Ringu (1998)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Hideo Nakata

Writers:

Hiroshi Takahashi (screenplay)
Kôji Suzuki (novel)

Release Date:

31 January 1998 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

"One curse, one cure, one week to find it"

Plot:

A mysterious video kills whomever views it, unless that viewer can solve its mystery.

Plot Keywords:

Videotape | Friend | Volcanic Island | Son | Journalist

Awards:

6 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Nanako Matsushima	...	Reiko Asakawa
Miki Nakatani	...	Mai Takano
Yûko Takeuchi	...	Tomoko Ôishi
Hitomi Satô	...	Masami
Yôichi Numata	...	Takashi Yamamura
Yutaka Matsushige	...	Yoshino
Katsumi Muramatsu	...	Kôichi Asakawa
Rikiya Ôtaka	...	Yôichi Asakawa
Masako	...	Shizuko Yamamura
Daisuke Ban	...	Heihachirô Ikuma
Kanehiro Ri	...	Komiya Kameraman
Yûrei Yanagi	...	AD Okazaki
Yôko Ôshima	...	Reiko no Oba
Kiriko Shimizu	...	Yoshimi Ôishi
Makoto Kakeda	...	Kanrinin

Also Known As:

Ring (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
El círculo (Argentina) [es]
O Chamado (Brazil) [pt]
Ring (France) [fr]
Ring - Das Original (Germany) (DVD title) [de]
Ring - O Chamado (Brazil) (cable TV title) [pt]
The Ring (Norway) [no]
The Ring (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
The Ring (Denmark) [da]
The ring: El círculo (Spain) [es]

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:12 | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 (TV rating) | UK:15 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Omega Project

Trivia:

Kôji Suzuki got his inspiration for the Ringu novel from his favorite horror movie Poltergeist (1982).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In a close-up of Sadako in the end scene, one of her fake finger extensions is coming off.

Quotes:

Reiko Asakawa: So that video is...
Ryuji Takayama: It's not of this world. It's Sadako's fury. And she's put a curse on us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#2.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Feels Like 'Heaven'

Why Hollywood Industry Insists in Spoiling Excellent Screenplays?

The journalist Reiko Asakawa (the gorgeous Nanako Matsushima) resolves to investigate the death of four teenagers who watched a videotape that might kill the viewer seven days after watching the film. The viewer would receive a telephone call and seven days later would die. She herself finds the videotape, watches the strange movie and becomes afraid of being killed. She prepares a copy for her ex-husband, who decides to help Reiko in her investigation, specially because their son has also watched the film.

This movie is great, with characters well-defined, excellent cast and direction and a screenplay focused on the story and not in special effects. An original horror movie, with a tight plot. Why Americans insist in spoiling excellent movies? It is amazing the quantity of (expensive) remakes of marvelous foreign movies that Hollywood spoils. Once I heard that American people would not like to read subtitles, but I refuse to believe in such non-sense. The American remake 'The Ring' is not a bad movie, and Naomi Watts is a great actress. But why the remake? The modifications introduced by the American screen writer and director changed a simple and terrifying plot into an expensive, complicated and non-resolved story. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Ring - O Chamado" ("Ring - The Call")