1 Ok Comedy...
I give it 2 stars just because it had me and my friends cracking up when we went to see it, but as a horror film (the genre it was intended) it is an absolutely terrible waste of time.
2 Scariest Movie EVer
if you didnt find it scary you didnt get it. my frensthoguht it was stup[id but when we saw it again i told them what was going on and they got spooked. buy this, a horror classic.
3 Japanese Ghosts Hold a Grudge
Japan has a long, ghostly tradition with beings from beyond the grave. Nemerous stories and legends in Japan of these otherworldly visitors abound. Ghosts often play key roles in Kabuki theater and were a favorite though perhaps somewhat overly-used character by Kabuki playwrights. Many of the ghosts that appear in plays and stories are females seeking revenge for wrongs done to them during their lifetime typically by cruel, heartless husbands.
In the old ghost stories, vengeful Japanese ghosts would continue haunt their victims until they went insane, died, or at least made some form of restitution to appease the angry spirits. Some Japanese ghosts were born out of tragedy or sorrow and would haunt any person who came near. These spirits were particularly feared because they represented a danger to all unless they were somehow put to rest.
Although I knew about the horrific nature of old Japanese ghosts, I had thought modern Japanese ghosts would be more polite and demur. I had imagined a modern Japanese ghost timidly coming up to someone and saying "Suimasen (Excuse me)! BOO! Gomen naisai (I'm sorry)!" before whisking away. "The Grudge" (2004) showed me how wrong I was about modern Japanese phantoms.
"The Grudge," starring Sarah Michelle Gellar of TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame, depicts a haunting by very impolite spirits. Gellar plays an American student nurse in Tokyo who accidentally gets involved with a haunted house that has the nasty habit of killing visitors. The ghosts of the house were victims of a tragedy and now they rudely kill anyone who comes in contact with them.
The spirits' motivation for killing is explained at the beginning of the film in a brief written prologue which states: "when someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage, a curse is left behind."
For Western audiences it may seem unusual that the two main ghostly antagonists who having been innocent victims of a violent death themselves would seek to cause the death of another innocent person. This flies in the face of a Western audience's sense of justice and fairness.
In many Western ghost stories, ghosts despite their spookiness are often motivated by the same things as living people namely the pursuit of justice for wrongdoings. The ghost of a murdered person will seek vengeance on the person or persons responsible for their death.
If a ghost is malevolent, it often turns out they were a bad person in life - as in the back-story to the main ghost character in the "Poltergeist" (1982-1986) movies.
To understand the nature of the supernatural entity of "The Grudge," one has to understand Japanese belief in spirits and the supernatural.
In the book "Ghosts and the Japanese: Cultural Experience in Japanese Death Legends" by Michiko Iwasaka, there is a passage which is a direct echo of the opening lines of the movie:
"Anyone who dies under great emotional stress creates an energy which is not easily dissipated; these yurei [ghosts], thus, have an impact on the local environment..."
This type of spirit is called a "goryo" - vengeful ghost. A goryo, however, is less like a consciously aware ghost that plots revenge like those featured in Kabuki plays and which would be more familiar to Western audiences. A goryo is more like the energy of the emotion created at the time of death. And to some degree it represents the unconscious mind free of the limitations and morals of the conscious analytic side.
Formal belief of goryo can be traced to the Heien Period (794-1185) when goryo were believed to be the angry spirits of political enemies that had died in exile or had been executed. The noted scholar Sugawara-no-Michizane became one such goryo. Through guileful manipulations, his enemies at the Imperial Court engineered his banishment from Kyoto. Sugawara died in extreme sorrow while in exile. Shortly after his death, a number of natural disasters occurred from droughts and epidemics to lightening strikes. It was believed to be caused by the angry spirit of Sugawara. To appease his goryo, Sugawara was given ceremonial promotion at the Imperial Court and eventually he was made into a god-spirit whom modern-day students pray to for success on their exams.
Director Takashi Shimizu has built on this old concept to create a deadly goryo of a very frightening ghostly Mother and Son duo. "The Grudge" is an American remake of the original Japanese thriller "Ju-on" (2003). "Ju-on" is Shimizu's horror franchise. "Ju-on" grew out of a short TV story to become a successful and scary theater-release movie which was followed by a sequel. Famed Spiderman director, Sam Ramie, who helped produce the American remake thought "Ju-on" to be one of the scariest movies he had ever seen.
"The Grudge" opened in America during the Halloween season last fall but it has only recently opened in Japan. One notable difference is the inclusion of a few extra violent moments that were left out in the American version in order for the movie to keep a PG-13 rating in the States.
Overall there's not much of story. Some people die, then some other people die. Most of the film is just one scare after another with little character development or plot. "The Grudge" is more like a series of creepy vignettes strung together to make a film. However, these vignettes are quite scary. Its the cultural nuance of the goryo-type spirit that "The Grudge" represents and the genuinely frightening moments that makes the film an interesting experience for Japan-o-philes and horror fans alike.
On the Scare-O-Meter, "The Grudge" rates about 4 out 5 Screams.
On Plot, it rates about 2 stars out of 5; however the concept behind the movie rates about a 4.
4 Terrible
I rented this movie on pay-per-view on a Friday night when I was really in the mood for something scary. Not only was it not scary, it was boring. And enough we the meowing kid! The kid and the cat were killed in the same tragic accident but I don't understand how they merged into one. Or why the kid was wearing eyeliner. Don't waste your money on this movie.
5 Bored Stiff
I settle in to watch this movie, really in the mood for a little scare and creepiness. After the first half hour, I am totally disinterested- wondering how a movie that I thought was received well could be so boring. I was laughing at this movie- the "ghosts" were quite funny with those stupid noises they make.
I should add that I actually get scared and creeped out by horror movies all the time. I will watch one, and then if I am alone or walking around my house at night actually start turning on lights, getting that creepy feeling. Many horror movies have done this to me over the years, This movie never drew me in or provided any of the fun scares in any way.
Bottom line: no plot, no reasoning for what happens on screen, and no character development equals uneffective horror film.
6 The Grudge
The plot is very simple, part of the appeal of the series is how effective such a simple story can be. Watch the movie and pay attention. I'm not really sure what people are complaining about. It all seemed very simple to me. Terrible events cause spirits to haunt a house and all those associated with it. Why are they haunting about? Their lives were ended prematurely and under terrible circumstances! What more do you want. I'm a ghost, why do I go and kill jane who came into my house, cause I'm p*ssed about how I died and I'm going to take out on somebody. Simple. Gripe gripe gripe, nothing is being said. Here is what I loved about the movie totally fantastic movie.
7 I UPSET BUYING DVDS THESE DAYS!!!!!!!!!
U know these days buying DVDS like I always buy, like I did with this title. Paid $20.00 for it. Then few months after they come with un-rated version or superbit and so on. And then u has to pay another $20.00 to buy the same movie with a bit Xtra cut or good audio.Basically..ur money & your DVD go down drain the first time , and have to pay $40.00 for same movie every damn time. I guess this is the way they make money after money in same movies. From now getting smart, most movies I like just wait a few months ,and don't waste my money till they comes with unrated cut or superbit and then buy the movie. Just like they did with this one and most others. What a shame..!!!
8 Good horror movie, and Grace Zabriskie is awesome.
If you haven't seen the original and just want to watch an American remake, this is the one for you, plus it has the bonus of featuring one of America's finest actresses, one often underused or ill utilized by directors who don't know what to make of her sterling talent. I'm not talking about Sarah (BUFFY) Michelle Gellar, not this time, but instead I speak today of Grace Zabriskie, the actress who plays the elderly woman who sleeps on the floor and seems so haunted by the violent deaths of everyone she knows.
Grace Zabriskie has one of those faces you've seen over and over again, often playing disturbed or Satanic mothers along the lines of Angela Lansbury's character in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. Her other forte is playing supportive, rather helpless and pathetic mothers who are nevertheless sweet and loving. I first became aware of Ms. Zabriskie's sweeping talent while watching the US soap opera of the 1980s, SANTA BARBARA. She took a nothing part and filled it with every kind of theatrical, filmic gesture, elevating an ordinary show into the kind of thing you would tape every day just on the off chance that she would make an appearance on it. (That's actually not fair to SB which in many ways was one of the most innovative shows on TV.) Then my friends who knew I liked Grace Zabriskie would call me and tell me they had spotted her in other shows and films. She played one of the hardened factory hands in NORMA RAE and she excelled in DRUGSTORE COWBOY. She was the mother of Laura Palmer in the series of TWIN PEAKS, and she was Debra Winge's mother in AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN. Need I say more? For twenty-five years she has been giving us her all, and in THE GRUDGE she gives no quarter to the general shoddiness of the production. She attacks the part as though she were playing Gertrude in HAMLET (which she is in a way). Watch her as she turns white, and her struggles for breath, and her anguished pleas to Sarah Michelle Gellar, the co-star with whom she seems to have the most empathy. If they had an entry for GREATNESS in the dictionary, there would be a little picture of Grace Zabriskie to illustrate the noun.
By the way, she is a talented writer too, much more talented than the screenwriters of most of the movies, and she's made almost 100!
9 Such an Amazing Movie (Contains Spoilers)
Many People dont find this movie the way I do. When people talk about it, a lot of them will say immature things like, "Was this supposed to be scary?" or "I laughed through the whole thing!". And I have to admit, some of the images did make me "laugh", but the storyline is incredibly masterful.
The story tells about a strange supernatural curse that victimizes and kills a numerous amount of people; including Karen Smith, an American Nurse living and working in Japan, Matthew and Jennifer, an American married couple that has been transfered to Japan by work, and the groom's mother and sister, and their maid, Yoko.
In the movie, the scenes are not in order, making it more interesting. In the first scene, Yoko is killed by the curse. Next, we are introduced to Karen Smith, the student nurse who is sent over to take care of Matthew's mother. They are not aware that Yoko has died, hence the fact that she has not been at work for several days. While Karen is taking care of the house, she finds a little boy in the house named Toshio and his black cat.
We next see Matthew and Jennifer in their new home; when Matthew is at work, Jennifer is taking care of his mother. She starts to hear strange sounds in the attic. When she is walking upstairs, she partially sees Toshio running and picking up his cat, although she never sees his face.
When Matthew comes home, she walks up to the bedroom, and on the bed lies Jennifer acting strangely, when Toshio appears and kills him.
For all of you who have not seen the film, I suggest you see it to discover who the next vicitm is!
