4 11 2002
After much poking and prodding from Hwan, I finally sat down and watched the first two Japanese “Ring” movies that is the basis for the recent DreamWorks production. Really, really creepy.
The second movie starts where the first movie finishes - same people (and actors, for all I can tell), but the principle characters change. The main characters from the first film are still there and play a big part, but the story is someone else’s. If the film kept the same day-by-day format, I think it could have been two beautiful, seamless films.
There’s a prequel to the film that I haven’t seen, but I’m not sure it’s necessary. There’s also the DreamWorks production I can now give myself permission to see.
One of the confusing elements is - I know what the Ring “is”, but it’s not featured very prominently in the Japanese film(s). In fact, “the ring” shows up more in the two-minute trailer for the DreamWorks version more than in both of the Japanese films I watched this weekend.
Last note on this topic (until I see one of the remaining “Ring” movies): By odd coincidence, I saw the Japanese version of “The Ring” in Canada this weekend while my brother, John, saw the Hollywood version in Japan this weekend. Wierd….
…ok, maybe not that wierd.
