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the ring (2002) was an absolute blast. and I recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.
SpoilerDiscussionProb one of the best jump scare movies ever. But also not just cheaply relying on it. Earned scares and all around creepy
The Others is up there too and was also around this time
Agreed, it was so simple and short. Just a quick glimpse of what dying of terror is.
Saw the movie on DVD. Had to rewind it on that scene and paused. That was a bad idea because you could tell it was a fake once it's paused.
Conjuring is up there too.
The closet scare is hands down my favorite jumpscare of all time. It came absolutely out of nowhere, left you completely on the backfoot for the rest of the movie which was more or less pretty low on the jumpscares from there on out.
It just absolutely fucked up any sense of security you had. It was perfect. Even if it hadn't happened, the rest of the movie carried such a weird dread (that really hadn't been done in a major american film at the time) that it still would have been a solidly scary movie.
But noooo they just had to do that closet scene. I remember being absolutely fuckin white knuckle the ENTIRE time when I saw it in theaters. At the time, The Ring was like The Matrix of horror movies.
So true.
I was SO physically tense the rest of the film.
Walked out of the theater at night and birds had walked all over our car leaving creepy footprints behind.
Get home and the red light on the answering machine was blinking, saying we had a new message.
My mom and I held our breath when we played it. It was a family member calling to say hi. We laughed at how scared we were from a movie!
I hid behind my friends couch at a sleepover after that scene
My friend and I decoded to watch it one day at noon. We were probably 11 years old back in 2004 or whatever. His dad came home early, realized what we wee watching and snuck up behind us. I'll never forget how terrified I was
that was legitimately the only time I jumped. I was like "damn she's already getting to work"
I did too but the boom kept entering the scene and I totally lost all sense suspension of disbelief.
Same. Great Cinema.
When I was little, my sisters paused the TV at that part, took the remote, turned the lights off and locked me in the room at that part. Just a fun fact
Spoiler: My crush back then.
My favorite part of the film is, honestly, the vibes. It's not a very happy film. Most would suffer from this one's color palette, but it works.
Agree on this. The american version of the Ring is one of those movies that I will always remember because you have a bad feeling throughout the film. Just some eerie vibes even though there's nothing particularly scary on screen most of the time. Very nicely done.
Watched a great video on YouTube by WatchingtheAerial that looks at how they got the green look for the film. Really interesting watch, and I agree that the overall vibe from the green colour palette is amazing, it's one of the main things that draws me back to the movie.
Yeah normally I hate the blue filter, but it works with this movie. It adds to the atmosphere
I’m a very sensitive person currently in life, but honestly the vibes and the color kinda made me feel a little better. And of course it being pg13 helped, overall I think style and vibe wise it’s pretty amazing.
I saw it when I was about 12 and I’m still traumatised from it.
Same! I still side-eye my TV from time to time at night.
And after, be sure to watch Scary Movie 3 that heavily parodies it
I literally cannot pull up a mental image of The Ring, it's all been replaced with the Scary Movie version
HOW THE HELL DO YOU WAKE UP DEAD
Cindy! The tv is leaking!
Cindy! The news is on! Another little white girl done fell down a well!
Some watery tart comes out of my TV and she’s gonna get her ass kicked.
CINDY! THIS BITCH IS MESSING UP MY FLOOR!
Loved it. I also love that Brian Cox showed up unexpectedly in it. He's such a great actor. I recently watched The Autopsy of Jane Doe and didn't realize he was in that either and he's great in that one too.
hated his character so much, such a good actor.
Is Jane Doe any good?
very good. i liked it a lot. obviously as the name implies it's extremely gory but not in a slasher movie way. overall very good suspense type of movie. but it takes place in a morgue and they don't hold back with the graphic content. really good movie though. I would qualify it as a mystery actually.
Thanks, I'll check it out.
I've seen it like 50 times since it came out. I had it on VHS.
I don't know if I saw it in the theater, but I definitely remember renting it from Blockbuster and watching it with my friends.
"Seven days..."
...shit...
I hate this. You pick up the phone in Ringu and you hear the wind and unsettling sounds you can't describe. It's haunting and mysterious. You pick up the phone in The Ring and a voice hisses a plot point at you. Just no.