10 Excited
This cut of the movie will be excellent... I cant wait for it.. The reason they released theatarical and now unrated is because some stores wont carry unrated.. however they could of be just released together and would of save people alot of trouble
11 Theatrical and Directors Cut Release
Another example of money-bloodsucking ideas of studios
learn to wait!.... they eventually will learn to tell people their plans
12 The Grudge-so stupid that it makes the ring look good.
Hey, Im 12, i saw this movie, and I thought it was horrible. There is a horrible plot, which basically goes something like this:
Sarah Michelle Gellar is an american nurse in tokyo who has to substitute for a missing caretaker. Behind a taped door, she finds a something strange, and this seems to start the trouble. Now, the curse that has gathered in the place of death has started to destroy anyone who comes into contact with it, including people not in the house.
The worst part is the ending-it sunk this whole movie. One other thing-its not in order. Some of the parts that come after Sarah's appearence happened before she was even there, so, this is another reason why to watch this.
13 The Grudge-twas ok
Im not gonna lie-this movie went way below my expectations. The whole movie is scary, but i wanted more at the end. Just seeing the eye at the end didnt solve anything, and that made this whole movie sink. I want more! That noise she made was disgusting *shivers* and i don't get why the kid meowed people to death.
14 decent by disapointing
Well, I saw this movie on Halloween...creepy....
Karen Davis (played by SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR) is American and living in Japan with her boyfriend, Doug (played by JASON BEHR). Karen volunteers for Alex (TED RAIMI) When not in school, providing care for those confined to their homes. When she is assigned to take the job of Yoko (played by YOKO MAKI), because she didn't show up, Karen is sent to look after Emma Williams (GRACE ZABRISKIE), the elderly, senile mother to transplanted Americans Matthew (played by WILLIAM MAPOTHER) and Susan (played by KaDEE STRICKLAND).
.A series of haunting encounters in the house, disturb Karen, as it appears that anyone who enters will be haunted by the former occupants there or anywhere else they go.
As she tries to get to the bottom of what's occurring in the apparently haunted house, as does local cop Nakagawa (played by RYO ISHIBASHI), she discovers that it might have something to do with American professor Peter Kirk (played by BILL PULLMAN) who purposefully ended his life long before she arrived there.
I won't `ruin' the story from there on, but it only gets wore. This movie had the premise of a great horror, but I think it was poorly developed. I haven't seen the Japanese version, but I'm willing to bet it was better.
My biggest problem wit this movie was the lack of plot. People go into house. People are `cursed'. People die and so on.
There was also one scene in the end where `the grudge' is `crawling' down the stairs. It has a series of twitches and movements attempted to scare you, but I recall thinking MAN THIS IS DUMB.
I will say that this was `scary'. Instead of having the monster lurk behind the corner this moves Shows the monster.
There were `enjoyable' parts, but I wouldn't recommend this movie unless you're a die-hard horror fan.
15 this movie is stupid
i'm 10 and i saw this and i thought it was actually really scary. it's only the fact that things always come out of nowhere and scare the heck out of you. after i'd seen it i realized its a stupid film with a stupid plot. i could never call it a good movie, but it was scary which distracts you from the terrible plot.
16 This Movie Will Freak You Out!!!!
Sarah Michelle Gellar is a brilliant horror actress. And, this extremely terrifying film had pretty much everything going for it. But, it had an extremely low budget of $10 million, which is not much at all for a marketable horror film. But, "The Grudge" has frightened American audiences from all walks of life. This film follows the tradition of "The Ring", "28 Days Later" and other classic horror films.
The plot is formulaic, but the way used to describe it, which, I'm sure will be repeated over and over again is completely and utterly original. All horror movies have something they want from their audiences. But, this simply wants to make your flesh crawl. The Grudge is a film directed by Takashi Shimizu, who directed the Ju-On Trilogy. Ju-On was Japanese original films that triggered The Grudge.
The movie is about an accident that happened in a house in Tokyo, Japan that was a murderous act of rage. And it is said in Japan that after something this horrible happens, a curse is left behind. And this curse haunts Karen Davis, an American exchange student working at a care center for a disturbed woman living in that house. One other thing I like about this haunting scare-fest is the fact that it doesn't reel the audience in. It asks them to go along for the ride, per se. The events do not happen in order. So, that might confuse some, but I think it is unique and clever.
The DVD, though, has alot to be desired. It has a fascinating five-part documentary which time totals around 50 minutes, but there is no deleted film content, and the movie was way too short (an extremely modest 91 minutes) and if it had outtakes and deleted scenes, I'd be happy. But, for fans of the movie, there will be an extended director's cut being released in May. That is gonna be really good!!!
17 scary
I thought this was a very scary movie for only being PG-13. There is not a lot of gore its just a very creepy movie all together. Sarah Michelle Gellar does an excellent job as well as Bill Pullman. The movie is well written and is executed to perfection.
18 Not a horror film
"The Grudge" offers several minutes of high intensity and suspense, but never delivers the goods of a true horror film. That is why I wouldn't classify it as one. A lot of time is spent on the story arc developing, which is rare in a film like this. While the film's twist is not nearly as satisfying as the superior "The Ring", "The Grudge" offers some genuine spooks and scares for the audience. Sarah Michelle Gellar is good in a supporting performance, marketed as the lead.
19 ju-on , ju-on 2, the grudge
the grudge (the 2nd re-make of ju-on) i liked better then the first re-make of ju-on, but nothing beats the ju-on 2 re-make. the ju-on 2 re-make was the scariest movie i've ever seen! i was told that their was independent versions of ju-on and ju-on 2 that came out before the movie budget re-made ones and that they are the scariest of them all.
but you've gotta see the originals, 'cause they tell even more of the story, each re-make tells the same story but from another characters point of view
20 I don't bare them a grudge
"The Grudge" stars Sarah Michelle Geller as Karen, an American exchange student in Japan who moonlights as a home care nurse. While on an assignment, she discovers the body of a old lady who apperently was literally scared to death, then Karen sees the ghosts. As more and more people who are associated with the strange house with an unhappy past begin to die or disappear, Karen becomes determined to solve the mystery and quiet the ghosts. This is Takashi Shimizu's second time making this film, as it was origianlly a Japanese film with an all Asian cast. Then Sam Raimi got a hold of it and put in American twist on it, and here is the result; a mixed bag for sure. There are some parts that are really scary, and I did jump more than a few times, and those scenes work really well, and there is a ginuienly creepy atmosphere, especially in the high rise stalking scene. But then you get to the characters, and you just don't care one bit. They are all flat and BORING, I really wanted to turn off the movie and walk away sometimes. I guess I am so used to Geller as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", who was strong and couragous under unsurmountable odds, that seeing her as just another blonde victim was a huge disappointment. And then there was Bill Pullman's barely there character, he really isn't given enough time to do anything. A real missed oppertunity. So, I am going to rate this one on the hight side and hope that Shimizu dose a better job next time and not make his movie so American.
21 Buffy Does Tokyo!!!!
It took me like, 3 days to finally watch the whole movie. I kept falling asleep or would just shut it down due to boredome. The story was contrived and dull, it seemed like they just wanted to make a "Ring"-type movie, hoping they could bank off it. The special effects were totally subpar and this film was NOT scary!!!!!!!! It was actually funny. I burst out laughing when the creepy crawly ghost thingies made "scary" noises. I can picture the filmakers getting all excited and caught up "Yeah! this will get 'em, that's sure to freak 'em out!" NOT. Instead of being disturbing, the frog like groans reminded me of a 10 year old trying to annoy his parents. Totally lame! Nothing could save this movie.
22 A sufficient cure for insomnia?
The idea of a horror movie being so dull that it put me to sleep, and a restful sleep at that, really surprised me, as I like a lot of different film genres including horror and the variety of horror styles. I will try not to repeat what others have said, but essentially I expected better. If you like The Ring you will love The Grudge? What a lie. I did like The Ring, but I don't care much at all for The Grudge. If I was to give The Ring 4 or 5 stars, I could honestly give The Grudge not much more than 1 star.
A complete viewing of The Grudge later, did convey to me the basic concept and the essentials of the plot which were intriguing enough. I was left thinking what a great concept was in this movie, yet it was portrayed so lifelessly. The scares... Weren't.
Gellar's acting has been better. Pullman's wasn't so bad, but seemed merely workman-like. I think it did so well in the first week or so of initial release to theatres simply because the commercials and trailers were better than the movie they promoted. I do believe that I would likely appreciate much better the original(s) that The Grudge was based on.
23 Sarah Michell Gellar in The Grudge (Director's Cut)
When this Movie first came out in the movie theatres it scare the Hell out of me I couldn't sleep for days. When I was in the theatre I was yelling at the screen saying "Buffy kicks it a**" but she didn't but she was not afraid of it which was good. To me it doesn't matter which dvd you get because even the original will scare you a lot.
24 Not the best but rather creepy!
No, this isn't the best scary movie I have ever seen but it definitely gave me the creeps. Now, I am the type that can watch a scary movie, by myself, in the dark and go to sleep right after with no nightmares or repercussions. However, I had to watch a funny movie after this to get my mind off of the movie. The thing that really freaked me out the most was this grating, freaky noise that the "ghost" makes around it's victims. Just the expectation of what to come in the movie seems to be the most creepy thing in the entire movie.
I agree with others when they say this is like The Ring as you can really tell both movies came from the same area (as they both are remakes of Japanese movies). The "ghosts" in both movies are eerily similar. However, I enjoyed this movie more than The Ring. There just seemed to be more scary parts than in the Ring. This movie does keep you jumping and holding the blanket over your chin.
The movie is based on the thought that when a person dies a violent death, their spirit hangs around, spawning a sort of curse. It has a good plot and stays with it throughout the entire movie instead of jumping around.
Rent it to test it out or buy it as a good addition to your horror movie collection. I was happy to finally be freaked out after watching a scary movie. Just make sure to watch it with the lights off. It's just not the same with them on!
25 There is something evil there.
I will be completely honest with you, I watched this film with my finger on the fast-forward button pressed heavily so that the jumpy scenes wouldn't make me change my pants. I thought that this was one of the spookiest films that I have seen. Director Takashi Shimizu has done an excellent job remaking this film for American audiences. While some will argue that this is nothing more than just corporate Hollywood turning the cranks on audiences' wallets, I thought there was quite a bit of originality to this film. The institution of us seeing the demon or spirits before the characters do was something that I wasn't familiar with in other horror films. Normally, there is this big "jumping out of the darkness" scene that frightens everyone because they were not expecting it, but in The Grudge there was this element of "here I am" that frightened me more than most films do.
