areatw 'The Grudge' isn't the best horror film and it isn't the scariest either, but there's something about it that always manages to get to me. From the very first scene, which is appropriately bizarre, to the last, 'The Grudge' is a very creepy movie and I can't quite put my finger on why.It is successfully unnerving partly due to the eerie and tense atmosphere that surround the whole story. There are a few jump scares but nothing that will scare the average horror fan, but it does have the ability to make you feel uneasy and does a good job at building and maintaining tension.'The Grudge' is nothing special or new and there are certainly scarier horror films out there, but it does have the ability to put the viewer on edge every now and then. I've seen it several times and it still creeps me out.

Leofwine_draca After the success of the American remake of THE RING, I guess it was inevitable that Hollywood would start producing more versions of Asian horrors. This is their second effort, a virtual scene-for-scene remake of the previous year's JU-on: THE GRUDGE, itself a remake of an earlier film simply titled JU-ON. Confused yet? You will be – as far as I make it, no less than six films have been built around this premise so far, with a seventh (and possibly eighth, knowing Hollywood) on the way. Really, if you've seen the original Japanese version, you have absolutely no reason to see this movie. It's inferior in every respect, and the decision to use sub-par CGI effects in some scenes makes them laughable rather than frightening – the appearance of the ghost hovering above the bed just looks atrocious.The good news is that Sam Raimi produces under his Ghost House banner, which means things are a little less insipid than they would be otherwise. This film is an old-fashioned horror effort that mixes the plots of JU-ON and JU-ON: THE GRUDGE to a sometimes confusing effect. I liked the fact that the focus was on the scares throughout – no padding or time-wasting here, just straight into the fear factor. The inclusion of scenes from JU-ON (which I hadn't seen) kept me on my toes, although everything else was pretty much reproduced from the original, shot-to-shot. This may be because the Japanese director came across, but even so I'd have liked a little more loosening of the apron strings, a little greater variety. Maybe that's just me.The cast isn't great. Japanese actors have a great way of portraying realistic subtlety, so when you see Sarah Michelle Gellar sweating and acting with wide-eyed fear, it doesn't really have the same impact. She's always just acting. The other cast members are pretty bland, and Clea DuVall is STILL awful, ever since I saw her in THE FACULTY. Bill Pullman was pretty good though, while the inclusion of Japanese actors from the original, playing the cursed family, is a nice touch. Being a Sam Raimi production, Ted Raimi inevitably shows up, here playing the head of a care agency, and it's great to see him in a larger supporting role than usual. One thing I did like a LOT was that the film becomes more serious, and more scary, as it progresses. Scenes such as the 'jaw' scare are spot on, while the full-blooded climax doesn't disappoint – it may be that the film actually becomes scarier than the original at this point! So, all in all, this isn't a great film, but it is a pretty good one – better still if you haven't caught the Japanese version.

FlashCallahan Karen Davis is residing in Japan with her boyfriend, who is studying there. Temporarily assigned to be a carer for a woman with severe sleeping disorder, Karen goes to the patient's house. What she finds is something she would never expect. The house is plagued by the presence of murderous ghosts, the result of a curse. The curse is born from someone dying in a powerful rage. Now, Karen finds herself being tormented by that curse, as it eventually starts claiming it's victims.....In the early noughties, the cinema was rife with remakes of 'J-Horror', and even though some of them were good, it was just an excuse for Hollywood to make money, because some people just couldn't be bothered with subtitles.The Ring, Dark Water, Shutter, and this are prime examples.But at least this was directed by the originals director, so at least some respect has been maintained. Geller is in it, she's okay, but the movie goes to show that she could never carry a film. She more or less put a stake in her movie career with her performance, like rice with no salt, its does the job, but it's very bland.So thank heavens then for the rest of the cast, and the brilliant camera-work used when we see the ghosts.The lift scene, and the photo montage are standouts, in what other wise are jump scenes.Its one of those movies that the more you watch it, the less the horror will scare you, and the story will intrigue you more.Worth seeing, but if you've seen the original, don't bother.

NavyOrion Some viewers may be confused by the constant jumping back and forth in time. This may be intentional; in one of the final scenes, we see that Peter (Bill Pullman) can sense the presence of Karen in the room some three years later.SPOILER ALERT: To straighten out the timeline, this is the order in which the thirteen deaths are shown: 7,5,6,8,9,10,4,11,1,2,3,12,13. That is, although Yoko's death is the first shown in the movie, it was actually the seventh to occur. The deaths occurred in this order: The Japanese woman Kayako and her son Toshio were murdered by her jealous husband Takeo, who then killed himself. Peter died shortly after (killed by the ghost of Toshio.) Three years later, Jean was killed, followed by her husband. Yoko arrived and was killed. The mother Emma died (and Karen ended up in the hospital. That evening, Susan (Emma's daughter) died, never having gotten word that her whole family was dead. Alex (Karen's boss) was killed by the ghost of Yoko) and the police inspector was killed by the ghost of the Takeo. Finally, Kayako's ghost killed Karen's boyfriend, and (ultimately) Karen.