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.

The Stranger from Afar (Marebito) - Japan

          Director:  Takashi Shimizu
          Year:  2004
          Plot:  "A fear-obsessed freelance cameraman (Shinya Tsukamoto) investigates an urban legend involving mysterious spirits that haunt the subways of Tokyo."


          Now I decided to watch this one mainly because it was directed by Takashi Shimizu.  Now he has made some really good movies, but this one isn't one of those.  It was an interesting movie, but by the end, it makes absolutely no sense.  I understand the guy was crazy by that point, but it just didn't make any sense.
          The only good points were "F", a blood drinking girl the guy finds and takes care of, but that was just cause you felt bad for her when it took the idiot so long to realize she needed blood.  I thought it was adorable when she was drinking out of the bottle.  Is that strange?  Anyway, she was the only good thing in this movie.
           I also don't like the "documentary" feel of the movie.  It irritates me.  I just don't like watching them, but because this was a Shimizu movie, I gave it a shot.  It turned out to be not so worth it.


           Skip this movie if you want something scary or creepy.  If you are bored and have nothing better to do, I guess, give it a shot.  It is in the least an interesting story.

Reincarnation - Japan

          Director:  Takashi Shimizu

          Year:  2005

          Plot:  "Nagisa Sugiura (Yuka) is a young Japanese actress who comes face to face with a slew of ghosts.  These restless spirits begin to appear when she signs on to star in a horror film which tells the true story about a crazed, local professor whose murderous rampage at a hotel left 11 guests dead, including his young son and daughter."

          I wasn't too sure I wanted to see this movie based on the stated plot.  It sounded decent, but I put it off for another movie that a lot of people said was great.  I wish I would have choose this one first.  It was definitely better than I had expected, but then again its co-writer and director is none other than Takashi Shimizu.  Maybe if I would have known who the director was I would have watched this sooner.

          I'm not sure I rate this one as scary.  It did get my heart going a few times in the first half, but after that, it wasn't scary.  It was more about trying to figure out what was really going on.  Trust me there is something rather intriguing going on in this movie.

          You are led to believe one thing in the beginning, and slowly you start to realize that isn't the case.  If you pay attention, you can discover the truth before it is told to you.  It's those kinds of movies I really enjoy.  I want to own this one.  The storyline is so well written that it gives you those subtle hints without completely revealing itself.

          I do suggest this movie.  It won't get much scare if any after the first half really, but the quality of the storyline will definitely make for a worthwhile use of your time.