The Ring (Full Screen) [Import]

Dont believe the one star reviews. I love horror, good horror. This is a better adaptation of an ok japanese film.

Its not a classic, but has enought twists, interest and scarey bits in it to keep interest. Like, say, 28 Days Later.

I have to laugh at the 1 star reviewers. One said that we should watch classics like Friday the 13th etc. These films are rubbish, and teen rubbish which is worse. If you knew the genre then you could have sited; Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead or the Shining. Clearly you dont know what you are on about.

Another reviewer droned on about scarey kids. Well duh, it and the original version centre around a dead kid. Killed at the hands of the parents. That is the central plot. So what would you have replaced the kid with, a scarey rabbit???

Another 1 star wonder says the end killed it. Jeez thats funny. The end is a horror classic. It was voted top 5 scarey moments on celluloid. So Im not sure how it ruined the film.

However clicking through on some of the one star reviewers, I notice theyve given high marks to rubbish like Ghost Ship, Cradle 2 Grave and low marks to classics like Pulp Fiction, Final Destination. So be warned, either these people are taking the piss, or even more scarey, they are serious!

Good, not a classic, worth seeing with the lights down low for a few shocks. Or you could watch the scarey Ghost Ship, which of course was scarey only in that it was trash! ;-)

The Ring, the Dreamworks Pictures remake of the Japanese film Ringu, is pervasively creepy, etching unsettling images into your head which will make you want to sleep with the lights on. Its enjoyment comes from the ominous visuals and camera shots, and the slowly escalating feeling of doom which drives the movie. It's a different kind of horror movie - there are no jump out of your seat scares, squeemish gore scenes, or any of the usual conventions; instead it's about tension and skin crawling apprehension.

Naomi Watts plays Rachel Keller, a journalist who, at the request of her sister, is investigating the mysterious death of her niece. The trail leads to the cabin where her niece, boyfriend, and teenage friends spent the previous weekend, and she soon learns that everyone from that group died freakishly at exactly the same time as her niece, 7 days to the date. There she finds an unsettling video tape which the group watched - nightmarish images in grainy black and white video which play out like a terrible dream. As soon as Rachel watches the tape, the phone rings and a child's voice says, "Seven days." So the clock starts ticking.

Matters are complicated when her son and ex-boyfriend also view the tape, both receiving the seven day call. From there on the majority of the movie is a creepy mystery - like an X-Files episode - following the dark clues to try and unravel the secret of the video tape before time runs out. Why are the faces of everyone photographed after watching the video distorted? What is the lighthouse seen on the periphery of the video's tracking? Who is the little girl who calls with the seven day warning, or the woman in the mirror on the video, and of course, what is the Ring? The images do serve as a puzzle, and, by the end of the movie you will understand what The Ring is and its dark images mean.

Those expecting in-your-face type of scares will be disappointed, since that's not what this movie is about. It takes its time and uses it to keep upping the ante on the apprehension level. But the creepiness is so thick it makes your skin crawl. This movie is about knowing something horrific is coming for you, and watching it inch closer and closer. It's about mood and atmosphere, about trying to unravel some twisted, dark little puzzle where the consequence of failure is an unspeakibly horrifying death. It's been compared to the Sixth Sense, and I think that's accurate. The Sixth Sense was scary because it got under skin. So does The Ring.

Watch it with the lights out. Enjoy the atmosphere and think about it long after it's over - the Ring makes an excellent addition to the thinking thriller collection.

Okay, the whole idea of viewing a video cassette which brings out the wrath of a demonically possessed ghost child that wastes no time in killing the unsuspecting viewer is silly. I suppose the idea of the ancient technology of a video cassette showing some kind of hypnotic ring that releases an evil curse is not totally outside the realm of horror filmdom, but the film really fails in helping the viewer understand where the curse comes from and why the little girl's ghost has such a blood lust.

But ultimately, this is all irrelevant in how this film is experienced by the viewer. The genius of this film lies in its style, and how the director, Gore Verbinski, brilliantly creates a haunting mood of fearful foreboding, rarely seen in most horror films. There is a wonderful sense of Americana gothic to this film, and the sound effects are absolutely awesome in contributing to the eeriness of this film. Finally, how can one ever forget the horrific sight of the little girl, her face totally covered by her long stringy hair and wearing a kind of gothic pajama, as she slowly approaches her victim. The film is brilliant in its presentation of style and mood, so much so that the story is secondary in making it such a great horror film.

Naomi Watts is terrific in this film. Frankly, I don't think she has ever been more beautiful in a film, and her strong performance in this film carries the charisma of a true leading lady. This film won me over as a fan of her work.

I never viewed the original Japanese version, though from what I understand, it too was a fantastic film which The Ring owes heavily to. Nevertheless, I like the way The Ring presents itself in an American context, emphasing the gothic aspects of American history and locales.

One of the best horror films ever made. You won't forget it after viewing it.