Editorials
7 Days! Ranking the ‘Ring’ Films
“Before you die, you see…The Ring!”
Long black hair. Pale white skin. CREEPY. ASS. GHOST. GIRL. CAGG for short. These words could describe numerous entries into the J-Horror craze that washed upon our shores in the early 00’s. The post-Scream slasher phase was waning, and Hollywood needed something new to drive into the ground. Enter, The Ring (2000), Gore Verbinski’s take on the cult original was a massive success that launched a wave of increasingly less successful Asian horror remakes. For those unaware, the films tell the story of a CAGG by the name of Sadako/Samara, depending on country of origin, who will come for you 7 days after you’ve watched a cursed VHS tape. Today we’ll be ranking 6 of the films in the series from the Japanese Ringu to the horrid American sequel, The Ring Two.
Rings, the third American film, is set to return the vengeful Samara to cinemas this Friday, Feb 3rd. The franchise has laid dormant inside of a VCR for nearly 12 years after the stinker that was The Ring Two. You may have gathered enough context clues to guess where that particular entry falls on this list. With a whopping total of 12 features that span varied continuities and include several remakes across different countries, is there any story left to tell? And of those many adaptations, which ones are worth seeking out?
I won’t rank ALL 12 films as obviously Rings has yet to be released. Plus, 12 is just a hell of lot to cram into one weekend binge-fest. I’ll be focusing on 6 entries in the Ring saga. To explain my choices, I will obviously be including the two American productions. From Japan, Ringu, Ringu 2, and Ringu 0: Birthday are represented for being what truly started it all. They also exist within their own continuity, the “Hideo Nakata Timeline”.
I’ll then take a hop and a skip over the “Rasen Timeline” which includes the two Sadako 3D films. We’ll then bypass the original TV adaptation and South Korean remake. Deep breath. Still with me? Good, because Sadako vs Kayako is the last film that will be in the running. I tacked this on because I want to see it and it just launched on Shudder, so…there’s that logic. Deal with it.
How do these 6 films stack up? Does Japan really do Sadako better than America does Samara? Does my opinion even matter to you? Keep reading to find out!
#6 THE RING TWO (2005)
True story, I was 19 and just picked up a second job at a multiplex. I started the night The Ring Two came out. They were so busy that they stuck me with a 16 year old to “show me the ropes”. All he did was order me to walk through auditoriums. I had no idea what I was looking for.
The first screening I was to “check” was a packed house for The Ring Two. I walked in to see Samara clawing her way out of the well up on the massive screen. I was so jealous. This movie was going to be amazing. I mean, they brought Hideo Nakata in to direct. It was going to be so scary, and I was missing out.
Then my 16 year old supervisor told me to go walk through a different screening. I quit, picked up a friend, and off we went to see The Ring Two at a different theater. While I totally would’ve quit that job anyway, it wasn’t necessarily worth doing it for The Ring Two.
I wonder how much of this film’s failure falls on Nakata’s shoulders. It doesn’t fit in Nakata’s oeuvre in any way, shape, or form as we know it. One tell-tell sign is the editing. There are numerous “look what we can do with Final Cut” moments of sped-up, slowed down, jarring cuts that just don’t fit. They scream studio meddling. Throw in plenty of poor CGI, a script that is nothing but a loose collection of soggy scares, and you have yourself a terribly forgettable sequel. Kick this one to the bottom of the well and seal it shut!
#5 RINGU (1998)
Full disclosure: I anticipate getting annihilated by daring to leave this film so low on the list. I understand why people love it, but it doesn’t fully work for me. Plus, I saw Verbinski’s remake before getting around to the original. I’m sure my previous knowledge of how it would all play out factored into my overall impression of Ringu. I decided to start my weekend binge-fest here, to go in with fresh eyes. My opinion didn’t change much.
Don’t get me wrong, Nakata’s simplistic staging and the subdued score allow for several goosebumps. My main complaint, however, is what an exposition bomb the film is. Just as tension begins to build we’re given another scene of our two leads hypothesizing and making huge leaps in logic to come to their next conclusion.