Takashi Shimizu, the mastermind behind this film, also created the original Ju-on series that became extremely popular in Japan. This allowed his vision and purpose (with a larger budget) to continue. I enjoyed the fact that the original director was on board and that our American crew was in Japan. This took me away from the idea that this film was going to be nothing more than just a pro-America horror film. It took me to this unfamiliar place (building the fear) and showcased the talents of some unfamiliar/familiar American film actors working next to a complete Japanese crew. I thought that this kept the entire film grounded. It wasn't set in New York, there wasn't the scene of raw nudity at the beginning ... there wasn't the normal American structure to this film because we were not in America ... we were in Japan. This really helped me build the excitement and utter terror that I felt while watching this film. I was impressed.
The acting, well, you don't go to a horror film expecting to see Oscar caliber acting. Gellar and Pullman knew that the horror genre is slowing coming into the limelight as a prominent figure in cinema (it was lacking for a couple of years there) and I think that is why they chose to do this project. Pullman wasn't anything to write home about, thought I was impressed to see him in this film. Gellar was the exact same. She did her part, collected her money, and went home. This wasn't what frightened me about this film. I didn't rent this movie to be blown away by the acting. I expected average acting and that is what I got. What I did go into this film expecting was to shake, shiver, and be frightened to turn off the lights after the film. That is exactly what I found. Takashi Shimizu did an excellent job of building that right amount of suspense, using amazing lighting, perfect sound, and some very freaky visuals. His knowledge and ability to bring us something new was extremely impressive and honest. Here is a director who was handed the money to make the film that he wanted, and while not everything was probably to his liking, it did open the door for more fans to enjoy his work. It also opened the door to more projects from his mind to be released. This could be the new face of cinematic horror, and I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us.
Overall, I loved this movie. It was the exact level of fright that I was looking for. There were scenes that I never saw coming, there were elements that were unexpected and vividly raw, and it thankfully did not follow the ever-classic Hollywood horror formula. There was originality and emotion in this film that most horror directors do not give when dabbing in the horror genre. This was a great story, and I cannot wait to gather friends for a late night horror scream-fest featuring this film. From the opening scene, to the bus scene, to the opportunistic final moment, I had my finger on the fast-forward and I was scared. This did what it set out to do for me, and for that I can only praise this film!
Grade: ***** out of *****
26 poor movie
Poor Sarah Michelle Gellar she had to suffer through the making of this terrible film. Lets see there is too much in common with the ring and I loved the ring but that is not a good thing. I mean they took the girl from the ring and made her look different and that was the villain. Don't waste your time on this one.
27 Go Go Bill Pullman!!! YEAH!!
The best thing I have ever seen Bill Pullman do was at the beginning of this uninspired yet marginally creepy film. It is worth owning just to watch Mr. Bill's first scene. He has owed us this ever since Mr. Wrong. Thank you Bill, thank you SOOOO much. It was only fair.
The rest of the movie is creepy in parts, but breaks its own rules more than once. Once you finally make sense of it, you will realize that it was only confusing because it broke its own set guidelines for what is happening. Even the writer made statements in the "making of" doc that contradict what happens in the final flashbacks. He says something about a certain someone "not knowing why she was murdered", but that particular person knows only too well why she is being attacked.
Leave it to Sam Raimi to cheapen and commercialize a legitimately original Japanese film, inject Hollywood mainstay actors who are known for being little more than cardboard cut-outs, and then supress the truly inspired film so that Americans wont ever see it. Shame on you, Samuel P. Raimi, and all others who are suppressing the True Art of film. The 20th century saw the creation of the film medium, the 21st century will see its destruction. That is, if those who love film don't do something about it. Films are not made to be REMADE, they are made to stand in their own right. What's next on the agenda? Remake Vertigo? Remake Raging Bull? Where does it end? Remake The Godfather? Citizen Kane? They'll do it. And people will pay to see it. (sigh)
Oh well. At least Bill Pullman did the right thing, at long last.
28 By Far One of the Best Horror films of the past 10 years!!!!
If you wan't to rent or buy a scary movie and trully be scared in it, not like "Saw", then get this movie. This movie is trully horror, without the fake blood and gore. Girlfriends better hold their boyfriends tight when they see the "Under the Covers scene" towards the middle of the film!!!! The "cat noise" and Gurgling noises are trully horrifying!!! If ypu have surround sound DTS 6:1 speakers, shut all the lightss, light a candle, and turn up the volume, to get the "horror" effect!!!!
29 A GREAT MOVIE!!!
Hello my name is Sarah and this is a very scary and interesting movie. I loved this movie it had a great meaning to it. Then it made me scared to be alone in my own house. Buy this movie and you won't be sorry.
30 A SCARY,SCARY,SCARY MOVIE!
Hi my name is Tucker and I loved this movie this is one of my favorite scary movies I have ever seen in my life. This movie is super scary if you love scary movies then you'll love this movie. It will make you jump and scream so much you won't have time to catch your breath. Buy this movie and you'll love it.
31 The scariest flick ever made. Period!
I can't stant it when that moster chick crawls down the stairs at the end!!! SCARY!
32 WOW this movies scary
i watched this movie last night and it is SO SCARY!!! the faces of the people is what scared me most (really good makeup). the story idea all was kinda confusing, but still scary. and the way the scary parts surprise u is scary also. like while karen was on the bus talking to her boyfriend, she looked into the window and saw the face of yoko looking at her. sometimes u could tell something bad was about to happen, cuz of all the suspenseful music, but i thought that helped the "scream" factor. i know i screamed a few times during this movie. and all the people who said this movie wasnt scary are the kind of people who think scary means blood and guts. well this movie is WAY scary, but in a ghostly way, not a blood and guts kind of way. so i say go watch this movie!!!! 2 thumbs up!!!!!
33 Very Scary!!!
My name is Tucker Pace and this movie is very scary. I saw it yesterday and I'm already starting to have nightmares. Buy this movie and you won't be sorry.
34 Where's the Scares?
Maybe I shouldn't have watched the Japanese version, "Ju-On" upon which this movie was remade. I thought the foreign version was greatly over-rated by fans who were determined to be scared no matter what was thrown upon the screen. In the American version, I saw the identical "scare" moments which didn't chill me at all. I was shocked by Sarah Michelle Geller's appearance. She looked exhausted through the entire movie and exuded very little energy. As for the ghost boy, he looked like a kid who had gotten into a bag of flour and covered his face with it. And then somebody came along and plastered mascara around his eyes. Was this supposed to be one of the scenes where you jumped out of your seat? In the "Making of..." documentary, the film-makers seemed proud of having not made a linear movie--that is, "The Grudge" dips into the future, then the past, then the present. To me, it was confusing and style overpowered the effectiveness of this movie. The same Japanese director who made the foreign version of "The Grudge" was hired to make this Americanized production. That was a major mistake right there. Don't throw rotten tomatoes at me when I say this but American directors are unsurpassed when it comes to delivering the chills and thrills that we love.
35 Really Very Scary and Effective
I am at a loss to explain a few of the negative reviews "The Grudge" got from some critics (like Roger Ebert, who should know better.) Granted, it's not a recognizably instant classic like "The Ring", so "The Grudge" probably suffers by comparison in the minds of some. And its intricate story structure and downbeat themes may put off some people. But "The Grudge" is, on its own terms, a very effective exercise in horror that is all the more terrifying because of its restraint.
The movie is told in parallel story lines that move back and forth in time, so you have to pay attention. Its vision of history as an eternal, cyclical nightmare from which it is impossible to awaken may not be comforting to straight-forward, problem-solving Americans. But it is very Japanese and has a haunting relevance nowadays. As someone once said, "you may be through with the past; but the past is not through with you." More than one critic complained that this movie "didn't go anywhere"; that it was just an excuse to string together a sequence of very creepy images. Well, the images are very creepy indeed (including an elevator ride that will haunt your dreams.) But not being able to escape or move forward is very much the point. Unlike a lot of American films, "The Grudge" doesn't feel obligated to explain everything and spell out every plot point. You have to fill in some of the gaps, and tricking you into getting your imagination working overtime is a good strategy for the filmmakers.
Sarah Michelle Gellar does a fine, quietly touching acting job as a good-hearted American girl who to tries to fight the evil but is in way over her head. She's plucky in a vulnerable way; it's very different from the ass-kicking Buffy we all know and love. Anyone who still says she's limited as an actress is full of crap. Director Shimizu has a nicely poetic touch that make the horror all the more awful. I was exhilarated after watching this movie. Ignore all the snark in the media and check it out.
36 Incomplete
I must say I was a little bit disappointed when I saw this movie. The main story of it was very interesting, but the movie felt incomplete. It was only about 90 minutes long, which to me is too short for a horror film. It seems like the main outline for the movie was written, but that was it. They didn't elaborate the story, so it was too basic. There is no real character development in the movie, so when it ends, you really don't care that anyone died, because we never really got to know them. I give this movie 3 stars for an interesting idea, but I just think it could have been much better.
37 Oh My Gosh So Scary!!!!
My name is Tucker and whew this movie is so scary. Much scarier than BOOGEYMAN,HIDEANDSEEK,TheOriginalGrudge,andDARKNESS.You've got to buy this movie it is so scary buy it and I promise you'll love it.
38 So,So,So,Scary
Hello my name is Tucker Pace you've probubly seen alot of reiews that I have done but none were as this movie. I loved this movie I think anyone who loves scary,scary,scary,movies should definetley see this movie.
39 The movie gets 4 stars...
This idea does not however. I'm sorry, but they should have released a unrated version to begin with. I already own the first one, but I would rather be able to see the unrated one also, so now I'll have two copies of the same freakin' movie? That doesn't seem fair to me that they couldn't have just released it when they released the original. Or at least mentioned that there would be an unrated version being released. I would have wasted had I known that they are going to do anything in their power to get as much money from people as possible. PATHETIC.
40 I don't know
I was dissapointed for one reason when I saw this movie. It's not as scary as everyone says it is. I like the story but it seemed like after every scene that was meant to be scary, it just flashed to a new place
41 Not as good as expected
The previews for this movie looked like it would be a good one, but I was very disappointed. It was slightly boring and just when you thought something unexpected would happen, not much did. Then you would think as least the ending would finally make up for the slack and it was also disappointing. So, I suggest save your money for a better film.
