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This review was written for the theatrical release of "One Missed Call".Little wonder that this remake of a J-horror slipped out during the post-Christmas lull. The direction is uninspired, acting is lifeless, and the script borders on the inept. A PG-13 rating means that it's short on shocks, too. "One Missed Call" probably will die a quick death.

Eric Valette's film is a remake of cult director Takashi Miike's 2003 "Chakushin Ari". The thin plot hinges on a series of cell phone messages that contain recordings of the phone owner's future death cries. When friends of Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) start dying nasty deaths, she discovers that they all received horrifying messages at the time of their murder. Investigating with Jack (Ed Burns), a cop whose sister was a victim, she tries to discover the murderer before she, too, gets that call. They think the ghost of an abusive mother is doing the killings, but then the story takes a different turn.

Miike's films are overrated, but at least they're peppered with black humor and outrageous doings. But "One Missed Call" is so straightforward, with a predictable plot and ghosts that look as if they've bought their costumes from a Halloween supplies store. A slight twist at the end provides a moment of interest, but because it's not adequately foreshadowed in the story, it's hardly satisfying. Some scenes, including a priest trying to exorcise a cell phone (!) in a church, are simply ridiculous.

The story has elements of "Ringu", the terrifying movie that stated the J-horror craze in the past decade. Instead of a cell phone call, that movie had a spooky video signaling the death of the viewer. Valette makes a brief reference to the visual shocks of "Ringu" with a single use of a degraded, black-and-white video image.

ONE MISSED CALL

Warner Bros.

Alcon Entertainment and Kadokawa Pictures present in association with Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH and Co KGIV an Intermedia Films production

Credits:

Director: Eric Valette

Screenwriter: Andrew Kalavan

Based on the novel by: Yasushi Akimoto

Producers: Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Scott Kroopf, Jennie Lew Tugend, Lauren C. Weissman

Executive producers: Shinya Egawa, Timothy M. Bourne, Martin Schuermann, Josef Lautenschlager, Andreas Thiesmeyer

Co-producers: Steven P. Wegner, Elizabeth Cushman, Alison Haskovee, Manfred Heid, Gerd Koechlin

Director of photography: Glen Macpherson

Production designer: Laurence Bennet

Music: Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek

Costume designer: Sandra Hernandez

Editor: Steve Mirkovich

Cast:

Beth: Shannyn Sossamon

Jack: Edward Burns

Taylor: Ana Claudia Talancon

Ted: Ray Wise

Leann: Azura Skye

Running time -- 87 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

Little wonder that this remake of a J-horror slipped out during the post-Christmas lull. The direction is uninspired, acting is lifeless, and the script borders on the inept. A PG-13 rating means that it's short on shocks, too. One Missed Call probably will die a quick death.

Eric Valette's film is a remake of cult director Takashi Miike's 2003 Chakushin Ari. The thin plot hinges on a series of cell phone messages that contain recordings of the phone owner's future death cries. When friends of Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) start dying nasty deaths, she discovers that they all received horrifying messages at the time of their murder. Investigating with Jack (Ed Burns), a cop whose sister was a victim, she tries to discover the murderer before she, too, gets that call. They think the ghost of an abusive mother is doing the killings, but then the story takes a different turn.

Miike's films are overrated, but at least they're peppered with black humor and outrageous doings. But One Missed Call is so straightforward, with a predictable plot and ghosts that look as if they've bought their costumes from a Halloween supplies store. A slight twist at the end provides a moment of interest, but because it's not adequately foreshadowed in the story, it's hardly satisfying. Some scenes, including a priest trying to exorcise a cell phone (!) in a church, are simply ridiculous.

The story has elements of Ringu, the terrifying movie that stated the J-horror craze in the past decade. Instead of a cell phone call, that movie had a spooky video signaling the death of the viewer. Valette makes a brief reference to the visual shocks of Ringu with a single use of a degraded, black-and-white video image.

ONE MISSED CALL

Warner Bros.

Alcon Entertainment and Kadokawa Pictures present in association with Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH and Co KGIV an Intermedia Films production

Credits:

Director: Eric Valette

Screenwriter: Andrew Kalavan

Based on the novel by: Yasushi Akimoto

Producers: Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Scott Kroopf, Jennie Lew Tugend, Lauren C. Weissman

Executive producers: Shinya Egawa, Timothy M. Bourne, Martin Schuermann, Josef Lautenschlager, Andreas Thiesmeyer

Co-producers: Steven P. Wegner, Elizabeth Cushman, Alison Haskovee, Manfred Heid, Gerd Koechlin

Director of photography: Glen Macpherson

Production designer: Laurence Bennet

Music: Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek

Costume designer: Sandra Hernandez

Editor: Steve Mirkovich

Cast:

Beth: Shannyn Sossamon

Jack: Edward Burns

Taylor: Ana Claudia Talancon

Ted: Ray Wise

Leann: Azura Skye

Running time -- 87 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

In an effort to expand its production work in genre films, Intermedia Film Equities, a wholly owned subsidiary of IM InternationalMedia AG, said Sunday that it signed an expanded deal with Japanese production house Kadokawa Pictures USA. The deal calls for the companies to develop, finance and produce up to six Intermedia films to be made in 2006 and 2007. The deal is in addition to a previously announced co-development, production and financing deal between Intermedia and Kadokawa for the English-language remake of Japanese film One Missed Call (HR 6/21). That film, written by Andrew Klavan (Don't Say a Word), is out to directors. Kadokawa Pictures USA's Lauren C. Weissman and Jennie Lew Tugend and Intermedia president Scott Kroopf will produce the film, which is expected to go into production in early 2006.