J-horror/American Remakes
 

Hey, I'm new on this site, I was just wonderin' what your opinions are on j-horror remakes ,

e.g Ju-On - The Grudge
Ringu- The Ring

Even The Tale of Two Sisters that has recently been remade to 'The Uninvited' which is out soon.

I just wanna know if you prefer the j-horror original versions, do you think they're more creepy?

and why do american directors remake j-horror?

your opinions people please:)

I think producers are running out of ideas so they look to foreign markets and "adapt" their stuff to US screens.

i agree, but the problem seems to be the fact that they are so cuaght up with making a quick buck that they ignore the true dynamics of the story. rather than allow the film to remain in its true form the story is mangled by a producer/director trying to translate to an american audiance and what they feel may be more appealing rather than consider and disect what it was exactly that drew american audiances to the original film to begin with. i find the whole process very dishartening.

Ring = garbage (i actually think Ringu is the most overrated asian horror film)
the grudge = garbage
one missed call = the shit that sits under garbage
mirrorz = decent
dark water = garbage
shutter = absolutely terrible (the original is one of the very few movies that manages to spook my desensitized ass)
the eye = garbage
Kaïro = garbage

im sure i missed some of the already released garbage movies.

up-n-coming garbage =
Phone remake
Host remake
Tale of two sisters remake (this one will blow major hollywood producer balls)
Oldboy.... while not really horror, probably one of the best movies ive seen in the past 20 years. I cried a little when i found out Will Smith and Steven Spielberg were on the remake team.

Please tell me you're lieing. Seriously? I think I'm going to be sick*ack*. I'm gonna bottle up all my sad feelings over just the thought of this outrage and turn it into anger later.

I thought that The Grudge remake was actually better than the original Ju-on. That Takashi Shimizu had the pleasure of directing them both, it shows that he was willing to make edits to his good, but flawed first film. The Grudge remake is one of my favorite horror movies of all time.

I have no problem with remakes if they endeavor to correct the mistakes of the original. And the original Ju-on suffered from some poor editing and meandering storylines. I feel as though he really corrected himself with the remake.

The only other remake that I've seen (and thought was decent) was Pulse. I can't really understand why people hate it so much; it's great at creating atmosphere, it creates FANTASTIC ghosties, and the end is great.

Then again I haven't seen the original - I need to get on that.



Re: Spielberg, Smith, and Oldboy. ... I think that Steven and Will should be shot in the face. Point blank. No judge, no jury. Just executed.

I can't blame Chan-Wook Park, though, for handing over the rights. Considering the absurdly beautiful movies he turns over again and again - He just got financing for his next dream. So I'm looking at it THAT way: While the American Oldboy will be a bastardized version of a perfect film, the selling of its rights will (hopefully) give Park more funds to continue doing what he does - Creating jaw-droppingly beautiful art.

So, thank you, Spielberg, for giving my favorite director of all time funding for his NEXT project of greatness; greatness that you will never achieve.

I've recently come to a similar conclusion Chrono. On another sight I responded to an angry comment about the Oldboy remake. We have to look at the financial benifit this will create for Chan-Wook Park, and how that will benift all his fans in the long run.

Yes, Steven and Will should be killed by an angry mob.

Overall I prefer the original J-horror movies (any foreign horror movies for that matter). It makes no sense to me to make something in another language.

Usually they never spend enough effort to actually translate and smooth out the cultural norms that are embedded into the script.

The foreign setting adds to the horror movie. It is an alien landscape unfamiliar to most viewers. They don't know what to expect next because they don't know the culture and the places. Its more stimulating because its something new that you don't see everyday.

Placing the exact same storyline with the exact same characters except in an English border just does not work. Especially when the characters' English equivalents are really no where near the original.

The one great things remakes usually do is get us a nice R1 release of the original.

I agree The Grudge is damn fine film, one of my favorites. But i found the sound let it down. Ju-on i thought sounded creepyer.IMO.

The thing that amazes me about remakes vs originals is the price tag.

Ju-on - Production cost = around 4 million dollars.
The Grudge - Production cost = 20 million.

When i watch the two movies i am more impressed with the original and find myself asking... "where did the other 16 million go in the remake?"