The Ring

( 93 )

Overview

A disturbing videotape appears to hold the power of life and death over those who view it in this offbeat thriller. A strange videotape begins making the rounds in a town in the Pacific Northwest; it is full of bizarre and haunting images, and after watching it, many viewers receive a telephone call in which they are warned they will die in seven days. A handful of teenagers who watched the tape while spending a weekend at a cabin in the mountains scoff at the threat, but as predicted, they all die suddenly on ...
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Overview

A disturbing videotape appears to hold the power of life and death over those who view it in this offbeat thriller. A strange videotape begins making the rounds in a town in the Pacific Northwest; it is full of bizarre and haunting images, and after watching it, many viewers receive a telephone call in which they are warned they will die in seven days. A handful of teenagers who watched the tape while spending a weekend at a cabin in the mountains scoff at the threat, but as predicted, they all die suddenly on the same night. Rachel Keller Naomi Watts, the aunt of one of the ill-fated teens, is a journalist who has decided to investigate the matter and travels West with her young son, Aidan David Dorfman, a troubled child who has been drawing pictures of strange and ominous visions. Rachel managed to find the cabin in the woods and watches the video herself; afterward, she receives the same phone call, and realizes she must solve the puzzle of the video and the person or persons behind it within a week. Rachel turns to her ex, Noah Martin Henderson, an expert in video technology, who at first is convinced the story is a hoax until he digs deeper into the mystery. The Ring was adapted from a 1996 Japanese film by Hideo Nakata, which became a massive box-office success in Asia and spawned two sequels.
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
A truly blood-chilling exercise in supernatural horror, this American remake of Hideo Nakata's 1998 Japanese cult classic depicts the inexplicable marriage of demonic malevolence and modern technology. The nightmarish tale gets underway as newspaper reporter Rachel Keller Naomi Watts investigates the bizarre fates of teenagers who have died exactly seven days after watching a certain videotape. Rachel watches the tape and pooh-poohs the idea that it might be cursed -- until her young son David Dorfman starts making eerie drawings similar to those produced by the victims just days before they died. Despite the occasional plot hole -- suspension of disbelief is a given in horror, anyway -- screenwriter Ehren Kruger crafts a spine-tingling story that is visualized splendidly by director Gore Verbinski, who establishes a sinister, melancholy mood early on and sustains it through the excruciatingly tense final reel. This isn't really an actor's movie, but Watts handles herself surprisingly well, making believable that which is patently unbelievable. She gets able support from Brian Cox playing a lonely old man whose past sins have a bearing on the present carnage and Martin Henderson, who is extremely winning as the video geek who helps Rachel analyze the deadly tape. This ambitious little thriller isn't always logical, but it's relentlessly creepy, and that's a quality you always want in a horror movie.
All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan
Though the majority of truly effective scares in The Ring resound most clearly when borrowed from the original source material, Gore Verbinski's reworking of the phenomenally successful 1998 Japanese film Ringu is a suitably chilling version of the story, which has already seen a Korean remake, two sequels, and a made-for-television movie. Wisely opting for a sustained sense of dread over a series of shock scenes or an over-reliance on special effects, The Ring also benefits from the suitable and assured lead performance of actress Naomi Watts, despite some over-dramatization of events early on. The majority of newly incorporated plot elements are also fairly effective, with at least one instance aboard an island-bound ferry reaching a fever pitch of disturbing heights. And though many of these elements work within the context of the story, certain embellishments are more distracting than effective. The properties of the video that spark the desperate investigation of its origins, as well as the video itself, seem slightly more forced, even if the plot developments that they ultimately lead to are indeed intriguing. A hypnotic melding of obscure nightmarish imagery in the Japanese theatrical release, the video as presented in the American remake, as one character so eloquently states, is "very student film." This isn't to say that it isn't effective in terms of uncomfortable imagery, but rather that it lacks the subtleties that made the original so obscurely menacing. This can also be said of the character of Samara. Where the original wisely refrained from giving the audience a good look at this terrifying figure of mysterious origins, we simply see too much of her here. Her seemingly unearthly and unnatural movements, so effectively realized by utilizing an actress versed in Kabuki theater in the original, is here less-engagingly realized with special effects and trick photography. Also integrating elements from the sequel as well as other contemporary Japanese chillers, The Ring pays homage to its origins while maintaining a decidedly American slant. A highly stylized visual stunner, Verbinski's sparse frame recalls the original while cinematographer Bojan Bazelli's photography helps the film stand on its own as a lusciously foreboding rain-soaked nightmare.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 1/1/2013
  • UPC: 883929302888
  • Original Release: 2002
  • Source: Paramount Catalog
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 1,655

