Rasen
Director: Iida Jouji
Screenplay: Iida Jouji
Running Time: 98 minutes
Country: Japan
Year: 1998
Cast:
Andou Mitsuo........... Satou Koichi
Takano Mai............. Nakatani Miki
Takayama Ryuji......... Sanada Hiroyuki
Yamamura Sadako........ Saeki Hinako
Heihachiro Ikuma....... Ban Daisuke
Miyashita.............. Tsurumi Shingo
Yoshino................ Matsushige Yutaka
Sypnosis:
While examining the body of the recently deceased Takayama Ryuji, pathologist Andou Mitsuo finds a strange note embedded inside the stomach. he also discovers a tumor in Ryuji's neck, which suprisingly was likewise found in all 4 teenagers who died mysteriously weeks ago. Soon enough, Andou comes across a deadly videotape. Realizing that the note and the tape are somehow interconnected with each other, the suicidal Andou believes Takayama is indeed doing him a favor; so he watches the videotape. Unknown to him, he's already being used by Yamamura Sadako for one of her evil plans....
Review:
The Good:
- A good alternative to Ringu 2. In the end, it turns out to be a decent supernatural thriller.
- The story's much closer to the novels, so be ready to expect something different.
- Who would have thought Sadako can be that seductive? ; )
The Bad:
- Confused? Yeah, there are a lot of twists and turns in this movie.
- Poor Hinako Saeki didn't even have a screen time of over a minute.
- If you compare this to its prequel Ringu, the difference is just uncanny. This film is like on the other side of the universe.
The Ugly:
- Fact of the Day: When this was released in Japan a year after the first movie Ring, it stinked so badly that they decided to cut this off and forget about it. Thus, Ringu 2 was born. (Actually this ain't bad, some people even prefer this over Ring 2.)
Rating: 
/5
The Ring Virus
Director: Kim Dong-Bin
Screenplay: Kong Su-Chang, Shim Hye-Won
Running Time: 107 minutes
Country: Korea/Japan
Year: 1999
Cast:
Sun-Joo................ Shin Eun-Kyung
Choi Yol........... Jeong Jin-Young
Park Eun-Suh........... Bae Doo-Na
Sypnosis:
Baffled by the sudden and mysterious deaths of her niece Sang-Mi and 3 other teenagers, the skeptical Sun-Joo decides to investigate on a suspicious videotape which may well be linked to the case. She makes her way into an apartment, finds the "known to be" cursed videotape and watches it. Knowing she might be cursed already, Sun seeks assistance from the neurosurgeon Choi Yol, who believes the events were supernatural. Their investigation eventually lead them to the information about a mysterious woman named Eun-Suh, who they believed to have used telekinesis to make the videotape. With only days left to live, they must now find a cure for the curse before death comes for them....
Review:
The Good:
- Offers a little "twist" that is more true to the novels.
- The final scene is pretty cool.
The Bad:
- You know what's scary about this film? The acting.
- Watch this only if you're really curious or if there's nothing good to watch on tv. You've been warned.
The Ugly:
- Hey, I'm kind enough to give it 2 stars.
Rating: 
/5
The Ring
Director: Gore Verbinski
Screenplay: Ehren Kruger, Scott Frank
Running Time: 115 minutes
Country: USA
Year: 2002
Cast:
Rachel Keller.......... Naomi Watts
Noah Clay.............. Martin Henderson
Richard Morgan......... Brian Cox
Aidan.................. David Dorfman
Samara Morgan.......... Daveigh Chase
Katie.................. Amber Tamblyn
Anna Morgan............ Shannon Cochban
Becca.................. Rachael Bella
Sypnosis:
Curiosity has brought newspaper reporter Rachel Keller to investigate the case which involved the mysterious death of her niece Katie and 3 other friends. Rachel soon finds the cursed videotape that possess the ability to kill its viewer in a week, and decides to watch it herself. Realizing she just had her death sentence signed, she seeks the help of her former husband Noah Clay. Together, they now have just 7 days left to unravel the mystery behind the videotape and find a way to break the curse before it's too late....
Review:
The Good:
- This film is a real good remake. The story's well polished and very original. It's not a bit rip-off.
- Samara is as dreadful as our original mistress. Well, close enough. ; )
- This gives quite effective chills.
The Bad:
- This film is above average to say at best. Unfortunately, It's not ground-breaking or anything.
- Aidan is one annoying kid.... times 10 to the 7th power. Makes you wanna choke him to death.
The Ugly:
- Torque was hilariously bad. I feel so sorry for Martin Henderson.
Rating: /5