42 Don't waste your time
This is a very good case for NOT remaking classic Japanese films. Ju-on is the scariest film my Lao wife and I have ever seen. We watched the original in Japanese with English subtitles. Scared the pants off both of us. The US remake is, I believe the Japanese word is "gomi". Please excuse if that isn't spelled correctly. It means junk. Ju-on works because of it's minimalist approach, not an overblown sound track and hokey effects. Don't waste your money. Buy the original.
43 NOTHING LIKE JU-ON!!!
Thos is truly the worst re-make of a japanese horror movie in history! they cut out so many scenes. Overall, i own it, but that doesn't mean i like to watch it!
44 Better than Ju-On... slightly
After watching Ju-On tonight, I was finally able to stack it up against its American counterpart, the Grudge. Here's how the movies compare as I see it.
1) Predictably, there are quite a number of scenes that occur in both flims. In these cases, the American version is better every time. It's well known that the Grudge had better special effects, and truthfully, it's not even close. The scene with the surveillance camera in particular was much more striking and unnerving in the Grudge.
2) Ju-On takes much longer to get started. By the looks of it, more people preferred the slower beginning, perhaps because they are given more time to get a sense of what's going on. The Grudge doesn't hesitate to punch the viewer in the mouth right from the get-go, which helps avoid what some may believe to be a slow (read: boring) start. To every man his own, but I enjoyed the quick jolt to kick things off. Maybe I'm also the impatient type. Hmm.
3) I've seen/heard a few complaints about how the plot loses some continuity, cohesiveness, and QUALITY during the translation. While I will agree that Ju-On is more focused on the storyline, it's not a heady tale to begin with. The Grudge is based off of a very simple premise, one that you can read about in any of its trailers. Bottom line: if you're avoiding the Grudge for what seems to be a lame plot, than Ju-On won't really excite you either.
The Grudge will make you jump more, which may be a turnoff for people who want unbearable tension instead. What could make the difference is the appearance of Kayako, the lovely girl who terrorizes all and whose face is undoubtedly burned into the minds of many viewers: she looks a bit upset in Ju-On, whereas in the Grudge, we see fear on her face, which I believe looks even more menacing.
THE GRUDGE - 4 stars, JU-ON - 3.5 stars
45 So, So, Scary
This movie is so scary I loved this movie it was so cool It was very scary. Somebody please buy this movie please it is so awsome. It had great special effects to.From KarenSmith.
46 Very,Very,Very,Scary!!!
This is the scariest movie I have ever seen it gave me nightmares for like a year and it still does I don't think I'll ever watch it ever again because it scared me so bad.From Tucker Pace.
47 Very,Very,Very,Scary!!!
This is the scariest movie I have ever seen it gave me nightmares for like a year and it still does I don't think I'll ever watch it ever again because it scared me so bad.From Tucker Pace.Buy this and you will not be sorry.
48 One of the Best Horror Films Today!
I never saw this at the theatres because I heard it wasn't scary enough, that the ghosts in it sucked. I regret ever listening to some of you fans out there I swear.
The Grudge is very comparable to the Ring... both remakes, and both even better then the original japanese versions. I've seen Ju-on, and I was bored, and even fell asleep while watching it. It was nothing like the one with Sarah michelle Gueller. It was always sunny, it had a lot of light even in the house... and just didn't give enough thrill like this new Grudge did. This uncut version will by far be better even if it's only 7 minutes longer. It'll have the best DTS sound and finally won't be rated pg-13.
There's so much things you can say that's crazy about this film, that's why I love it. They don't show you one person of how they die, but it gives you the scare just to imagine if that was you. Like all horror movies do today and very rarely succeed. If you're a ghost fan, you have to already have bought this, and will buy the uncut version next.
The Grudge... like the Ring, is one of my favorite horror movies today. I can't wait until the sequel coming out in 2006, even if it doesn't have Sarah michelle Gueller which it shouldn't if following tradition to the sequel of Ju-on. The Ring 2 just has come out and I know is the scariest thing to watch today. The Grudge will be the scariest thing though until Grudge 2 is released or Evil Dead the remake is released next year. Buy this, you won't regret it!
49 What can I say.........................
When my family decided to see the movie The Grudge, I was totally stoked. The previews seemed awesome and I totally looked foward seeing it. After the first half hour I was bored. It was an extremely dull movie with a simple, simple story line thrown in with special affects and loud music. One thing I hated with the movie was that it jumped around showing the different affects that the grudge affected all of the characters. I'm sure that the japenese movie is highly more eventful then dull 1 hour and 45 minutes was. It was truly a waste of $7.00 (canadian).
50 The best sequel to a japanese movie since The Ring
The Grudge is a movie about a kid who is really dead but I think very lonely. The first time that you see the kid he looks so innocent, then towards the end he looks very, very deadly and I found that very clever and interesting. This DVD has got a behind the scenes featurette, looking upon the movie. This movie and DVD makes you jump in most scenes. What I don't like about it is that you know when something is going to happen just by listening to the music. It starts low, low, low, then LOUD and something happens. Other than that if you are a horror fan and like to jump out you're seat you will love this DVD.
51 The Grudge
I thought this was a great movie, but I give it a rating of 4. Some things that I really enjoyed about this movie is that it makes you jump and the people who are supposed to be scary, are scary unlike in some movies where they're supposed to be scary looking but they aren't. One thing I didn't like about it is that they cut off what's happening to show something from the past. It confuses you becasue at first you think it's still part of the part you were just watching. This movie is about a Chinese family. The father finds out that the wife likes someone other than him and then he kills her and drowns the son and his cat. From then on, anyone who walks in that house they lived in, is haunted and killed by the boy and wife.
52 Don't waste your Time..
This is a boring repackage of a Japanese horror film. Apparently, children hiding in a closet and catatonic old women are scary in Japan. Sarah Michelle Gellar should have stuck with Buffy. The "Hush" episode of Buffy is scarier than this movie.
53 Creepy and disturbing Japanese ghost tale
I'm curious about why so many reviewers made a point of saying this movie was nothing like The Ring other than the fact that both are Americanized remakes of the Japanese originals. The two films are very similar in that they are both ghost stories...very Japanese ghost stories. In fact, I kind of wish I had seen The Grudge before I saw The Ring because the Grudge (and the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu) explains why both films were so creepy and disturbing.
At the heart of both film's effectiveness is the difference between Western and Eastern ghost tales. In the West, there is almost always some type of redemption: the wicked are punished, the innocent are damaged but wiser, and the ghost is at peace. In Eastern stories, ghosts (at least those of a person who died confused and angry) are always hungry for revenge and can never be at peace. In addition, anyone is fair game no matter how guilty or innocent. One of the shockers in The Ring is the false conclusion where we find out that what we thought put the ghost at peace had no effect at all other than to solve the mystery of how the girl died.
The demons are also very Eastern: not the ugly, leering Christian demons from hell but ones that are unsettling and watchful. More portents of distruction than bringers.
I actually appreciated the restraint with CGI and gore after having seen Exorcist: The Beginning just the night before. Although the thinking behind films these days seems to be that the audience expects lots of gore and special effects (otherwise they won't pay to see the film), I think the over-the-top approach usually detracts from the story as was the case in Exorcist I (which had potential but ended up being an abortion of a movie).
The non-linear approach to telling the story didn't bother me; in fact I enjoyed it because it sustained the mystery. In another inevitable comparison to The Ring, I think The Grudge, is far more satisfying it it's explaination for why the vengeful ghost and why the seemling indiscriminate selection of victims.
One more plus, the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu were a lot more enlightening than the typical gushing sound bites you find on most DVDs. They seemed to have left the over the top superlatives to the American performers.
The movie has some weaknesses which is why I gave it only three stars.
First, the pacing seems glacial: there aren't many extreme emotional events for the first 30 minutes. Even events that seem like they should be disturbing, left me feeling "why should I care?" Because Sam Raimi ("Evil Dead" and "Spiderman") isn't exactly the most understated of filmakers, I imagine the quietness and pacing of the film was a deliberate decision. For me, it didn't work.
Second, the lead played by Sarah Michelle Geller, seemed to be not much more than a one-dimensional vehicle for keeping the story moving. If you're expecting Buffy kicking demon ass, you'll need to look at reruns or DVD compilations. Buffy is no where to be found in this movie.
Bottom line: I recommend this movie IF you are open to the fact that it is a Japanese ghost story and with the exception of casting American actors, does little to Westernize the film. If you're expecting The Ring (the Westernized version) you'll be disapointed.
54 Her Guardian Demon!
I don't understand the all around bad reviews for this movie, from critics to the audience. In my opinion this movie represents a glimpse into the future of filmmaking.
Perhaps it is a cultural problem with the concepts of the supernatural between westerners and asians. In our movies, ghosts and demons have to have a purpose or a Satanic director but asian ghosts do not. Asian ghosts simply exist and they have no explanation. That being said, the ghosts in this movie do have a plan but the filmmakers feel they don't have to explain. I will grant that the film feels very brief. Obviously it was planned with sequels in mind so only part of Peter's, Karen's, Toshio's and Kayako's stories are told. But the hints are there if you look for them. Karen, like Peter, is one of the only characters who looks at the boy in his non-demonic form. The female demon constantly resists attacking her. Could she have some relation to Peter? We don't know yet but at the end, it is clear that the demons have something very special planned for Karen.
As to the future of films, watch the documentaries included with the DVD. The Japanese crew filmed extremely efficiently and economically. But the movie never feels rushed or shortchanged. The set design is fantastic! From the glamorous high-rise apartment of the investment banker, Peter's modest Professor apartment, Karen's student hovel filled with japanese and american knick-knack's to the haunted house itself, everything feels lived in and natural. Nothing looks as if it has been ripped out of the pages of Pottery Barn like the set design in American films today. The surroundings are used to explain the life of the characters. It opens big showing them living their international lives then squeezing out the life in them.
I found the film terrifying and it made me jump more than once. If you like this film then check out The Changeling, the Julie Harris original of The Haunting and the BBC's The Woman in Black.
55 Not a bad movie, just doesn't make sense
This movie wasn't bad. I had scary moments. But overall it made no sense. It's like the girl from the Ring gets up, walks around, scares people, the end. No real reason for killing people, no method, no back story, hardly a front story really. It's over and you're thinking "Why did any of this happen?" Also it seems they ran out of money as the movie ends in the space of about 5 minutes.
56 It is not scary at all! Save your money!
I love watching japanese movies. Some of their old ghost movies were scary enough to carry the emotion of fear across the language and culture gap for non-Japanese audiences to appreciate; but not this one.
