The Grudge (D or 1/4 stars)
I have a grudge with 'The Grudge', a horror flick written & directed by Takashi Shimizu & remade from his original Japanese version, Ju-On. There are a few scary highlights, but I felt rather comatose (like supporting character, Emma) while watching it. This film reminds us of The Ring, another horror flick that was remade from an original Japanese film titled, Ringu. Sarah Michelle Gellar (veteran actress of the horror film genre) stars as Karen, a social worker who needs to figure out why one particular house in Suburban Tokyo is haunted. This is the basic plot. It is both slim & weak.
In an early scene, we see that a Japanese social worker goes in to the aforementioned house to take care of Emma. She hears some bizarre sounds upstairs, and down the hallway. She enters an unfurnished room & continues to hear some weird noises. She investigates; she pokes her head in places she shouldn't. And before you know it, something awful happens to her. This is the basic intro to these types of movies. It's a given, I accepted it, & was looking forward to how the rest of the film would expand from this horror film cliche. Well, nothing expanded. For example, do you think the victims in this film had any escape routes? Nah. Why have those? I was almost surprised that the film didn't include a scene where a cute blonde trips & falls while trying to escape from her killer.
After the first 15 minutes, the film is slow, boring, & only seems to set up the next occurrence where a character would stupidly investigate the bizarre noises down the hall, only to receive the same fate as the previous jerk; pretty lame. While the film moves like a snail, & the scary moments (and music) are predictable, at least there is a storyline … to some degree. Early on, we see visions of people who might be the ghosts who haunt this house. We're taken through several confusing flashbacks that are supposed to make things clearer. And we also see some suicides, some unexplained murders, & clues (here and there) as to what may have gone on in that house prior to its' recent occupants (Emma, a young couple from America, and a real estate agent). I will not say what had happened in the house prior to these folks, there still may be some unfortunate souls who trek to the theaters to see this film.
One is ghost an incredibly creepy little Japanese boy (Yuya Ozeki). His main trick includes popping up in unexpected places & shrieking like a cat … ooooh, bone-chilling. And another ghost is a very angry Japanese woman with long stringy hair, who drags her feet and lurks through hallways (all too similar from a character in The Ring … a far superior horror film). They literally 'stun' their victims & displace parts of their body. This is quite random & pointless (given the context of who they are and why they are angry at each person who crosses their threshold).
What more can I say here? Sarah Michelle Gellar is adequate as the investigative social worker.
Her acting is no better & no worse than in other roles. Her biggest success, still, is playing 'Buffy', the vampire slayer. Clea Duvall (who plays one of the young American owners of the house) does a good job, but is almost always in these types of movies & can't expand out from the little box that Hollywood has seemed to put her in. And Bill Pullman (as Peter), how in the world did an actor of his caliber wind up in this mess? I am sorry that Takashi Shimizu did not make a good film here. I am interested in the evolution of these Japanese directors, their projects, & how successful they can be with American audiences. But where is the next Scream, the next Sleepy Hollow, the next Blair Witch Project? I lust for some real scares. And so, while it was not the worst movie I have seen this year, unfortunately, it rivals many.
In an early scene, we see that a Japanese social worker goes in to the aforementioned house to take care of Emma. She hears some bizarre sounds upstairs, and down the hallway. She enters an unfurnished room & continues to hear some weird noises. She investigates; she pokes her head in places she shouldn't. And before you know it, something awful happens to her. This is the basic intro to these types of movies. It's a given, I accepted it, & was looking forward to how the rest of the film would expand from this horror film cliche. Well, nothing expanded. For example, do you think the victims in this film had any escape routes? Nah. Why have those? I was almost surprised that the film didn't include a scene where a cute blonde trips & falls while trying to escape from her killer.
After the first 15 minutes, the film is slow, boring, & only seems to set up the next occurrence where a character would stupidly investigate the bizarre noises down the hall, only to receive the same fate as the previous jerk; pretty lame. While the film moves like a snail, & the scary moments (and music) are predictable, at least there is a storyline … to some degree. Early on, we see visions of people who might be the ghosts who haunt this house. We're taken through several confusing flashbacks that are supposed to make things clearer. And we also see some suicides, some unexplained murders, & clues (here and there) as to what may have gone on in that house prior to its' recent occupants (Emma, a young couple from America, and a real estate agent). I will not say what had happened in the house prior to these folks, there still may be some unfortunate souls who trek to the theaters to see this film.
One is ghost an incredibly creepy little Japanese boy (Yuya Ozeki). His main trick includes popping up in unexpected places & shrieking like a cat … ooooh, bone-chilling. And another ghost is a very angry Japanese woman with long stringy hair, who drags her feet and lurks through hallways (all too similar from a character in The Ring … a far superior horror film). They literally 'stun' their victims & displace parts of their body. This is quite random & pointless (given the context of who they are and why they are angry at each person who crosses their threshold).
What more can I say here? Sarah Michelle Gellar is adequate as the investigative social worker.
Her acting is no better & no worse than in other roles. Her biggest success, still, is playing 'Buffy', the vampire slayer. Clea Duvall (who plays one of the young American owners of the house) does a good job, but is almost always in these types of movies & can't expand out from the little box that Hollywood has seemed to put her in. And Bill Pullman (as Peter), how in the world did an actor of his caliber wind up in this mess? I am sorry that Takashi Shimizu did not make a good film here. I am interested in the evolution of these Japanese directors, their projects, & how successful they can be with American audiences. But where is the next Scream, the next Sleepy Hollow, the next Blair Witch Project? I lust for some real scares. And so, while it was not the worst movie I have seen this year, unfortunately, it rivals many.