With so much buzz surrounding “Paranormal Activity 2” and its uncanny methods of fright, I got to thinking when the last time I was “truly” scared or freaked out from a film in this genre. Do you know when ‘your’ last time was? For some, it might have been just the other day after watching the above named sequel, but for others like me, it’s been quite awhile. And no, I’m not talking about those goofy horror flicks that may make you jump here or there. I want to know the last time a film made your skin crawl. For me, it was “The Ring,” way back in 2002 when there was no “Saw” or “Paranormal Activity” to speak of.
"Watch this tape and in seven days you will die!" That’s the theme in this one based off Koji Suzuki’s novel Ring and frankly that’s the entire story when you break it all down. It looks simple, but the more you watch, the more you realize there’s a lot more to this supernatural story. It all surrounds investigative reporter by the name of Rachel (Naomi Watts) who stumbles upon what most people would describe as an urban legend; a legend that her sister’s daughter reportedly fell victim to. Already connected, it didn’t take much for Rachel to be intrigued, so she watched the tape. Next thing she knew, she and her own family, which consisted of her son Aidan (David Dorfman) and on again/off again boyfriend Noah (Martin Henderson), were right in the thick of things. Hoping she would soon discover the true meaning of this legend, Rachel dug only to find a series of unexpected and frankly inconceivable answers, forcing her to make a decision she had hoped would never come.
Anytime you have Naomi Watts in this type of film, it should end up in a good place. And even though a cast in this genre really doesn’t matter all that much, I still think having someone like Watts, who can tell a whole story with her face, matters. She held you captive within this twisted and mind-bending story, which went a long way into believing what you were watching. Sure, we all know how ridiculous a film like this is, but who cares when the script allows the cast to pull you into the madness time after time.
Many will think back to this film and its sequel, “The Ring Two,” and dismiss both for whatever reason. Well, the fact is, there should have never been a second installment a year after the first, which is why I like to think that one never existed. This is a case where the original was good enough to stand alone, so it should have been handled that way. Because, the one thing that was quite evident in this film was how well directed and produced it was by Gore Verbinski. Yeah, there were a few plot holes, but you never really got the feeling of anything being too cheesy or out of place during the course of the story. The cinematography was brilliant, both with the amazing backdrop of Washington and disturbing videotape images used throughout the story, which to this day have never been able to figure out, no matter how many times I watch this DVD.
I think the one aspect that resonates with you after watching “The Ring” is just how well organized it was. That’s uncommon for this genre and why I think it worked so well at the time it was released. Having been derived from both the aforementioned novel and Japanese film “Ringu,” this film managed to stand on its own in a unique way. While there might not have been too many sequences to make you squirm, I still find this film and story to be quite creepy and dark. It slowly freaks you out as the story is told and even offers up a strange twist at the ending that to this day I find quite intriguing. So, if you want to see what an ‘old-school’ supernatural film looks like, I strongly encourage you to pick up this DVD from your local retail outlet or online at Netflix.com.
B
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