Nazis. I really dont want to sit in a theater or watch at home for 90 some minutes film that has no real plot, just victims to torture (basically American films today are upping the anti on the age old Jasonish vs. teens films). I realize the films are not real, but, torture like that does happen in the world, and I dont want to watch torture just for torture sake. I want a bit of mystery, a bit of horror, a bit of dreamlike phantasmagoria. That is why I have fallen in love with Asian horror movies like the Ringu series. The Ringu series, along with other Asian horror films like Audition (which yes has torture in it, but it is woven into the greater plot, not the full focus of the plot like Hostel), are captivating in how well the stories are constructed. You aren't sure what is going on, but slowly, surely, you find yourself drowning in the murky uncertainty of the lines between reality and dreams, as with the haunting and stalking of Sadako. These films are intelligent, they are scary, and they have a great deal of imagination involved in full focus. I highly suggest these films if you are tired of the remakes, the torture, the painfully dullminded American horror movies that are being pumped out in theaters today.

Average customer rating:

Take this ring and toss it
Strike three.
The final Ringu
A decent yet over-complicated attempt at a sequel.
Worthy sequel continues the cycle

Ringu 2
Starring: Miki Nakatani , Hitomi Sato , Kyôko Fukada , Fumiyo Kohinata , and Kenjiro Ishimaru
Director: Hideo Nakata
Manufacturer: Dreamworks / Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Ringu
Ju-on (The Grudge)
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ASIN: B0009X765A
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Customer Reviews:

Take this ring and toss it.......2007-05-03

It started out pretty good...it was engrossing and interesting...then it lost all sence about the time the little boy shot a psychic blow and knocked a cop down. Then he ran like hell with his mother and somehow she gets hit by a bus...and no one gets off the bus to see what happened. The boy just watches the blood run down the street. That made no sence.

Then it went to hell in a handbaskey FAST!I honestly don't know which was more boring...the Japanese or the American versions. Or which offered the most off the wall scenerios and wanted us to believe it fit the story.

Strike three........2007-04-29

You hate to see good movies exploited into multiple sequels of varying worth, all of which tend to reflect poorly on the original. The Exorcist, Rocky, and Thomas Harris's character of Hannibal Lecter come to mind. We have a not-so-new group to add to this, and that's the Ringu Anthology of Terror (Rasen/Ringu/Ringu 2/Ringu 0).

Ringu was a good movie. To an unsuspecting American audience, it reinvigorated the horror genre, which year-after-year churns out more garbage than a sewage plant. But Ringu 0 failed in its attempt to bring Sadako to life in a satisfying manner. We saw her, a rather demure figure, but the explanation provided for her backstory was neither persuasive nor reasonable. There was, for those interested, a different explanation in the book that did make a bit more sense, but given the overall quality of the film, I doubt that it would have made a difference. Sadako does creep us out in the end with her disjointed zombie/skeleton walk, and it's unsettling, but two seconds of unsettling film doesn't cut it.

Rasen, the original sequel to Ringu, the two films released concurrently, gave us answers to how Sadako spread the curse, but the film degenerated into such unbelievable ridiculousness that they decided another sequel was in order, so here we are with Ringu 2.

Like Rasen, this picks up where Ringu left off. But instead of introducing a new character, it focuses on Ryuji's girlfriend, who we met briefly in Ringu, Mai. It also completely dismisses Rasen, as if the film never existed. Key plot elements that happen in Rasen don't happen here, and we see much of Yoichi, who we know from past films (one of them being Rasen, mainly) inherited his father's telepathy. Like Rasen, Ringu 2 attempts to explain Sadako and the curse. We learn that Sadako was alive for about twenty-eight of the thirty years that she was entombed in the well, although how she survived without food is anybody's guess.

This film fails for the same reason that Rasen failed - it tried to define the paranormal.

I've now seen all four films that comprise the Ringu Anthology of Terror, and am unsatisfied. They should have stopped with Ringu.

It doesn't seem that we're getting the picture on this side of the ocean either, as another Ring movie is being made. The second movie didn't do as well as the first, critically or financially.

1 1/2 stars.

