Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
The more I’ve let THE RING sit, the more questions I have. DreamWorks still has work ahead of them to make that film add up properly. There’s connective tissue missing, and as a result, the film lacks a certain elegance that the best film nightmares have. What makes it a tough call is that so much of the film does work. I hope they manage to do what they need to in order to stick the landing on this one...
Before seeing this film I knew very little about it. Well that's not entirely true -everything I knew about I learned coincidentally enough in the week before this past Saturday. After seeing those billboards all around LA, that told me I would see the ring before I died, I inquired around about the film at work and a co-worker of mine had told me it was a remake of a Japanese horror film about a tape that kills you a week after you see it. I then visited the website -but couldn't really make heads or tails of it. To be honest from the sounds of it -another urban legend come true type flic did not particularly excite me, but I was intrigued by the marketing campaign.
Now on to the actual film.....Overall I thought it was really well done -it was edgy, had a very interesting plot that unfolded effectively -and was a lot more than just they playing out of a silly urban legend. I thought the opening scene set the mood for the film very well, and had a campy self-referential horror thing going on with the two teenage school girls -but did not go over the top with it. Unlike you, I actually liked the fact that the film started with the listing of days right from the get go -I thought it helped the mood, and gave a sense of impending doom. The tape itself was eerie and disturbing -and handled itself very well, carefull not to teeter over into the world of cheese.
Besides the fact that the film was well done, I also found it to be pretty damn disturbing and frightening. In particular, the image of Becca's corpse, the moment when Watt's character throughs up that medical accesory, and the entire sequence when Watt's character falls into the well, are terrifying. Hell, most of the film frames the moments of big reveals really well with sound and camera work, but there were a couple instances when I thought this could have done better. In particular the whole montage where Watt's character is doing research in the back room of the paper's office, seemed more like a traditional "getting the job done" from an 80's movie -and lacked the creepy unerving tone that filled so much else of the film. The other scene of the film which I found to be really aggregious (I overheard someone saying it was a added in post wrap) was the moment when Watt's character goes into the fisherman's area on the island. Suddenly I felt as if I was in a John Carpenter movie, without the charm of it (don't get me wrong I love my John Carpenter) the lines and characters in this scene were so cliche it was ridiculous. The whole town locals jabbering on about the "old Morgan place" etcetera really broke the mood and pace of the film for a bit. Is it even necessary -the information that they do give to Watts isn't even explained completely, and surely it could be dropped in somewhere else via voiceover or something.
Like yourself I liked the way the end worked, (for a while there I thought they really were going to have the whole Hollywood cop out ending).
At any rate thanks for giving AICN kids the opportunity to get to see it way ahead of the game. It was very cool.
Over and Out.
Kalinda
This next one actually reviews both THE RING and FEARDOTCOM, which showed about an hour after our screening got out:
Hello. I was expecting to see more reviews from your screening of "The Ring", Saturday in Pasadena. I'm the dummy with the little kid. He's seven and he said he liked the movie, though his eyes were blocked while the "video" was rolling and while there was anything dead on screen.
I don't know how much I'm spoiling here, considering this is a remake of a very popular film.
Let's see...review. Now, if someone told me I was going to love a film whose premise is "a cursed videotape that kills you seven days after watching it" I would have laughed and asked if it was a Tales from the Crypt movie. This was a very moody and serious film and it doesn't take long (once the two teenaged girls are gone) to start to fall for it. The twisted faces that show up in photographs taken of the victims after they see the tape is a pretty good start.
The acting was fantastic, and REAL...not a typical overacted horror movie. The special effects were great (except the tree...I don't know if that was temporary or not) and of course the soundtrack was great considering it was lifted from another great movie that had a similar feel. It had me thinking constantly of Shyamalan (whose name I'm seeing pop up in all the reviews...subliminal because of the music or is it genuinely like M. Night's stuff?) The film keeps moving with believable characters, places and situations and not a lot of lulls. Plenty of strange images which actually aren't sick, but somehow come out feeling really off-kilter.