I mean... In Ringu, if memory serves, rather than the protagonist figuring out what the onryō wants, she just REMEMBERS that the first victim's friends TOLD her at the beginning of the movie, which is a bit lame.
Though the Sadako(?) scene, reverse-played footage of a kabuki actress doing the scene in reverse, is masterful. Rather than the effects wankery of the remake, the movement looks so uncanny and disturbing.
The remake is really good. The original is also really good. It was surprising to see how good both were.
It still says that though...
In Ringu the phone call is just wind? That’s… kinda lame…
You're just trying to get other people to watch it so you'll pass the curse on to them and survive yourself! Beware everyone, OP is being sneaky AF here!
damnit... you caught me...
Back in January 2004, a girl I had been seeing for only a few months was staying over for the weekend. It was between college semesters and she was visiting me from her home an hour and a half away. We had rented The Ring from our local rental shop and it scared the crap out of us.
That night, I decided to play a prank on her. Many TVs at the time had a sleep timer, but mine also had a wake timer. While she was brushing her teeth, I set my TV to a static channel and timed it to wake up in the middle of the night. I'm a deep sleeper so I knew I wouldn't be bothered by it.
She was not a deep sleeper.
Suffice it to say, she was not happy when the TV turned on. She almost noped out to drive back home right then and there.
Married 20 years later, she still reminds me about how she almost broke up with me that night.
That’s fantastic
I remember trying to figure out how to get a bootleg copy of the video for pranking people. Like just record whatever they normally watch at night and splice that in. Had no luck, but man if this came out today people would have fun with it I bet.
I'd honestly give the second one a go if you liked the first one. I'm a huge fan of Ringu, it got me into Asian horror and I became obsessed with those movies in my late teens as Japan and South Korea really know how to build tension and a sense of foreboding on another level.
I thought the American retelling of The Ring kept a lot of the same pacing and atmosphere of the Japanese one and considered it quite dark for Hollywood. The second one treads away a bit from the second Ringu film but I thought it still kept the atmosphere. If you liked the first one you'll probably like the second one, it's not as good but sequels rarely are.
However, I would say whatever you do, do not watch Rings (2017). You'd think updating the story to the digital age where we've all got smart phones, social media sharing and pretty much look at screens 24/7 would somehow make the premise even more terrifying. It does not, avoid at all costs.
(Edit to add year for Rings as upon going to check that I got it right someone else had also done one in 2005 that I've not seen)
It really is good. Of all the American J-horror adaptations from that era (Grudge, Pulse, Dark Water), it’s not only the only good one but I wouldn’t really argue if someone told me they liked it better than Ringu
I haven't seen it yet. I'm not very good with subs, but I'm very tempted to see the original movie.
I feel like it’s a “first blush” thing. The ending is so singularly special that watching one version first will truly recolor your impression of the second one you watch.
I watched the original Japanese film first with my friends before people knew about the then upcoming remake. I had never seen an entire living room of people jump out of their seats at a scare.
It's a great film. The second one is lacking by comparison. Also, it was never controversial for being a re-telling. It was always a direct adaptation for western audiences.
It’s just I’ve seen alot of people say that. I’m personally not interested in watching the second movie, but I’m curious about he original Japanese version.
Ringu is pretty good. I will admit to having a preference for the American film more, though. Which is weird since I'm a giant weeb. Haha.
Nothing wrong with that, lol! I like anime, but sometimes it’s a little too weird. But we’re all different :D
Last year I watched Ringu and then The Ring the next day to compare them. They are nearly identical. I personally found the Japanese version to evoke a more oppressive feeling than the American one, but other than that there aren't really any notable differences that I can remember.
The Japanese version is kind of like, "la la la this happens, bye!"
Whereas in the American version you get a whole creepy ass backstory and some character development for the mains. Plus other stuff happening. It really is a good movie because I don't think it was developed as a cheap horror movie.
The second was directed by the original Ringu director and seriously, CGI elk?
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honestly, slowly feeling that same way as well. it's been one of my favorite horror experiences in a while.
Same - as an avid horror fan it's my number one, and is in my top three of any genre
After many rewatches the palpable sense of creeping dread is still there every time. I particularly love how the locations (Seattle, Shelter Mountain, and Moesko Island) feel like charecters in themselves. Beautiful, haunting, and genuinely terrifying.
