The Ring

Before you die, you see...

Many years ago, 2012 to be exact we decided to take a look at Ringu, the now legendary Japanese horror (J-Horror) trilogy that introduced the world to the story of a cursed VHS tape that killed those who watched seven days later. The first film from the franchise was released in 1998, while the sequels in 1999 & 2000. A couple of remakes, Sadako 3D & Sadako 3D 2 were released subsequently in 2012 & 2013. Today however, we're neither discussing the original trilogy nor the Japanese recent 3D remake sequels. Today we're talking Gore Verbinski's 2002 The Ring American remake, the one film that birthed a collection of American made J-Horror remakes craze. 

Usually when a remake is made, criticism rises towards a lack of originality in the film industry, although superhero remakes have proven to be better versions of their predecessors, in the horror genre, a remake is always a worn out set of ideas with updated special effects that instead of paying homage to a cult classic, all they do is bashing a legacy. Nevertheless, The Ring, as above mentioned, stands tall among remakes, and it's considered today as one of the best horror movies ever made. In fact, it earned two Saturn Awards in 2002 for the Best Horror Movie & Best Actress categories. In 2003 it earned the Best Villain award in the MTV Movie Awards as well as Best Horror Film in the Teen Choice Awards the same year. In terms of box office, The Ring outdid the original Ringu films (including Japan!), guaranteeing a sequel, The Ring 2 (2005) directed by none other than by Hideo Nakata (Director of the original first two films) Other J-Horror remakes tried to repeat the success of The Ring, most notably The Grudge, Dark Water, Pulse & One Missed Call. Unfortunately, none of them reached cult status, making Hollywood producers move on from the Asian Horror remake frenzy. The Ring was number 20 on the cable channel Bravo's list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments. Bloody Disgusting ranked the film sixth in their list of the 'Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade', with the article saying "The Ring was not only the first American 'J-Horror' remake out of the gate; it also still stands as the best."

 

Do not watch this video!

So that's the movie title.

Although The Ring's key element relies in an already non existent technology, a VHS cassette tape that is, by the time the first Japanese film came out (in 1998) people would still rent films (and made home movies) using such format. DVD had been introduced in 1997, and it wasn't massively popular at that time. While the American remake dates back to 2002, a time where DVD was widely available, it wasn't until 2003 (at least in the USA that is) that DVD outdid VHS tape rentals for the first time, so for all the naysayers stating "it was a ridiculous idea back then and it is now as well" Save your negativity and do some research before claiming something without the proper factual knowledge. In addition, VHS cassette tapes were sold until 2008, and retailers stopped selling VCRs the same year, so there you have it, a VHS tape was pretty common in 2002.

A one line review of this film would simple be "The Ring does what most scary films promise, but never deliver". That should be enough for any scare enthusiast to justify watching it in their favorite format for the most part. I say `for the most part' because it is tough to define what is scary for everyone, and I don't deny that this film may not scare many people as easily as others. It must be said however that this film is probably one of the most successful scare flicks, in the spirit of movies like ‘The Exorcist'.

"She used to let me see her undress"

"I better erase this sex tape"

Well crafted, extremely well developed and perfectly executed this remake of is one movie to fit into your top 10 scare flicks of all time. Disturbing from start to end the film quite effectively leaves you writhing in your seat, grasping a loved one until its gripping conclusion without a single piece of gore at all. An art often lost on modern films and obviously inspired by the original , the subtle approach to making these kinds of films is delivered to the screen close to an eerie perfection.

