Message #222724

[House of Spirits]

2. 'Ringu' (1998)
Country: Japan
Director: Hideo Nakata
AKA: 'Ring'

What's It About? Most people are familiar with the super-successful Hollywood remake so here's the gist of it: the journalist Reiko investigates the death of her niece, which came about after she watched a supposedly cursed videotape that will kill anyone who views it. As she searches for clues, she discovers the true nature of the videotape, the terrifying little girl that is broadcast every time it is watched and the cruel game of tape-passing that must be played.

Why Is it Awesome? 'Ringu' is Japan's highest grossing horror movie of all time. And as far as remakes go, the American version isn't bad. But before the cross-continental movie fad spawned countless imitators, there was the original 'Ringu.' Over a decade later it stands tall as a dark, atmospheric twist on urban legends and ghost stories; there's no better example of how freaked out you can get from simply sitting in an empty room, watching images on a TV screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Z-MOqAvtY&feature=player_embedded