The final Ringu.......2007-04-21

The first "Ringu" was a superb horror film that really didn't need a sequel. Hideo Nakata, who directed both films, seems to understand that the less we see of Sadako, the ghostly villain of this series, the scarier she is. However, that fundamental truth is directly at odds with the production of more films about her. This installment is mostly dull and incoherent. It becomes silly at times, such as the sequence in which a scientist attempts to drain the "Sadako energy" from a cursed victim into a swimming pool. I can't recall a single film that has successfully wedded empirical scientific method to the supernatural; it always comes off looking ridiculous. Having seen the entire Ringu cycle now, I can say that they--and you--should stop after the first film.

A decent yet over-complicated attempt at a sequel........2006-11-07

After "Ringu" knocked my socks off a few years ago, I was very much looking forward to the sequel, but not really sure where they were going to take the story. It would have been all too easy to simply take the Sadako character after the immense impact she had to the climax of the first film, and make a horror movie where she goes on a rampage of death and destruction. As it turned out, the creators took a much more subtle approach, choosing to continue with the first films creepy atmosphere and mystery. Unfortunately, "Ringu 2" doesn't match up to the original on almost any level and I feel it massively overcomplicates the scenario.

The good news is that the film "feels" very much like the first one. Nearly all of the actors have returned and the story just continues exactly where it left off. The police are still trying to figure out what is behind the strange deaths and who the body that was found in the well belonged to. Scientists are also looking into the phenomena, which brings a different spin to it. One of the survivors from "Ringu" can be found in the psychiatric ward, petrified by TVs. Reiko (the star of the first film) and Yoichi (the little boy) are also involved, and this all makes "Ringu 2" a living, breathing part of the series. The challenge was always going to be finding a way to scare the audience a second time and this is where I feel they have failed. But not through a lack of trying!

With "Ringu", once you accepted that someone would die a week after viewing the tape, the rest of the film (apart from one of the main character's ability to read minds to move to plot forward) was intensely frightening and real. The second film unfortunately takes further liberties, with another couple of characters suddenly gaining special powers and Sadako starting to appear in random scenes for shock value alone. A character that died in the first movie appears as an apparition to help Mai and the little boy appears as an apparition even though he is still alive. This just doesn't work as well in my opinion with the viewer's ability to suspend disbelief made far more difficult. I can't help but think they should have stuck to the world they'd created in the first movie, without over-complicating things. There's no need to explain how Sadako does what she does and yet they spend far too much time analysing it instead of letting her mystery and shocking appearance do its work.

These flaws included, I still found the film to be somewhat creepy and mildly entertaining. The minimalist approach to music and sound still works well. The acting is passable in the most but certainly not exceptional. I don't completely understand everything that happened, particularly towards the end but I get the general idea. It's simply another case where the cast and crew have made a decent, honourable attempt at a sequel, yet fallen a fair way short of the original, which turns out to be exactly what happened to the American remakes as well.

Worthy sequel continues the cycle.......2006-07-06

Ringu 2 was released as a result of Japanese audiences panning Rasen, the legitimate followup based on Koji Suzuki's novel. For anyone having seen both, one might see them as parallel universes, or alternate realities in the Ringu canon.

Immediately following the conclusion of Ringu, the police are investigating the happenings of Ringu. Sadako, she with the long black hair hanging down her face, has been identified by the elderly Takashi Yamamura, the cousin who tried to profit from Sadako's mother's paranormal abilities. Reiko Asakawa, the protagonist of Ringu, and her son Yoichi are nowhere to be found, and the recent death of Reiko's father have police really baffled.

The central character this time around is Mai Takano, the lab assistant and lover of the late Ryuji Takayama, Reiko's ex-husband. Still haunted by Ryuji's death, she becomes entangled in the police inquiries and we find out here that she has the same psychic abilities as Ryuji, meeting up with Reiko and Yoichi. In contrast to the first film, one sees a frightened but overall weary Reiko. Mai recalls a scene where her mentor tells her that her abilities won't help anyone. The movie plays out so that her abilities are of use.

Continuing Reiko's story on the killer videotape is Mr. Okazaki, who interviews a cute but frightened high school student, Kanae Sawaguchi. She pleads with him to get him to watch it. He promises, but being a jerk, just shoves the video in his file cabinet. Guess what happens to poor Kanae later? She figures in the two most frightening scenes in the film, one when her contorted face is seen on the gurney, pretty scary, and in a video editing scene when she gets her revenge from the grave. Their interaction provides poses a continuity question. The solution to counter the curse was established at the end of the first movie. In Ringu 2 then, does watching the video for someone who had already seen it another solution? Given the parameters and outcome of Ringu, it can't be. So is this then a misguided plea from Kanae due to desperation, especially as she tells him he has to show the video to someone else or else he will die?

