The Grudge on DVD (2003)

Scary...

A customer from Bishopton, Scotland , 14/10/2004

This is the film that Sam Raimi desribed as one of the scariest movies he's ever seen, and I have to agree with him-this film freaked me out. I'm a fan of the others in ths genre-Ring, Dark Water, The Eye, but this is the scariest of them all. The Japanese horror directors certainly have a talent for making creepy, disturbing films, and this is the scariest I've seen so far.

I had read a number of reviews before seeing the film, most of which criticised the lack of story and character development, but it seems to me that the purpose of the film is to scare, so it doesn't really matter.

I wont go into the story in much detail, but it centres on a house which has some sort of curse attached to it, due to a murder, and a body that was never found.

Scene after scene is set up, showing what happens to anyone who has come into contact with the house, and I mean scary scene after scary scene! I'm not one to usually be affected by these films (although I found Dark Water very creepy) but this had me almost looking away from the screen about every 10 minutes. There's nothing particularly gory here, it's all to do with the atmosphere created. A lot of scenes just made me jump, like normal horror films, but others just made me feel uneasy, even when I knew what was coming.

I'd recommend this to anyone who liked the other films I mentioned-I thought it was closest to Dark Water in terms of creepy atmosphere, and I'd recommend watching it alone, in the dark!

Read all reviews

What a load of old arse.

trotsuk from LONDON , 28/04/2005

Not to mention ripped-off, secondhand, extremely pretentious, plotless, pointless and boring. I am so over this post Ring wave of thoughtless, rushed-out, shameless money-spinners. The supposed horror comes in the form of using irrelevant 'spooky' imagery that has absolutely nothing to do with the thin plot. You know what I mean; scary kids, scratchy noises, reversed filming etc. Can some one start making proper horror films again!? Jesus. The yanks only make horror films for kids, or awful remakes, and the Japanese can't get over Ring.

Korea is the new Japan.

Read all reviews

More scary dead girls with long black hair

Northernsky from Halifax [Highly rated reviewer] , 13/12/2004

The Japanese obsession for scary dead girls with long black hair should be getting a little tiring by now. The Grudge is the latest addition to that roster. It’s more bizarre than “Ringu” and lacks that movies unassailable creepiness, but at times it is incredibly effective in creating nerve lacerating tension and one or two scenes showcase incredible imagination and are genuinely unsettling.

The idea of taking urban myths and transforming them into drama was utilised very effectively by “The X Files” during it’s long run and this is what the makers of The Grudge have done, transforming a spark of superstition and folklore into a cohesive whole. Actually that’s not strictly true, as the script is a bit all over the place, lacking in any characterisation of most of the victims. We barely meet many of them before they are despatched and the links between them are too tenuous at times.

It’s rare for me to advocate a film being longer but I believe an extra fifteen minutes plot and character development would have improved the films impact, linking together the terror scenes more fluidly and making them even more effective and powerful.

The use of sound is superb in this movie, and with a surround sound system is truly alarming at times, and it is this rather than the sometimes lack lustre production values that make The Grudge such a terrific horror film.

Read all reviews

As scary as a movie can get

A customer from Manchester, UK , 17/10/2004

I dont want to go over the top about this movie, as I found it hard to follow (even though I watched the dubbed version), and I am still unsure as to whether I truly got what it was all about.

Having said all that, it certainly is probably one of the most nightmare inducing films I have ever seen. I suppose a film can only be so scary when watching it from the comfort of your own lounge. The true test is how it plays on your mind afterwards.

After watcing this, that same night my wife had to wake me up as I was screaming at the top of my voice whilst sat upright in bed with a look of panic on my face! I still dont remember what I was dreaming about, but I can only asusme it was this film that did it.

Read all reviews

Nice and scary.............

Bosmania from Derbyshire , 24/01/2005

Excellent original version of this creepy tale. Not over the top, well paced and some good 'jump' points as doors open, loft hatches open and ghosts pop up in peoples beds. Good watch with surround sound, lights off (maybe a candle)and the largest screen you can lay your hands on. 5 Stars from me.

Read all highest rated reviews

Customer Review

A customer from UK , 23/06/2008

I found "Ju-On - The Grudge" to be for the most part disjointed ,confusing and a little disappointing. The film concerns itself with a powerful curse attached to a house in which a number of brutal murders were committed years before. People who enter the house fall victim to hauntings and apparitions and become zombified.However it is not only the house , but other places associated with the person who laid the curse which are affected by the hauntings and supernatural attacks. The ingredients for a superior ,intelligent horror film are there but the hammy acting, amateurish special effects and non-linear plot development make it fall some way short of the mark. However ,on a more positive note and unlike many Western examples of the genre, at least "Ju-On" contains no unnecessary gore and a more cerebral approach is taken to generate suspense and uneasiness in the viewer.

Read all highest rated reviews