The Grudge [DVD]

Though this movie is the third chapter of the Ju-On series, many fans first uncovered this J-Horror saga through this production. The haunted house in the Tokyo suburb of Nerima, where a husband killed his kid and wife, creating a curse within the residence where every visitor will be haunted to death by their poltergeists reincarnations as Onryos. And from each tragedy, new owners and passersby, who may have crossed the lives of those residents, may or may not transmit curses into their homes, creating a larger evil nest for these wrathful spirits.So following the first two video releases of Ju-On, which Takashi Shimizu both wrote and directed, comes this third chapter. The same house in Nerima with a new family. The Tokunaga. Consisting of a young couple called Katsuya and Kazumi, and Sachie; the husband's mother. A family who suffers the curse of the house. Alongside visitors who may have entered the house and seen its tragedies. Including past figures such as a police officer involved in the first two chapters. Although anybody who hasn't seen the first two movies can understand the house's history, I just wish that somebody could offer a proper DVD or Blu ray release of those two original videos as they offer a further understanding as to the origins of this curse.Now in its narrative, the film is told in a non-linear way. Which is a great idea as it reinforces the mystery of the story and the horrors on screen. Making us wonder what we have seen and what may happen to some of the individuals as their demises might seem imminent in one chapter and then we realise later that they are still alive and their stories aren't over. As for my favourite chapter, the Misaki section stands out with its superb finale. A moment many fans have applauded on the Web.Of Ju-On's horrors, though we do see blood, most of the violence occur off-screen or in non-explicit ways; an effective way to encourage the audiences' imaginations into what kind of nightmare the characters endured. And unlike the first two video chapters, whose CGI effects were much flagrant, I think Takashi Shimizu did a more convincing implementation of such artistic details.Same thing for his camera and lighting, which is more controlled and precise than in the first two chapters, whose original video releases showed how the budget the director had was smaller and did not allow him a more refined visual quality in the cinematography and the special effects.Kudos also to all the actors who portrayed their roles superbly. From Yuya Ozeki as the frightening Toshio to Takako Fuji as the poltergeist Kayako, both performances are the reason why their characters are part of the horror pop culture alongside Koji Suzuki's Sadako. Of course tributes should go also to Megumi Okina who played Rika Nishina and whose ill-fated entry into the cursed Nerima house makes us wonder how her life would have been so different had she not set foot in this location. Through the film we sense her puzzlement at the events she witnesses and then her experiences' aftershocks. All of this with excellent acting.Regarding the soundtrack, I really enjoyed Shiro Sato's music. Only appearing at certain crucial moments, its presence, alongside the sound effects employed when horror is in the air (screeching, cats meows, etc.), adds to the scariness of the film and makes it an more frightening ride for viewers. Let's not forget also the respect Takeshi Shimizu allows in his film; the importance of letting silence being a sound in itself, of adding tension and fear in the air. Something that some directors might forget as they let their music invade too much their film and make it more of an emotional prompter for the audience instead of an artistic tool.In the end, Ju-On is a great third chapter and entry into this Japanese Horror film series. And for all of those who are involved in the series conception, I do hope they shall eventually release on DVD the two Original video productions that came before this film. Either on Blu-Ray or in a special box set as viewers in regions like North America might not be aware of those chapters. Movies that add further to the horror of the Nerima House.

...If being genuinely scared rigid to your seat is more your thing than tension-deprived gore-fests. 'Ju-On' is a brilliantly evocative and disturbing psychological chiller that relies on the sense that something truly awful is about to happen and wrings the chills out of every frame. This is most unequivocably a tribute to Takashi Shimizu, whose flawless direction exploits the theme with discipline and craft. I admit I haven't seen the American re-make but, from what I hear, the original is by far the superior version.As another reviewer remarked accurately, 'Ju-On' has an effective episodic style, as the viewer has their senses disjointed by the various tales of horror that different victims experience in the house. Also impressive is the minimal use of production values, with Shimizu relying more on clever camera trickery to scare his audience. Most of the film is shot in one location and it would be easy to conceive this being made on a miniscule budget. This for me underlines Shimizu's talent, as this scared me far more than many other costly, mainstream productions.The Japanese (and other filmmakers from the terrific Tartan Asia Extreme line) generally make better horrors than those in Hollywood. Why? Because they do not pull any punches and work on the imagination more than the visceral. No character seems to come away with a 'happy ending' and events are never completely resolved, leaving you with a distinctly unsettled feeling. A great example of a classic, intelligent horror movie and one that does the genre proud.

