Though the overall plot-lines of 1998's "Ringu" and 2002's "The Ring" were almost identical - (Surprise! Surprise!) - I, personally, thought that the American remake, "The Ring", was, by far, a much more effective and chilling ghost/horror story, in the long run.After reading all of the gushing raves that "Ringu" was getting from excited reviewers - I cannot believe how downright disappointing and, yes, anti-climatic this film was, for the most part.Not only did Ringu's story fail to hold and sustain any genuine suspense and terror - But, it was also very weak, visually - And, on top of that - The Japanese actors all seemed to be such amateurs who were just bland and forgettable nobodies, completely lacking in the ability to create dynamic character portrayals.Nope - For me - This was definitely one of those mighty rare instances where a remake actually surpassed the original on all counts.

Ruthlessly murdered by her father, the ghost of a seer's daughter kills all those who watch a weird video after seven days; unless the viewer finds the escape clause.Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Hollywood horror had largely been dominated by the slasher subgenre, which relied on on-screen violence, shock tactics, and gore. "Ring", whose release in Japan roughly coincided with the stylistically similar "The Blair Witch Project" in the United States, helped to revitalize the genre by taking a more restrained approach to horror, leaving much of the terror to the audience's imagination. The film initiated global interest in Japanese cinema in general and Japanese horror cinema in particular, a renaissance which led to the coining of the term J-Horror in the West. This "New Asian Horror" resulted in further successful releases, such as "Ju-on: The Grudge" and "Dark Water".This really is the essential modern Japanese horror film. Not only did it launch a cycle of American remakes and get more people to notice Japanese horror, but it is terrifying in its own right. Some have tried to analyze it as a metaphor on motherhood or being about traditional Japanese culture. But really, it was just scary... and still is almost 20 years later.

Ring is the only J horror I have watched to date. In general, I'm sick and tired of horror movies because they're all the same. Not this one. This nightmarish, chilling and stratospherically creepy horror movie isn't just a great horror movie, but in general a great film. The story is simple: A video tape kills people 7 days after they watch it, and a journalist tries not to become the next victim. It may sound ordinary, but I have never seen such a creepy movie in my life. Rather than jump scares and gore, the movie is filled to the brim with creepy imagery, atmospheric lighting, shiver inducing music and chilling locations. Even though there aren't many actual scares, you forget about it and are still watching through your fingers even when there's nothing going on. It is the best type of ghost story: Simple, clear and effective, and even though VHS no longer exists, it's still utterly terrifying.Without CGI or gore, the film takes normal modern technology and turns it into a living nightmare in a way no other film I've seen has done. As for that final scene, let's just say you'll never look at a TV the same way again. Some may find the film dull, which I can understand, but don't expect loads of repeated scares because you won't get them. It's endless creepy imagery, with one massive scare at the end. This might be the best horror movie of the 90s, and most modern horror films cower in its shadow. The villain, despite little screen time makes a huge dent, and the temperature in the room will drop many degrees every time she appears. A haunting and influential horror bull's eye. Comparing this to the remake is like comparing the altitudes of a plane and a submarine.10/10

I saw the American remake first and loved it. So naturally, the original would probably fail to impress me as I've seen it done already and on a higher budget, right? Wrong. The original deserves all the respect and praise it gets. There are several elements it does better than the remake: this includes the video which is far more psychologically disturbing and Sadako herself, whose scenes represent the pinnacle of horror. Our two leads are also pretty likable, though the son is unfortunately the creepy zombie I disliked in the remake.I'm sure some people won't be scared by this, especially since it s an older movie with a plot most are well versed in by now. But this movie must get credit for just how groundbreaking it was at the time. Personally, I think it holds up really well, considering I only saw it for the first time recently.