This...however...is what really got me. I'm not scared by horror movies. I love the art. I seek out artists who's work is similar in feel to this movie so of course I was hooked just by the imagery (for example when the cabin begins to de-construct itself - reminded me very much of the Quay Brothers and Jan Svankmajer and some art that can be found at http://cmart.design.ru If you liked this film, check out this site!) No. The images, the misshapen bodies, the sick sounds and eerie soundtrack...they just made me giddy with delight...What freaked me out was the parking lot.
Some of the people at the screening who were at Fangoria (we found out asking people around there) were dummies and THREW AWAY a very valuable gift!! On our car, which was parked in the Sheraton lot, was a videotape...yes. THE VIDEOTAPE!! Whoopee. I saw that thing on the windshield as we were getting ready to leave (unfortunately on our way to Feardotcom! What a stinker!) and asked if one of the guys had put it there. Both of them were surprised and before my boyfriend could even get out of the car I noticed it was unmarked and started to say so when I got a sick sort of chill. That doesn't happen too often. We all looked at each other with white faces. We looked around at the other cars and there were none on anyone else's cars! Then we got the creeps. Finally we got out and after a couple of minutes of searching we finally found some more cars with the tapes... NICE dang promo gimmick! We left with the thing and the rest of the night we were desperately waiting to get back to where we were staying to pop that sucker in and have a look if it was just ads or if it was "The Tape". It was exactly the same tape...save for (and you have to wait for it) a little ad at the end to a website that can't be accessed.
As I said we were on our way to catch Feardotcom...stink stank stunk. What
a loser...it WISHES it was a Tales from the Crypt flick. It obviously
stole
a LOT from the Ring and FAILED MISERABLY with TONS of plot holes, one of
the best actors (Udo Keir) dies RIGHT OFF THE BAT, the only actor worth
waiting for (Jeffrey Combes) got almost NOTHING to work with, and again,
dies in a STUPID
way in a situation that was unbelievable.... and without
explanation...stupid. All the way through. I have nothing else to say
about
that film...wasted two hours on watching it and left with a HORRIBLE
headache...ALL THREE OF US! Thank you, THANK YOU Moriarty for giving us
something worthwhile to fall back on! The conversation after the film went
something like this. "That TOTALLY ripped off the Ring. Wasn't that great?
I can't wait to get back and look at this tape..." and that was the end of
Feardotcom. Someone compared it to a Marilyn Manson video...I don't agree.
It TRIES to look like one, but the Manson videos are better made, only
last
a few minutes and the torture is over, and have less (yes less) shrieking
sounds and strobing lights. You can also listen to them at any volume you
wish.
-Kathryn
And this last one today is fairly complete. Consider yourself warned if you want to keep reading...
hey moriarty
HERE'S MY REVIEW:
" 'RING' a worthy remake?" by Bill Harford (aka David "movieman")
First off, for those who just want the basic idea of this early print of Dreamworks's / Gore Verbinski's "RING" - it's a very effective, spooky horror movie that (like all great horror films) falls into more of a psychological thriller than "slasher film." The direction is assured, the makeup / special effects are great, and Naomi Watts (in her first real big post-"Mulholland Drive" role) is remarkable and stunning. It's a well-paced movie, doesn't drag or zoom too quickly through the plot, and leaves you with a very satisfying (if not a little downbeat) finale. All in all, a good effort that's sure to be a hit for the studio, and will prove to be the thriller of the holiday season.
An interesting note - when I was in the bathroom after the screening, I overheard some other fellas who saw the film talking about it.
They made a great point - the reason why RING is such a great story (whether you approve of the remake or not) is that it is really the only film since THE EXORCIST / POLTERGEIST that is able to lull the audience into such a haunting atmospheric mood. From the evil, demonic little girl in the well, to the demented TV set (never before has TV static been so frightening), the RING is a superb structure for a scary movie. And like the EXORCIST - the "villain" is not so much defeated...as it is DEALT with - on the MONSTER'S term...in the EXORCIST, the demon only leaves by taking the life of the young Father, and in RING, the evil spirit is not beat - only circulated! Haunting, indeed.
OKAY, so now the spoliers and the more detailed review...so, if you don't want to know more - stop reading.
Having seen Nakata's original 1998 film not too long ago, I can compare the two films more faithfully. Here's how it looks to me...
