I know that as a horror-movie nerd that I SHOULD have seen the original of "The Ring" by now but for some reason it's just eluded me until recently. I'm normally up to speed with my Asian horror but....well, I have no excuse. I had seen a from the famous TV-part until a bit on at a party once but that was it.
So after finding that the original differs a hell of a lot from the remake I decided to do a little "vs" section on some of the most famous remakes of Asian horror. Let's go!
THE RING:
Now apparently both films are based on a book, which in turn was based on a Japanese folk-tale (that has nothing much to do with the horror element but the class/love divide). It has also spawned more versions including a Korean version, a sequel (in both Japanese and American versions) and in Japan a prequel.
For my money you'd be better off watching the Japanese version first. It relies much on atmosphere and the overall feeling that the horror element. And there is actually very little "horror" in the whole film, more just the main characters being scared of dying in their allotted seven days and coming to the root of the history, saving our little black-haired creepy girl and therefore getting rid of the curse of the video tape. Apart from the famous creeping-out-of-the-telly scene (which is 100 times more creepy in the Japanese version) there isn't much to make you jump or keep you awake at night. Then again it is a horror classic, and should be watched!
Now the American version wasn't that greatly appreciated but I think it's actually an awesome version and actually improves on the Japanese version. OK, it's a lot more filled with spooky special effects but it also delves into the plot much deeper and gives you a whole back story to the little black-haired girl and why everything happened. Now, if this is revealed in the Japanese book, or sequel/prequel I do not know (yet) but for me it gave the film a much deeper level. It also delivered one of the creepiest film lines uttered by a child since "I see dead people".......
"why did you help her??" (or something like that). So as far as plot goes and creepiness, I give this one up to the Americans.
THE GRUDGE:
Now I don't know is this is true or not but for what I can see the Americans here have pretty much done what they did to Godzilla back in the 50s. They took the Japanese film and just threw some Americans in. From what I can make out the American version of the film is the same house, the same setting and the same cast as the Japanese version (even the same director and production team) - and they have simply replaced certain main characters with American actors such as Bill Pullman and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
With that in mind both versions are pretty much the same film, with the same events in the same order (with some differences) the plots remain pretty much identical with the difference that in the American, Sarah Michelle Gellar is an exchange student so therefore suffers a lot from the Japanese culture shock, which kind of "adds a layer" as it were. The scary scene are more Hollywood and jumpy but since the main "scary monsters" are pretty much the same, a black-haired girl and a small blue boy with his cat.
There is no way I could say which one is "better" I guess it's a matter or preference. If you want to see the core and like me is the type of person that has no problem sitting through subtitled films then the original is where is started and then of course the American version is simply catered to a lazier market but is more big budget. Both get top marks.
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS:
This South Korean horror flick was remade as The Uninvited. The original is a creepy "what the fuck is happening" tale which centers around a pair of sisters seemingly bullied by an evil step mother. The plot involves jealousy, betrayal and mental sickness. The original delivers a lot of shocks, a lot of mystery and has a twist that leaves you gasping.
When we turn to the American "The Uninvited" - I have to say that I went most of the film before figuring out that I was watching a re-make of the Korean film. From that moment on the film was ruined as I had seen the ending already and knew what was going on.
So I guess for me the original shapes up better, but only as I saw it first. Had I seen the American version first I may have had a different opinion.
