Mac Styran
Ghostwriter
Darth Benedict's Holy Handgranade
Posts: 231
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Post by Mac Styran on Jan 17, 2005 17:47:10 GMT -8
I've just seen the american version of Ju-On: The Grudge.
FYI: the original film(s) is/are scare-free snooze fests that are bloody boring and annoyingly stupid.
Along comes the US-version ... whereas they actually improved on the already cool concept of THE RING, they did the opposite in this case.
The story is nonsense, the characters are so thin, you can x-ray them with a candle, the scares (mostly boo-scares) are not surprising (apart from one, but that one is a downer after the first little shock) and the ghosts look FUKCING STUPID!
If you think that a small japanese boy that fell into a pile of flour looks scary (and yes, that's ALL the SFX guys did with him) ... wait until he burps and meows ...
I would have laughed, but it was so crappy, it became really irritating.
That other ghost ... a woman ... well, same here. Wide open eyes and mouth, white-ish face. A village idiot that stepped in poo would have EXACTLY the same facial expression: "Uh oh ..." - really.
Let me stop here ... it all makes me just angrier.
DO NOT SEE THAT MOVIE! Please ...
Oh, and the score by Young was ... generic at best. The usual piano work with the shock string ensemble.
*yawn*
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Post by Demetris Christodoulides on Jan 18, 2005 11:31:31 GMT -8
I've just seen the american version of Ju-On: The Grudge. The story is nonsense, the characters are so thin, you can x-ray them with a candle If you think that a small japanese boy that fell into a pile of flour looks scary Good ones ! LoL ! ;D
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Post by pmrsim on Jan 18, 2005 15:00:48 GMT -8
I quite enjoyed the US remake of The Grudge. Enjoyed it far more than the original. I cannot deny that SMG's presence has something to do with that... As for Chris Young's music: I think it's pretty spectacular. Though he's know for his horror work, he's never really done one quite like this one. It's much more atonal than usual. Lots of weird stuff going on in the strings that you might not hear in the film. pete.
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Mac Styran
Ghostwriter
Darth Benedict's Holy Handgranade
Posts: 231
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Post by Mac Styran on Jan 18, 2005 15:09:10 GMT -8
PT, do you really think I'm WRONG on the matter?
Ok, I enjoy SMG as the next man, but she couldn't help me through that huge turd of a movie.
And since you're well versed in jap-horror (as well as other stuff) ... how can you "enjoy" the film?
Was anything I wrote wrong? If yes, what was it?
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Post by pmrsim on Jan 18, 2005 16:22:09 GMT -8
PT, do you really think I'm WRONG on the matter? And since you're well versed in jap-horror (as well as other stuff) ... how can you "enjoy" the film? Note that I never mentioned you were wrong. I merely said that I, contrary to you, quite enjoyed the film and even more so: the score. C' est tout. As for Jap horrormovies... yup, The (original) Grudge is probably the worst I've seen. Dark Water and The Eye are probably among the best (DW being unscary, but very stylishly made; and Eye being pretty scary at time, though it has an over-the-top finale). A Tale Of Two Sisters and Phone were pretty good too. (Yup, I deliberately didn't mention The Ring... because I'm not sure what to think of it. I don't think I actually like the original very much. I prefer the US version here, definately). pete.
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Post by Jens Dietrich on Jan 20, 2005 8:13:03 GMT -8
Though he's know for his horror work, he's never really done one quite like this one. Er... the rejected Invaders From Mars? The Vagrant? Tons of others, the names of which I can not currently remember? Young used to be the king of completely atonal, sound design-type scores back in the '80s. And Mac, as you well know I agree with you 100%.
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Post by pmrsim on Jan 20, 2005 9:16:56 GMT -8
Er... the rejected Invaders From Mars? The Vagrant? Tons of others, the names of which I can not currently remember? Young used to be the king of completely atonal, sound design-type scores back in the '80s. You're right. I kinda forgot about those. I can quickly redeem myself by saying "I meant: he hasn't one like this recently." pete.
