Ju-on

Ju-on: the Curse is absolutely the scariest movie ever made. I found myself gasping out loud at times. Forget cheap scares, forget the need for special effects. Forget even the need for a dark setting. Most of the scenes are in broad daylight, yet they will nearly scare you to death. I've seen a lot of horror movies, but I can easily say that nothing compares to this one. Takashi Shimizu has mastered the art of bringing terror to the screen. If there really were such a thing as ghost, really mean, really vengeful ghost, this is what they would be like. I should note that Ju-on the Curse is really two movies, Curse I and II. The second has some overlapping material, but adequately compliments the first. If you want to be frightened, really really frightened, this is the one to watch.

First i was disappointed to see that it was a TV movie i had bought, but after 10 minutes of watching it i didn't give it much of a thought. This movie is simply just entertaining from beginning to end. There is no limit to the imagination of creepiness in this movie, all thanks to my new favorite horror director Takashi Shimizu. The fact, that its like Shimizu has thought " I would like to make a movie that scares the s*** out of everyone and then to hell with everything else" really makes me raise my thumbs up and bow in the dust for the man. This Flick is on my top 3 list of the scariest movies ever, together with "The shining" and "Salems lot". If i had seen this one when i was 13 i would have been horrified for stairs years to come (just like i was horrified for windows without curtains for about 5 years, after seeing "Salems lot"), thats for sure.

Note: You don't have to use blood for a movie to be scary. The Japanese have realized that, why cant the Americans???

The reason that i didn't give this movie 10 out of 10 is because i find it hard to keep track of all the names (maybe because I'm not Japanese?)and i miss some answers in this riddle of a ghost story. And yes, i HAVE seen the other 3 in the series. And no, you Don't get much more insight, just more confused. They are still some excellent horror movies though, especially Ju-on: The grudge 2. But the first one is still the most scary.

I gave it 9 out of 10. Enjoy! ;o)

Ps. If anyone knows movies as scary as the above mentioned, please write me the titles so i can continue my search for the scariest horror movie ever.

Before Ju-On achieved worldwide fame, the franchise originally began with this film, which at the time was only released in Japan. Although it is a low-budget film that was only released on VHS, what lay in this film was something that would end up becoming a horror film phenomenon. The original genesis of the franchise begins in this film, where Kayako's mythology begins from the beginning. The stories told here present how it began, why and who were the first victims. It is a simple film that, despite not being in chronological order like the other installments that came later, can be understood well. Obviously, it didn't age very well due to the quality with which it was made. The special effects seem to be quite crappy. Even so, it is an enjoyable film and it is good to know it as it is the first original chapter of the franchise. Ju-On (2000) is undoubtedly a diamond in the rough that is worth knowing for having started the Ju-On mythology. My final rating for this movie is a 7/10.

With the release of the first theatrical film in the US hours away I decided to go back and start at the beginning of what spawned four films in Japan and a soon to be released American version.

This is less a haunted house story than a ghost story with something extra. The less you know the better, but perhaps saying that this is about an evil that flows outward from a terrible crime. Its told out of order, which in its way is tricky thing to do since here it requires that you give yourself over to it and stay with it on the journey its making. As I watched the early parts of the film I was uncertain about what I was seeing. It was good but I was almost ready to give up, except there was something gnawing at me to stay the course. I'm glad I did.

This is a film of slowly building dread and unease more than jump out of your seat scares. You leave the film not feeling right with the tension all up and down your back. I didn't want people to go upstairs, into rooms, or follow the trail of blood because I knew what was there, and it was horrible... ...well horrible in idea. The trouble is that because this was shot on the cheap some of the effects aren't that good. I'd like to describe them but I'll let you find out. Thankfully they don't ruin what is a truly creepy movie.

Frankly I'm terrified to see what the other movies bring.

9 out of 10.

I first watched Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) earlier this year and was blown away, I felt rare horror-chills throughout. It became an instant Top 10 Horror Film! A couple of years earlier I saw the american The Grudge 1 & 2: the first was nicely watchable but not scary. The sequel quite meh.

Now I'm on to my third version of the same story, tho' The Curse (2000) was released first. Unlike the american version I got a couple of scare-chills down my shoulders! Just not as often as its bigger-budget remake Ju-On: The Grudge. The lower budget and samey feel of the different sections make The Curse feel less substantial than the epic trippy feels of the 2002 version, the acting is also a level below. It's still superior to the american version.

Fair warning: there is a horribly-disturbing scene involving a baby near the end. It's not graphic in a gore sense (you don't see an actual baby), but it's hard to watch. Neither the 2002 version nor the american-remake had such a scene...it's just a bit much, frankly (i'm a parent of small kids so maybe a bit more sensitive).

Still, The Curse is objectively an impressive low-budget effort, but is only really worth watching if you've already seen the superior 2002 one, and are curious what the makers did before. It's essentially the same story.

I will watch The Curse 2 next, as it appears that Ju-On: The Grudge 2 is its own thing. Tho' not quite clear on that, and I don't wanna stumble on any spoilers by digging too deep.

It can get confusing to keep track, here's the Grudge films I've seen so far:

The Grudge (USA 2004) - 6/10.

The Grudge 2 (USA 2006) - 4/10.

Ju-On: The Grudge (Japan 2002) - 9/10.

Ju-On: The Curse (Japan 2000) - 7/10.

The 2002 one is essential, and should be watched first for maximum impact. If The Curse 2 and/or Ju-On: The Grudge 2 are close to that quality then I may be tempted to check out all of them (there's at least five more related films after these!).