The Grudge

Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito Original UK Premiere: 2003 Dvd Release: 4th October, 2004 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen, Region 2 Encoding Subtitled In: English Dubbed In: English

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Ju-On continues what has become a tradition in Japanese cinema - it has been rapidly remade by Hollywood, presumably because it is recognised as having great potential but is seen, in its original form, as too difficult for western audiences. Well, it is a strange film, & not an easy one to follow, particularly if you have to keep up with the subtitles. Trying to explain what happens & why it is disturbing is a bit like playing peek-a-boo - one moment you think youve grasped it, the next, the story is as ephemeral as cigarette smoke.

A social worker visits an untidy house to find a confused old woman. She hears noises and, when she investigates, discovers a black cat & a feral boy locked away upstairs. The enigmatic weave of the mystery is then elaborated as we follow the tales of other visitors to the house ... some before the social worker, some after her ... each of whom assists us in unlocking the story of what has happened to the child & what will become of the social worker.

The horror, here, is never defined. Ju-On follows in another Japanese tradition - horror, evil, the inexplicable are portrayed as timeless qualities. Fear is in the unknown, so is horror being unable to understand what is happening? Now you see it, now you dont.

The plot is decidedly disjointed. You are unable to decide, from moment to moment, where the story starts ... or where it will end. We have a feral child who plays a macabre version of peek-a-boo. Now you understand it, now you dont ... until the next scene offers some explanation. And further confusion.

There is no music, no special effects, no dramatic sounds, hardly any action. The story unfolds in slow motion. Its scary in places, its strange throughout. Some spirit of vengeance haunts the house ... but what has caused it to possess the place, what has disturbed it, what has caused it to remain?

Peek-a-boo, now you see me, now you dont. The haunting image of the feral child, Toshio, keeps appearing, then disappearing. Japanese horror has often been accused to failing to follow a logical plot sequence. Ju-On consciously abandons any logic, attempting to capture the essence of horror - its unpredictability. The story bounces backwards & forwards - you have to constantly check your bearings. Characters appear, then disappear.

Is it scary? Well, more unsettling than scary, largely because of the uncertainty of what might happen next ... or the discovery of what happened before. It is claustrophobic, disjointed, & consciously confusing. And it will not be to everyones taste. Macabre, disturbing, I still cannot make up my mind whether or not I really enjoyed the experience. Now I see it ... .

Misaki Ito, born May 26, 1977, is a Japanese actress, model & celebrity. She comes from Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture. Her real name is Tomoko Anzai. // In 1999, she became the Asahi Beer image girl & a model under an exclusive contract to CanCam magazine. She also appeared in a Gateway computers & Choya Umeshu commercials. In 2005, she appeared in the TV drama series Densha Otoko as the love interest of the otaku protagonist. She also appears in ads for Shiseido s MAQuillAGE line of cosmetics & Seiko watches, in addition to being the current Vodafone model in Japan, following on from Yu Yamada. Place of Birth. 福島県 / Fukushima Prefecture. Ryuuten no ouhi - Saigo no koutei, TV Asahi. Posters Of The Grudge

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