Ring 0: Birthday (2000)
"Ringu 0: Bâsudei" (original title)

In this prequel to Ring, a young Sadako becomes an actress in hopes of escaping her troubled past. But strange visions and terrifying powers begin to manifest...

Director:

Norio Tsuruta

Writers:

Hiroshi Takahashi (screenplay), Kôji Suzuki (novel)

Stars:

Yukie Nakama, Seiichi Tanabe, Kumiko Asô

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yukie Nakama	...	Sadako Yamamura
Seiichi Tanabe	...	Hiroshi Tôyama
Kumiko Asô	...	Etsuko Tachihara
Takeshi Wakamatsu	...	Yûsaku Shigemori
Ryûshi Mizukami	...	Wataru Kuno
Kaoru Okunuki	...	Aiko Hazuki
Yasushi Kimura	...	Togashi
Mami Hashimoto	...	Joshikôsei
Daisuke Ban	...	Heihachirô Ikuma
Masako	...	Shizuko Yamamura
Norio Murata	...	Gekidan'in
Kôji Yano	...	Gekidan'in
Hinata Takamine	...	Gekidan'in
Tasuku Unô	...	Gekidan'in
Akira Igarashi	...	Gekidan'in

Storyline

The prequel to the horror film Ringu, this movie provides the background story of how Sadako later became the vengeful murdering spirit. The story starts with her as a shy, somewhat withdrawn, college student who nonetheless gets involved in a drama club. The director thinks she has talent, but some of the other performers start to get jealous of the attention he gives her. Meanwhile, a reporter investigating Sadako's spiritualist mother thinks there's something very suspicious about the young woman, and arrives on campus to confront Sadako just as a series of strange deaths start sweeping through the drama club.

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Plot Keywords:

prequel | well | dead woman with eyes open | dead woman | curse | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

22 January 2000 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Ring 0: Birthday

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ring 0: Birthday Seisaku Iinkai

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Black and White (some sequences) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Eyes Without a Face (1960)

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Soundtracks

"The Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ Continuo"
Written by Tomaso Albinoni and Remo Giazotto
Courtesy of Gakken/Platz

User Reviews

WONDERFUL prequel to the master of horror movies

Wow... I don't know whether to love Sadako or fear her. "Ring 0" completes the trilogy and makes it into an epic. We delve into the complicated and frightening (yet very tragic) character that is Sadako Yamamura. Like "Ring 2", this film continues the enrichment of the Ring mythos. We watch the frightening, tragic story of Sadako unfold before our eyes. We discover a more human Sadako... one that feels love and compassion in spite of her peculiarities, and we are once again frightened as we were in the previous movies. In a way, the terror is more effective here than in "Ring 2" even in light of a movie that feels more like a tear-jerking drama at times than like a horror film. This is a must-see for fans of the first two movies. Watch it. You won't be sorry.. even if some of the introduced story elements seem a little strange. They are carried out beautifully! Sadako herself is beautiful and enchanting.

I'll conclude with one final statement: If you thought a staggering, ghostly Sadako was intimidating, wait until you see her when she's alive and kicking, and more powerful than she ever was as an ethereal presence. Now she has the ability to kill at will rather than with a cursed videotape!

Hmm.. do I sound like I'm contradicting myself about Sadako? I'm not going to explain myself. Just watch the movie and see for yourselves!