Meanwhile, Masami, the girl who was with Reiko's niece Tomoko in the opening scene of the first Ringu, is in the hospital, mute and deadly scared of TVs. She is under the care of Dr. Kawajiri, who believes that intention can be a form of living energy, and thus did Sadako's will continue to live thirty years past her death. However, he is one more obsessed with his research than what happens to his patient, especially when he experiments with Masami and later with Yoichi.

Miki Nakatani, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rikio Otaka, Nanako Matsushima, and Yoichi Numata, who died this year of a heart attack on 29 April, reprise their roles as Mai Takano, Ryuji Takayama, Yoichi, Reiko Asakawa, and Takashi Yamamura. With a reserved yet gentle and empathic demeanor, small wonder Nakatani shines in her overall low-key but appealing performance as the sensitive Mai. Nakatani and Otaka make just as great a pair as Matsushima and Otaka did in the first Ringu.

If the girl playing the cute yet ill-fated Kanae looks familiar, that's Kyoko Fukada (Momoko in Shimotsuma Monogatari) with black hair and chubbier cheeks. And the elderly cab driver who takes Mai and Yoichi to the Yamamura Inn is Isao Yatsu, who played the senile silly face-making Mr. Sato in Ju-On, as well as the incompetent caretaker in Dark Water. Trivia: the train station where Mai finds Yoichi is Asagaya, which is on the Chuo Line and two stops west of Shinjuku, after Nakano and Koenji.

While nothing tops Ringu, this is a worthy sequel with enough scares and scenes of a crawling Sadako for those who like that stuff. I prefer Rasen, which gives a genetic concept to the ring, but I wasn't disappointed with this sequel either.

The Ring Two Unrated Edition (Full Screen) + Limited Edition Bone-Chilling Bonus Disc

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The Ring Two Unrated Edition (Full Screen) + Limited Edition Bone-Chilling Bonus Disc
Director: Hideo Nakata
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Product Features:

Includes Rare Bone-Chilling Bonus disc

ASIN: B000JERE1K

Product Description

Includes the Unrated 2-DVD edition of The Ring Two and the Limited Edition Bonus disc that was only available at Walmart, this Bone-Chilling Bonus disc includes the creepiest moments from the US and Japanese Ring Film Series.

Average customer rating:

Creepy and astounding...
Not enough
Easily the best Ringu.
"I keep seeing someone behind her..."

Ringu 0
Director: Norio Tsuruta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Rasen [Region 2]
Ringu
Ringu 2
Dark Water
Ju-on (The Grudge)

ASIN: B000F67IA4

Customer Reviews:

Creepy and astounding..........2007-05-23

This has to be tops on my list of Japanese horror films. Very well acted and presented in a way that you are drawn in until it's shocking climax in the woods. The direction and camera angles at the end, in my opion, were excellent. In broad daylight, you see the demon floating in the trees, in the back ground, just glimpses, until....well...watch and see. I was creeped out. The story is very well thought out, with sadness, compassion, and violence. By the end of the film, you are both saddened and chilled by what you have seen. Alot of the vilence happens off camera, and that, I feel, adds more to the impact.

Too bad Ringu 2 and Ring 2 couldn't have learned lessons from this truly amazing film in the Japanese horror genre.

Not enough.......2007-04-14

The other two reviews here were complimentary, and I was greatly looking forward to learning more about Sadako. Instead, this movie drove me NUTS. Yes, I learned more about Sadako. But what I learned bored me and didn't make much sense.

This is a prequel to Ringu, set approximately thirty years in the past. A reporter, whose fiancé died at Shizuko's ESP presentation, is investigating Sadako with a vengeance. We learn that every reporter that was there that day died.

The Sadako we meet is as meek as a mouse, and it's very confusing. We are expecting a monster, of course. Admittedly, they explained her behavior toward the end (I won't give it away), but even then I felt cheated because I didn't buy the explanation. I didn't buy it, frankly, until I looked up differences between the books and the movies, and saw how the movie twisted this explanation. It made perfect sense in the book. Ah, the wisdom of film directors.

We spend an agonizing amount of time with Sadako looking meek while she performs with a theater troupe. I found my eyes wandering to the clock on the DVD player more often than not. Even the strange things that happen around her - mirrors break, theater lights tremble, people die - couldn't keep my interest. It just wasn't compelling.