I love Ringu (the JHorror original) too, but the American remake just hits different for me (although people tend to prefer whichever version they saw first, and both are great)
I was in middle school when this movie came out and watched it with some friends. It didn't scare me much at the time. Later that night, I'm trying to sleep, and it starts getting to me. I eventually fall asleep and at some point in the night, I turned off my satellite receiver and woke up to a loud ass static TV. I did not sleep the rest of the night.
I’m pretty jaded. Not many movies actually scare me.
This movie haunted me/creeped me the F out for several weeks after I saw it.
Haha, yeah I’m not really that way. Which is surprising, since I’ve heard people say the movies really, like really scary. But I guess I don’t get it, lol. And I’m the type to throw hands with a ghost, out of pure terror. So I’m scared pretty easily.
Book series is wild. Love every entry.
I’ve told this story before and I’ll probably tell it again, but my uncle absolutely scarred me for life with this movie.
He let me and my cousin watch it way too young like 10 or 11. Scared the pants off us. Then he said we needed to run to the neighbor’s house to get some dish soap. Not a big deal except he lived in the middle of nowhere and the neighbor was on the other side of a sugar cane field. So me and my cousin had to book it through the field, get the soap, and sprint back, terrified that little girl was just going to pop up any time. When we got back to the house my uncle had turned the TV on static and was sitting on the floor just staring at it without blinking. The scream I scrumpt. It’s been 20+ years and I still think about it like once a week lol.
It was the first horror movie I ever seen I was around 8 at the time and it made me scared to go to the bathroom at night
I watched it last October for the first time and I loved it, way better than I’d been expecting. I liked that it felt like more of a mystery than just a cheesy horror movie.
Probably the movie that started the early 2000s style of green filtering every single fucking shot. But no one managed to actually get it right. The Ring nailed it.
The Matrix, 1999
Looks shite now
Tied for my favorite horror movie of all time; only Paranormal Activity gives it a run for its money.
I agree, the atmosphere of this film was amazing.
Excellent theater experience. Great fright flick!
My friends and I watched it when we were about 10
It was the same day our CATHOLIC school showed us our first ‘Sex Education’ video
Hard to tell what terrified us more…
Did both films star Samara?
A remake of a foreign film is not a rip off, is it? Surely they got paid.
Ooh since you've brought up early 2000s horror movies: check out Thirteen Ghosts if you haven't see that one.
I remember renting this this on VHS. I had to rush to Blockbuster to avoid the late fee.
When I came back, the VHS auto turned off and the tv was in that static mode.
I had to go to the emergency room for oxygen
Did u really have to go to the hospital because you were so scared ? Did you fess up that you got scared of your TV because of a scary movie?
Yes, and they literally died.
The original Japanese version is so much better
That's pretty cool.
fwiw, a lot of people disagree with that.
I remember watching it in my old apartment, at night, in the dark, by myself and the phone rang. Almost jumped right off the couch.
Check out the original book from Suzuki Koji. The second book though (Spiral), goes into a completely other direction. But it’s the same author as Dark Water.
My friend got me to go see it in the theater. Scared the crap out of me. Didn’t help that my roommate had just gotten one of those flashing battery packs for her phone and I didn’t know, so suddenly there are flashing lights in my room. I thought the creepy girl was going to crawl out of my mirror! Anyway, it was good movie. Funny enough, the original doesn’t scare me as much. I think subtitles help take the edge off for me.
That was a fun one in the theater.
I saw this movie in the theatre with a friend and we both clutched each others arms pretty hard at the closet scene (and he’s a big tough guy lol)
I am more a fan of the original one. Could simply not like the sappy ending with holding Samara in the end. Where it looks like tears before splitting.
I found it beautiful. The video in particular was so interesting , the water everywhere. I loved it.
Excellent movie The sound track and sound design is all done so well. It adds so much to the haunting creepy nature of the movie. From the sounds of the tape, the soundtrack and the song that Samara mom hums to her. It's very well made and deserved all the hype.
It also creeped the fuck out of me for weeks after seeing it the first time.
It's the best scary movie I've ever seen. Not only is it super unsettling, it's overall just a very, very well made film. The exposition is perfect. And of course the twist at the end is legendary.
There were definitely a few good jump scares. Not gonna lie though, when she crawls out of the TV, I started cracking up. I don't know why, but that scene ruined the whole movie for me.
