Post #55712 by Randy Exotica on Sat, Oct 18, 2003 6:00 PM

The best horror movies these days are being made in foreign lands, Asia in particular, and Japan probably most prominently. The American remake of the Japanese movie The Ring, aka Ringu, is just the first of what is going to be many Americanizations of Japanese horror films. Most purists insist the original Ring is better, but I actually like the remake just as well. The American version is a little more coherent, not as much is left unexplained, and I think it worked in some ways better than the original. But it doesn't have as much creepiness as the original Ring.

If you're are really looking for something off the all, then search out another Japanese movie, Audition. There is a domestic DVD available but it may not be in your local video store. I know Netflix carries it. Audition was made by a Japanese madman named Takashi Miike who makes something like 5 movies a year. Most are Yakuza action films with enough gore to qualify as horror movies. But Audition is very different. If you give it a try, stick with it. The first half or two-thirds of the film is fairly slow with some subtle humor. The last 20 minutes is horrifying. It's painful to watch. There is some social commentary regarding the relationships between men and women that give it greater depth than your average gore fest.