The Ring is about a VHS cassette tape, a tape that features some rather disturbing yet very `student film' like snapshots of what can only be described as someone's nightmare. The problem is when the tape concludes, the phone rings and a voice tells you that you will die in exactly seven days. When four teenagers die, simultaneously at 10pm exactly seven days after secretly staying at a secluded cabin a reporter named Rachel (the exquisite Naomi Watts), who was the mother of a boy named Aidan (David Dorfman), who was a cousin to one of the girls decides to investigate. Partially motivated by the will of the dead girl's parents to find an answer as to how their daughter's heart simply stopped, Rachel successfully finds the tape the group watched. Unfortunately for her, she watches it and to her horror she receives a phone call, she now has seven days to solve the puzzle or end up like the others. What follows is an exposition mystery about the chilling origins of the tape, and the power behind the sudden death of each viewer.

Why didn't you tell me you recorded me naked?

Peeping tom!

Notably, there is nothing terribly exceptional about the acting in this film, it is by no means truly award worthy. It is however extremely well suited to the film and very well executed. Naomi Watts as Rachel holds up very well as the centerpiece of the film and remains a constant link to the audience making the drama more real. Martin Henderson as the X-Husband Noah was quite well played and David Dorfman as Aidan is a nice addition to the creepiness overall feel of the movie.

The most notable part of this film is its visual and auditory construction, which is responsible for creating most of the tension and scares in the film. There is a great deal in the sound design that will go unnoticed by the average movie-goer, but it features some very subtle sound ranging from scratching to moans and groans and a few other twisted noises. These are woven into the films music to create a deep sense of abnormality during the films more freaky moments and mood sequences. The music score was written and directed by Hans Zimmer, and I gotta say it's one of the best horror film soundtracks I've ever listened to (I'm an audiophile, so I've listened to quite a few)

Even underwear is dark in this movie.

Samara's all wet.

The visual aspects of the film are close to perfect, a delightful blend of color that looks digitally graded as opposed to filtered. A strong cold blue dominated throughout the entire film, very rarely mixed with any warmth at all, with the exception of a few scenes. The autumn colors are used quite sharply in contrast to the cold to create another level of abnormality that accompanies the sound design and makes certain aspects of the film standout quite deliberately. From there the camera captures the direction on screen perfectly and with some very well paced editing you end up with a visual treat as much as a formidable film. Much of the story is told with the camera and most of the stories best moments come from effective use of visuals.

I am afraid now that I can't go on without spoiling the film, except to say that the climax is one of the more simplistic yet terrifying moments I have had in a cinema. To watch the packed audience all twist in their seats, gasp and groan in a sort of painful anxiety while the events unfolded on screen was just as much of a treat as the film. This film should scare or at least in the best part disturb you, but I am not promising anything as there have been the odd one or two who claim they found nothing frightening in it at all. Still, scary or not, it is one of the better made Hollywood horror films and more importantly it does not stick to the Hollywood formula nor does it give us a Hollywood ending. 

Augmented Reality!

Enter Samara Morgan!

Since I love this film so much, I'm closing today's entry not only with the usual trailer section, but also with a selection of interesting trivia about The Ring:

