Ju-on: The Grudge 2 - Japan

          Director:  Takashi Shimizu
          Year:  2003
          Plot:  "While driving , the pregnant horror-movie actress Kyôko Harase and her fiancé are in a car crash caused by the Toshio.  Kyôko loses her baby and her fiancé winds up in a coma."


           I found this movie rather interesting.  It wasn't really scary, but it was definitely good.  This one follows the same sort of story telling as the first (and American remakes) whereas it jumps between the stories of more than one character.  It might be a little confusing if you haven't gotten use to this, but if you've seen a few movies with this style, it is fine.
          I have to say that I liked some of the stuff that was filmed in the house.  What I mean is, I loved what it turns out that they captured on film.  The guy might not have been so clueless if he had actually woken up to see the reply, but at least we as the audience get to see it.
          There were a few things that just weren't quite right.  Like the wig.  I remember reading a comment on the remake where they mentioned the wig scene from this one and now I know what they were talking about.  It wasn't scary it was just simply weird.  I also didn't like the birthing.  It was just a little too unbelievable to watch.
          Other than those, this movie was actually pretty good.  It wasn't scary, but it was entertaining, as a lot of Takashi Shimizu's films are.


          I suggest this, watch this movie even if it is just to see all of the Ju-on/Grudge movies.  It won't be a complete waste of time.

Ju-on: The Grudge - Japan

          Director:  Takashi Shimizu
          Year:  2002
          Plot:  "In Japan, when the volunteer social assistant Rika Nishina is assigned to substitute at a local residence, she is cursed and chased by two vengeful spirits. Each person that lives in or visits the house is murdered or disappears."


          Now I was sort of putting this off.  I have seen the remake and didn't want to watch something redundant.  Takashi Shimizu had after all said that the reason he wanted to change the second American Grudge was so that he wasn't making another movie over again.  I'm sure you can see my problem here.  If Shimizu felt he was making a movie again, then the remake should be pretty much the same, right?  Well not exactly.
           This movie did surprise me.  For the first half it was all pretty much the American remake, albeit tweaked to allow American actors into the plot, but still relatively the same.  The later half however was different.  Some of its elements ended up in the American Grudge 2.
          This version was scarier than the remake to me.  The first half wasn't, but I attribute that to the fact that I had already seen the remake.  I did however find the later half of this movie to be scary.  I knew certain things were coming, but I still jumped.  The ending where Kayako is coming down, same as in the remake, I just couldn't look away.  I wanted to, but couldn't.  It is kind of creepy how she just stares at the camera as she is coming down.
          I also have to say that this movie just made some already creepy places creepier.  The empty public bathroom is one of them.  Did you really have to put Kayako in that sort of place?  Yeah, I know you already did.  Now I am going to be even more creeped out at work.  (I am a Secretarial Assistant at an Alternative school.)


          This is the one of the series (and even including remakes) that deserves the most recommendations.  Even if you have seen the American remake, you won't be disappointed with this one.  It makes more sense without all the American actors, and the ending just seems creepier.

Ju-on: Girl in Black - Japan

          Director:  Mari Asato
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  "A Nurse named Yuko has a strange experience while taking care of a girl named Fukie. Test results show a cyst inside Fukie’s body, but that cyst is actually the leftover grudge from a baby who was unable to be born."


          After watching the last one, I have to say I was kind of disappointed.  I had hoped for something scary, but what I found was actually more of a heart wrenching story.  It brings you the feelings of a child unable to be born, and no, abortions had no part in this movie.  You come to understand the anger she must have felt not being able to be born when another was.  That is the grudge that takes place in this movie.
          There were no scary parts to me in this movie, and it ended with an extremely sad scene, a suicide, but I won't tell you who it is.  That isn't the complete end though, the girl in black makes a final appearance to the absolutely adorable homeless guy.  "Have you seen Ma?"  He's just so cute.  n.n


          I suggest this watching this movie simply to finish out the Ju-on series, but don't expect any good scares.

Ju-on: Shiroi Roujo - Japan

          Director:  Ryûta Miyake
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  "At a certain house, a son brutally and methodically murders all five of his family members after failing a bar exam.  He then hangs himself, leaving behind a cassette recorder at the scene on which he can be heard saying 'Go...Go now' in unison with a strange female voice."


          Now I have been in a Ju-on kick lately and have been trying to watch all of the movies.  This one is not  related to the others very much.  I do believe that the Kayako's curse does have to do with this, though she doesn't get involved.  It seems that the house that this movie has to do with, belonged to Kyoko from the first two Ju-on movies.  Toshio also makes a short appearance, which shows that Kayako's curse may have led the son to do what he did.
          Now this is done as short stories, just like the originals.  I was kind of unsure about what I was expecting when I started this movie, but I soon had my mind made up.  This one definitely had some scary elements for me.  The old woman just creeped me out.  It took a lot for me to actually keep my eyes on the screen while she was on (not while she was all non-dead though).  This also might have to do with me finding a lot of elder people creepy.  I don't know why, but I do.
          This one wasn't directed by Takashi Shimizu, but unlike the American Grudge not made by him, I felt that this one was actually decent.  The story was written by Shimizu, so it all still incorporates his original story.  It may have been better if he were to have directed it, but it wasn't a waste of time with this director either.


           I suggest giving this movie a chance.  I don't think it will be a waste of time.  Especially if you find some elder people creepy.  n.n