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Naomi Watts Rachel Keller
Martin Henderson Noah
David Dorfman Aidan
Brian Cox Richard Morgan
Jane Alexander Dr. Grasnik
Lindsay Frost Ruth
Pauley Perrette Beth
Amber Tamblyn Katie
Rachael Bella Becca
Sara Rue Babysitter
Shannon Cochran Anna Morgan
Daveigh Chase Samara
Sasha Barrese Girl Teen #1
Joanna Lin Black Cashier
Alan Blumenfeld Harvey
Adam Brody Male Teen #1
Keith Campbell Ship's Mate
Gary Cervantes Painter
Joseph Chrest Doctor
Aixa Clemente Nurse
Chris Cooper
Stephanie Erb Donna
Art Frankel Cal
Tess Hall Girl Teen #2
Chuck Hicks Ferry Worker
Ronald William Lawrence Library Clerk
Richard Lineback Innkeeper
Billy Lloyd Darby
Coleen Maloney Mourner #1
Maura McNamara Girl On Ferry
Catherine Paolone Mourner #2
David Povall Girl's Father
Guy Richardson Librarian
Joe Sabatino Orderly
Michael Spound Dave
Lindsey Stoddart Grad Student
Sandra Thigpen Teacher
Gina Segall Singer
Fiachra Trench Conductor
Technical Credits
Gore Verbinski Director
Benita Allen-Honess Associate Producer, Asst. Director
Slamm Andrews Sound Mixer
Rick Baker Makeup Special Effects
Bojan Bazelli Cinematographer
Denise Chamian Casting
Cinovation Studios Makeup Special Effects
Craig Wood Editor
Burt Dalton Special Effects Supervisor
Thomas A. Duffield Production Designer
Tom Duffield Production Designer
Neal Edelstein Executive Producer
Harry K. Garvin Camera Operator
Daniel B. Gold Camera Operator
Giselle Gurza Asst. Director
Christine Iso Co-producer
Ehren Kruger Screenwriter
Mike Macari Executive Producer
Laurie MacDonald Producer
Peter Miller Sound/Sound Designer
Walter Parkes Producer
Fred Roth Asst. Director
Jodi Rothfield Casting
Roy Lee Executive Producer
Amy Schmiederer Makeup
Maya Shimoguchi Set Decoration/Design
J.C. Spink Executive Producer
Patrick M. Sullivan Jr. Art Director
Michele Weisler Executive Producer
Julie Weiss Costumes/Costume Designer
Hans Zimmer Score Composer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 93 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(61)

4 Star

(18)

3 Star

(5)

2 Star

(3)

1 Star

(6)

Your Rating:

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 93 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    before you die you see the ring

    my friend and i saw this movie and i like it alot but she was to scaried of it. i grabbed my cell phone and went outside and called my house phone.my friend answered it and i said "you have seven days to live" she got so scaried and i could hear her screaming but i never told her it was me who called.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    i am very disapointed

    your movie gave my 13yr old nighmares for 3 months

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    :o

    This is a really great movie! It scared me to death :( And the phone ringing just as the credits started didn't help either. Anyway, it was amazing :) Loved the suspense and the story. I think the second one was better though

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Ok

    Although the popouts and deaths sometimes make you jump, I thought this movie was way overblown. The only scary bits are the few popouts and the T.V. sceen. This movie was supposed to be terrifing, but it wasn't

