Last night, Fionn and I saw The Ring, and my GOD was it scarrier than crap! I’d seen the original, and found that to be absolutely terrifying. When I originally heard that some American guy was going to do a remake of it, I was rather apprehensive…I mean, what made the original so great was the slow movement of the film, the use of silence and the build up of suspense, something most American audiences just don’t seem to be able to handle. I was pleasantly suprised.
It was a little hard to sit though it and not compare, but I really liked a lot of what they did to help “Americanize” the plot. The video was a bit too graphic and involved, but they managed to fit most of that imagery rather well, so I got passed that. The one big problem I had was with the corpses (possible spoiler). In the movie, the victims died from fright. In the Japanese version, this was shown by the victim having this post mortum look of absolute fear frozen on their faces. Very simple, very direct, and very effective. Yet, for the American version, even though the victim died just minutes before the body was found in some instances, the corpse was grotesquely decomposed and mutilated, even though they still make reference to the fact “their heart just stopped.” One’s heart stopping doesn’t make your skin all grey, you’re bottom jaw become dislocated and blood ooze out of your mouth…but eh, Americans need that shock I guess.
Overall, I highly recommend this movie. I’d seen the original a long time ago, and even knowing what was going to happen and all that jazz, I’m still on edge from seeing it last night. Very good, very creepy, and not all too nasty. If you’ve seen the original, it may be a little difficult to not compare the two as you go through, but give it a shot nonetheless, because it was a very well done adaptation.
And that little boy was creepier than shit!
Good to hear it. I am PUMPED for this movie. I haven’t even seen it, and it’s already really doing a number on my psyche.
I saw a few clips of the film on a French site yesterday. I dunno if people don’t wanna hear stuff like this, so I’ll put it in a spoiler box.
I got some really good chills when the kid is watching the videotape with all the familiar images we’ve seen in the ads, with the well at the very end. But unlike the TV ads, this time someone was crawling out of the well!! AAAIIIIEEEEEEE!!!
I am SO there on opening night.
Tusr me Max, what you put in that spoiler isn’t the half of it. If that’s giving you goose bumps already, be prepared to do something else after the movie, because you won’t be able to sleep much.