Ju-On

Finally after a long wait, North America sees the release of "Ju-On: The Grudge" on DVD, no doubt meant to coincide with the American remake called "The Grudge" starring Sarah Michelle Gellar which will be released in theatres this fall. Ju-On belongs to the cream of the crop of J-Horror, perhaps the best spooky house horror movie I have ever laid eyes on. Brilliantly directed by Takashi Shimizu, Ju-On is an unrelenting spectacle of spooky sights and sounds that manages to outcreep even the likes of "Ringu" and the Pang Brothers' "The Eye" without even a drop of blood spilt. Interestingly enough, the American Studio responsible for the remake has decided to enlist the services of Shimizu himself to direct the remake and to set the action in Japan alas with a mostly American cast. The remake will have a very tough act to follow if it whishes to outspook the original, however this has been achieved before with "The Ring".

The prologue shows us what led to the house becoming haunted; a man who believes his wife had an affair kills her in an uncontrolled rage then kills himself. The couple's young son, who witnesses the savage act, disappears and is never to be seen again. Fast forward several years: the house is now inhabited by the Tokunaga family of three, a husband and wife and the husband's old frail mother. While husband and wife are away on a trip, the nearby welfare center sends volunteer social worker Rika to look after the house and the old mother. While cleaning the house, she witnesses ghostly apparitions that drive her away from the house. Soon after, when the tenants of the house return from their trip they too are terrorized by the vengeful spirits of the dead family.

Several factors are responsible for making "Ju-On" such an utterly scary film. Director Shimizu for one is a master at building intensity in a scene through the use of rising ominous music and creepy visuals. But the way he does it is very unique. In the vast majority of haunted house movies, it usually involves one character seeing a supernatural entity and then said supernatural entity disappearing before anyone else can see it therefore making the witness appear crazy. Not here. The ghosts here can be seen by ALL no matter what, making them seem all the more dangerous and frightening. Also, the viewer is always kept on edge since the ghost of the little boy keeps appearing in all sorts of unexpected places like in windows, mirrors and myriad reflections and corners of the screen. And then there is the house, this is just a regular-looking house in a suburb, giving the film an element of realism seldom seen in these types of movies. I find that setting the events in your average suburban house is a much more effective scare tactic since after all how many of us have ever lived or visited a giant gothic mansion? This hits much close to home.

Ju-on weaves a complex storyline with numerous continuity jumps and gaps that give it a certain Lynchian feel. Those continuity jumps are very confusing for the first-time viewer (Huh, does Rika die twice?) but it's also one of the things that makes the film stand so well to repeat viewings because it does make sense the second time around. Which is not to say the film is without its problems. Although I found very few flaws with the execution of the film, certain things simply don't make much sense such as the spirits following people in places outside of the house and also if the house is history to so many people dying of fright because of ghosts how come new tenants keep moving in? It must have a very convincing real estate agent looking after it! Still, minor misgivings for a tremendous horror film. As for the remake I'll welcome it with open arms; many on the internet have addressed resistance about the casting of Gellar as the central character. I for one believe she'll be fabulous. This is a role where looking scared is of paramount importance and Gellar has shown us time and time again in Buffy how convincingly she can put a frightened face on. And besides with original director Shimizu at the helm, what could possibly go wrong?

When someone dies in the grip of a horrible rage, a curse is born. And that curse consumes the place it touches like a cancer, writhing through the world adjoining its own and killing everything it touches.

And, o, how it kills.

While you may be curious as to how this movie is, I'd make the following suggestion to those of you that might want to watch it.

Before you start reading anyone's thoughts on this movie, you should first ask yourself if you want to see something that's (A) presented intact or if you (B) want to see a beast with some of its proverbial teeth pulled. If you choose "A" (and most people choose "A," if you're curious about mean and the like), you should consider the fact that this movie could be ruined if you keep reading people's reviews. Ju-on isn't one of those boorish films that rely heavily on a point that it has to drive into your viewing mind like a hammer hitting some "look, mommy, I'm a monster" nail. Instead, it works by telling a story in fragments, letting you have snippets of the tale along with a dose of the horrific and rewarding you as you follow along. It reminds me of a mystery that you know portions of right away because of conjecture/ horror movie conditioning, but one that you have to keep following because of the fun that ensues as little elements (the all-too-human kind) keep touching some base terror and then suffering as they help spread it. And its one of those pieces that you REALLY want to kick people for talking about with any depth, because any portion of the plot being revealed could fracture the effect it has when it's revealed on the screen. The little tastes of depravity, the nuisances that make your spine sink and say "O my god" when the lovely effects play out - yeah. You should definitely go out and take it for a ride without listening to the prattle of the masses.

If labels scare you and you need more convincing, then let me say this. As far as comparisons go, this movie has gotten a lot of press that it didn't deserve. It's been called arthouse, implying that it was cheap and that it was abstract, and it's been called "like Ringu," implying that it's a rip-off. But, watching the film (and countless others in the horror genre), I'll have to say that neither of these generalizations apply. Sure, the movie does have places where the monetary constraints show and, sure, it does have a few places where it does cross boundaries with other movies. Still, most horror movies are like that. At its very essence this is a (1) foreign film and falls into certain patterns predicted by what its target audience enjoy, and (2) it is a haunting film and gives you some haunting love. But it has a lot of other things, too, packing some bite for the buck. When it comes down to horror, its one of those evils that simply doesn't let something step on its toes and walk away. O no, it's a whole lot sexier than that.

And, for people that don't know, this is the film that The Grudge was adapted from. Does that mean that you should just go out and see the adaptation and shelf this film? Hell no. Seeing both The Grudge and Ju-on, I'll have to say that I personally preferred the taste of Ju-on. While it didn't have the budget of its counterpart, it did have (1) the unrestricted rating that allowed for some interesting imagery with a box cutter and with the terror itself, (2) an atmosphere that made me cringe in some parts instead of merely jumping at loud noises that perhaps frighten the newly-inducted horror connoisseur but that don't have the edge of a good scare, and (3) the ability to make me want to know the history of the house I'm living in. It had a LOT more truly elemental horror, and is a lot more fun to follow.

Juon has recently been remade for American screens as "The Grudge," and stars Sarah Michelle Gellar. This is one of many parallels one might draw between this movie and "Ring," which was remade with Naomi Watts and has spawned an entirely american sequel.

The vengeful ghost trapped in an item or location is a very common theme in Japanese horror and storytelling. Films like Juon and Ring, as well as games such as Fatal Frame (PS2) feed off the fears inherent in the stories of vindictive undead. One main difference between the Japanese and American versions of these is the degree to which our fear can be assuaged with some sort of explanation. Juon, like the original Ring, offers vague hints as to what happened to its ghosts and what does happen to their victims. The ending offers no explanation, no enlightement, and might be unsatisfying to some viewers. Interestingly enough, it is that lack of resolution that makes this genre so strong and helps it leave a lasting impression. There may be no solution to the ghost problem. The evil unleashed may be unstoppable.

The movie is somewhat slow, especially compared to the horror flicks we're used to, which doesn't mean its characters don't fall into the usual victim traps (like being unpardonably dumb). There's no obvious violence to speak of and none of the detective fiction element that has strengthened some other scary films. However, if you enjoy the slow building of a subtle and chilly atmosphere, and are prepared to be scared without reprieve, you will really appreciate this movie.