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The Ring (Full Screen Edition)

The Ring (Full Screen Edition)

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $17.99
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A truly fine idea...for a while
Review: THE RING is one of those films that makes you wish the writer and editor and director had spent more time with the released project. This little fright film houses some fine effects, gets you hooked into an almost implausible concept, and then sells out to sensationalism in the end. But the cast of actors includes Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson as contemporary lovers who have a strangely sensitive son (well played by young David Dorfman), Jane Alexander at her usual fine state as a physician, and Brian Cox in yet another superb cameo. The underlying metaphors about life and death, meaning and parenting are good. The scenery is gorgeous (Seattle and surroundings) and the tricky camera work is excellent. But better to leave the room before the last 10 minutes or so of this scary movie turns into Hollywood silliness.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Creepy Chiller
Review: A truly scary movie confuses you and chills you with the unexpected, the unknown, and occasionally, the incomprehensible. "The Ring" gives you all this and more.

This film continues a recent trend in horror movies of taking place in a setting we all know that likely exists in our own home. We have a comfortable familiarity with electronics, safe and snug with the doors locked. The horror that finds us sounds much like an urban legend. Watch a mysterious, bizarre videotape that causes fear in some, and others to scoff at its amateurish style and technique. Moments after watching the videotape, the phone rings and a voice says, "seven days." Seven days later the watcher of the video dies with a most horrible expression of fear on their face.

Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) learns of this urban legend when her niece dies in a most disconcerting way, and a friend who was with her becomes insane. Rachel tries to back track recent events that happened to her niece and friend and discovers an unlabeled videotape in a remote mountain lodge. Not yet believing the urban legend, Rachel watches the videotape. The phone rings, and the fear begins.

Soon joining Rachel is her ex-husband Aidan (David Dorfman), and even more frighteningly, her son. Hoping that the story isn't true, yet knowing she cannot wait for the end, Rachel begins following the clues in the video to determine whether there is a way of keeping from dying. We discover with Rachel and Aidan in a journey that fits all the pieces together that every image in the movie has meaning.

The ending of the movie was a bit of a let-down, and yet almost as creepy as the movie itself. As with many movies, especially horror movies, the ending can make or break a movie and the ending of this movie almost undoes all the excellence of the movie's body.

This movie is one of the best horror movies I've ever seen, and the best I've seen recently. Elements of the movie are similar to "Fear Dot Com," which was also chilling and bloodier, but not as creepy and ominous as "The Ring." I enjoyed how all the elements of the movie were tied together for those with the diligence to keep track of imagery throughout. Horror movies always play better when ambiance and a growing sense of fear win out over the splatter of unnecessary and excessive blood.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: WHOA
Review: This movie is really really really f*****g scary!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Scary as *&%$!
Review: Why can't more horror movies be like the Ring? It was mystery and horror rolled into one. Very scary and entertaining, and I wasn't expecting half of what went on, especially the ending. It never did explain how that spooky videotape got made, though...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It's alright...
Review: ...P>There's some disturbing visuals, a somewhat original premise based on the original Japanese film, some solid acting (especially from Watts and the boy) ... I am reviewing this film almost two years after it was released and I saw it last night on cable. Nothing really gave me a chill. Watching Exorcist again after all these years most certainly does. I think the problem is, the whole film is setting up that one scene towards the end. You know, when Samara crawls out of the TV, looking not unlike Linda Blair in that other movie. It is a well shot scene and if you don't "see it coming", it'll scare the beejesus out of you.
But you've probably heard the hype by now. It might not make you jump out of your pants anymore. And what you're left with is a sub-standard thriller with a plot that doesn't make much sense.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: She Never Sleeps!
Review: I enjoy good horror movies and this is good. When a group of teenagers view a movie while at a cabin they seal their fate. When a newspaper woman investigates she opens the door to a mystery that may well kill her.

Spooky images, dead horses, visions of ladders, wells, and more along with some good acting make this worth seeing. When the reporter, her ex-husband and son view the tape they only have seven days to live unless they can unravel the clues to the mystery.

I must admit my wife and I were a bit spooked when at almost 10 PM exactly right after we watched this movie the telephone rang. When she told her son that we just watched "The Ring" we all had a laugh.

Although I thought this was an excellent movie, I don't see me watching it repeatedly so I gave it three stars instead of four. Like fear.com it is well worth seeing, I just would not buy it myself. It doesn't have the replayability of "The Sixth Sense" or "The Others".

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Ring around the total lameness.
Review: I watched this movie with the light off in my basement alone! No joke. And at first i felt scared like, this is gonna be one fraky film. But NO. It wasnt the least bit scary. So dont expect much from this borefest. Well actually it was more interesting than scary.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I will never look at wells the same...
Review: This movie was SO good!!! I've watched it so many times, and each time, Samara is just as freaky as the last. i've heard some people say it was dumb, but my best friend and I watch it all the time. The best part is in the end, where samara comes out of the TV with her hair in front of her face, and its so scary because they angle the camera like shes coming out of YOUR tv. That was so scary the first time I watched it. The girl, named Katie, was so freaky too when they found her in the closet. Her face is the kind that sticks in your mind, especially when your alone and have to get something out of your closet......

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: What's all the hype about??
Review: Ok, I have no clue what eveyone else is talking aobut?? I just finished watching this movie and i can say that it was one of the worst films i have seen for a while. It seemed to me that the whole movie was a build up to the end and thats it. It wasnt scary, gory nor surprising, actually it was quite a let down. For all of those people who read the previous reviews saying how great this film was..... DONT BELIEVE IT! The whole movie is a build up to the end, which is cool, but not worth watching 2 hours of film for 5 mins of neat special effects. :( NOT A GOOD MOVIE. If you are looking for a scare try watching the first Nightmare on Elm Street or first Friday the 13th.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: triumph of style over substance
Review: I'd give this stylish thriller 5 stars for cinematography and 3 stars for its thriller value. An interesting premise (based on the Japanese horror film Ringu) and haunting, provocative images ultimately fail to horrify, weakened in the editing room. The music and the look of the film are chic and edgy -- I'd buy the soundtrack and put stills on my desktop, but I never did get scared, as the impact of horrific images or revelations was often weakened by a confused structure or goofy plot devices. The ambience was a lot scarier than the plot.

Extras include a nicely done 15-minute movie that incorporates deleted scenes along with Lynch-ian b&w cuts from the video that may be proving fatal to the film's unfortunate but attractive citizens. Naomi Watts is no Cate Blanchett, but she comports herself believably in the role of an intelligent if emotionally stunted heroine. The film can be heard in English or French and subtitles are available in English, French or Spanish. You can also see trailers for Ringu, 8 Mile and Catch Me If You Can. No commentary track.


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