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Post by Demetris Christodoulides on Jan 20, 2005 16:47:18 GMT -8
(Yup, I deliberately didn't mention The Ring... because I'm not sure what to think of it. I don't think I actually like the original very much. I prefer the US version here, definately). pete. I preferred the American version over the original as well. More style, flawless photography, more scares, nicely built and moody score by Zimmer added to the whole.
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Mac Styran
Ghostwriter
Darth Benedict's Holy Handgranade
Posts: 231
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Post by Mac Styran on Jan 21, 2005 8:19:46 GMT -8
I preferred the American version over the original as well. More style, flawless photography, more scares, nicely built and moody score by Zimmer added to the whole. I second that.
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Post by Jon Broxton on Jan 23, 2005 15:17:15 GMT -8
I preferred the American version over the original as well. More style, flawless photography, more scares, nicely built and moody score by Zimmer added to the whole. I totally disagree. For me, the Japanese Ring (and its sequel and prequel) are a much more satisfying movie experience. The fact that the film delves into Japanese folk-lore and legend for me adds a massive amount of depth to the back story; also the blurred metaphysical lines between the realms of the living and the dead make the reasons for Sadako's reign of terror all the more convincing. I liked the acting; I liked the special effects in the Japanese one better (considering they probably had less than a quarter of the US budget, the "coming out of the TV at the end" sequence still scares the living crap out of me. I prefer Nakata's visual style over Verbinski's, and the mundane Japanese setting makes the terrible goings on seem more sinister. Zimmer's score IS probably better than Kenji Kawai's, but hey! you can't have everything. For what its worth, I think Ring 2 and Ring 0 are pretty good too - Ring 2 does end rather strangely, but there are more than enough scares, and Ring 0 provided a deeper explanation into the hows and whys of Sadako's existance. I hope Nakata brings more of this to his sequel to the American Ring. Jon
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Post by FalkirkBairn on Jan 23, 2005 15:20:04 GMT -8
Jon, is the Ringu Trilogy Collectors Edition worth buying on DVD then? I keep picking it up and putting it down, picking it up and putting it down, etc.
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Mac Styran
Ghostwriter
Darth Benedict's Holy Handgranade
Posts: 231
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Post by Mac Styran on Jan 23, 2005 17:27:15 GMT -8
Jon -
I must say, that you're right concerning the TV scene.
While it came completely out of the blue in the original (and it was VERY well done), it was not at all shocking in the remake.
But I just love creepy demon faced girls (Ring, Exorcist etc.) ... they scare the s*** out of me. Sadako didn't really do it for me*, but Samara sure did.
* In Ring 0, the scene in which Sadako "transforms" and you hear the bones cracking and she friggin GROWS ... THAT was cool and scary. The rest of the movie was .. blah.
And with the original Ring 2 ... I think there was just ONE cool scene (the TV transformation scene) ... apart from that, it just served the remake as a resorce for ideas to make it better.
It's hard to tell which Ring is better. I've seen the original first. At night. In the dark. With headphones. It had quite an impact. But moodwise, the remake is superior.
I like the remake more, but that doesn't lessen the original one bit.
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Post by Jon Broxton on Jan 24, 2005 1:57:53 GMT -8
Jon, is the Ringu Trilogy Collectors Edition worth buying on DVD then? I keep picking it up and putting it down, picking it up and putting it down, etc. I would say categorically yes, but then I'm a fan of the series and I'm definitely biased. Then again, what have you got to lose? If you don't like them there's always Ebay
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Post by Demetris Christodoulides on Jan 24, 2005 17:56:05 GMT -8
I see your point Jon but i personally didn't like the japanese RING 2 at all. There was nothing interesting to draw my attention and its pulse was rather dull for the greatest part of its duration.
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Post by Demetris Christodoulides on Jan 28, 2005 16:00:47 GMT -8
Seen the movie tonight. Liked it, but nothing special although I think it’s better than the original ‘cause it explains things and the overall story, better without leaving all those holes in the script. And the music is good, but I would call it a little cliché and predictable chord processions dominate the ¾ of this score. Although the atmosphere it creates (at least in the movie) is awesome although it reminded me a lot of ZIMMER’S ring score in many parts. Nice and simple piano solos are there as well. I would give the score a * * * (3)
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