To this day, I still think the scene where Samara crawls out of the TV is one of the most creepy things I have ever seen.
Dont watch ring 2
This movie scared the hell out of me as a kid. It doesn’t scare me anymore these days, but it is a fantastic movie. The atmosphere, the pacing, and the scary moments work very well.
I don't really think it's controversial...it's not a ripoff, it's just a remake that didn't copy a movie whole-cloth, and does it's own thing pretty well. The only people I've ever heard freak out about it being a remake are weebs who don't even realize the original "Ringu" pretty much lifts scenes and themes from "The Changeling", a 1980 Canadian film, but want to whine about how everything Japanese is "better". I actually think all three movies are great, though.
It's better than Ringu.
One of the best theater experiences I ever had. A large group of high school girls sat up front and jumped or screamed at everything. Turned the whole thing from a suspense horror film into a live action comedy event. I'll will always look back on it with fond memories.
Nice try, scary TV lady!
Absolutely loved The Ring! That being said, the sequel was the closest I've ever come to falling asleep in a theater.
The second one is okay but also kind of a joke. I might only see it that way because there was one point in the theatre when someone yelled out something funny and several people started laughing.
I was 15 when I watched this.
I had a little tv in my bedroom, I ended up turning it around so it was against my wall.
She can't get me if she can't get out of the TV.
Also fun fact! The girl who played Samara was also the voice of Lilo in Lilo & Stitch
I remember watching this movie when I was in second grade on a school night. My older sister begged and begged our mom to watch it. It scared the living FUCK out of me. I didn't go to sleep that night and went to school exhausted.
Lol, to this day I will get up and go to the bathroom and I'm scared that suddenly the TV is going to turn on random static or I'm going to see a woman with black hair covering her face standing ready to get me.
Also, I think the tape in this movie on its own could stand as it's own experimental short film. Definitely one of the better horror movies to come out in the early 2000s.
I just wanna say that I watched the japanese version in vhs back then… Kinda suit the movie and it creeped the hell out of me.
After that, a scene from the grudge was my biggest nightmare too.
Yeah, watch the 1998 original. The American remake can't compare.
I feel like everyone who watched this movie when it came out had their telephone ring during the movie.
It's a fun movie, not really scary though. In my opinion, The Grudge is the superior horror movie.
Agreed. I had low expectations as I’d already seen the Japanese original. It was so well produced in every way and translated to the US perfectly. I love both versions but the sequels not so much
I'll stick with the Japanese original.
Yes, it's one of the better horror remakes out there.
Too bad most TV's won't even display static like that anymore. That's what made it so scary -- nearly everyone had a TV that would play static sometimes, and sometimes unexpectedly.
I went in blind to that movie in the theater, and was scared of my TV for a week afterwards.
I went in blind to that movie in the theater, and was scared of my TV for a week afterwards.
A testament to its amazing sound design.
So many memories of my childhood with this film (born 1990). I remember how traumatized we all were, especially around static TVs! It definitely had a cultural zeitgeist moment among millennials when it came out.
It’s not a rip off. It’s a remake.
It's not a "rip off" of the original, it's a remake.
And yeah good horror flick.
The 1998 version is better
The first time I saw a horror movie was when I was like 7 and my older cousin Scott put on Poltergeist and made me and his brother watch it. This was like 1988 and I wouldn't be in s room with a tv showing static for a long time.
Fast forward to 2002, I decide to check out this movie The Ring that I keep hearing about, and ended up traumatizing myself all over again.
10/10 movie, and so much better than Ringu
Ringu the 1998 Japanese original is FAR superior to the 2017 sequel Rings
I thought the premise of this movie was so dumb.
Yeah it can be a little iffy with the dialogue. But u enjoyed it :)
I actually didn't like it at all. I watched it again recently and still don't understand the hype over it. I thought The Grudge was a scarier movie.
That’s pretty awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed the grudge more. I think they’re both great
I mean, it objectively is. That the movie rises above that makes it all the more impressive.
Imagine that ending in 3D on a big screen
Me and my dad had this conversation. Would she be able to come out of one? Imagine it’s high in the air, she just face planted as your watching a movie.
Watered down Hollywood horror tripe
Happy you feel that way :D
Fully agree. I saw this in theaters and almost shit myself at the closet scene.