What's new

HTF REVIEW: "The Ring" (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

Sean Laughter

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 3, 1999
Messages
1,384
I really liked this movie, and will be picking the DVD up soon.

I really don't get the whole Exorcist vs. Ring thing. I mean, "The Exorcist" wasn't scary in the least, I didn't even find it that suspenseful. It is a wonderful character piece and succeeds at that far better than "The Ring" does, but for pure mood and suspsense I think "The Ring" prevails in that contest (though neither is a nail-biting affair).

Now all we need is a well-crafted movie version of the video-game "Silent Hill" and I'll be in horror heaven :)
 

Jussi Tarvainen

Second Unit
Joined
May 10, 2001
Messages
382
Why does horror need an explanation? The most terrifying things tap directly to the subconscious. Even Ron admitted in another review that the less you see (i.e. the less you know), the scarier it is.
 

Chuck Bogie

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 14, 2003
Messages
397
So what? Fight Club did a similar thing with the FBI warning stuff.

Bought it. Watched it. Thought it was sort of interesting, but it ain't no Mulholland Drive sorta movie...

My BCD* registered only a modest portion of low-end effects on the DTS soundtrack.

*Buttock Calibration Device, used to properly tune newly installed bass shakers.
 

Chet_F

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 1, 2002
Messages
776
"Mulholland Drive"

Okay now don't get me started on that movie!!!

Are you trying to say that Mulholland Drive was more scarier than The Ring???
 

Felix Martinez

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 27, 2001
Messages
1,504
Location
South Florida
Real Name
Felix E. Martinez
I liked the movie, and thought they did a great job building up dread and tension without any overt violence. That, in itself, is an art.

That being said, I have a big problem with the mysterious VHS tape...

The introduction of VHS tapes, I believe, began to flourish in the late 1970s, and the "imprinting" of the tape in question occured in the late '60s/early'70s from what I could tell from the timeline of the story. I'm not even gonna go into the playability of such a video tape stored in less than ideal conditions. Hey, the film introduced a lot of technical videotape lingo and tricks, so it's fair game to discuss...


BTW - I love how the video rental store scenes with shelves stocked with tapes were deleted from the final film. That would have dated badly!

Cheers,
Felix

Visit the CineFlexx
http://members.aol.com/beautymarkstudio/Home.html
 

Chuck Bogie

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 14, 2003
Messages
397
The tape wasn't created on video equipment - It was just "made." Hence the use of the technology at the time at which the crime happened was moot. The tape was created later.
 

Chet_F

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 1, 2002
Messages
776
Felix Martinez
"I have a big problem with the mysterious VHS tape"

I think your missing the whole point.

The kids were trying to tape something off the TV and when they tried to play it back they got the mysterious video. They video was generated by the spirit of Samara or whatever her name was.


At least that was my take. Plus the whole movie is based on the fact that you HAVE to dispense with reality in order for the movie to work.
 

James Reader

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
1,465
Plus the whole movie is based on the fact that you HAVE to dispense with reality in order for the movie to work.
Precisely - there's no more plot holes with Samara's powers than there is with - say 'the Force' in Star Wars.

The fact that the films appears to be taking place in 'the real world' is simply a red herring. It cannot, because for the film to work you have to accept Samara can do everything she does. It's obviously as much of a fantasy as Star Wars is.

So, if anyone is having problems - imagine Samara is using 'the Force' :)
 

JeremyFr

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
794
I went with my wife to see this movie when it was in the theater we both enjoyed it for its spookiness factor, it wasn't Scary per say but definately spooky, luckily I saw it with a mainly adult audience but what bothered me about seeing it was sitting next to this black woman who must have been around 40 years old who laughed histarically when The Horse Jumped off the Ferry.
I'm sorry that had to be one of the most disturbing things in the movie to me and she was laughing about it, really began to make me wonder I dont find something like that funny myself fake or real. At anyrate it was fun to watch to though because I live in the Seattle Area so alot of the local was of course "home" which made it fun to watch. All in all I liked it and I'll end up buying it.
 

Chuck Bogie

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 14, 2003
Messages
397
Sometimes I think that it wouldn't necessarily be a Bad Thing if a 50' wall was build around every major city, and you had to prove that you were a nice person to leave to visit the Real World.
 

George_W_K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
2,031
Location
Ohio
Real Name
George
I enjoyed "The Ring" very much. It kept me in suspense most of the time. I wouldn't say it is scary, but I haven't seen a movie that scares me. "The Exorcist" was an ok movie, but I was never in suspense or scared and I was even bored at times.

I liked the ending of "The Ring" too. I wouldn't put this movie in my "greatest movies of all time" list, but it is still worth the watch.
 

BrentJ

Second Unit
Joined
Apr 27, 2002
Messages
329
Did you enjoy the movie?

Yes I loved it!

Did you understand it?

Hell no, that's why I bought it so I can watch it over and over until I do.
 

Morgan Jolley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2000
Messages
9,712
I didn't think the Exorcist was that scary. In fact, unless you believe that the devil can manifest himself in humans, it makes less sense than The Ring. Both have elements that are not explained, but oh well.

I liked The Ring for the tension, the fear through atmosphere, the neat take on the horror genre.
 

Joshua_Y

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,241
Indeed...its more tense than actually scary...but I tell ya ever since I saw the film in Oct. I have never been able to get the faces of the victims and Samara out of my head...still freaks me out...
 

Debbie E

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
82
Jenna you gave me a GREAT idea... I'm watching it (for the first time) with my sister. She will jump at anything (which is funny for a 40+ year old). I can't wait :)

P.S. where is the quote button to be able to quote from a post?
 

MatS

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 24, 2000
Messages
1,593
Rule #3: Watch only in a pitch-black room, preferable at night. Unplug phone (especially with THIS movie). A mid-movie call from your mother (OK...from MY mother) can totally ruin the mood.
quite the opposite, I would have the cell phone ready to dial your home number at the push of a button
 

Chris Rock

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 10, 2001
Messages
710
P.S. where is the quote button to be able to quote from a post?
Just type the word "Quote"(without the quotations) in brackets ( [] ) before the text you wish to quote, and then type "/Quote"(again, with no quotations) in brackets after the text.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,796
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top