A horror movie is supposed to scare the audience not to make the audience scratch their head in wonder of what it is about.
Both the Japanese and American actors and actresses perform their parts well. No problem with the acting. I think something is wrong with the story, the script and the directing. We don't see enough biography of the characters, especially of those who became ghosts, to develop any emotional empathy, understanding and appreciation for their roles in the movie. I wonder why they even bothered to give them names.
There is almost no sense of purpose or reason. The detective had to explain to us, the audience, as well as to Sarah Gellar. We are told that the ghost is enraged and will forever haunt that place. Without showing the biography of the ghosts, the emotional reasoning is very flat. In fact the only ghost that does show emotional rage is the jealous husband who does not do much haunting in the movie. The mother ghost and the small child ghost lack expression. The mother ghost and the small child ghost are too cute to be scary and too serious to be cute. I just can't feel their rage by watching them. Instead, they look rather pitiful but not enough so as to evoke a sense of great tragedy or injustice done to them.
The commentaries of the movie's special feature tell us that Japanese horror movies don't have a sense of crime and punishment, that the innocent living are not necessarily safe from the rage of the ghost. Well, I have to reject that assessment. The Japanese have ghost movies in which the innocent are ignored while a guilty member of the living is haunted relentlessly. Some of these involve jilted spouses or lovers which is an element in this film.
Bill Pullman's character, the professor, is handed a letter from the Japanese mother by an associate. The professor denies knowing her. Then, after the associate turns and walks away, Bill Pullman pulls out several letters from the same Japanese mother. He goes to her house and meets the boy, her son. The professor senses that something is wrong with the boy and tries to comfort him. The boy moves back in rejection of the professor's comfort. The professor moves about through the house in search of the parents and finds the bodies of the mother and the father. His reaction is more deep than the shock of discovering dead bodies of people who he does not know. He does not encounter the conscious spirits of the mother and father. We don't see him going to authorities of any type which would be a normal reaction by most Americans as well as Japanese in such a situation. We don't see the ghosts following him home. Yet, he commits suicide. Suicide is an atonement for serious offenses and disgrace in Asia. It is also a non-verbal admission of guilt. The murder-suicide committed by the father of the Japanese family is not uncommon amoung Asian's who have discovered marital infidelity by a spouse. The ghosts go after all the Americans even when they have left the house, except for Bill Pullman, the professor. Furthermore, the ghosts do in those Japanese characters who give assistance to the Americans: Yoko-the care giver, the police detective who tries to burn down the house. The real estate salesman who sells the house to the American family is intimidated by a ghost in the rest room. There is simply a different sense of guilt in this movie which drives the rage of the ghosts though non-Japanese audience see innocent Americans being eliminated left and right by the ghosts.
I think the rage is symbollically represented over the violation of the Japanese family, the Japanese home and Japanese society by American outsiders. Americans have occupied Japan since World War II. In the last 20 years American businesses, especially car companies and other technology companies have demanded that Japan open their public markets to American products. Therefore, I think that symbollic representation of Japanese resentments of American intrusion into their society, sovereignty, and now sanctuary of home is not out of the question as an interpretation of culturally relative symbollism in this movie. However, I can also be way of track.
If there were not so many other American performers other than Sarah Gellar in this movie, they probably should should have called this movie, "Goldilocks and the three ghosts."
I have also seen "the ring" and found it only slightly more visually interesting but not scary.
See "The Others" with Nicole Kidman for a good scary movie with a surprizing twist.
57 Insult to my intelligence
I had the best weekend I've had in several weeks, unfortunately I completely utterally botched up (when I could have been sleeping , or watching animal planet. I am not sure what exactly the purpose of the plot was. I am not sure what the meaning of the movie was. All I now I know is Buffy wore more makeup on TV than she did on the BIG SCREEN. PLEASE DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. IF YOU REALLY FEEL AS IF YOU'VE EARN THE MONEY YOU'VE WORKED FOR!!!!!!!
58 Not as bad as people make it out to be
I thought this was a solid horror flick, with the exception of the ending. I don't understand why it's hated so much. It's a horror movie. What did you expect? It has it's flaws, but it delivered exactly what I expected.
59 More of a mystery than an all out horror film
This was a very intresting movie. Its a great mystery and a solid horror flick. The acting is a bit wooden at times but that does not really matter. There are some very well done scenes and there are some rather clever parts as well. This is a solid movie, might work better in the Holloween season than say in the spring. Also check out the Director's Cut of the movie.
60 PG-13 NO MORE
NOW THIS IS WHIT YOU WONT OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE UNCUT BLOOD GORE NO PG-13 CRAP THIS TIME THIS IS THE REAL JAW DROPPING VERSION TO OWN
61 SO SO MOVIE...
I JUST HAD TO SEE IT BECAUSE IT REMINDED ME OF ALL THEM OLD JAPANESE MOVIES I GREW UP ON WHILE LIVING IN OKINAWA. COULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT MOVIE BUT WHAT THE HECK...I MADE THE BEST HOT BUTTERED POPCORN (FOR ONCE) AND FOR THAT I GAVE IT AN EXTRA STAR!
62 Not Really That Good
The Ring scared the crap out of me. When that thing crawled out of the TV set--ohmygosh--SCREEEAM! I'd never seen anything like that in all the years that I've been a scary movie fan. So when the Grudge came out, I was very excited about seeing it. Let's just say I'm glad I waited until it came out on video.
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays an American exchange student who goes to the cursed house to take care of the ailing older mother. But even before "Buffy" shows up, we see very clearly that something is seriously wrong and creepy in the house. The movie does well to build suspense and it delivers on that buildup; it's just that after awhile, it's the same creepy thing all the time and it gets old. The story is told in a series of flashbacks alternating with current time, so what happened is revealed slowly. It's mildly interesting, this technique, but still a bit too linear to give the story any great originality.
At one point in the movie, I thought perhaps the grudge was the Japanese against Americans for our bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki back in WW2, and this Anglo American family living in Japan happened to be the ones that the Japanese were taking it out on. I knew that idea was a stretch, and the movie later reveals that Anglo Americans weren't the only ones punished by the so-called curse of what happened in that house.
If you bring to this movie an eye experienced in Japanese film technique or knowledge of the director's previous work, you may find the movie more interesting than I did. Admittedly, the Ring was very hard to top and The Grudge didn't succeed in that. But it was no great loss: the movie is a mere 75 minutes long.
I'd recommend The Grudge if you're curious, but don't expect much. I won't hold The Grudge against the director, though. The Ring II is soon to be released, and I'll definitely be going to see it.
63 A Ghost Story with an Edge
Hollywood, in the last few years, has discovered the Japanese flair for horror films. "The Grudge", however, is the first collaboration between American producers and Japanese producers, using famed Japanese director, Takashi Shimizu's original film of the same name, in an effort to make popular the Japanese horror film for the western audience, without losing its critical edge in the translation. Tinsel town's adaptation of "The Ring", for example, in some respects was successful, though managed to lose something in the translation. "The Grudge", though, remained on task, maintaining that quintessential Japanese horror atmosphere, non-linear narrative style and open ending. More importantly, "The Grudge" is a chilling tale - a ghost story with an edge.
Revenge is the underlying theme of this film, and the story is actually taken from Japanese folklore. As the legend goes, a king loses a chess game to an underling. The king not only kills the winning underling, but also kills his entire family. As the family have been murdered unjustly, their rage develops and a curse is born. Their spirits are held in place with emotional rage, a grudge, and they inflict this rage on the living. In the film, there has been a murder suicide in a house, and all those that come into contact with the house, become the victims of these vengeful spirits. This may appear to be a standard plot idea for a ghost story, but it is the way that Shimizu tells the story that makes it interesting. The film seamlessly moves backwards and forward in time, telling us the story in fragments, until the entire plot comes together at the climax. For me this had great effect, as this method maintained my attention from start to finish - a welcome diversion from standard linear story telling.
Sarah Michelle Geller as Kare Davis put in a believable performance as the young American caretaker. She can appear realistically horrified without it seeming tacky or melodramatic.
Overall a good horror film that had me riveted from the start to its over the top finale.
64 2 bedroom condo, bodyparts optional ...........
YUK! I'm still recovering from THAT lonely little jawbone ..... pithy moment though. ALL very much inspired by ancient Japanese NOH theatre, etc, but very, very effective.
It's almost apint size version of the original 'Haunting' - veguely confusing about 'what really happened' to the original occupants, but BOTH should be seen - the original and the err... remake, or better still a later version dove-tailing everything together?
Wouldn't that be interesting?
By the bye .... people please market a series of games based on these features "The Grudge", "The Ring" [no one will ever be allowed to leave home...]
The talent?
Ms. Geller spearheads this one just perfectly! [Especially the 'shower-moment' ...]
The rest of the mostly American cast bring up the rear - so to speak, or not [Grace Zabriskie, very chilling, as is the 'vaulting' Bill Pullman ... yep! nasty moments a-plenty!]
65 Interesting, spooky little gem....
Nice lighting, moody, and a great setting keep this little horror
gem moving along. I've always liked SG from TV's Buffy, she does a
nice job playing this role, she's not suppose to be Buffy? She's
slow to react to all this menace developing around her(who wouldn't) and
no one is safe, this movie is much different than most of the crap they
serve up in the USA, its like a creepy mystery story unfolding,
slowly at times, but always moving along. Some nice scenes
shot within the house and what an opener! For the most part
this is well done and gives you the creeps, worthy of a sequel.
66 Beautiful, atmospheric, creepy.
The Grudge (Takashi Shimizu, 2004)
Among die-hard film snobs (like yours truly), the name of Korean producer Roy Lee has become the most loathed in Hollywood virtually overnight. Lee's tremendous success with the remake of The Ring led him to embrace the "if it ain't broke, fix it anyway" philosophy wholeheartedly. A check on his IMDB page shows no fewer than seventeen projects either completed or in production, the majority of them being American remakes of Japanese films (mostly horror, but Hideo Nakata's brilliant mystery Chaos is represented as well). But the bottom line is that if all of Lee's upcoming projects are as well-done as The Ring and The Grudge, folks have nothing at all to worry about.
Takashi Shimizu directs the remake of his own Ju-On, translated by Stephen Susco (whose next project is Lucky McKee's adaptation of Jack Ketchum's novel Red, another "can't-wait-to-see-this" movie), and for all intents and purposes, all that was done was replace some of the main actors with Americans. Some of the actors from the original film also reprise their roles here (most notably Takako Fuji as Kayako), while other, better-known Japanese actors dropped into some roles for the remake (most notably Ryo Ishibashi, who gained recognition on this side of the pond as the lead in Takashi Miike's Audition). What you end up with is an above-average cast featuring some actors who really don't get enough exposure in American cinema (Grace Zabriskie, whose role here is understated and chilling in the extreme, for example).
