Ju-On (2003)
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An evil curse lingers upon a house where the horrific murder of a woman and a young child took place. Anyone who sets foot inside the house is marked for a terrifying haunting and one by one, those who have been tainted by the house will die. No one is safe and no one can escape.
Overall: This film is clearly not as cohesive or as written well enough as the American version (and I found the same for “The Ring”). However, this film goes different places than the American version and completely different than the American version for the reason behind “The Grudge.” This film is basically broken down into 6 chapters with the audience seeing the effects of the haunting on each person. And trust me when I say, I had to keep a notepad next to me to continually figure out who was who. Like “Pulp Fiction,” things happen out of chronological order, which although might be confusing but still works. I think this film has the potential to be scarier and some scenes definitely are (than the American film) but the continuity of the plot sometimes leaves you missing something. The scares at times are so imperceptible, frankly you can miss them, and that’s why I do think the film isn’t as scary as it could have been. I think the kid was totally above the American performance in this film and definitely used to more effect. I did catch the “alternate ending” and I do think they should have added it in. What I found interesting was the director’s comments toward the deleted scenes thinking they all were unnecessary as the scenes could have been laughed at by the public. I do think that the Japanese audiences may not have given this series its full accords and perhaps Shimizu was a bit too critical of his own work, worried about the public’s reactions. If you put the deleted stuff back in, this film beats the US version...I think if Shimizu just left his original “direct to tv” version alone, he might have just made it perfect. If you gotta pick between the US and this Japanese cut (without deleted scenes), I’d recommend the US version first…but I’ll say, take a look at this film anyway. Comparison: The Grudge meets Pulp Fiction |
Links to other sites at The Sinning Room
The Grudge Review Page
Ju-On: The Grudge 2 Review Page
Horror Films A-K Review Page
Horror Films Review Page