While Hiroyuki Sanada (Helix, The Wolverine) as Ryūji brings his typical quiet strength to the role of the brooding and handsome ex with overly convenient psychic abilities, Nanako Matsushima’s Reiko is far from compelling as our heroine. Surprisingly, in a rare case of original foreign film versus American remake, there seems to be a desperate need to over explain everything to the audience. This carries all the way to the ending where voice-over reiterates everything just in case you missed it.
And some of the major fright set-pieces fall flat. Take the penultimate scene where our heroes discover the well. This had the potential to be a terrifying highlight (as in Ringu 2, The Ring) but is squandered by absurd character actions. If you believed you only had hours to live and that discovering Sadako’s body at the bottom of the well would break the curse, why spend so much time trying to bail out the water? Just get your hands down there and dig! I’m all for characters making dumb choices for the sake of suspense, but this was too much. It ripped me right out of the moment.
Nonetheless, Ringu isn’t a total wash. At the film’s core is a quality mystery that sets up an intriguing mythology for the following entries to build upon. There’s strong subtext about the fears and anxieties of motherhood that does get a bit lost in the remake. The scares just don’t hold up as well here as in some of the other films.
#4 RINGU 2 (1999)
This is a tough one. On one hand, there’s hardly any forward momentum for the story or any deepening of the cursed tape’s mythology. We do get a couple more characters “touched” by the curse who now have their own convenient psychic abilities. Their visions ultimately shed some new light on Sadako’s backstory. Unfortunately, the info provided doesn’t really add to the experience in any meaningful way.
In spite of the threadbare script, I can’t help but dig this entry. There’s an overwhelming sense of dread that never lets up and numerous scary moments that left me clutching for my pearls. After the original sequel, Rasen, failed to garner the same success as its predecessor, Hideo Nakata was brought back to direct an alternate follow up. Thus the reason we now have two different timelines for the series.
Nakata shows a sure hand from frame one, never allowing the audience up for air. Even the bits of humor sprinkled throughout are so dry and off-kilter they hardly serve to dissipate the tension. Thankfully the over abundance of exposition from the previous film is abandoned here for a barrage of nightmarish visuals. Our lead heroine is a much stronger character even without much to do, and the scares are effectively peppered throughout to keep up the pace. Look out for the finale that returns us to the depths of Sadako’s well; it’s nerve-shredding stuff. Ringu 2 is deeply flawed in many ways, but the chills it elicits are enough to earn this spot on the list.
#3 SADAKO VS KAYAKO (2016)
What a blast! When Sadako vs Kayako was announced, I rolled my eyes. However, I knew I would check it out the first chance I had. I couldn’t wrap my head around how these two J-horror titans were supposed to duke it out. Neither one has ever really been about that life, ya know? They just sort of show up and BAM! You’re dead. Flash forward to now, I just finished this wackadoodle film and am thoroughly surprised by how much fun it was.
First off, this is a goofy idea and the filmmaker knows that. The main plot involves two girl’s stumbling upon Sadako’s cursed tape and trying to figure out a way to save their asses before their 2(!) days are up. Yep, the time limit isn’t the only bit of mythology changed here. Even the tape itself is now incredibly uninteresting, featuring nothing but Sadako stumbling through a door, moving closer to camera. Sure, these alterations could turn off some of the die-hards, but the movie never takes itself too seriously. There’s a lot that’s played for laughs, and it’s best you just go with it.
On the flip side of the coin, the Ju-on plot-thread (however thin it may be) is straight up Scares-ville. The scenes inside the dilapidated Grudge house are one well staged fright after the other. I was yelping and screaming with every “meow” and distant death rattle.
When the two finally come to blows, it’s truly outrageous. The screenwriter does just enough to work out a decent reason for them to attack one another. While a lot of criticism has stated the fight last for only a few brief moments, and they’re correct, it was enough to satiate my appetite. The scenes are visually amazing with CAGG hair flying all over the place. In fact, the effects throughout the the entire film are crazy. They come right out of the Screaming Mad George playbook of surreal design. Although I couldn’t find anything online as to who actually did the effects. Hit me up if you know.
