Ringu (1998)

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 whoever views it, unless that viewer can solve its mystery.

Plot Keywords:

Videotape | Friend | Son | Volcanic Island | 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
Hiroshi Sakuma	...	Komiya Kameraman (as Kanehiro Ri)
Yûrei Yanagi	...	AD Okazaki
Yôko Ohshima	...	Reiko no Oba
Kiriko Shimizu	...	Yoshimi Ôishi
Makoto Kakeda	...	Kanrinin
Rie Ino'o	...	Sadako Yamamura
Hiroyuki Tanabe	...	Hayatsu
Miwako Kaji	...	Kazue Yamamura
Yôko Honma	...	Chûgakusei A
Asami Nagata	...	Chûgakusei B
Yukiko Shimodaira	...	Chûgakusei C
Keiko Yoshida	...	Kôkôsei A
Yoshiko Matsumaru	...	Kôkôsei B (as Yûko Matsumaru)
Ayumu Naose	...	Kôkôsei C
Maki Ikeda	...	Yôko Tsuji
Takashi Takayama	...	Takehiko Nômi
Chihiro Shirai	...	Sadako as a Young Girl
Toshihiko Takeda	...	Seinen Jidai no Yamamura
Mantarô Koichi	...	Kôkaidô no Shikôyaku
Shin'ichi Noda	...	Kisha Daihyô A
Shigefumi Nakai	...	Kisha Daihyô B
Yûki Takahata
Mutsuko Ôshima
Taku Kobayashi
Hiromi Murata
Kazuhiro Yokoyama
Mizuho Kinoshita
Toshinori Yoshino
Asami Ishikawa
Hiroyuki Sanada	...	Ryûji Takayama

Directed by
Hideo Nakata

Writing credits
Hiroshi Takahashi		(screenplay)
Kôji Suzuki		(novel)

Produced by
Masato Hara	....	executive producer
Takashige Ichise	....	producer
Makoto Ishihara	....	associate producer
Tatsuya Isomura	....	line producer
Shin'ya Kawai	....	producer
Takenori Sentô	....	producer

Original Music by
Kenji Kawai

Cinematography by
Jun'ichirô Hayashi

Film Editing by
Nobuyuki Takahashi

Production Design by
Iwao Saitô

Makeup Department
Yûichi Matsui	....	key special makeup artist
Takuya Wada	....	special makeup coordinator

Production Management
Tetsuya Nakamura	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kuni Risho	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Yoshiya Obara	....	sound

Special Effects by
Hajime Matsumoto	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Hajime Matsumoto	....	visual effects supervisor

Other crew
Mizuho Kudô	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Omega Project
• Imagica
• Asmik Ace Entertainment
• Pony Canyon
• Toho Company

Distributors

• Ace Pictures (1998) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Toho Company (1998) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Golden Scene (1999) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Haut et Court (2001) (France) (theatrical)
• Potential Films (2001) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Primer Plano Film Group (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Anolis Entertainment (200?) (Germany) (DVD)
• Califórnia (Brazil) (DVD)
• DreamWorks Home Entertainment (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• DreamWorks Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmax (2000) (Spain) (all media)
• Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co.
• MTV Netherlands (2007) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Madman Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2009) (Finland) (TV)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Nihon Eiga Senmon Channel (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cineo Camera  camera equipment supplied by
• Hoei Sangyo Co. Ltd.  film stock supplied by
• Imagica  film processing

Also Known As:

"Ring" - International (English title), UK, USA
"A kör" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"El círculo" - Argentina
"O Chamado" - Brazil
"Ring" - Sweden (DVD title)
"Ring" - France
"Ring - Das Original" - Germany (DVD title)
"Ring - O Chamado" - Brazil (cable TV title)
"Ringu - the Ring" - Sweden (imdb display title)
"The Ring" - Norway
"The Ring" - Greece (DVD title)
"The Ring" - Denmark
"The Ring: Krag" - Poland (imdb display title)
"The ring: El círculo" - Spain

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 | Mexico:B | 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:

The effect of Sadako coming out of the well was accomplished with only one simple special effect. Rie Ino'o, who is a student of the Kabuki theatre, which uses exaggerated motion and jerking movements to emphasize emotion, was heavily involved in the development of the Sadako character. Inou was filmed walking backwards and the film was run in reverse - the end result is Sadako walking forwards with unnatural motions.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

Yoichi Asakawa:Tomo-chan told me to.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tomie: Saishuu-shô - kindan no kajitsu (2002)

Soundtrack:

Feels Like 'Heaven'

Have to disagree with Mike, the original is better.

I have to disagree with the comment above from Mike Washen. Indeed, the storyline of both movies is similar for the first part of the movie (no complaints so far), but the second part of the originals movie is more believable IMHO. The original has only one real special effect but this does not mean that the movie isn't scary. Especially due to this lack of special effects a better thrill is created al throughout the movie. One sees just enough to get scared. The originals story builds up a tad more slowly which gives a better story overall. If you are going for special effects, take the remake. If you like to see all 4 movies and like a scary experience overall take the original.