Well it should be in cinemas by the end of the month. I kinda liked the first one, but I have a feeling that since they changed the story so much from the original, that the second one has virtually no hope of staying on the story.

No doubt there'll be throwback scenes like that piece of video that was impossible to delete (thats one of my favourite moments from the trilogy). And the hospital scene. (Is that girl still alive in the US version, I can't remember?)

Anyway, I have a general feeling that it won't be as good as the first, because of how they took elements from all three jap movies for the us one, and butchered it so much that there may be no escape. Still, I haven't been dissapointed by either of the series so far, so I'll be seeing it.

Any news on whether they're making a prequel?

No idea on whether they're making a prequel but I'm looking forward to the sequel. I enjoyed the original and thought it was a very solid horror flick.

I did get rather paranoid about TVs and monitors after watching the first one. I'd imagine it would have been worse had I watched the Japanese original...

Still, didn't realise they were making a sequel.

I can't remember exactly, but I think "Dr Ikuma" in the US version killed himself, and he's one of the main characters in the Jap Ring 2. I'll have to see it again. If he is dead, thats their biggest hurdle.

I should get ring 1 and 2 (japanese) tomorrow in the mail so hopefully i can see what all the fuss is about. Everyone says they are awesome.

I'll go see the ring 2 american version, why not!

I think the Japanese ones are overrated. Sure, they are scarier but not much better than what the American translation was.

I tried to watch the second Jap Ring, but it was too long between viewing the 1st one, so I'd forgotten all that had happened (I'm pretty sure that one of the characters had been changed, too, so that further compounded me being confused). So, yeah, I'll be keen to see the US version.

Still, I'm more looking forward to the re-make of Dark Water. I prefer it to The Grudge, if only because it's got a far better plot. Good spooks in both, though! If you like Ring, SplatCatSplat, then you should definitely check out both Dark Water (directed by the dude who did Ring) and The Grudge for some very decent jap horror.

I liked The Ring until I saw the original. The trailer for the sequel looked kinda iffy to me...

The US Ring (engaging) is better than the Jap Ring (narrative sleep-glacier).

Yours,

the Truth

The orignal US version was pretty good, I have only seen that Jap version of the sequel Ring 2, so cant really compare.

This US sequel, is looking good, probably wont watch it in the cinema though.

I found the japanese ones incredibly boring, well the first one at least, I didn't even bother checking out the second one.

I do however, love the US remake, and think that this sequal is going to be great.

Does it hurt your poor brain reading subtitles, or do you just naturally think that the US makes better movies than Japan?

Why the hell would you assume the US remake of ring 2 would be great, if you didn't even bother watching the original because you thought it would be too boring?

Don't forget where the movie was made. Can you understand that the US versions may be appealling to a lower denominator than the Japanese ones? Someone liked the movies and thought Americans wouldn't like them unless they were remade with english speaking white people. I'm not saying they did a bad job at all, but when you disrespect the original movies and at the same time look forward to the US versions, you are putting yourself in that lower denominator.

Suzuki's novels are the original sources. The Jap versions' narratives are inconsistent and painful (not unlike vomit!); the American variants just pander to different expectations of the genre.

The real issue's accessibility, but I can see how FUCKHESEEMSTOBAGTHESUBSITSFAGTIME negates it.

Yes I read the sub-titles, and no, I don't automatically assume that the US make better movies. I just didn't get into it, thats all.

The Ring 2 isn't even a remake anyway.

I saw the original grudge the other day and I havn't seen the US remake.

All I can say is WTF.

It was an awesome movie and just as nuts as the ring however It wasn't nicely wrapped up at the end like the ring was. I'm hoping the remake of the grudge which i'll see shortly makes a better ending for us dumb english people who get confused with all the peoples names.

Perhaps when i see the US remake and then the original of the grudge again it might make more sense but i'm still left confused.

SplatCatSplat:- I don't think seeing the US Grudge will help you understand the Jap version, as they're both confusing as each other. You'll still be saying, "What the fuck?", afterwards. No matter how many times I think things through, in The Grudge, there's always one massive plot hole which can't be filled. I still preferred it to Ring, though, purely because there were some awesome scares etc.

Dark Water provides the same amount of spooks as The Grudge and has a far better plot - one that actually makes some sort of sense.

I own the both of them, and I would have to say that The Grudge beats out Dark Water by a little bit, IMHO. For me at least, it just seems a little more 'substantial'.

Dark Water has some awesome set pieces but, and it is stunning to watch in parts.

I thought Dark Water's slowish build-up was superb. Fucking, you new something was gonna happen, but you didn't know what. And, when things did start to go ape, it hit you like a bolt of electricity. Still, no set pieces in Dark Water bettered The Grudge's bedroom scene, or the killer school girls.

Jawsy, have you got any other Jap horror recommendations? Or, even just some recent horror that's half decent (non-US would be good)? And don't say Cabin Fever.

If you are after similar fare to The Ring, Grudge and Dark Water, make sure you check out The Eye which is on DVD in Oz this week, I think (at least this month). Good shit. In keeping with the Japanese/Hong Kong horror, I suggest checking out Stacy, which is one of the most beautiful zombie films I have ever seen, and The Audition, which is confrontingly awesome. Phone is also okay if you can get ahold of it.

As for new horror releases, I guess things are a little skinny here, as there is not a great deal of good stuff coming out on this front. Recently, I've been mainly watching older stuff like Evil Dead and Re-Animator, along with more Italian pulp horror such as Sleepless and Tenebre by Dario Argento, and The Church and Stagefright by Michele Soavi (Argento's apprentice).

I'll have a think about new stuff but nothing popped into my mind immediately. I'm sure I have forgotten something though...

Cheers, mate. I've been waiting for The Eye, as I've read heaps of good stuff about it, so I'll be sure to purchase it upon release. My only Argento exposure is still only Deep Red. I went looking for Suprisa(sp?), but they were out of stock. Tenebre was there, though, so I might pick that up...

Edit - The Grudge 2 is being released here in April. Anybody seen it?

Edit - The Eye was released on the 16th - will be getting it tomorrow!

Suspiria is still my favourite Argento film, absolutely sublime cinematic experience. Tenebre is awesome as well, as has the coolest axe murder I have ever seen. Also worth checking out is Opera and Inferno. All hot shit.

:thumbsup:

But yeah, Japanes horror is also fast making it's way into my heart. Get ahold of the Audition if you can. Out of control.

It doesn't look like The Audition is getting/has got a local release. Miike's the director, right? Have you seen his latest, 'Ichii The Killer'? Is it horror, or just splatter-house type stuff?

Yeah, it's Miike, though The Audition is a little less splattercore and a little more arthouse horror than Ichi The Killer (which I also like). Some genuine thrills in it, and many of the images are flatout shocking.

Went and saw Ring 2 last night...

...and it was shit. They've turned it into a drama, with stupid effects/make-up, and absolutely no scares. I really, really disliked it.

Yeah pretty much, had one good part and that was at the end. Rest was shithouse.