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chelley8310 [ 9.0 ]
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I felt as though this film, a re-make of the 1998 Japanese series, was at the least the same level of holy shit scariness, and at most the scariest movie I have ever seen. I am not sure if I will ever watch TV or make a trip to blockbuster again!
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Wynk23 [ 9.5 ]
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Exorsist is the king of horror movies, but it has a new friend. I don't enjoy horror movies that contain blood and graphic events, but made your mind wonder "what the hell is going on". The movie, I must say, can be a little confusing, and does have some holes. It did leave some questions in my mind, but some of the gossip I heard about there meaning blew my head off. This movie, unlike what people say, is very indept. It will make you think, make your heart beat, and thank God you are not in the movie. The film seems to end twice, people were actually leaving the theature, but it kept on. It is a detective/thiller/horror movie. The movie has a great plot, good storyline, and good acting, but it leave some questions unanswered. Sequel anyone?
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Dancing_P [ 7.0 ]
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Creepy thriller that probably suffers on video. Most of my friends saw this in theaters when it came out and most were scared shitless. I can't say the same, however, although the film has its moments. The concept is relatively simple; there's a tape. When people watch the tape (which is filled with weird shit like a box full of fingers), they're scared and then, seven days later, they die. Journalist Naomi Watts decides that she's gotta find out why people die, and she uncovers a convoluted (but well crafted) plot. This was directed by the same guy who did Mouse Hunt and The Mexican, not exactly masterpieces, but he shows that he's up to the task, building up the suspense quite well. I can only imagine, however, how much better the movie would've been with someone like David Lynch directing. There are other things that plague the movie; for one, the mother-son relationship seems more like a mother-goldfish relationship. The acting is pretty good, especially from Watts and a small role for the prolific Brian Cox. Watch it at night.
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chapter11 [ 9.0 ]
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Sure, the Japanese smash "Ringu" was a superlative example of everything that's right with a good horror movie: atmosphere, chilling imagery, a taut pace, and a mounting sense of dread. But somehow--- and before you accuse me of some sort of ethnocentrism, let me clarify that this may well be the only time that this has happened--- the Americanized version has improved on the original. Not drastically, mind you, but still, enough to make note of. In any case, "The Ring" is a remarkably effective chiller that takes a mildly silly plot--- those unfortunate enough to view a mysterious video die seven days later--- and not only makes it work, but actually makes it quite frightening. Over the course of the seven days following an unlucky reporter's (Naomi Watts) viewing of the tape, "The Ring" builds, intermingling jump scenes--- both genuine and false alarms--- with nerve-jangling tension and unsettling, blue-washed imagery. Mind you, "The Ring"'s brilliance IS tampered with by Watts' weirder-than-thou son, a sunken-eyed, morose, precocious preteen who's even more joyless (and, truth be told, even more annoying) than Haley Joel Osment's character in "The Sixth Sense." Nobody's really done that whole creepy-kid-as-crucial-horror-movie-plot-point as well as Danny Lloyd did in "The Shining," anyway, so Hollywood could stand to give it up. But nevermind that. Watts does infinitely more with her role here than she was allowed to in 2001's "Mulholland Drive," and a frightening late-movie performance by Brian Cox is icing on the cake. (Then again, throwing the great Cox into your movie almost assures it instant credibility.) "The Ring" is a pitch-perfect example of the way horror movies SHOULD be done--- frightening, atmospheric, and disturbing. In short, you shouldn't feel too comfortable going to bed after the final frame fades out, and "The Ring" makes sure of that.
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Maxwell_E. [ 9.0 ]
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This movie is probably the best horror movie I have ever seen. I cannot compare it to the Exorcist, because I have not seen that movie, but I do know that The Ring was excellent. It was so horrifying without being gorey and disgusting and innapropraite. I never would have thought of such an imaginitive and spine-tingling concept ever... the first movie that has actually scared me even the tiniest bit.
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kcremer [ 2.0 ]
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Did I see a different movie than everyone else? This plot had enough holes to make a golf course. Where did the tape come from? Who was the one making the phone calls after people watched the tape? Horses that go crazy and drown themselves? WTF?!?!?! The horror of the movie is curbed by the major frustration it causes. This movie is like a gourmet meal that tastes like animal feces.
