Before “Ring” could cause horror in the Western world in 2002, the Japanese model had already shocked an entire generation four years ago. If you only know the remake so far, you can catch up on the original on TV this Sunday.
With “The Ring”, director Gore Verbinski was able to anchor a horror cult in the Western world in the early 2000s, which was why people were finally allowed to feel fear of watching movies again. classic videos. A sensation that should die out in the late 80s, when the myth of VHS slowly faded away. Although “The Ring” is a modern classic, it is a remake of the Japanese “Ringu” (aka “Ring – The Original”), which was released in theaters in 1998 and immediately achieved the highest grossing in theaters in Japan.
Since even many movie lovers are only familiar with the new American edition with Naomi Watts in the lead role, it’s now a good idea to finally catch up on the original just before Halloween. That’s exactly what happened Tele 5, where “Ring – The Original” will air on October 30th at 10:05 pm. Since the film received an FSK-16 rating, today’s telecast is completely intact. By the way: “Ringu” DVD and Blu-ray are currently largely out of print or can only be purchased from second-hand suppliers or second-hand retailers. One more reason to tune in tonight.
That’s what “Ring – The Original” is about.
Journalist Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) is shocked by the sudden death of her niece Tomoko (Yuko Takeuchi) and her three friends. So far, doctors have not been able to determine a medical cause for the deaths of the young. When Reiko recognizes from photos of her granddaughter that the four of them had stayed in a vacation rental complex, she visits the place and accidentally discovers an empty videotape in a closet. After Asakawa sees the tape, the phone rings shortly thereafter and a voice prophesies that she will die in seven days.
Horrified, she asks for help from her ex-husband Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada), who initially doesn’t want to believe the story. But when she has a copy of Reiko made and examines her tape, she finds evidence of a woman who committed suicide 40 years earlier. The whole situation gets worse when Reiko Yoichi’s seven-year-old son (Rikiya Otaka) watches the video. Reiko and Ryuji must now hurry to reveal the secret of the mysterious events …
An amazing horror experience
In the official FILMSTARTS review, “Ring – The Original” received a fantastic 4.5 out of 5 possible stars. Even if he misses half a star for the highest rating, For us, shock is still one of the best horror movies of all time. What director Hideo Nakata has put together here goes through marrow and bone – and doesn’t require clunky jumping fears, huge monsters, or excessive blood deposits.
The best horror movies of all time
In his conclusion, our author Ulrich Behrens writes: “Not for nothing “Ringu” is already a classic of horror films and has cult status among Japanese fans. The horror – and this is one, if not the decisive difference with respect to Verbinski’s interpretation – does not come from a “different” world, from a sphere of ghosts, from an extraneousness to the “normal” world characterized by brutality, unreasonableness, unscrupulous, but part of our world “.
The Official FILMSTARTS Review of “Ring – The Original”
As a result, Nakata isn’t very keen on shocking audiences by hook and loop, but he lets his horror run slowly so it can crawl under the audience’s skin. In this regard, the review aptly states: “The horror does not actually break in, but it is always present”. “Ringu” sees itself as a very classic and effective horror film that makes use of the atmospheric virtues of the genre and tells a story that needs no further explanation.
If you’re still looking for more inspiration for the upcoming Halloween night than “The Ring – The Original”, then you can of course take your time to check out our list of the best horror movies of all time. But if you’d rather keep an eye out for real horror insider tips that even genre connoisseurs don’t necessarily have on their screens, you should check out the following article:
5 secret horror tips you surely won’t know (!) – featuring ghost children, a Marvel star as a vampire and lots of blood!