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The Grudge

A movie directed by Takashi Shimizu

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Frightening or Funny: You Decide.

Oct 20, 2006

by tomtom13
posted in Movie Hype

Rating:

In THE GRUDGE a nurse fails to show up for work at the home of an American family living in Tokyo and an American exchange nurse-student, Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is asked to drop by as her replacement. Karen finds the old lady to be mute and sleeps throughout the day. Strange events occur in the house and Karen discovers that the building seems to be tainted by a curse caused by a grudge. Strange events begin to happen and people start dying. No matter how many victims are killed, The Grudge just won't stop. It seems that an evil emotion that takes the former of frightening-looking, blue Asian children and a sound that sounds like someone with a chicken bone stuck in their throat just can't be appeased.

I watched THE GRUDGE with a group of friends late one night. Many of them were scared throughout the movie and couldn't go to sleep that night. Some of my friends didn't find the movie frightening at all, but several days later found that they were having nightmares and couldn't go to sleep. Japanese horror movies seem to have a psychological effect on some people that lets them experience terror when they would least expect it (I know people who were affected by THE RING the same way).

However, I found THE GRUDGE to be one of the silliest, funniest, and most convoluted films that I have seen in a long time. I busted up laughing during the movie several times and was given strange stares by those around me. I just didn't find the movie very scary. Also, unlike some of my friends I didn't wake up days later having nightmares. Instead, I would find myself laughing at inopportune moments as I remembered some of the scenes from the movie. Most people I have talked to have thought my reactions to the film rather strange, but I have a friend who is a director and though he didn't find the movie to be funny, he did say "it's garbage".

There are many who will find the movie quite frightening. Personally, I recommend it to see the lovely Sarah Michelle Gellar. She might not be a great actress, but she is attractive. The film also has Bill Pullman in a supporting role and Pullman is usually a joy to watch on the big screen, too. Overall, though I didn't find THE GRUDGE very scary at all, I know that many do and it is seeing at least once for Gellar and Pullman's performances.

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More The Grudge reviews

review by Captain_Couth. May 10, 2009

Finally, a remake of a Japanese horror film worth watching.

The Grudge (2004) was a treat. A remake of the Japanese hit Ju-On that is about as good as the original. The only thing that I found wrong with this Japanese redux was the content matter was toned down, other than that nit pick it was a great horror film to watch. This is the film that The Ring (2002) was supposed to be, Instead of being filled with a bunch of cheap thrills and nonsensical images, the direction and the shocks were actually effective. A foreign exchange student … more

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review by DindyRobinson. June 05, 2006

posted in Movie Hype

It was okay

The Grudge was an okay movie, one of those ones that just barely holds your interest enough to make you want to finish it. It's also one of those movies that is hard to describe the plot without giving spoilers, because it jumps back and forth through time, making it next to impossible to follow in a logical sequence. There weren't any real surprises-- plenty of people following the old dictum of going through "That Door"-- you know the one where everyone in the theater shouts, … more

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About the reviewer

tomtom13
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About this movie

Wiki

It's not the scary hit thatThe Ringwas in 2002, butThe Grudgemakes a similarly convincing case for American remakes of popular Japanese horror films. Barely a year passed between the release of Takashi Shimizu's creepy ghost storyJu-On: The Grudgeand the production of this American remake, set in Tokyo and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in her first post-Buffyhorror film. About the only significant difference between the two films is the importing of a mostly-American cast (including Bill Pullman, Clea DuVall and Grace Zabriskie), butThe Grudgewas reconfigured (by screenwriter Stephen Susco) to allow Shimizu to refine and improve the spookiest highlights of his earlier version, which enjoyed previous incarnations as a short film and two made-for-Japanese-video features. Surprising box-office analysts with a $40 million opening weekend,The Grudgemay disappoint hard-core horror fans because it lacks gore and graphic violence, but as a creepy tale about averyhaunted house, it's guaranteed to send a few chills up your spine.--Jeff Shannon

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Details

Cast: Jason Behr, Bill Pullman, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Clea Duvall, Ryo Ishibashi, Grace Zabriskie, William Mapother, Ted Raimi, KaDee Strickland, Rosa Blasi

Director: Takashi Shimizu

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 22 October 2004 (USA)

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Screen Writer: Takashi Shimizu, Stephen Susco

Runtime: 92 min

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