Because the original director reprised his role this time, The Grudge bears far more of a resemblance to the original than did The Ring. Still, it bears looking at as its own movie, rather than as a remake, and it is quite a lovely thing to behold-- the horror of the film comes not so much from the events as from the incredible attention to detail and the overall atmosphere of the thing. Definitely worth your time. ****
67 The Grudge
This movie is absolutely terrible! I watched it 2 nights ago with my parents and I hated it! It was annoying, cheesy, and downright embarrassing to watch. The zombie-looking woman & boy are so fake looking that it's not even funny. If you saw the movie Darkness Falls and hated it, then you'll sure as hell hate this. If you watch this movie and like it, you need professional help!
68 a view from an outsider
Im not usually drawn to horror but we decided 2 rent this film after there was nothing else left. Not being a particular horror fan I had never viewed its japanese version nor have a seen over "classics" like the ring. Both my girlfriend and i found this film pretty hard to watch (especially my other half who ran off part way through). And although yes you can tell whats going to happen in parts and know exactly when to look away this film does seem to add original moments, and is good for a bit of shock horror. Enjoy.
69 Worst Movie I've ever seen in my life.
I would rate it zero stars, if not for the minimum 1-Star rating choice. I pre-bought 2 tickets to see this at a local theatre back in November. I then secured a babysitter and told my wife we were going out. She was delightfully surprised and she asked what I was taking her to see. I said, "lets just go, it was #1 in the theatre in it's first week of release." Let me just say that roughly 10 minutes into the movie, she hit me in the arm, because I picked out a bad movie. I told her we could just leave and go to dinner. She said, "maybe it will get better" It didn't. Afterwards, when walking out of the theater, another couple was blabbing about how bad it was and we commiserated together and all 4 of us stated what a colossal waste of 2 hours it was.
The acting is pitiful. There isn't a single noteworthy exchange of dialogue between any characters the entire feature. The only reason I am writing this is to save 2 hours of your life.
70 See the Japanese Original Instead
"The Grudge" is based on the Japanese hit, "Ju On," which I viewed a few months before watching this film. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Karen Davis, an American student who works for some kind of social work agency - the details are never really apparent. When one of her colleagues fails to show up for work, Gellar is sent to care for an elderly patient. Upon arriving at the home, Gellar finds a creepy boy (Toshio) locked in the closet, which sets into action the main plot.
I'm definitely not opposed to foreign films being remade for the American market; however, they seldom live up to the original, as is the case with "The Grudge." The film retains many of the original elements, including the Tokyo locale, director Takashi Shimizu, several Japanese stars, and the basic story. Interestingly, much of the background story has changed, which makes the plot more linear and comprehensible. However, the result is a story that is much more obvious and devoid of suspense. What played as mystical and creepy in the original film with Japanese actors sometimes seems semi-laughable when Gellar or Bill Pullman are inserted into the action. I'm not a Buffy fan, but I couldn't help but think that Gellar should kick the specter into next year.
I wasn't a big fan of "Ju On," but it did have creepy atmosphere that's missing from "The Grudge." Thus, I can't recommend the remake.
71 JU-ON 2
this american version of "THE GRUDGE" is a creepy new addition to the horror movie world. although it played more like a part2 rather than a remake of the original("JU-ON") i still loved it! well worth the money so you can take a gander every halloween season! i recommend Takashi Shimizu's original version to go along with his american version as a 1-2 punch. ENJOY!
72 the grudge
The cover looks cool and scary so I must warn you. You CANNOT trust a book or DVD by its cover!! I'm serious, I do not understand why this movie was supposed to be scary. I felt like been there done that a million times before. This movie, despite a strong cast, just didn't do it for me.
73 So So Horror Flick Will Leave You Appalled and Frustrated
Why is it that no one in America can make a truly stellar horror flick? Can't anyone come up with an original idea and not have to borrow from past movies (IE- the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre, those awful Jason movies, etc. and the even worse Alien Vs. Predator) and Japanese horror films (The Ring, anyone?)? Alright. All that aside. This is a so so movie. I was scared most of the time, I'll give it that, but I was left disappointed with too many questions floating around in my head. I don't just want to be scared. I crave a great story. A story that begs to be told. This one so does not do this!
Basically, the movie is about a family who moves into a new hosue in Japan. Yes the house is lovely. Yes you must take your shoes off when you enter, even if it is your house. Strange things begin to happen to this family. The mother begins to stare at the wall. Her son is worried and his wife is nervous about living in Japan. The movie moves back and forth between several stories, one of which is this one about the family. The other is about Sarah Michelle Gellar's character, a student who is assigned to visit the seemingly senile mother in this freaky house. I love how Gellar walks toward the house so slowly and looks back and forth like a manic squirrel. She's never been there before. What's there to be afraid of yet? Anyway, she begins to see things too. Soon people end up disappearing. Dying. Seeing little boys who meow. Very strange. What's the deal with this house? What's happening to everyone? What's Bill Pullman jumping out a window in the beginning have to do with the story? It's convoluted, but it's not too hard to follow.
It kinda reminded me of The Ring, just the way it looks and how the tone is. I like The Ring better, though. This movie did scare me. I actually had to stay up and watch Full House just to get it out of my system. Ugh. Some of the images are just horrifying. And imagine having a younger sister who wants to freeze frame them all and stare at them for countless minutes and laugh at you while you squirm. You want a good scare? Check this out. Want to see a great story? Avoid at all costs.
74 Not impressed
I went to the movies to see this and I wish I hadn't wasted the money. It was not scary and it was rather bizarre...
Sarah Michelle Gellar is a type of house call nurse who is living in Tokyo with her boyfriend. She is asigned a particular womans home when the regular visiting nurse doesn't show up to work ( we see what happened to her in the beginning)... basically when she gets to the house weird things happen... a freakish child appears and noises and other weird things happen... even when she leaves she is haunted by this mysterious thing... and Sarah Michelle is determined to find out what is going on...
I guess its like when someone dies violently there is rage left behind in the place where they were killed and Sarah Michelle finds out what happened in the house to make it haunted...
I don't want to give things away in case you decide to actually see it for yourself... but I would skip it. It's not scary, it's odd, the story isn't even good, and the talent is at mediocre best.
I was utterly dissappointed in this film and do not recommend it.
75 what happeed to all the scary movies?
The movie The Grudge sucked because, it will kind of confuse you in a way.But then the movie is getting kind of good the director will kind of good, then the director will kind of do something tomess it all up. Like for example evey part when the monster is about to kill somebody and it gets good, and the director will ruind it by, the monster making a wierd noise.
I think that the movie is one of the first movies I seen and regretting wasting money on it. When I sae the commercials I thought "Hey...I might like this movie,...I should go see it when the movie comes out." But to my dissappointment, I didnt like it.
I like the way the actors acted. Like they acted like if what was in the movie was actually happening to them in real life. The scene in the movie that I liked the most was when the guys sister was going to die. She went to hide under the blancket of her bed, but when she went to hide the monster was their and killed her. Other than that the movie was ok.
In conclusion I think that the movie "The Grudge" was very patomine. I asked some people in my class and they all said that the movie was very obmutescence.
76 Rather disappointing, I'm sorry to say
I must admit I was rather disappointed by The Grudge. I've watched a lot of horror movies, and The Grudge just didn't strike me as very scary at all - it's creepy enough on occasion to make some viewers jump, but I didn't find anything actually scary about any of it - unless you think Japanese women and little boys wearing black mascara in Tammy Faye proportions is scary. It would have helped if more of the "scary" moments hadn't been preceded by an obvious, ridiculously loud crescendo of the music. I wasn't all that impressed with the story, either - it hangs together just fine, but it didn't seem to have much substance. I wouldn't even begin to compare this film with The Ring, which was much, much scarier and emotionally powerful. I have a lot of respect for Japanese horror films, so I'm not blaming any type of cultural differences between Japanese audiences and myself for my dissatisfaction. To me, this film just wasn't nearly as different or original as the filmmakers assert in all of the making-of featurettes. Just because The Grudge serves up a non-linear presentation of the plot and doesn't employ gore to impart its most visceral effects doesn't mean the film is automatically excellent (in the same way that a gory film is not automatically bad just because of the gore). It all comes down to the story, and this just isn't that great of a story.
Sarah Michelle Gellar (who has, by the way, looked better than she does here) stars as a sort-of nurse who has moved to Tokyo with her boyfriend (who, unfortunately, seems to have graduated from the Ashton Kutcher school of fashion). She helps care for infirm patients, and she has to fill in at a certain house one day - while there, she displays an unhealthy curiosity for a series of strange noises, which leads her to a creepy little boy and his fierce cat; before the day is through, she sees something much more frightening than that. Well, it turns out that this particular house was the scene of a violent crime, and the emotional angst that accompanied that terrible event remains in the house, marking for death everyone who dares cross over the threshold. We're soon off on the first of several flashbacks. By the midpoint of the film, it's obvious what is going on here, but that doesn't stop the onslaught of flashbacks. The ending is a little different than what you might expect - but I found it rather unsatisfying (although it does furnish some of the film's creepier - but still not scary - moments).
I just think this movie needed something more, especially at the end; the whole thing felt more like a number of related scenes thrown together than a full-fledged movie. Part of my frustration probably stems from the fact that Gellar's character is absent from a good chunk of the first hour of the film. Gellar seemed really excited about this film in her interviews, but that wonderful Gellar magic seemed bottled up in every one of her scenes. Her whole character never seemed to develop fully - actually, that's a problem with the movie as a whole. I really didn't care about any of these characters, be they innocent or guilty. And I really don't think there is anything complex about the plot - the filmmakers tried to make it seem complicated by the nonlinear storyline, but the final big flashback at the end was almost boring because it wasn't showing me anything I hadn't already figured out. I'm not buying the argument that The Grudge is comparatively deeper or more intellectual than many a good western horror film, either - a film like The Others beats The Grudge hands down, in my opinion.
The movie does come with some 45 minutes of interviews and behind-the-scenes materials, as well as a 12-minute lecture on the psychological nature of fear. There was a little bit of overkill with all this. I got the impression I was expected to love this film just because it was rooted in Japanese culture, made by the Japanese director and film crew of Ju-on, and different than typical Hollywood horror movies. I'm sorry, but as much as I love Sarah Michelle Gellar, The Grudge just didn't impress me all that much.
