The Grudge (Director's Cut DVD)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, The Grudge is out on DVD… again. It’s inevitable these days: Before you can say “Here Kitty, Kitty” a second version is on disc. (I think there are something like 19 versions of Underworld… I can only guess at how Sony will put a new spin on things in time for version #20 when Underworld 2 gets its theatrical release later on this year.)

Still, I’ve got to hand it to Sony Home Entertainment because they really did do something different here and made for a very entertaining alternate choice to the first DVD of The Grudge (which was released, if memory serves me, in January). This one is the unrated director’s cut, with a highly entertaining commentary from the director, producer, and lead ghost.

In case you are not familiar with the plot, here’s a basic run-down: Sarah Michelle Gellar plays an exchange student studying social work in Japan. When she agrees to cover for a nurse who didn't show up for work, she has no idea what she's stepping into. When she enters the assigned home, she discovers an elderly woman who is lost in a catatonic state while the rest of the house appears deserted and disheveled. As the student is tending to the stricken old lady, she hears ominous scratching sounds from upstairs. When she investigates, she is faced with a supernatural horror more frightening than she could ever imagine. It is ju-on, the manifestation of a malevolent curse that locks a person's soul in a powerful rage before claiming their life and moving on to another hapless victim.

One of the things that makes The Grudge unique is that it is a remake of critically-acclaimed Japanese film, called Ju-On: The Grudge, and is directed by Takashi Shimizu, the same writer/director of the original. Reprising their roles as the angry, drowned ghosts are Takako Fuji (the slinky, sylphlike dark lady) and Yuya Ozeki (the little boy with eyes as big as milk saucers and a scream to make the alley cats scatter). The black feline phantom is back as well, and so is the muddled plot.

However, I must admit that the director’s cut — with its added footage, more lingering on the gore, and some scenes completely changed in order — makes things a lot clearer. There are also several deleted scenes which fill in so many blanks. My favorite parts are the scenes that featured the cat more prominently (an important part of the story, which was very slimmed down in the U.S. theatrical version), and the ones that fleshed out the story of the murders that led to the ghosts’ everlasting “grudge”.

There are two fun, never-before-seen “video diaries” made by stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and KaDee Strickland. KaDee’s is sort of a tour through the streets of Japan’s biggest, most bustling cities, and she’s a fun guide. Sarah’s shows part of a typical work day. In fact, before the movie was even theatrically released I interviewed her at Comic-Con and she was going on about this video she called “Where is Shimizu?” and how much fun it would be on the DVD. Then when the first version of The Grudge DVD came out and there was none of her home video, I figured it just didn’t make the cut. So, it’s fun to finally see it.

That stuff is all well and good, but the real piece de resistance is the feature commentary from director Takashi Shimizu, producer Taka Ichise, and actor Takako Fuji.The Grudge is only the second DVD I can think of where I actually liked the commentary better than the movie, and hence came to like the movie itself better as a result (Auto Focus is the other one). Although the commentary is all in Japanese and subtitled (with a couple of minor mistakes, such as referring to Dario Argento’s 1977 film Suspiria as “sasuperia”) I was riveted from start to finish — and to be perfectly honest, I never would have thought I could sit through that whole movie again.

The director, producer and actress all have such a fun, easy camaraderie and not only are they very funny (Shimizu jokes about what a mess the little ghost boy makes, and then Ichise says, “He’s probably looking for the checkbook of a rich American!”) but they also explain an awful lot about the story, filmmaking in general, and their experience working in the Hollywood system for the first time. They also talk about audience reaction to the same movie in Japan as opposed to America, what things confused certain audiences, what audiences universally laughed at or got scared at, etc. There are also some humorous anecdotes — like a story about one of the Japanese producers having to get through airport customs and security with life-sized phony corpses when it was time to do some re-shoots in America.

This commentary is truly fascinating. If you are a fan of The Grudge movies, or even if you’re not and want to be a convert, The Grudge Director’s Cut is definitely worth buying for the “extras” alone.

Altogether, you will find:

Feature commentary by director Takashi Shimizu, producer Taka Ichise, and actor Takako Fuji

15 additional deleted scenes with optional filmmaker commentary

Director Takashi Shimizu's original "Ju-On" short films, "4444444444" and "In a Corner"

Video diaries from Sarah Michelle Gellar and KaDee Strickland

"The Grudge House: An Insider's Tour"

"Production Designer's Notebook: The Sketches of Iwao Saito"

"Sights and Sounds: The Storyboard Art of Takashi Shimizu"

Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson

= = =

Be sure and check out our exclusive coverage of The Grudge red carpet premiere, cast interviews, and more here.