Still set in Japan, The Grudge takes a more consumer-friendly version of the old Ju-On plot and throws in a few American characters for international marketability. Surprisingly, the more conventional aspects of this version like more or less sticking with one protagonist prove to be a welcome change of pace for a franchise that was in danger of turning its once fresh idiosyncrasies into worn-out shtick.
Only the most orthodox J-horror purists will balk at the result. The Grudge is the Lost in Translation of horror movies. Only better. And a bit more knowledgeable about Japan. Approach it, and its sequel, with an open mind. Unfortunately, setting up those new directions sometimes takes a bit longer than befits a proper horror film. Not to be confused with Ju-On: The Grudge , its theatrical continuation often wrongly billed as a remake that became the international cult sensation.
All this makes the film technically a video look more out of time these days than any technicolor epic from the s. Just from watching it, it is hard to tell if any kind of budget went into its production. The Tylt. By Deron Dalton. Join the conversation. Real-time Voting. A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.
He succeeds mostly through sleight of hand. When the shocks come, they interrupt long stretches in which the camera lingers meaningfully as characters accumulate details that confirm what they already know: What they've seen will kill them, and soon. Some of the ghost scenes in the remake, therefore, are all the more jarring for it.
The one remarkable use of CGI in the remake that instantly comes to mind is that of one of the victims with his jaw ripped off. Terrifying, to say the least. Though most of the scare sequences in The Grudge are directly derived from Ju-On , the intensity of the original films remains unmatched. The grainy footage of the Kayoko house tragedy at the very outset of the film establishes a grim and dark atmosphere that is impossible to shake off for the entirety of the run time and after.
This makes all the scare sequences significantly more unnerving, something that the remake falls somewhat short of. There is a reason why Hollywood decided to keep Shimizu at the helm for The Grudge — he showed immense potential as a genre director in Ju-On , despite limited resources.
While it is argued that the considerably higher production value took a toll on the raw unnerving appeal of the original films, the remake still is undoubtedly well-crafted. The fade-to-black ending of The Grudge shows the heroine getting confronted one final time by the ghost of the mother while Rika, in the original, gets drawn into the darkness by the ghosts. One may seem more memorable than the other, but that is entirely a matter of perception. Ju-On and The Grudge are essentially the same story being presented in two slightly different ways.
Both have certain merits over the other, but it is safe to say that the American remake is pretty high up in the list of great Japanese horror remakes. Share Tweet. The Grudge is a long-lasting Japanese horror franchise that has seen a wild amount of success with its American remakes, though some have certainly fared better than others. Franchise creator and the director of the first Ju-On film, Takashi Shimizu, went on to direct the first American remake of his creation, The Grudge , in as well as the sequel in Shimizu created the Ju-On franchise in , and had other Japanese installments as well.
His popular franchise even inspired a crossover film with another Asian horror franchise, Ringu , which was the inspiration for The Ring movies. The crossover film, Sadako vs.
Kayako , released in Related: The Grudge Ending Explained. The newest installment of the franchise released on January 3, from director Nicolas Pesce. All major horror franchises have their definitive high points and low points, and The Grudge is no different. Here are all The Grudge movies ranked, worst to best.
0コメント