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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Nasty spirits must have a
corner on the Japanese housing market. How else to
describe the lovely home this evil spirit occupies
in "The Grudge"? Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as
Karen Davis a nurse living in Japan who provides
care for those who require assisted living. This
spooky ghost story scared up a hefty profit when
it opened.
It appears that grudges pay off for director
Takashi Shimizu, as this is his third or fourth
remake of the same film. Luckily, the American
remake refines the scares that made the Japanese
theatrical hit such a big draw both overseas and
even in the US. Keep in mind this is a suspenseful
ghost story, not a gore fest so don't expect a lot
of blood and guts because that's not what this is
all about (although it does have its moments).
A top-notch transfer from Columbia highlights this
terrific DVD. The colors are vivid and bright
capturing the lovely, ghostly look of the original
theatrical release perfectly. The 5.1 mix uses the
format extremely well with nice imaging, sound and
depth. The ethereal sound mix perfectly matches
the tone and texture of the visual images.
Extras-wise we get a five-part documentary on the
making of the movie. Producer Sam Raimi (director
of such films as "Darkman," "Spiderman,"
"Spiderman 2," "Evil Dead," "A Simple Plan," "Army
of Darkness") discusses his interest in the film
and the cast, and Bill Pullman and Gellar discuss
what drew them to this ghost story. All comment on
the stylish direction, the inspiration from
Japanese folklore and its impact on the story.
Screenwriter Stephen Susco discusses how he honed
the original Japanese story and repackaged it for
an American sensibility without losing what made
the original so special. Director Shimizu
discusses (via subtitles) how he crafted the story
for a very different audience, covering everything
from the "Myth of the Ju-On" (the power of a
woman's rage) to the culture shock the American
cast faced making the movie.
"Under the Skin" focuses not on what scares us but
why we like to be scared. Joseph LeDoux a
psychiatric professor and author discusses how
viewing other people being threatened gives us the
adrenaline rush that the characters feel without
the threat of actual danger. Using footage from
the film along with footage of LeDoux, this
featurette doesn't tell us something we don't
already know but confirms why we react the way we
do to horror films, urban myths and stories. We
also get a number of previews from forthcoming
Columbia releases.
As usual Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Sarah Michelle
Gellar, Robert Tapert, Clea DuVall, Kadee
Strickland, Stephen Susco all combine their
talents for an informative, funny -- but
occasionally annoying -- commentary track. They
clearly are having such a good time that even the
annoying moments, when they indulge themselves a
bit too much, are fun to listen to, at least the
first time.
A great, scary ghost story "The Grudge" will keep
you on the edge of your seat. Well made, acted and
produced the DVD looks exceptionally good. The
extras include a comprehensive documentary on the
making of the movie and a featurette on why we
like fear in movies (and ghost stories). A great
job overall by Columbia, the director, cast,
screenwriter and producers. |
