Ju-on

This is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few classics (F13'th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Exocist, you get the picture). I'd already established, after seeing Ringu, that even a pretty tame Asian horror flick is probably scarier than most Western ones. Face it, they can just scare people better. But Juon, as short as it is, may very well win the cup for the scariest. This was a TV movie, and from what I can see, about the only effects they used were fake blood and Photoshop (you'll know what scene I'm talking about once you see it). This was because of the noticably low budget. But the effects they did have were put to fine use to provide the maximum scaring effect. The movie is about a Juon, which is a Japanese idea about a curse started when one dies a horrible death, and killing all who come in contact with it, creating more Juons. It is basically a series of 6 or 7 scenes about a Juon started in a house that spreads to everybody who goes in the house afterwards. The scenes loosely connect together, but you'll have to read between the lines until you can get Juon 2. Or you could buy both at the same time ;). At the end of the movie you know what happened on camera, but you don't know why. Audiences are forced to hypothesize, keeping in mind the idea of "Juons" that was introduced at the beginning of the film. While many sequels blow up their prequel's perfectly good resolution and open the story back up, the movie Juon never really has a resolution, so the sequel is so necessary that it was obviously planned to be a two-part excursion. When I say sequel, I'm not talking about the two theatrical releases, those are more remakes, I'm talking about the second TV movie. I just finished the first tonight, but I can't wait to see the second. Lots of gruesome images and things. If Ringu gave you chills, this is like Ringu on steroids.

With the release of the first theatrical film in the US hours away I decided to go back and start at the beginning of what spawned four films in Japan and a soon to be released American version.

This is less a haunted house story than a ghost story with something extra. The less you know the better, but perhaps saying that this is about an evil that flows outward from a terrible crime. Its told out of order, which in its way is tricky thing to do since here it requires that you give yourself over to it and stay with it on the journey its making. As I watched the early parts of the film I was uncertain about what I was seeing. It was good but I was almost ready to give up, except there was something gnawing at me to stay the course. I'm glad I did.

This is a film of slowly building dread and unease more than jump out of your seat scares. You leave the film not feeling right with the tension all up and down your back. I didn't want people to go upstairs, into rooms, or follow the trail of blood because I knew what was there, and it was horrible... ...well horrible in idea. The trouble is that because this was shot on the cheap some of the effects aren't that good. I'd like to describe them but I'll let you find out. Thankfully they don't ruin what is a truly creepy movie.

Frankly I'm terrified to see what the other movies bring.

9 out of 10.

"Ju-On" has to be one of the creepiest horror films I have ever seen.Essentially the ghost story,it tells four interconnected stories that are all tied to the same house and the events that happened there.The film is extremely moody as it has almost dream-like atmosphere.The manifestations of spirits in "Ju-On" are so sudden and bone-chilling that it will surely make your skin crawl.Personally I think that the idea of the blood curse of the house(the grudge)is well-developed and the acting is decent.It's nice to see also Chiaki Kuriyama as a schoolgirl Mizuho Tamura.So if you are a fan of creepy Japanese horror you can't miss it.Highly recommended.

First off this is the movie that kicked it all off. It was followed by Ju-On 2 , Ju-On The Grudge, Ju-On The Grudge 2, and now the Sarah Michelle Gellar version The Grudge all directed by Shimizu. These movies have since become sort of a mystery due to the fact that very little people actually know there are so many of these movies and that there is an actual order in which they proceed. So I personally decided to buck that trend and watch them from the start. So....

Anyways this movie eerily begins off with a teacher played by Yûrei Yanagi who must visit the ominous home of one of his students Toshio whom has not recently been to school and who's parents have not been able to be reached. When he arrives at the house he discovers the boy is alone at home and his parents are out and about.

This is when the movie flashes back into an almost short story mode where it tells the tale of others who have lived and been in the house and what has become of them. One of the characters being played by Chiaki Kuriyama who has gone on to bigger and better things with Battle Royale and Kill Bill. This movie is confusing and made even more confusing by not being used to watching a movie with all Asian people and subtitles. But from what I've understood these people have all been cursed with The Grudge as is described in the beginning of the movie as

"A curse of one who dies with strong resentment

Accumulates in the place where the dead were while alive, and turns into "Karma"

He who comes in contact with the curse loses his life, and a new curse is born."

After these sequences are finished Shimizu once again returns to the main story of the teacher and his student Toshio. Where we quickly learn what has really become of Toshio's parents. EEK!

These short story like sequences are very frightening and creepy, and it wasn't the limited amount of gore that got me. It was the great direction and incredible use of sound to freak the s**t out of me. I've never really seen any American horror movies made like this one, and it's almost hard to explain even to myself how a movie with such an erratic and confusing timeline could still be so satisfying. Although maybe I'm just ignoring the fact that many of these confusements(is that a word, if it isn't it should be) will be explained in the sequels, which I now must absolutely see.

I saw the US version in the theatre and wasn't very impressed. I guess it could have been the fact that I was in a ghetto theatre in the inner city with people yelling the obvious or the strange smell emanating from beneath the seats that reclined way to far past horizontal.

So, upon returning home, I watched the Japanese version. Since the US version took liberties to change the plot somewhat and over-explain every single detail of the movie, I was doubtful. True to form, the Japanese version was exquisite. The atmosphere created closely resembles the creepy feeling you get in a cursed house in Japan. The sounds and special effect sounds were some of the best. US horror films should emulate the lack of sound in spots to create tension as this film does.

Personally, this film caused me to glance over my shoulder every now and again expecting to see a little painted white Asian boy or a black cat lurking in the dark. This film is a must see for horror buffs and those that enjoy a good scare. The film starts with a horrific scene while the US version just has you confused from the very beginning. Great Movie.