At the end of the film, everyone Was Very Stupid, and did things that only Very Stupid People would do.

There is value to this film. It is part of the Ringu tetralogy, and you will learn more about Sadako's childhood. You'll probably find, though, that it wasn't enough.

Easily the best Ringu........2006-06-08

When the entire Ringu series came out on DVD, I had had the movies before (but unfourtainately they went missing) so I had to buy the box set. Still an awesome movie!

In this prequel to the first Ringu, Sadako becomes an actress in hopes of escaping her horrible past. Everyday she keeps getting rejected and misunderstood by her classmates. And (almost) everyone in the school hates her except a man named Toyama, who absolutely loves her. But then, Sadako's powers become more visible to the members of the school. When a woman named Aiko dies, she replaces her role. But then, everyone in the staff and a woman who's researching her form a band of pople to try and kill Sadako.

Ringu 0 is easily the best in the series. So if there's one movie that you want for a cry, then make it Ringu 0.

"I keep seeing someone behind her...".......2006-05-26

Cheesy villains are the ones who just kill because they want to. A good villain has a backstory.

And for weedy-haired demon-girl Sadako, the backstory is "Ringu 0: Bâsudei," a prequel to the hit movie "Ringu." It starts off as a quiet movie about a quiet outsider who falls in love, but rapidly turns into a shocking story about a demon in human form. Of the "Ringu" series, this is the only one that rivals the original.

Sadako Yamamura (Yukie Nakama) is a member of an acting troupe, and though she is pretty and quiet, the other actors don't like her. Then an actress dies unexpectedly, and Sadako takes over the lead part... except now more people are dying, and the survivors are blaming Sadako. The only one who doesn't is Hiroshi Tôyama (Seiichi Tanabe), who is falling in love with her.

To make matters worse, a reporter with a grudge against Sadako is nosing around, searching for evidence that Sadako killed several people... with her psychic powers. The acting troupe finally attacks Sadako, and travel to her childhood home. What they uncover is the OTHER Sadako, a horrific demon who is slowly overtaking her "good" half...

Yes, yes, it sounds like some sort of Japanese "Carrie," if Carrie had an evil twin. Fortunately Norio Tsuruta is too talented a director to try cheap thrills or the "outsider angst" approach. Instead, he creates a tight, dark, intense little story that unfolds slowly, right up to the shocking ending. It's inevitable, but still shocking.

Most of the movie is a gradual buildup, with Sadako slowly turning into the monster of the other movies. There's a cute, innocent romance with the boyish Tôyama, which is sad when you consider what will happen. But most of it is a slow buildup of frightening deaths, mysterious healings, and nightmares of Sadako's alter ego.

Tsuruta is definitely a talented director, with a sense for both horror and tragedy. While the climax is made up of Sadako's bloodthirsty rampage, the most horrible moments are the ones that show inexplicable hatred, doomed love, prejudice, and worst of all, destroying someone you love. Tsuruta hits all the right emotional buttons, and leaves you stunned.

Nakama is a talented actress, even with her blank expressions and slouchy body language. And as a dancer, she is able to do that bone-crunching, jerky walk as if she were being pulled on strings. The supporting cast is almost completely excellen. But Tanabe is a standout as the naive, kindly Tôyama, who doesn't care who or what Sadako is.

As prequel, "Ringu 0: Bâsudei" is excellent. But it's also an outstanding movie on its own, with solid acting and a shocking, tragic story. Shatteringly good.

Average customer rating:

See the ring

Ringu O / Rasen

Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Customer Reviews:

See the ring.......2007-06-21

Any good movie is going to get sequels, for better or worse. That includes "Ringu," the shocking modern horror classic that inspired "The Ring" and a lot of weedy-haired ghost girls.

One of the two sequels was "Rasen," adapted from Koji Suzuki's sequel, and "Ringu O," a prequel that tells the story of how Sadako became the monster of "Ringu." Well, together these two are a mixed bag -- the sequel is tedious and anticlimactic, but the prequel is a masterful chunk of eerie horror.

"Rasen" was actually filmed back-to-back with "Ringu," and it picks up immediately after the first movie's events. Pathologist Mitsuo Ando (Koichi Sato) is startled when his good friend Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada) is brought in, mysteriously dead. During the autopsy, he finds a piece of paper inside Ryuji's stomach. Though Ando is sunk in grief for the loss of his son, who drowned recently, he is intrigued by whatever killed Ryuji and his family.