Who are these people who simply assume that Japanese films in their original Japanese formats won't fly in America? I'm sure Ju-on is a much better film that this Americanized remake - how about slapping some subtitles on the originals and giving American audiences a chance to prove whether or not films like Ringu and Ju-on can fill the seats of American movie houses?
77 Not that scary.....
I made the mistake of seeing the original Japanese version before seeing the remake and from all the hype about the latter being utterly horrific I was very eager to see it as I thought the original was pretty average.
The remake is not any scarier and I can honestly say I have been more frightened in other movies. I have known people who have seen this and said they were so scared they had their faces covered for most of the film....I don't think so!!
78 Buffy grows up!
A lot was riding on Sarah Michelle Gellar's new movie, The Grudge. If it failed at the box office she could be faced with the prospect of more Scooby Doo sequels while its success could lead to bigger and better things. After all, it was her first serious film role after six years on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and proof that she could carry a movie on her name alone. Gellar is smart. She doesn't stray from the genre that made her a star. The financial success of The Grudge surpassed expectations that the studio had for it and a sequel is already in the works.
There is a spirited audio commentary by Sam and Ted Raimi, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rob Tapert, Clea DuVall, Stephen Susco, Jason Behr and KaDee Strickland. Tapert MCs the proceedings, often prompting the participants with questions. Everybody recounts production anecdotes, including working in Japan, getting used to their customs and working with Shimizu.
"A Powerful Rage: Behind The Grudge" examines several aspects of the movie and can be viewed in five separate featurettes or altogether. Unlike the original, which used actual locations, the house in this new version existed entirely on a set. The cast also talk about Shimizu's distinctive vision and his working methods.
Finally, "Under the Skin" features Dr. Joseph LeDoux, a professor of neural science and psychology. He talks about how fear in horror films work on its audience.
79 FINALLY!!!
It's about time for us to get a real horror movie instead of crappy concepts, redundant plots and ideas, and endless sequels. "The Grudge" is horror in it's purest form. The American horror gene pool has been polluted with slasher films, blood and guts, and teen cult classics, so I've been waiting for a film like this for a long time. I'm glad that I wasn't disappointed. I watched the Japanese version of "Ju On" first, that way I would at least get a good idea of what the movie was suppose to be like, and that movie was amazing. Although, as with anything else, I expected the remake to suck when the American film makers got their hands on it. Come on, Our idea of horror films are loaded with a masked slasher stalking young teen virgins, or either just plain blood and guts. That's nice! However, I like to get a little deeper than that sometimes. I like to go for a little psychological terror too. This movie doesn't disappoint.
80 A very good attempt at a movie, but with a very weak premise
First off, I thought this movie was okay. The acting was fine, and the pace of the story kept it from dragging too much. However, the basic idea is, well...stupid. According to the movie, Japan has a superstition that anyone who is murdered and dies in a way that involves great anger or sorrow (which should cover most deaths) ends up killing everyone who enters the house the death occurred in. If this were actually possible, I have to assume the Japanese government/police would have grown wise to this and torn down houses like the one this story focuses on. If you can accept that no one would ever catch on to this bit of the obvious in Japan, then the movie is enjoyable, to a point. This is one of those "jigsaw" movies that unfold out of chronological order, so you have to pay attention to the entire second half to understand why this particular story is the one being told. If they make a sequel, I hope they address some of the unanswered questions from this movie. (For instance, is the grudge so strong that the ghost(s) would follow someone back to America? Is there a time limit to how long you have to be in the house to justify being killed, like a plumber addressing a leaky toilet?) The mystery continues...
81 Creepy Bits Are Better Than The Whole
If you ask whether or not 'The Grudge' is really creepy, yes, it is, but I think horror film fans would find the film as a whole is trying to be too clever. It features American actors but is set in Japan (directed by Japanese Takashi Shimizu), and moreover throws away the usual chronological order to tell the story, very unusual storytelling method in horror films.
With this non-linear approach, the film can be ambitious. So what you see in the first scene is the most shocking. You see Bill Pullman staring at the city of Tokyo, from the window of an apartment. Then, wow, a big surprise comes.
Sara Michelle Geller is nominal star of the film, but the real feature is actually the evil power that must be dwelling in the apparently ordinaly small, Japanese-style house in Tokyo. It is soon revealed that in that place some terrible incidents happen to the visitors, including Ms. Geller's character Karen, American exchange student, or other people (mostly Americans, including Clea Duvall or Jason Behr as Geller's boyfriend).
[SURELY CREEPY] The film is surely creepy, and the film comes with the carefully controled sound effects (as in 'The Ringu' or 'Ju-On' the latter being the original version of this film). The atmosphere of Tokyo is captured very well, and the 'lost' sense of American visitors in this city is presented convincingly. (Incidentally, you can see the same downtown street of Shinjuku, as was seen in 'Lost in Translation'.)
But horror fans would soon realize that director Shimizu uses some conventional scares -- like sudden big noises -- and the film often looks as if too eager to be scary. In the latter half, the film begins to show its defects -- it is repetitious. People are killed, or intimidated, by Toshio and Kayako (evil spirits played by the same actors as Japanese versions), but ... it is as if we see too much of them, maybe more than Ms. Geller herself.
[IN A NUTSHELL] the problem is this. In the beginning of the film, you see THE GRUDGE IS THE CURSE OF THE ONE WHO DIES IN THE GRIP OF POWERFUL RAGE. and that curse is, it says PASSED, LIKE A VIRUS, FROM VICTIM TO VICTIM IN AN ENDLESS, GROWING CHAIN OF HORROR. Yes, it looks endless, in a bad way.
Perhaps the film's history is more interesting than the Hollywood remake itself. The original 'Ju-on' and its sequel (shot at the same time) were made-for-video short films. Then, two theatrical films were made, AND this Hollywood remake. The franchize spread like a virus. And they are planning to make another one. It's time to stop that, isn't it?
82 audio commentary is worth checking out...
the movie is kinda creepy and atmospheric but not really that scary or frightening. still, most horror movies today don't even try to be scary. they just try to be gross-outs, or action/special efx-oriented flicks. anyway, you know the plot(curse/revenge/haunted house, such as it is), the fact it's a remake(i haven't seen the original), and some of the complaints. interestingly, if you listen to the audio commentary, it might make you appreciate the film more and ease some of those complaints. the commentary is rather entertaining(the cast and crew have a good time and are actually quite amusing) and informative(they say there's gonna be an unrated version soon, they say where that disturbing sound originates from, they walk you through the non-linear storytelling which isn't that difficult to follow to begin with, etc). also on the dvd, the 'making of' documentary is pretty interesting too. overall, i'd recommend at least a rental on this fairly creepy, fairly interesting movie. and check out that commentary track while you're at it.
83 A Genuinely Frightening Film by a Brilliant Director
I generally detest the remaking of foriegn films for American audiences, for without exception they drain the original of it's unique qualities and round off all the sharp edges - and American executives' assuming that stateside audiences don't want to read subtitles is just another example of the intellectual dumbing down of the US population. I was enormously impressed with the Japanese original, and even more impressed with this version because it retains the same feeling of.... well, incomparable creepiness. This is a hell of a film, and don't be put off that Sarah Michelle Geller is the big teen name on the poster - this is not a teen scream flick but a well executed, supremely disturbing film by a defiantly groundbreaking director, the same artist as directed the original. I rate this at four stars only because Ms. Geller, while not doing damage to the work, is a bit limited in her range. The Grudge is worlds beyond the usual pablum that passes for horror from US studios, and will hopefully turn many Americans on to the exceptional cinema coming out of Japan. Not a horror cliche in the entire film. Well paced, well scripted, beautifully photographed and refusing to answer all the questions or tie up all the loose ends, this is a genuinely frightening film.
84 better then japanese version
i seen this verion first before watching Ju-on, so i hope i am not being to biased, but the special effects were much better in this american version. they used more computerized special effects which i thought helped with the realism. i also think i enjoyed this version more considering i wasn't distracted by reading subtitles as in the japanese version.
this movie is downright creepy. don't look for any complex plot. people go into this one house. afterwards they are royally screwed. this movie shows you how screwed they are. don't look for any happy endings.
although i know alot of us are desensitized to the horror genre, sometimes a good flick comes out that crawls up your back a little. some of my friends had higher expectations for this, but i enjoyed it greatly. there was plenty of scenes to get you wanting to turn the lights on, that is if you want to give the film a chance. this looks to be one of those movies that you are either gonna love or hate.
85 freaky!!!!
The grudge, unlike The Ring, is more or less a film that just carries you briefly from one scary scene to the enxt - whereas the ring frightened you, and sucked you into the story, with eerie bits here and there but really shocking you with a good scary ending.
So, storywise, this isnt great. In fact, the story is so small that if they hadnt filled the film with scary jump-out-of-your-seats and dont-look-behind-you scenes, the film would be no good.
Overall though it is pretty good. if you're a horror lover that can put up with storyless films as well as the oned driven by story like myself, you'll love this movie....
86 The Grudge Effect
No fancy review here. Just a brief description of the last week...
Friday night. My wife was out with some friends and I was home with a sinus infection and an incredible urge to watch a scary movie and eat pizza. About twenty minutes into the DVD I wanted a blanket to lay on the couch. But, it was in the room at the end of the hall. I had to turn on the lights in the hall and in the room.
Saturday morning. I was feeling a little better and went to work in a drab office building with boring white hallways. I was the only one there and I got the creeps, again.
Saturday afternoon. I went home and watched the bonus features on how "The Grudge" was made. The features are well done and interesting. And, they showed some of the secrets that made the movie so scary. There, creepiness gone.
Monday evening. I wonder why that ghost moved like it did. Oh... it's probably because... echh.
It's Thursday. I think I figured out why the ghost made that sound.
Get it? I'm a 47 year old man, and I'm no sissy! But, this film got to me in ways I didn't expect. I think it was the feeling of disorientation that made the most powerful impact on me. Americans in Japan; even normal things outside "the house" are a little different. When the hauntings come nothing looks, moves, or sounds the way it should. There's only one brief, gross moment of horror, the rest is just a very good ghost story. I was impressed.
87 What a waste of time!
If you enjoy movies where everything gets quiet and then something scary jumps out with a loud noise, this one is for you. It happens over, and over, and over... meanwhile the plot is straight line and absurdly simple, the characters are there just long enough for us to figure out who they are before they get bumped off, and the editing makes for confusing time cuts so you'll have something to think about because otherwise there is nothing in this movie for you.