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A tear jerker

    Me and my friend went to theater and saw this movie and we were both crying because we were so scared. Maybe we over exaggerated but neither one of us had ever seen something that scary. All the guys around us were trying to hit on us because it was, I guess, the opportune time. Anyways, it was a great movie but it made me scared of my tv.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A GOOD, SOLID HORROR FILM

    After watching this movie in theaters, I was terrified! I can't see how people think this movie is not scary. This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time! Awesome!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Ring

    i saw this movie late at night a my friends house and had nighmares for days. this movie is so scary but it is really good. if you like scay movies, rent this one.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Ring

    "i don't make them, i see them and they just...are" (for those of you who have seen this movie, you know what i mean) oh my god i love this movie. it's so suspensful and really scary. I saw alone at night and i couldn't look at the tv for week. if you haven't seen this movie, rent it

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    not too great

    the Ring wasn't really a great thriller movie. i mean, i've seen much better. the story line was really stupid, and the whole movie was bad! but, i have to admit. i did get nightmares the first time i saw it. but, after two more times of seeing the movie, it wasn't even funny anymore. this movie STINKS!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    The Ring

    This movie is somewhat scary especially the part where Samara comes out of the well with only her long black hair covering pratcially her whole face and then he crawls out of the T.V. able to reach her unsuspecting and speechless victims.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    totally scary!

    oh, my god. my friend and i watched this movie in the dark, and afterwards, i got nightmares and couldn't go to sleep at all that night. enyone in their right mind would LOVE this movie.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    GREAT MOVIE

    this movie is great i was scared of my tv for weeks i cant wait till ring 2 comes out

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Hooooooo-buddy

    This is the best example I know of for getting the DVD of a movie. The extra scenes are terrific. They should have been in the relased version, but I guess I was not the expert. Yes, this is one scary movie. This is the kind of movie you keep one eye closed and the other just open enough to close quickly if you need to. Yup, you will be thinking about this one for a long time after you turn off your TV.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Terrible Movie!!!!!!!!!

    This was the WORST movie I have ever seen. It was horribly depressing, and it was just really lame. There were no scary 'parts', the whole thing was just creepy, and I thought it was just a really bad movie. If you are looking for a scary movie that you can watch and be like 'that was a cool movie', then I would really recommend getting some OTHER movie.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    pretty good

    This was a good movie but its not as scary as what everyone was saying when it was released.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Moxie!

    This film may not be the best written or display the best acting talent, however, its director and writers happen to have the chutzpah to completely tell a story. Unlike many other pseudo horror films, viewing this film will be a consummate cinematic experience. A mon avis (French- In my Opinion), a sated feeling only matched by that gained when viewing Wes Cravens¿ 2002 'They,' though delectable for primarily other reasons. Basically, this film, the previous mentioned film included, will not burgeon the feelings that cause one to rue the time spent viewing films. Congratulations in accordance for all those involved in the creation of this film, as it will leave you with nary a question to be asked about the epilogue or disappointment as to where your life¿s precious time had been frittered!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    7 Days

    I loved this movie! it had a good plot, story line and acting. BUT it didn't have any scary parts! Like one part where the little girl comes out of the TV. Not so scary. Its a excelent movie but very fake. P.S. People passed out in the movie theater when they saw this movie.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Omg, scaaaaary!!!!!!

    If you want a combination of suspense and brilliant writing, this is the movie for you. It's not a gory/chop-em-up movie, which I expected it to be. But I was thoroughly scared silly...don't watch it alone...

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 18, 2003

    The scariest movie I have ever seen!!!

    It truly is the most scariest movie I have ever seen. At first I thought it was just an ordinary movie,when I was watching it at 2:00 at night by myself. As I watched, I nearly fainted. I decided to watch it in abroad daylight. Dark or shine it is still as scary. I watched it over,for some parts I did not understand. Till today I still have nightmares. All I say to you is do not watch it alone.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Very suspenseful

    One of the best horror movie i've seen in a long while.

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 93 Customer Reviews