Ringu (1998)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Hideo Nakata

Writers:

Kôji Suzuki (novel)
Hiroshi Takahashi (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 January 1998 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

"One curse, one cure, one week to find it"

Plot:

A mysterious video kills whomever views it, unless that viewer can solve its mystery.

Plot Keywords:

Videotape | Friend | Volcanic Island | Son | Girl

Awards:

6 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Nanako Matsushima	...	Reiko Asakawa
Miki Nakatani	...	Mai Takano
Hiroyuki Sanada	...	Ryuji Takayama
Yuko Takeuchi	...	Tomoko Oishi
Hitomi Sato	...	Masami Kurahashi
Yoichi Numata	...	Takashi Yamamura
Yutaka Matsushige	...	Yoshino
Katsumi Muramatsu	...	Koichi Asakawa
Rikiya Otaka	...	Yoichi Asakawa
Masako	...	Shizuko Yamamura
Daisuke Ban	...	Dr. Heihachiro Ikuma
Kiyoshi Risho	...	Omiya the Cameraman
Yûrei Yanagi	...	Okazaki
Yôko Ôshima	...	Reiko's Aunt
Kiriko Shimizu	...	Ryomi Oishi

Also Known As:

Ring (International: English title) (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:12 | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 (TV rating) | UK:15 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Omega Project

Trivia:

The effect of Sadako coming out of the well was accomplished with only one simple special effect. Rie Inou, who is a student of the Kabuki theatre, which uses exaggerated motion and jerking movements to emphasize emotion, was heavily involved in the development of the Sadako character. Inou was filmed walking backwards and the film was run in reverse - the end result is Sadako walking forwards with unnatural motions.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the movie, the TV in Tomoko's room is on. However, in the next scene when Tomoko has a close up, it's off. Neither Masami or Tomoko had switched it off.

Quotes:

[Ryuji takes Reiko home]
Ryuji Takayama: You better get some rest... I have a deadline!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Grudge (2004)

Soundtrack:

Feels Like Heaven (Xtra Soundscape Mix)

The Ring couldn't stand up!

I watched The Ring before Ringu and was sorry that I did. Everybody thinks that the US always does things better. This is one example of how wrong those people are. Now, don't get me wrong, The Ring was a good flick. I enjoyed it very much, BUT, it really fell short of the original. So much was lost in the translation and in remaking it. If you have never seen The Ring, do yourself a favor and see Ringu first. It really shows how the Japanese can make good horror. The story is based on a novel written by Koji Suzuki entitled "Ringu". If you get the chance, you can pick this up over at Amazon, it's a very good read and shows you how the story was meant to be told. The Japanese film was a better adaptation of the movie. I give Ringu 8.5/10