The Grudge delivers a powerful jump-out-of-your-seat fright
show
In 2002, DreamWorks scored a solid hit with the release of The Ring,
a remake of a Japanese cult film that caused other movie studios to turn their
attention to the horror-film renaissance in the Far East. Featuring threats
that prove to be manifestations of extreme, violent emotions or other abstract
sources, these films are proving a fertile new source of inspiration for directors
and writers working within the genre around the world. The Ring was tailored
to the sensibilities of an American audience, offering a more direct explanation
of the supernatural forces at the film’s heart. By contrast, Columbia Pictures’
The Grudge adheres more closely to its source material and is directed
by Takashi Shimizu, who wrote and directed the Japanese original.
The result is a truly effective jump-out-of-your-seat fright show that delivers some genuine thrills but may prove challenging to American audiences, particularly teens. Shimizu delivers shocks first and provides explanations later, adding to the film’s terror and mystery.
Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame stars as Karen, a young American caregiver living in Tokyo with her boyfriend, Doug (Jason Behr). Sent one day to the home of Emma, a catatonic woman (Grace Zabriskie) whose regular nurse hasn’t arrived, she finds things in disarray and hears mysterious noises upstairs. Investigating, she finds a young boy who’s been trapped in a closet for an untold period. She also encounters a spirit, seemingly born of rage, that paralyzes her with fear and dooms Karen to act as a carrier, spreading its malevolence to whomever she meets.
Shimizu employs a series of flashbacks, some of which dovetail into one another, to give the audience background on how this ghost came to be, why Emma and her family are living in the house, and their ultimate fate. The pace with which the director delivers this backstory is steady and never rushed, which lends the film a sense of doom. Equally effective is the way in which he uses ambiguity, never providing us with a complete answer for what’s going on, which only bolsters the movie’s sense of mystery and dread.
Shimizu proves a master at delivering big scares, and the adrenaline rush fans of this genre crave will be sated. Like other effective shockers, The Grudge is a movie you’ll find yourself watching through your fingers the first time.
Also in theaters this week. . .
Collateral [R] A hired killer uses a cab to get from one hit to another;
the cab driver slowly begins to realize what is going on. White Oaks
The Forgotten [PG-13] When a single mother loses her 8-year-old son
in an airplane crash, she seeks out psychiatric help in order to cope with her
grief. Instead, she’s told her son never existed. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace
East
Friday Night Lights [PG-13] Chronicles the 1988 season of the Permian
High Panthers in football-obsessed Odessa, Texas. Based on H.G. Bissinger’s
book. Billy Bob Thornton stars. ShowPlace West,
ShowPlace East
I Love Huckabees [R]A husband-and-wife team helps others solve
their existential issues — as in “the meaning of life,” and all that. Parkway
Pointe
Ladder 49 [PG-13] A firefighter (Joaquin Phoenix), trapped in a fire that’s likely to kill him, reviews his life. John Travolta also stars. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Napoleon Dynamite [PG] The title character is an odd Idaho teenager
whose great loves are dancing and the ways of the ninja. Parkway Pointe
Raise Your Voice [PG] Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is a girl from a
small town who finds summer romance at a performing arts high school in Los
Angeles. Parkway Pointe
Shall We Dance [PG-13] Frustrated middle-aged accountant (Richard Gere)
has a troubled marriage (with Susan Sarandon), spots a dancer (Jennifer Lopez),
and discovers his passion for, um, ballroom dancing. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace
East
Shark Tale [PG] The son of the shark mob boss is found dead and a
fish named Oscar is at the scene of the crime. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Shaun of the Dead [R]A man tries to turn his life around by
winning back an ex-girlfriend, reconciling with his mother, and dealing with
an entire community of zombies. Parkway Pointe
Surviving Christmas [PG-13] A depressed record executive returns to
his childhood home and asks the family who lives there to take him in for the
holidays. They have their own problems. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Taxi [PG-13] A rookie cop tries to connect a bank-robbing beauty to
a series of recent burglaries. He gets his tips from a mouthy cab driver. Parkway
Pointe
Team America: World Police [R] Marionette superheroes are on a mission
to end terrorism and eliminate tired celebrities. From the creators of South
Park. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Village [PG-13] A period tale about a tiny village in 1897 Pennsylvania
that is surrounded by a forest hiding a group of mythical beasts. White Oaks
Woman Thou Art Loosed [R] Chronicles a woman’s struggle to come to
terms with abuse, addiction, and poverty. Adaptation of Bishop T.D. Jakes’ self-help
novel. Parkway Pointe
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2004.