He contacts Mai Takano (Miki Nakatani), Ryuji's assistant/girlfriend, and the two soon become close as they hunt for the secrets of the cursed videotape and the genetic encoding that is being transmitted through it. But when Mai watches the tape, something horrific happens -- and it returns the demon-woman Sadako to the world of the living...

Well, the movie was a bomb, mainly due to the scientific dissection of the curse, and the leaden direction. So they quickly filmed an independent, completely different sequel that ignores the events of "Rasen." Fortunately, "Ringu O" had no such problems, as it outlines the demon-girl's "coming of age":

Sadako Yamamura (Yukie Nakama) is a member of an acting troupe, and though she is pretty and quiet, the other actors don't like her. Then an actress dies unexpectedly, and Sadako takes over the lead part... except now more people are dying, and the survivors are blaming Sadako. The only one who doesn't is Hiroshi Tôyama (Seiichi Tanabe), who is falling in love with her.

To make matters worse, a reporter with a grudge against Sadako is nosing around, searching for evidence that Sadako killed several people... with her psychic powers. The acting troupe finally attacks Sadako, and travel to her childhood home. What they uncover is the OTHER Sadako, a horrific demon who is slowly overtaking her "good" half... and driving her to senseless murder.

Don't expect these two films to really have much to do with each other -- one is pure classic horror, and the other is more a weird cloning/timed-disease drama with some awkward sex scenes. Sure, "Rasen" may be taken from Suzuki's own novels, but "Ringu O" is the really impressive piece of work.

It certainly helps that Rasen lacks the horrific punch and sleek direction of the original movie. Most of the plot is Ando meandering around looking for clues, having sad sex with Mai, researching, and crying. Director Jôji Iida simply has no idea how to build tension and suspense, and so it ends up being leaden and emotionless, as well as terribly choppy. Even the creepy preapocalyptic finale can't really redeem the storyline.

Fortunately Norio Tsuruta keeps "Ringu O" from turning into a bad Japanese imitation of "Carrie," filling it with shadowy stages, eerie forests, and ruined houses, as well as the innocent, sweet romance between Sadako and Toyama. However, for all the deaths in here, the most horrible moments are the ones that show inexplicable hatred, doomed love, prejudice, and worst of all, destroying someone you love. And that creepy crunchy walk.

Similarly the actors range from mediocre to magnificent. Sato is a passable actor, able to handle Ando's calmer moments but not great emotion; and Nakatani is pretty good as the meek Mai, but absolutely laughable as Sadako. Nakama is a far better Sadako -- eerie, pretty, drifting around with her arms dangling down, while the handsome Tanabe is charming as her almost-boyfriend, who comes to a tragic end you can see coming miles away.

The lesser-known sequel and prequel to "Ringu" are collected in this two-pack, showing viewers the disappointing "Rasen" and the gorgeously creepy "Ringu O." Just skip right to the prequel.

Average customer rating:

Take this ring and toss it
Strike three.
The final Ringu
A decent yet over-complicated attempt at a sequel.
Worthy sequel continues the cycle

Ringu 2
Starring: Miki Nakatani , Hitomi Sato , Kyôko Fukada , Fumiyo Kohinata , and Kenjiro Ishimaru
Director: Hideo Nakata
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ringu
Ju-on (The Grudge)
Ju-On 2
The Ring Two (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
Dark Water

ASIN: B00005LW4G

Customer Reviews:

Take this ring and toss it.......2007-05-03

Strike three........2007-04-29

The final Ringu.......2007-04-21

A decent yet over-complicated attempt at a sequel........2006-11-07

Worthy sequel continues the cycle.......2006-07-06

The Ring (Complete Series) Trilogy Boxset

Average customer rating:

The Ring (Complete Series) Trilogy Boxset
Director: Hideo Nakata , and Norio Tsuruta
Manufacturer: Intercontinental Video (HK)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

3 disc package (Region 3 NTSC)
Ringu DVD
Ring 2 DVD
Ring 0: The Birthday (aka: Ringu O: Basuday) DVD

ASIN: B000KCU7BK

Average customer rating:

Ring

Manufacturer: UNIT WORLD MOVIE INC.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
ASIN: B00081FSWG

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