You know how Cameron Crowe was able to at least harness the basic spirit of "Abre Los Ojos" into "Vanilla Sky?" The heart of that movie was evident in Crowe's remake. But in the case of "Insomnia," Chris Nolan (as talented as he is) sort of copped out and just did a photocopy of the original Norweigian film...making the remake bland and "paint-by-the-numbers." Verbinski is able to pull of more of a Crowe-approach with "RING." Working off from a clever adaptation by Ehren Kruger ("Arlington Road," "Reindeer Games"), this new RING basically reinterprets the original story by making the tape a little more complex and (I think) more vague. Dreamworks was smart not to fiddle with the ending too much (the basic twists are still there). The ex-husband is still dead, the tape still has to be circulated, and the final scene leaves you with the icky feeling of "it's NOT GOING TO END!!!"
I must say right off the bat that Naomi Watts is a better lead than the actress who portrayed the protagonist in Nakata's version. Watts KNOWS how to look scared - and believe me, when SHE'S scared - WE ALL get scared. Also, the video tape is much more creepier in this version as opposed to the original. I think the key here is that the backstory of the demonic girl and the origin of the tape is more tangible - I always felt the Japanese movie was a little bogus for the "predicting the volcano" plot device - and the fact that the boyfriend / ex-husband was also "psychic" - that's where I kind of laughed at Nakata's vision.
Also, Rick "THE MAN" Baker's makeup effects for the VICTIMS of the "tape" is among the creepiest, sickest, twisted things about the movie - and why it's so cool! The contorted faces in the Nakata film were weird and disturbing, but Baker's effects here are JOLTING! Everyone jumps when they see the ugly, horrid expressions on the actors faces...great work here.
The other main strength here in Verbinski's take is the fact that the iconography of the TAPE is seen all over the movie - from the ladder leaning on the wall to the plentiful "circular" motifs and "tree shapes" all throughout the production design. And as someone mentioned earlier, the addition of the horse encounter with Naomi on her boat ride to the lighthouse is truly inspired (and nightmarish).
Random note - the best ADDITION to this remake is the OTHER video - the one that shows the demonic little girl's psychiatric evaluation. I don't know why - but THAT was scary (in a "SESSION NINE" / "SHINING" kind of way).
Okay - SO WHERE DOES THE REMAKE GO WRONG? I think the weaknesses lie in THREE main aspects: 1.) The opening is all wrong. The victim (played by the gorgeous, but sadly not nearly as well-known AMBER TAMBLYN - remember that name!) is not killed fast enough. She should have died in the kitchen - by having her go upstairs and having to deal with the TV in HER ROOM, the pacing is off. But more especially, the exposition at the start is too forced (just as the Japanese version was). I never bought the opening for either film. 2.) Brian Cox's suicide scene is flat-out silly and victim of the PERFECT TIMING run-in! It's just WAY to coincidental for Brian Cox to kill himself after Naomi comes into the house. And the way he kills himself? DEATH BY STEREO SYSTEM IN THE TUB...um, I'd prefer him to just blow his brains out - just like any other movie would. 3.) Dialogue...well, what can I say? Not that I can point out too many specifics, but the dialogue feels really contrived and "PLOT-FILLED" sometimes - especially in all the scenes with the ex-husband character (his real name escapes me for the moment).
But these flaws aren't anything that can't be dealt with in the continuing post-production - it's merely the flaw of the "early" draft...I'm sure (at least, I hope) that the producers tighten the film a little more.
So...do I think RING is a worthy remake? Yes, indeed! One must remember that the original RING was a based on a popular Japanese bestseller, hence it goes back to the debate of "Mr. Ripley" - where Patricia Highsmith's novel was given the Alain Delon take ("Purple Noon") and the Matt Damon one ("Talented Mr. Ripley"). The new version isn't like a RIPOFF of the original movie - it's just a reinterpretation, and it's important that this American "RING" is just as dark (if not more morbid) as the original film. The interesting thing is to see if Dreamworks will go for a sequel if RING does well in the States...since there IS a sequel in Japan (which, by the way, is not very good - it's worth a look, but it's no doubt inferior to the first film).