I’d say Sadako vs Kayako is a prefect party film. It’s not unnerving like any of their respective predecessors, but it will leave you laughing and squealing like an anime schoolgirl. If a sequel comes about from this, you can sign me up.
#2 RINGU 0: BIRTHDAY (2000)
Wow. Other than Sadako v Kayako, this was the only film on the list I hadn’t seen yet. I’d put it off for so long, because it’s a prequel/origin story. When it comes to our legendary screen monsters and psycho killers, most times the less we know tends to be far scarier than the imagined backstories. So, yeah, Ringu 0 was never that high on my “must see” list. What a mistake that was.
I appreciate the film isn’t concerned with bending over backwards to fill in the gaps from previous movies or trying to explain away every detail. By the time the credits roll, there are still plenty of questions to be answered and even some new ones at that. Director, Norio Tsuruta (Premonition) stepping in for Nakata, is far more interested in delivering a compelling character drama. Sadako’s story is touching, heartfelt, romantic, and tragic.
The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. There’s a constant palette of deep browns, creamy whites, and dark shadows creeping around the edge of every frame. The score is amazing but at odds with the previous films. The music on display is much more traditional, bombastic orchestral fare which suits the different type of storytelling utilized here. Production values overall are head and shoulders above the first two entries.
Yeah, I’m sure you may have read that and thought “is this a horror movie or what?” Well, mostly, no. This film instantly brought to mind Carrie and earns that comparison through to almost the very end. Right from the start Sadako warrants our empathy. She’s awkward, an outcast, and we just know that nothing here will end well. This version of the character is the polar opposite of what we’ve been primed to expect. And, yes, there is an interesting explanation as to why this is.
Ringu 0 isn’t all melodrama. The final act does deliver on the horror goods in ways you might not expect; I felt like I was watching a Friday the 13th clone during one sequence. The great news is that once the proverbial “s” hits the fan, Ringu 0 delivers. Color me thoroughly surprised by this one, and I highly recommend checking it for those who may have let it pass them by before.
#1 THE RING (2002)
“Before you die, you see…The Ring.” This wasn’t just a great tagline dreamed up for the American remake. It’s a warning that actually pays off by the end of the film. The Ring’s plot is almost identical to the Japanese production it’s based on. There are small changes and additions that in my opinion only make the story stronger. The cursed video tape still signals your impending doom within 7 days, but Ehren Kruger’s screenplay provides a simple reason why. It’s not enough to de-mystify our CAGG (now christened “Samara” for US audiences). In fact the simple moment, which I won’t spoil for those who have yet to see the film, actually sends a chill down my spine every time.
This is one of the very few instances where I prefer a remake to the original film. Despite leaving a lot of gaps for viewers to fill in for themselves, there is still more meat to this story’s bones. We’re provided just enough visual cues to piece together a much richer mythology for Samara as opposed to Sadako. In fairness, Kruger had an existing trilogy of films from which to pilfer from and ideas from all three make an appearance here.
In the director’s chair, Verbinski delivers moody imagery in every frame. For better or worse, the cinematography with its cool-toned blues filtered over everything has been imitated repeatedly since the film’s release. While the film’s visual style is worth noting, more importantly, Verbinski knows how to set up a scare. The perfect example is to compare the discovery of the well here to that same scene from Ringu. I’d say there’s no competition.
I’ll never forget dragging my friends and family to see this in theaters for my birthday. I was genuinely terrified throughout. This was my first Ring experience, and I had no idea what to expect. The mystery was captivating without feeling spoon-fed. Yes, The Ring has lost some of its power over me from years of having witnessed various sequels and copycats, but giving this a re-watch has reminded me what a classic of the horror genre Gore Verbinski’s The Ring truly is.
There we have it! That’s my ranking of the six selected films from the Ring saga. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or want me to burn in flames for not appreciating your favorite in the series! How would you rank them all? Sound off below!
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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