First off, I will tell you all that I'm a hardcore horror film fanatic. I've seen hundreds of horror movies all throughout my 21 years on this Earth. I've seen mainstream horror, indi horror, Italian horror, Spanish horror, big budget and no budget horror, OOP (out of print) horror, etc.
One must approach a horror film in a different manner than most movies. First ask yourself, what is the main goal of a horror movie?
-to scare you -to entertain you -to creep you out -often times to make you laugh -to make you have a good time
...A horror movie is like a roller-coaster. You get "on board" pretty much knowing what to expect. You pay a few bucks, take your ride and then toss those memories aside after you get your kicks out of it.
Horror films are (for the most part) the roller-coaster ride.
Films such as Star Wars, Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, and even Requiem For A Dream are to be viewed in a much different light than the horror film.
Those above mentioned films stand out because of numerous things. Whether it's the amazing story and imagination that went into Star Wars, the gritty realistic historically accurate war scenes of Saving Private Ryan, or the powerful and gripping acting in Requiem For A Dream. These types of movies are equivalent to taking a vacation at the Six Flags Theme park or Disneyworld.
Horror is the cheap quick thrill/entertainment of the roller-coaster. "Epic" (in their own ways) type films are the entire family vacation to that exspensive theme park. When you leave, you will remember those events for a long time, and there was just so much to do and see. Horror is not that. Horror is...
...well, horror.
That being said, I must say that The Grudge is a great horror film. What makes me take notice to a "good" or "great" horror film are the things that make it stand out. Hollywood seems to have lost the grasp on horror over the last 10 years, spitting out "another teen slasher w/out any smarts".
While those "slasher" type horror flicks can be fun, they ultimately leave you disappointed by cardboard stories/characters and instead rely on blood/boobies (that's not a bad thing for some people's opinions).
This is what makes the Grudge a great horror flick. The blood/gore is only there for impact on certain scenes. It is there to heighten the intensity and creepiness. There isn't much blood, and only a single gory element (no i won't say what it is)...but that's not the point of THIS type of horror movie. The blood/gore was used tastefully and not overdone, but at the same time, not underdone.
The story is also what makes The Grudge a great horror flick. It is a unique spin on the traditional "haunted house" tale that us fat lazy Americans are so used to seeing. "House on Haunted Hill", "The Haunting", "13 Ghosts", etc....catch my drift?
What makes this "haunted house" tale so interesting is that it's done in a unique way. People come and go into the house as they please, they aren't "trapped" inside or anything. Some people die, and some people don't. It makes it more realistic because while it IS a haunted house, it only appears as a normal house (I guess that's what the average home in Japan looks like). There's no hokey and stereotypical:cobwebs, creaking doors, mysterious moving objects, etc. in the usual haunted house/ghost story flicks.
The entire story is done in a series of short tales, each focusing on a character/group of characters. All the stories tie into each other throughout the film...leaving us sometimes confused. Think of how the different stories in the film, "Pulp Fiction" tie together to tell the entire movie, and that's somewhat the same direction the Grudge is aiming at (although definitely not as detailed/integrated).
I like that this makes The Grudge stand out from the "standard" horror film. In fact, I can't recall off the top of my head about another horror film using this same technique. While not a new technique, it does make for a much more interesting film.
Horror movies either aim to be scary or just fun. This one aims to be scary. A "fun" horror flick would be along the lines of Cabin Fever (meant to be a fun entertaining ride for the audience, concentrating on that and not on the scares)...
...and SCARY this is. Although i cannot say in fact what film is "scary" because that is a matter of opinion, but in my opinion...it is scary. I'm not going to have nightmares or anything, but yes, the film is creepy, atmospheric and scary. This is a GOOD THING. If you thought The Ring was scary, I consider this film to outdo the Ring on scares by 2 times at least.
I just mentioned how creepy the film is. Why is it creepy? It's creepy because of the atmosphere. The house is pretty much a normal house, and the scares rely on the ghosts. I like that. Most horror movies try to rely on the setting too much for the scares and don't concentrate on the actual "horror goods". This film throws in a couple of really unique and creepy ghosts that certainly do their job, and do it well.
So what's bad about this movie? What didn't I like you ask? A few things actually. Some of it doesn't seem to make too much sense plot wise. I also think that the film needs more blood/gore (although it's certainly good without it). I think a disturbingly creepy film like this would use the extra blood/gore in a much more effective way than the typical horror movie. You'll get what i'm talking about when you see the scene with Yoko (after she returns from the house).
I think the characters could have been a little bit more interesting. Although this is horror, and horror films tend to have cardboard cutout characters, a big budget and ambitious film like this could have been even more effective with better characters.
All in all, this film does what horror films are meant to do. It is scary, creepy, atmospheric, filmed in a unique way, and most importantly...original.
Some people say this is "like the Ring"...and I must argue. Both films are remakes of their same titled original Asian films, but that's really the only thing similar. The female ghost in The Grudge sorta looks like "Samara" from The Ring as well, but not like most people make it out to be.
Don't let the critics stop you from watching this movie. It's worth the money in my opinion. Just go in knowing it's a horror movie, and not Hollywood's attempt to cash in at this year's Oscars and you'll end up leaving with a smile on your face.
8 out of 10 rating
CLIFF NOTES: This is a horror movie, not an attempt at an "epic" film. It has plot holes, some confusing scenes and somewhat "dry" characters. It does have scares, atmosphere, creepiness, and some unique direction/cinematography. It is a fun movie, one to take your girl to. If you enjoy horror movies, i simply cannot see how you wouldn't like this film. Enjoy.