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jasonkrueger [ 10.0 ]
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I just saw this today:it made me sick,scared the shit out of me,made me jump and I was glued to the tv while on the edge of my seat.This movie is way scarier than The Sixth Sense on so many levels.Naomi Watts as usual gives an Oscar-winning performance and her performance terrified me completely.I thought the guy she liked was very funny and an excellent actor.The little boy who was also in the Texas Chainsaw Remake gave a very creepy performance and chilled.From beginning to end this movie throws sick image after sick image at you.The video is not as sick as people have said but still very disturbing and sick nonetheless.A scene having to do with string and a horse are very gag-inducing.For a PG-13 movie this movie is very gross and definitely creeps up on you.Amber Tamblyn as the cousin does a good role as the first victim and the beginning was like Friday the 13th just more supernatural and suspenseful.The fact that they only show glimpses of the victims makes this movie even creepier.When you see them up close I mean their faces it will make you sick very,very sick.The movie keeps you in suspense from beginning to end especially after Watt's character watches the tape and gets the phone call.The voice on the phone I might add is creepy as hell it sounds demonic!!!The ending is creepy too leaving it open for a sequel that I might add is thankfully already in the works!!There are plenty of sick and very scarring twists throughout the movie such as her little boy watching the tape and her boyfriend turned daddy watching it.When they take pictures their faces come out very distorted pending their doom.A beautiful and engaging thriller form top to bottom!!!I loved it and the twists scared the crap out of me!!!The actors were superb,the dark and twisted secrets of many of the people involved made it even scarier and interesting for me.Finally the little girl who played Samara is extremely chilling as a little girl who turns evil due to what her mother does to her.There were plenty of shocks,surprises,and twists a plenty in thsi sick and shocking rollercoaster ride!!!Samara is the perfect terror for this terrifying and shocking blockbuster!!!Her face will stay in you mind trust me she ain't no sweetheart.
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jim [ 7.5 ]
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Numerous friends recommended that I see this movie, so eventually I caught it on DVD. Suspense/horror really isn't my thing, but The Ring provides solid entertainment within the limitations of the genre.
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mike [ 8.5 ]
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The ring, based on a block busting japanese series of films with the same title. If you can give a little suspension of disbelief at the beginning, this is an excellent film. Of course, the notion that watching a video can kill you is idiotic at best... but really, they almost make it work. The acting was pretty good. I'm getting sick of the wacky child who knows more of whats going on than the adults approach, but otherwise, it was well done.
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Verbal [ 3.0 ]
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Are you kidding me? This is what all the talk was about? Are you kidding me? Please...
(Side note: so after rating this, I notice the next closest to me is a 7.0. What the hell movie did ya'll watch because that's the one I want to see.)
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DokBrowne [ 9.0 ]
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Definitely freaky. I spent most of the movie with my mouth hanging open, waiting in dread for something horrible to happen. There were a few scenes that literally gave me goosebumps, and perhaps you'd understand the significance of that claim if you knew how much I hate it when people use that stupid, thoughtless cliche. I've NEVER gotten goosebumps watching a movie before, except perhaps during "Signs" (which may be the scariest movie I've ever seen; weird to say, I know, since it doesn't even seem like a scary movie, more just a suspense drama, but anyway, wrong review), but I could actually feel them shoot up all over my neck, back, and arms. In fact, just now when I went back to the living room to browse the DVD so I could find the creepiest scenes, just looking at brief, silent clips of them on the Scene Selection menu gave me, like, TWICE as many goosebumps as when I first watched it. You'd think, now knowing everything about the movie (no more suspense) and it being behind me, I'd re-view it with much easier detachment. But maybe that's a good way to justify the complaint of many critics (including Ebert) that not enough of the mystery was explained by the time the movie ended. The fact that I'm still uneasy, suspicious about the truth (aside from its intention, why does the videotape exist in the first place? Etc.), and that according to the movie there's (spoilers) no way to stop it (the end), keeps me from sleeping peacefully, y'know? For once, the lack of complete resolution effectively enhances the experience (that is, most horror movies just use unanswered questions to fake creepiness and disguse laziness). While we're on it, I almost wish we hadn't learned anything about the woman and girl on the tape, because figuring out what really happened in a story is rarely satisfying. It's the anticipation, the wondering of what it could possibly all mean and thinking it's gonna lead you to something downright amazing or shocking or whatever the intended reaction is. After seeing so many countless stories from start to finish in the various entertainment mediums, I have a feeling that no one is capable of fulfilling that expectation. Some - the best - have come close, but not all the way. And on the bottom line, a mother who was urged against her will to murder her warped little daughter (the warped part of which is interesting but never fleshed-out; the girl was twisted before she died, but why? How? To what end?), compelling the spirit of that daughter to create a device that will in turn murder every unrelated person who comes in contact with it years after her death as a way of finally garnering the attention she was denied in life by her parents (particularly the dad, I suppose, though I'm still not crystal clear on it), just isn't that colorful a slice of integral exposition. Yeah, it's that curiosity of the tape's meaning that drives us and Naomi Watts (who's luminous, by the way, and resembles Nicole Kidman more and more with