This film really is vastly superior to it's Hollywood remake. Tense and atmospheric, with far better acting, and completely lacking in the hollow gloss of the American version. The fear of these Japanese actors is far more real than anything I saw in the American version, and what's more, the mood of the film is far more expertly crafted; subtle.It concerns a family who have gone missing, and several social workers who are sent out to investigate their apparently abandoned home. What follows are a series of sinister and genuinely unsettling chapters all of which use a very visceral and striking directorial approach, which is characteristic of Japanese horror films. Lurking cats, oddly creepy children and the frequent use of striking visual imagery are all used to great effect.That's what makes this film so enjoyable: a great sense of style, subtlety, supernatural suspense, and some genuinely creepy scenes. Which all goes to show that excessive gore and half-naked, blonde American actresses are superfluous to great horror films.

This is by far one of the best horror films I have seen, much better than the "dumbed down" remake, it shows real psychological terror, leaving more to the imagination rather than being full of "Gore". One of the reasons I like Japanese films is that you have to think about the plot more and come to your own conclusion, which with this film you certainly do.Quite Jumpy through a mixture of images and sound it makes this film extremely scary but has much more deep undertones, as the story comes from an old legend of which when somebody dies violently their mark is still left on this world, feeling vengeful and angry.Overall, a great film, definitely worth watching.

It's very rare that I find a film that genuinely makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand out, the only two other films that EVER did this to me were the original versions of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'The Haunting' , 'Ju-on' can now be added to that list. Full of atmosphere, it gradually builds up suspense,the plot leads you on a twisting journey, sometimes I was a tad confused but that added to the experience.I jumped out of my skin at least three times while watching this film! and the general skin crawling eeriness made this an instant classic in my books.I rented it first, but now I'm going to buy it!

Como muchos de los clásicos del cine de terror asiático, "The Grudge" ("Ju-On" en japonés y "La Maldición" en español) nunca ha sido editada en blu ray. Una lástima para muchos a los que nos gustaría disfrutar de nuestras películas favoritas con la mejor calidad posible.A pesar de haberse editado en España, opté por esta edición de coleccionista editada por Premier Asia en Reino Unido. Premier Asia fue en un su día una importante distribuidora de cine asiático en territorio inglés, algo similar a lo que Manga Films significó para muchos de nosotros.Probablemente esta sea la mejor edición de esta película que haya visto la luz hoy en día. Cuenta con dos dvd's, uno para la película y otros con más de 5 horas de extras.Entre esos extras se incluyen los siguientes:- Audio-comentario con Bey Logan (experto en cine asiático)- Trailer de "The Grudge " y de "The Grudge 2"- "The Cutting Room Floor": cinco escenas eliminadas y un final alternativo con comentarios del director.- Detrás de las cámaras centrándose en varios personajes: Toshio, Rika, Hitomi y Azumi- "Walking In The Shadows": making of de la película- "Through a Glass Darkly": entrevista exclusiva con Shimizu Takashi (director de la película)- "Whispers in the Dark": entrevista exclusiva con Megumi Okina (actriz principal de la película)- "Fade To Black": entrevista exclusiva con Kayoko Shibata (actriz secundaria de la pelicula)- "Ju On: True Stories"A pesar de ser una edición de 10, hay dos pequeños detalles que no me han gustado del todo, aunque no por ello la edición queda deslucida.Uno de ellos es que la portada me parece muy cutre. Creo que la elección en este sentido no ha estado muy acertada.La otra es que en la contraportada aparece un catálogo con todas las películas del sello. lo cual da la impresión de que se trata de una edición de "fascículos" o que han regalado con el "periódico".La calidad de imagen es lo que se espera de un dvd e incluye audio 5.1 DTS.En cuanto al audio podemos seleccionar entre japonés con subtítulos en inglés, o el doblaje en inglés. No incluye audio en castellano por si alguno se fija en esta película.No sé en qué rango de precios se mueve normalmente, pero yo aproveché una bajada que hizo a poco menos de 2€. Vamos, que fue un auténtico chollo.Totalmente encantado con la compra. No sé puede pedir más. La mejor edición posible, para una de las mejores películas de terror asiático de la historia.