One must approach a horror film in a different manner than most movies. First ask yourself, what is the main goal of a horror movie?
-to scare you -to entertain you -to creep you out -often times to make you laugh -to make you have a good time
...A horror movie is like a roller-coaster. You get "on board" pretty much knowing what to expect. You pay a few bucks, take your ride and then toss those memories aside after you get your kicks out of it.
Horror films are (for the most part) the roller-coaster ride.
Films such as Star Wars, Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, and even Requiem For A Dream are to be viewed in a much different light than the horror film.
Those above mentioned films stand out because of numerous things. Whether it's the amazing story and imagination that went into Star Wars, the gritty realistic historically accurate war scenes of Saving Private Ryan, or the powerful and gripping acting in Requiem For A Dream. These types of movies are equivalent to taking a vacation at the Six Flags Theme park or Disneyworld.
Horror is the cheap quick thrill/entertainment of the roller-coaster. "Epic" (in their own ways) type films are the entire family vacation to that exspensive theme park. When you leave, you will remember those events for a long time, and there was just so much to do and see. Horror is not that. Horror is...
...well, horror.
That being said, I must say that The Grudge is a great horror film. What makes me take notice to a "good" or "great" horror film are the things that make it stand out. Hollywood seems to have lost the grasp on horror over the last 10 years, spitting out "another teen slasher w/out any smarts".
While those "slasher" type horror flicks can be fun, they ultimately leave you disappointed by cardboard stories/characters and instead rely on blood/boobies (that's not a bad thing for some people's opinions).
This is what makes the Grudge a great horror flick. The blood/gore is only there for impact on certain scenes. It is there to heighten the intensity and creepiness. There isn't much blood, and only a single gory element (no i won't say what it is)...but that's not the point of THIS type of horror movie. The blood/gore was used tastefully and not overdone, but at the same time, not underdone.
The story is also what makes The Grudge a great horror flick. It is a unique spin on the traditional "haunted house" tale that us fat lazy Americans are so used to seeing. "House on Haunted Hill", "The Haunting", "13 Ghosts", etc....catch my drift?
What makes this "haunted house" tale so interesting is that it's done in a unique way. People come and go into the house as they please, they aren't "trapped" inside or anything. Some people die, and some people don't. It makes it more realistic because while it IS a haunted house, it only appears as a normal house (I guess that's what the average home in Japan looks like). There's no hokey and stereotypical:cobwebs, creaking doors, mysterious moving objects, etc. in the usual haunted house/ghost story flicks.
The entire story is done in a series of short tales, each focusing on a character/group of characters. All the stories tie into each other throughout the film...leaving us sometimes confused. Think of how the different stories in the film, "Pulp Fiction" tie together to tell the entire movie, and that's somewhat the same direction the Grudge is aiming at (although definitely not as detailed/integrated).
I like that this makes The Grudge stand out from the "standard" horror film. In fact, I can't recall off the top of my head about another horror film using this same technique. While not a new technique, it does make for a much more interesting film.
Horror movies either aim to be scary or just fun. This one aims to be scary. A "fun" horror flick would be along the lines of Cabin Fever (meant to be a fun entertaining ride for the audience, concentrating on that and not on the scares)...
...and SCARY this is. Although i cannot say in fact what film is "scary" because that is a matter of opinion, but in my opinion...it is scary. I'm not going to have nightmares or anything, but yes, the film is creepy, atmospheric and scary. This is a GOOD THING. If you thought The Ring was scary, I consider this film to outdo the Ring on scares by 2 times at least.
I just mentioned how creepy the film is. Why is it creepy? It's creepy because of the atmosphere. The house is pretty much a normal house, and the scares rely on the ghosts. I like that. Most horror movies try to rely on the setting too much for the scares and don't concentrate on the actual "horror goods". This film throws in a couple of really unique and creepy ghosts that certainly do their job, and do it well.
So what's bad about this movie? What didn't I like you ask? A few things actually. Some of it doesn't seem to make too much sense plot wise. I also think that the film needs more blood/gore (although it's certainly good without it). I think a disturbingly creepy film like this would use the extra blood/gore in a much more effective way than the typical horror movie. You'll get what i'm talking about when you see the scene with Yoko (after she returns from the house).
I think the characters could have been a little bit more interesting. Although this is horror, and horror films tend to have cardboard cutout characters, a big budget and ambitious film like this could have been even more effective with better characters.
All in all, this film does what horror films are meant to do. It is scary, creepy, atmospheric, filmed in a unique way, and most importantly...original.
Some people say this is "like the Ring"...and I must argue. Both films are remakes of their same titled original Asian films, but that's really the only thing similar. The female ghost in The Grudge sorta looks like "Samara" from The Ring as well, but not like most people make it out to be.
Don't let the critics stop you from watching this movie. It's worth the money in my opinion. Just go in knowing it's a horror movie, and not Hollywood's attempt to cash in at this year's Oscars and you'll end up leaving with a smile on your face.
8 out of 10 rating
CLIFF NOTES: This is a horror movie, not an attempt at an "epic" film. It has plot holes, some confusing scenes and somewhat "dry" characters. It does have scares, atmosphere, creepiness, and some unique direction/cinematography. It is a fun movie, one to take your girl to. If you enjoy horror movies, i simply cannot see how you wouldn't like this film. Enjoy.