every film) to each progressive point of the plot, but once we know as much as we're going to, some of the reasoning behind the bizarre and unsettling events loses its impact (such as the identity of the ring image itself). Anyway, the scenes that truly frightened me were (I really hate doing the Spoilers! warning, but I respect this movie and don't necessarily want to ruin it for others; "Dreamcatcher" is another story): 1) the opening with the 2 girlfriends, once the girl is downstairs by herself. It's not the most inventive of scenarios (timid victim sees flashes of movement and ghost-like manipulation of objects before IT attacks), but it's done so well. The movie doesn't go for obvious soundtrack stings and fakeouts (like the cat jumping in the frame, the friend just trying to scare her, or the false resolution where the girl thinks she's safe then is suddenly and finally murdered), and it's built on a premise that, for some unexplainable (by me) reason, works perfectly in terrifying you. 2) her dream, after she pulls that rope out of her mouth, when she slowly enters her son's room and sees a girl sitting in the middle of the room, facing the other direction. 3) The girl coming out of the TV at the end to kill her ex-husband. The worst part was the beginning, when she rises out of the well and walks towards the TV. I think it might have been even more nightmarish if the ordeal had lasted longer and we'd seen what exactly happened to him, though I acknowledge how that might be gratuitous. There were many scenes in the movie, however, whose genuinely building horror was somewhat disappointingly offset by a sudden scene change, like intercutting with what another character is doing at the same time, or skipping ahead to right after a scary moment. Overall, Verbinski handles timing excellently; I'm just personally bummed that he didn't give us even more of a jolt on certain occasions. I can't remember the other few moments that disturbed me on a serious level, but that there were ANY is amazing. Movies are never scary; I just can't deny the basic spookiness of "The Ring". I could tell before I even saw it. I think great credit should go to Gore Verbinski for this, as I can easily imagine a lesser horror movie using all the same details and utterly failing to pull it off ("Wes Craven Claims to Present the Worst-Titled Movie of All Time: They" seemed to be reaching for a similar vibe, and needless to say). The imagery is dreadful, though I mean that in the best way. The world in "The Ring" is cloaked in this slightly surreal or dream-like blue and green color scheme (some of the scenes on the island are extraordinarily beautiful) that's almost like its own demented version of the fatal tape they watch, only for us the viewers. There are some neat indications of that interactive barrier throughout the movie, such as the trailer's catch phrase, "before you die, you see the ring", which could be interpreted as seeing "The Ring" (I know, it's just a movie. I'm having fun with it, okay?). Or the ending, when they're making the copies and the kid asks what will happen to the next person they show the tape to. The VIEWER who's just finished watching this movie, that is! I assume this was an intentional trick to freak us out even more, and despite my cynical disbelief of virtually everything (ghosts, horoscopes, fortune telling, anything supernatural, religion), I totally bought into it. Knowingly, of course. The elements may not add up to a promising idea - zombie kid who can communicate with the dead (Sixth Sense, every ghost movie since Sixth Sense); the juxtaposition of a little innocent girl who happens to be more dangerous and terrifying than any other person or thing (at least she doesn't have a British accent); the violently dysfunctional and slowly-unraveling family history, recurring visual clues (all the images from the tape) that spell doom; the artsy, bizarre, incoherent collection of images; and others - but it's more important that these elements are given a fine polishing than whether they're original ("Ocean's 11" was simply elementary heist comedy 101, after all). Like I needed to point that out. Sheesh. Point is, I'm alone in my house tonight and it's 3:09 in the morning and even though I have the TV blaring downstairs ("3,000 Miles to Graceland" is on HBO right now, and I can't think of a better movie to help me disconnect from reality and escape into wacky, harmless absurdity. Oh, and in case I never said so, that movie sucked) and about 5 different lights on, not to mention my big cat Thor sleeping right next to me (I honestly feel safer with her around), I still keep looking over my shoulder, fearing something or someone behind me (since I'm in my bedroom facing away from the doorway, so it's like the entire house is back there, out of sight), and these goddamn goosebumps keep shuddering across my body. It, uh, probably doesn't help that I downloaded "The Ring" from iMesh just now and am watching it again while writing this on my computer (I can't help it; you're addicted to that thrill, y'know?). It's gonna suck going to sleep in the dark, all alone. That's all.
I hope this is regarded as a legendary scary movie over the years. It already has that reputation in the immediate present, at least among filmgoers (critics were split, I think); hopefully it'll last, and grow
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jeff_v [ 7.0 ]
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Sorry about the typo. It won't let me correct it either.
Anyways, this remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film is a rare thing --it's as good and as scary as the original. It'll be nice to have on DVD where I can go through some parts frame by frame.
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Stitch [ 9.0 ]
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This movie creeped the hell out of me. Very scary. I agree with the other reviewer about this movie being up there with The Exorcist as the top two scary movies. (Though personally I'd add The Shining (Kubrick version) to the list as well.) The premise (watching a videotape then dying 7 days later) seems a little silly, I'll admit. But the pacing and imagery of the film takes that silliness away and leaves a very terrifying film. Strangely enough, the one scene that I hope never to watch again has really nothing to do with the supernatural side of the plot (well, maybe a tiny, tiny bit). It involves a ferry and a spooked horse, 'nuff said.
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| Weighted Rating | : 6.7 |
| No. Ratings | : 25 | |
| No. Reviews | : 15 | |
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