The Grudge [DVD]

I was a little sceptical of this film before seeing it as I thought that it was trying to ride on the back of the ring and similar films that have been hits in Japan and then remade for the western audience; however I'm pleased to say that this film did exactly what it said on the tin; scared me!

I must of seen a thousand 'scary' movies and it has to be said that only about 2 or 3 percent of them were actually scary. This is one of those rare releases. It will make you jump, and it will probably dissuade you from going downstairs in the dark for a late night cup of cocoa!

The cast play out the film well, but as with most horrors, there's little chance of any oscars being thrown their way. Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy, IKWYD Last Summer, Scooby Doo) plays Karen, an exchange student who volunteers at a care centre. She gets assigned to a patient whose normal carer has not turned up for work that day. Once she gets to the house of the patient she finds the patient collapsed on the floor, with the place looking a tip. Her life will never be the same again! Ted Raimi (whose been in everything from Evil Dead to Candyman to Wishmaster to the Spiderman movies) plays a rather geeky manager, he appears to be the manager of the care center where Karen works. He doesn't add much to this movie and it seems as though he was an afterthought in the writer or directors mind...he's not so convincing as the other characters which include Jason Behr (from the TV series 'Roswell') as Karen's boyfriend Doug, and William Mapother (Minority Report, Vanilla Sky, Swordfish, Mission Impossible II) as Matthew Williams.

The whole movie shifts about in time, we start at one point, then at the end of that scene, we switch to a few days earlier, then we switch to another time, then another time...but it's not done in a complicated 'Donnie Darko' way, it's easy enough to follow the movie.

If you're looking for a thought provoking, intellectual movie, this isn't for you.

If you're looking for a horror that's got plenty of irony, sarcasm and wit in it...this film also isn't for you.

This film is for those that just want plain horror and something to make you and your mates jump!

I enjoyed this movie, it was refreshing to find a horror movie that did it's job. :)

Baz

When i first saw this film, i was by myself with the lights off and the curtains and blinds closed! I watched it all the way through! I couldnt get up and stop it because it was the best horror movie i have seen yet. Although some of it gets confusing because there is the past and present.

Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar- Buffy, Scooby-Doo), an american nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a supernatural curse, a one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim!

I would give this film 5 stars because of the scary effectiveness and sound effects with the Grudge's voice. Some of you may agree with me that this is the best thriller since 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Scream Trilogy'. Thankyou for reading this. Make sure you like scary movies and dont get nightmares (definetly) or you will not be going to sleep for a while!

Following the recent and continuing trend of Japanese horror movies getting the Hollywood treatment, Takashi Shimizu's The Grudge is easily the best of the lot. Once again the director remakes his own film, but the difference here is that the story now involves an American couple who live in Japan. With many more shocks, and the constant threatening aura, The Grudge is vastly superior to The Ring and The Ring 2(American), and is equally as good as the original Ju-On movie.

Sarah Michell Gellar once again appears on the big screen in a role different from the characters she has played in the past. She stars as a foreign social working student along with her boyfriend played by Jason Behr. When she covers for a friend who has not turned up for work, she visits a house in Tokyo. There she meets an old woman who is nearly comatose, and on further investigation she sees that the house is haunted and cursed, and she is attacked. We are then shown small episodes involving the past occupants of the house and see that anyone who lives there inevitably is killed by the terrifying plague inside the house. As the story goes on the reason for the curse is explained, and Karen (Gellar) tries to save herself.

Ju-On already ranks as one of the scariest movies ever made, and The Grudge is a worthy attempt which has some pluses and minuses over the original. The story is certainly easier to follow and more is explained, although it refuses to be told in a linear fashion. This adds to the uneasiness we feel while watching it, but is less confusing than the previous version. The scene here involving the ghost chasing one victim around an office building is better than the original, though the subsequent 'bed' moment is not as good. The section involving the school girls was one of the best scenes in the original, but it has been removed, (the time skipping in that part is confusing the first time round) but Ted Raimi's final scene makes up for this. The soundtrack is as good as the original, that gargling noise is especially effective in the cinema. Every shock, even while some are predictable, is good and it is relentless in its search for another scare.

Although most of the actors have small parts and there is not really a lead part for most of the film, everyone performs well. Gellar proves she can perform on the big screen, and can be the weak, scared girl rather than Buffy. Pullman is also good, and although his part in the first few minutes got laughter from the audience, he redeems himself. The actors from the original movie do well, and Raimi is very good too, providing some comedy moments, putting us into a false sense of security. Forget about this being a remake- this is how all horror movies should be done; we are always aware that something is going to happen, waiting for the next fright, the atmosphere is relentless, and the scares are real scares, not cheap imitations.

The DVD has a decent commentary and featurette, but not much else. At around 5 pounds at time of writing, you can't go wrong. A must for horror fans with open minds. Probably not for the weak hearted, or those who like their stories to be told in a linear fashion.