I gr-urge you to watch! (Ju-On - The Grudge (DVD))

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Product:	Ju-On - The Grudge (DVD)
Date:	23/07/06 (219 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very very scary, terrifying sound effects

Disadvantages: A bit confusing

Forget the American remake starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy the Japanese Ghost Slayer, I'm reviewing the real deal; the one, the only, the terrifying original version that is Ju-On: The Grudge.

Based on an old Japanese legend about a malevolent spirit which puts a rather nasty curse on a house, this slow burning psychological horror is very much in the vein of The Ring and Dark Water, by the brilliant director Hideo Nakata, or The Eye by the Pang brothers. Ju-On (as I'm going to call it) is written and directed by Shimizu Takashi, who (for trivia fans) also directed the American remake of his own film, and is directing the up-coming sequel, The Grudge 2. He made the Japanese sequel Ju-On: The Grudge 2, as well as two prequels, Ju-On: The Curse 1 and 2, and there's even a Ju-On: The Grudge 3 coming up. He's even rumoured to be changing his name to Mr Grudge.

You may have seen the remake, financed by Hollywood director Sam "Evil Dead" Raimi, but in case you haven't, here's a summary of the plot. (Sam Raimi pops up on the DVD case by the way, calling the original "one of the most frightening films I've ever seen", so it must be good.) Basically, a social worker in Japan is called out to the house of a frail old lady, but soon finds more than just a funny smell and a few soiled sheets. The house is haunted by the spirit of its previous inhabitants, who died in the grip of a powerful rage, and remain on to wreak their sinister vengeance on each visitor to the house.

That's about as far as the American version went in terms of plot. However, in Ju-On, the film is told in an interestingly fragmented style, and there are several other sub-plots. The film tries to explain how the spirits came about, mentions a previous investigation at the house, and shows us a paranoid girl whose friends disappeared at the house, amongst other things. Like some broken time machine, it switches backwards and forwards through time, telling the stories of five young women who are all connected somehow. They're also each affected by the spirit; they're being haunted and stalked by the ghost of a freaky young boy and his even weirder mother.

If you choose to get your mind in gear and keep up with what is happening, the story will probably just about make sense and be satisfying in the end. If, like me, you're happy to just let the film wash over you, that's fine too, but trust me - it won't make any sense at all.

I thought the American version was pretty scary (first scene in the attic, anyone?), but this is really something else. Those of a weak disposition might like to have a few cushions and a fresh pair of pants at the ready, or better still, they might not want to watch this at all, because it's utterly terrifying. Think George Galloway dressed up as Marilyn Manson, singing the Ketchup Song.

As any self-respecting Japanafan knows, it's not the shocks and jumps that make Asian horror films so scary. Although Ju-On does have these in abundance, the main horror comes from the oppressive sense of foreboding and fear which permeates through the very fabric of the film like some detergent of terror. The tension is racked up to dangerously high levels until you're screaming for it to end. It's very much a psychological horror; it messes with your mind, man; it stays with you long after the disturbing final scene. Disturbing is the right word - it's easily one of the scariest endings since Carrie. Although the film's about ghosts, and the setting of Japan may make it seem a bit remote, it all feels scarily realistic and will have you checking every nook and cranny of your room before you put the lights out. In fact, even reading this review in the dark is probably not a good idea, although that's mostly because you'll get Repetitive Strain Injury.

The thing you'll remember the most is the strange noises made by the little boy and his mother. Even if you're too afraid to look at the screen, there's no escape from the horrifying sound that pumps out from the speakers and grabs you by the ears. The boy wails like a cat (he also turns into a cat - I told you the story makes no sense), and the mother makes a weird scraping, throaty sound which is horrible. After watching the film, see if you can stand in a dark room and do an impression of the sound in your throat. It's dead scary.

The film features very little CGI (only for a sinister, black cloud of a spirit), and most of the effects are done with make up. At times it can look a little cheap; it seems like they spent the entire budget on white paint to make the little boy look like a ghost. But it's effective; who needs amazing effects when you have a boy in white paint? There's also not a lot of blood and guts and gore in this film; instead it relies on creepy cinematography, camera angles, music and tension. I'm dying to go into details about all the particularly scary bits, but I won't, because any clue will give them away, and I would hate to spoil them for you.

As for the extras on the DVD, well, I think this section might be fairly concise. It's definitely a case of quality over quantity. The "Special Features" list on the back boasts that it has subtitles and English dubbing, and that it's been re-mastered for widescreen TVs. Wowee. The only real "extra" is an audio-commentary from an Asian cinema expert named Bey Logan, although this is actually more interesting than it sounds, and it really helps to explain the plot a bit more. I suppose it is the single disc version, so you can't expect too much.

So, if you somehow hadn't gathered, Ju-On: The Grudge is a very scary film. It may be criticised for its unfathomable plot, and the American remake was undoubtedly more polished and had more jump out of your seat moments. But I think there's something about this film, a creepy atmosphere, that makes it a lot better than the remake. The whole reason for watching this film is to be scared out of your wits, and on this count it more than delivers. Definitely one of the scariest films I've ever watched - especially if you're alone in a dark room, which are always the best conditions for watching a horror film.

I think I might go and switch the light back on now...

__________________________________________ ___

The single disc edition DVD is available to buy for £5.49 from www.play.com.

Directed by: Shimizu Takashi

Starring:

Okina Megumi … Rika Nishina
Ito Misaki … Hitomi Tokunaga
Uehara Misa … Izumi Toyama
Ichikawa Yui … Chiharu
Yuya Ozeki … Scary boy

Running Time: 88 minutes

Classification: 15 (although it should be an 18 because it's so darn scary)

Production Year: 2003

My Rating: 5 skulls

Summary: One of the scariest films I've ever seen