88 Thin on plot and chills
This movie was a big disappointment. I should have learned my lesson years ago that I should ignore the critics and pay attention to moviegoers reviews on online sites. This movie has about two pages of plot which is dragged out for a full length movie. It isn't scary. The creepy atmosphere gets tedious as the plot doesn't move along. The supposedly scary moments are old hat and just get boring with repetition. A loser.
89 Send this crap back to Asia!!
I swear, it all started with The Ring, which was based on the Asian horror film Ringu. And now we have The Grudge based on another Asian film, Ju-On: The Grudge. Since The Ring's popularity, Hollywood figures they can widen their horror movie audience by putting out a bunch of PG-13 "scary" movies so more people can go see them and make some bucks doing it, but what Hollywood doesn't really realize is that they are really losing members of their real target audience that made horror films so popular in America. It's really a sad time for the genre right now.
The Grudge is another movie to jump on the band wagon of watered down horror/thriller movies (Darkness, White Noise, Boogeyman) that really offers nothing but cheap thrills to people who are easily frightened by simple scare tactics and shock value. And I am not one of those people. What ever happened to the horror movie rule that "if you can't scare them, gross them out with blood and gore"? I was perfectly happy with horror films that lacked in the scare department but made up for it in the blood and guts department.
But don't go thinking that the only reason I didn't like this movie was that it didn't have enough violence. I'm just not a person who is easily startled by jumpy scenes, especially in movies like The Grudge. Some of my favorite horror films have little to no gore (Halloween, The Shining, The Blair Witch Project). I like the type of scary movie that gets inside my head and scares me psychologically, not movie's with whimpy ghost popping out of a closet.
Other than that, The Grudge offers not too great of acting, almost no plot, and is not scary at all. Enough said here.
90 another clone
I mean that this movie is not unlike the average horror movie you encounter within your lifetime: Scary sound and visual effects, Bad acting, Bad and predictable plot, deathrate of the main characters is between 80 to 100 percent etc...
Some people never learn. The creators of this movie seem to have cared more of the income they made at the movies.
This movie has a great (looking) cast, but that's it. They are from teen tv shows like Roswell, Xena and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However there is no room for them to even say a one decent clever dialogue. The only thing they are good for are either looking stupid or scared and finally dying. I loved Bill Pullmans acting in Zero Effect and I thought that he would do a great job in this movie as well. Nope. I never once cared for any of the characters, They die They live Just the same to me. The actors probably took the job because it was easy: Five minutes of talking at maximum and lots of money to expect, except for learning how to pronounce the japanese word "Konnichiwa" of course.
My recommendation is that you go and see other better and new horror movies like Saw or Dawn of the Dead if you haven't seen them already.
To the big question: Is it scary? Well... It is quiet for a while and an actress sees a dark room, she's thinking "What's that?". With white stupid eyes she goes in to the room and slowly looks around... *footsteps can be heard from behind*... "Who is it?"... *gulp*... She turns around... *footsteps stop*... and ... Slowly... Slowly... Again Slowly... sees... AAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHH
Clearly another clone
91 Will put you to sleep or make you laugh
This movie really does suck. It is a very boring uninspired remake with lackluster acting, zero story, a few moody camera shots that were done much better in Ju-on. This is very much the definition of what sucks in American Cinema today, lets take an overall good foreign film, redo it with an American cast, squeeze out any out the chills and originality and make it a nice boring safe flick for the kiddies.
PG-13 is destroying the horror film!
Don't buy this tripe don't even watch it unless you're twelve.
Watch Ju-on, a genuine horror film with some sincere scares, not this sanitized butt wipe version.
92 Horrible Movie
This is the worst movie I have seen in a long time. There is zero plot and no story line. The acting was terrible, but what can you expect from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?!
93 Putrid
The grudge was one of the 3 horror films playing in the november area, and i would like to say this is the worst by far (the other 2 being "White Noise" and "SaW") SaW is the best out of those three, but that doesnt really matter right now. The plot is particularily boring, and the acting is horrible. Sarah Michelle Gellar has been one of my least favorite female actors for a while, and still is after this. I went into the theater expecting to be freaked out and talking about this for a while afterward, but that wasnt the case. The dead woman-zombie-thing would probobly be the only slightly scary one in this film. The father you dont even see, you just hear him thump (yeah, REALLLL scary there) and the cat as well as the boy BOTH meow(must freak everybody out). Dont get me wrong here, im not the kind of person who gives bad reviews for not being scary. I enjoyed 28 days later for its plot, although it wasnt the least bit scary. This movie was boring in all aspects. I have never given less than a 5-star review on this site but i just had to put this here. Please, just stay away from this movie and see "SaW"
94 Not exactly The Exorist
In the interest of fairness, I should note that a number of my friends and acquaintances admitted to being scared by this movie. Perhaps I just didn't get it. There are indeed a handful of suspenseful scenes in which things jump out of closets and the like, but no one who has seen many horror movies will have difficulty anticipating these boo! moments. The opening scene provides a pretty good scare, but it's more or less downhill from there.
The main horror elements of the film are the ghosts of a young boy and his mother. In a few scenes, the mother actually does (just barely) resemble a supernatural being. The little boy, on the other hand, never looks like anything other than a very real little boy wearing dark eye shadow; and he simply wasn't frightening. I could never quite suspend my disbelief and fall into the make-believe world that the filmmakers were attempting to create.
The timeline of the movie jumps around a lot. One minute you are in the present, then in the distant past, and then in the more recent past-- then back to the present again. I'm not sure how this disjointed storytelling contributed to the movie. For me, it just made the illusion even harder to believe.
Some Amazon reviewers have dubbed this movie as "stupid" and "pointless." I wouldn't quite go that far. But I do suspect that the producers tried to be too faithful the conventions of the Japanese horror movie genre, which is often tame by American standards. The premise of this movie was (potentially) very scary material--a spiritual curse lingering in a house where a violent murder took place. Another Japanese movie adaptation, The Ring, did a much better job of translating the original into a format that would thrill American audiences.
95 Waste of Time
I sure miss the day's of old fashioned special effect's. This computer animated garbage has gotten way out of hand. Is there no more talent left in the movie industry? I'll take "Clash of The Titans" stop motion animation over CGI anyday. Was the little Asian boy supposed to scare me? He needed a good solid kick in the a**. This movie sucks!
96 Unnerving.
I kind of wish I hadn't watched this at 1 a.m. all by myself.... (I NEVER learn!)
Some of the scariest movies I've seen were the ones that didn't rely on gore and expensive special effects, but instead on atmosphere, sounds, camera angles, and so forth. This one used those simpler elements very well (what might be called "old tricks"). Add to that the fact it takes place in a foreign country, and you can feel a bit disoriented, too. The movie has this way of making you identify with the vulnerability of the characters right away, even if it's only because they feel a bit lost and out of place where they are. It only gets worse for them (and you) from there. The Grudge is not perfect, and it doesn't neatly and blatantly explain every little thing to the viewer, but even that, in a way, can make the film seem more unnerving. I've seen a lot of scary movies, so I should be a little immune.... but there were a couple times I wanted to turn this one off because it just got too creepy.
I definitely recommend seeing The Grudge, but watch it the whole way through, even if you think the first twenty minutes seem "off" to you. It has a different feel than most of the movies people are used to, but it draws you in. Because this story is based on a haunted house theme, it's natural certain predictible elements will be present (what others deem cliches), but those elements HAVE to be there. They're part of the formula that make haunted house stories creep us out at such a deep level. Nevertheless, this movie still has a way of being startling and suspenseful.
97 Eh .... Well .... Okay
The Grudge has maybe two or three good moments, but they are quick frights and hardly enough to sustain a full length feature. Reccommended for SMG fans and those afraid of close-ups of young Japanese children.
98 Lots of scares without the gore. Excellent movie.
First of all, I love a good scary movie. They hard to find. When I first saw the trailer to The Grudge, I compared it to The Ring. When I actually saw the movie on the first night it came out, I was very impressed. There were frightening moments throughout the movie. If you are into the "get ready, somethings about to happen" scenes in a movie, this is for you. I love the anticipation of what's about to happen.
In my book, The Grudge is a must see. I saw it the first day it was in the theaters and I bought the DVD on the first day it was available. I recommend it to anyone looking for chills & thrills. It'll scare the pants off of most. Put on some popcorn, pop in the DVD, turn off the lights & enjoy. I suggest watching with someone. You won't be disappointed. You'll be scared out of your wits. No disappointments here.
99 Caregivers are scared in this Japanese house.
Everyone saw the television commercial for this movie and it scared the goosebumps on us. It must be the quickest release to DVD for a film. We also remember "The Saw" (2004) advertisement too.
Yoko (Yoko Maki) is a health-care provider to an American woman, Emma (Grace Zabrishie) in Japan who is unable to take care of herself. Yoko hears something and searches around the house for noise. She opens a door, similar to a closet and looks around as if it's an attic. Suddenly something pulls her up and she is gone.
Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is the substitute caregiver to take care of Emma. She finds Emma in horrible conditions. After cleaning her up, she too begins to hear noises. She finds a black cat with one yewllow eye and one green eye and a Japanese boy. After discovering the cordless phone gone, she sees out the corner of her eye someone walk by the door in Emma's room. She opens the sliding door and Emma is frightened. Emma says, "I just want her to leave me alone". Suddenly frightened again, Karen turns around and sees the most horrifing thing of all.
This movie centers around Emma and people connected to her. This thing just isn't in this house, but can go to other places too to haunt you.
Also in the cast: Bill Pullman (The Serpent and the Rainbow), Clea DeVall, Kadee Strickland, jason Behr, William Mapother (ABC LOST tv series), Rosa Blasi and Ted Raimi. Toshio is played by Yuya Ozeki.
Directed by Takashi Shimizu.
DVD includes behind-the-scenes stuff, how nice and specific Director, Takashi Shimizu is and in "Under The Skin", Joseph LeDoux, Ph.d will explain to you why we like to be scared. Also an audio commentary with cast & crew.
May 10, 2005 Update: A new version of "The Grudge"-- Unrated and Extended Director's Cut, will be available on DVD May 17.
The Grudge 2 will be released in 2006.
100 The best movie
I bought this movie because my friend told me it was good. When i first watch it was a little bit scarey but throughout the movie it wasn't that scarey for me. I say this is great dub version of jung wah movie. A must get movie.