I cannot wait to see the finished product of RING this winter...and hopefully this means more of NAOMI WATTS - she is the definition of the blonde bombshell - and she can act, too!
Thanks to Moriarty and AICN (and of course Dreamworks) for this great screening. What a treat!
See you at the movies,
Bill Harford - the "movieman"
Here's Shawn, switching gears now for a review of just FEARDOTCOM. Not a very positive review, either...
Harry,
Just got back from an awesome time at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors Convention in Pasadena. When I got there, they were handing out free passes to a preview screening of Feardotcom up the street so I grabbed 3 of them - one for me, and two for my friend and his girl.
The short and sweet of it: we all thought it was a wretched piece of crap - the worst thing any of us had seen in ages BY FAR! One other guy who we were talking to didn't loathe it as much as we did and was generous enough to give it a 4 out of 10. Apparently, he enjoyed the sound and that is why he rated it as high as he did.
The plot? From what I could gather out of this pile of wreckage, there's a website called feardotcom that has been infected by the ghost of a victim who is seeking revenge against all those who would pay to see somebody get snuffed out on the web. The website is run by Stephen Rea in his worst ever performance who films himself kidnapping and torturing a woman apparently over the course of 2 or 3 days. Could have been shorter or longer - it's hard to tell. He spouts off a lot of retarted film school written dialogue all the while doing it - ostensibly forcing the poor victim to beg to be put out of her misery. Too bad he couldn't do the same for us the audience.
Anyway, Stephen Dorff, well on his way to obscurity after this and Deuces Wild plays a hardened detective who utters such memorable dialogue as: "Be careful. I'll see you later okay?" His co-star, the utterly dreadful Natascha McElhone says "Oh my God" a lot - damn near every scene in fact. Whoever wants to take credit for the quote unquote dialogue in this laugh-riot should never work in film AGAIN.
Nevertheless back to the "plot" (never has this term been so abused), thanks to McElhone's stunning detective work in the flick, she is able to dig up the body of the ghost/vengeful victim who was killed by Stephen Rea, and is able to find a swallowed tube of lipstick in her gut where the victim has written the address of where they can find Stephen Rea and save his latest victim. Funny, you'd think Rea would have found it himself since he happened to gut this woman out and then put her guts back in before dumping the body. Why would he do something like that? I don't know. Maybe because it's spoooooky. Oooh, such geniuses at work here.
Hey where was I? Oh ya, Dorff and McElhorne, rush to Rea's place to find Dorff's partner the horribly wasted Jeffrey Combs dead, and force Rea to view his own website, where the ghost infects and kills him in a laughably awful CG sequence that makes Scorpion King's CG look awe inspiring in comparison.
THE END.
Kinda strange how the ghost/virus/demon/whatever wouldn't have killed Rea a whole lot sooner since this is HIS website. I suppose there's an explanation I could have missed while I was counting the particles of dust in the light emitting from the projection room. Whatever the explanation is, I could care less.
I guess this mystery aka huge dumbfounding plot hole was supposed to be part of the appeal. I can imagine the dumb schmuck who thought this would make a good movie: "Oooh, let's make it look like a Marilyn Manson video and use tons of CGI. Screenplay? Who needs one? Let's just make it mysterious."
Call it Seven meets The Cell meets The Ring Zero meets Five Hours of Watching Paint Dry meets Painful Dental Surgery meets Jailhouse Gang Rape.
What an utter pity that George Romero cannot get a movie funded while utterly worthless shit like this is made. They should be ashamed. Everybody involved should retire. And they should give me money back even though this shit was free. I had to cut out on Bruce Campbell to see this abortion. Feardotcom is to be avoided at all costs. It gets no worse than this.
Call me Shawn cause that's my name.
This final review is succint, almost like the infamous SHARK SANDWICH review in THIS IS SPINAL TAP:
Hi Harry -
Attended a generic preview screening of Fear Dot Com in the San Fernando Valley area.
My review follows:
SELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTED-
Shit Dot Com.
SELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTEDSELECTED-
Yours Truthfully,
Drop Johnson
Thanks, everyone!
"Moriarty" out.