1. The "cursed" video is available as an Easter egg on the DVD. Select look here and press down and your cursor will disappear. Press Enter. This has an interesting feature; your remote control is disabled. Once the "video" has started playing, you can't stop it, pause it, fast-forward it, or return to the menu. Unless you turn off the TV, you're forced to watch the whole thing. When it's over, the DVD returns to the menu, then you hear a phone ring twice before you're given control over your remote again. 
2. On its first week of release in the U.S. and Canada, select cinemas put actual copies of the cursed tape on seats for unsuspecting viewers as freebies. The cursed video is now available as an Easter egg feature on the DVD.  
3. The Ring is the highest-grossing horror remake in history, with a total worldwide gross of over 249 million dollars. 
4. Although the meaning of the title "The Ring" is ambiguous, Kôji Suzuki, the author of the original novel, always intended it to mean the cyclical nature of the plot, rather than the phone ringing.  
5. The tree with the fiery red leaves featured in the movie is a Japanese maple. The fruit of this tree is known as a "Samara." hence Samara Morgan's name. The more you know!
6. This film was originally promoted under the title "Ring", like Ringu (1998), the original Japanese film upon which it is based. Shortly before release, the title was changed to "The Ring".  
7. Sold more than 2 million DVD copies in the US alone in its first 24 hours of video release.
8. DreamWorks took an unusual but effective tack on the release plan for this film. When the lengthy post-production and test screening process was complete (it took more time than usual largely because of edits to make the film less graphically violent and move it away from a potential R rating towards the PG-13 it received), the company decided to launch it in fewer theaters than expected. The logic was simple: if the film did well during the October 18-20, 2002 weekend, it could be expanded to great anticipation just ahead of Halloween. The Ring ended up improving its box office in weekend 2 and became one of the biggest surprise hits of the year.  
9. In both the American and Japanese versions, the name of the little girl is connected to a story about death. The name "Samara" refers to a story retold by W. Somerset Maugham as "Appointment in Samarra", about a man who meets Death in the marketplace and flees to the town of Samarra. 
10. Subtle images of circles in various forms, such as the designs on the doctor's sweater, the shower drain and Rachel's apartment number, appear throughout the movie.  
11. The word "Moesko" in the title of Moesko Island is the phonetically spelled word "MOSCO/A" which is the Spanish word for "fly/mosquito" (insect). When Rachel watches the video, a fly appears in the scene where the lighthouse frame is later discovered. 
12. Since the release of "The Ring" in Canada, the story of the cursed video has become very popular in some provinces, and the story is passed by kids in school as a rumor that it actually happened.  
13. Numerous scenes were cut down or entirely cut from the film before release. Some scenes were present only at test screenings. Others showed up in previews or the "Don't Watch This" short film on the DVD: 

• Samara's line "Everyone will suffer" was cut out the film but can be heard in the previews.

• The bathtub suicide was much more graphic.


• Samara's murder lasted longer in the original cut of the film and was much more brutal than what audiences saw in theaters. Originally, the plastic bag over Samara's head failed to subdue her, leading her killer to repeatedly strike her in the head with a large rock (which can be seen lying on the ground in some shots of the well). The rock only weakened Samara, and finally her killer resorted to slamming her head against the side of the well before dumping her in.


• Some test screenings contained scenes at the beginning and end of the film involving a murderer played by Chris Cooper. The first scene involved the murderer approaching Rachel, asking her to help clear his name, claiming he is rehabilitated and no longer a threat to society. She knows he's lying and refuses. Then at the end of the movie, she pays him a visit and drops off a copy of the video. Noah goes over to Rachel's apartment and trying to find the video. When the babysitter hears him say it's a homemade video and it might be in the bedroom, she starts laughing. He finds the distorted pictures of the kids from the beginning in Rachel's room. One of the pictures shows the sign for the inn. This leads into another scene where Noah goes to the rental cabins and finds the body of the cabin manager dead in a canoe on the lake.


• There was a scene where Rachel asks crab-fishers on the island about the Morgans. They say that no one could get a good haul when Samara was around. There's additional material with Rachel in Cabin 12 where she tries to watch TV, but the reception is terrible and finds a journal left by the previous guests.


• Visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson said in an interview that another sequence was "previsualized", but cut from the film. "It was an all-CG montage of the 'Ring' tape being created from a point of view inside the VCR.


• There is an alternate scene for Rachel and Ruth's discussion at the funeral, Rachel searches Katie's room and finds the ticket for photos. Ruth comes in and they discuss information Rachel found out from some of Katie's friends. Ruth becomes frustrated and angry about not knowing why Katie died, and charges towards the closet and explains to Rachel that she found Katie there. There is a flashback with Ruth finding Katie's corpse in the closet (same flashback used in the funeral scene).

 Here's the haunting and deadly video contained within the cursed VHS tape:

Here's the movie trailer:



And last but not least, here's the brand new trailer for "Rings" the soon to be released third part of the saga (the film opens on October 28th, just for Halloween!)