RING is a film by the Japanese director,
Hideo Nakata. And it's subtitled, rather than dubbed, and features many fine actors, such as
Matsushima Nanako and
Nakatani Miki.
And it's scary. Pant-wetting scary. Psychological scary.
Don't expect flying organs or suddenly finding your sister's one of them. Don't expect much, because it is very surprising and unnerving in places.
The basic plot is simple: reporter Reiko Asakawa, played by actress Matsushima Nanako, is investigating a cursed video; Whoever watches it, dies. Soon after, her niece dies for no known reason with a bizzare expression on her face. She then investigates even more, and finds the tape. She then puts it on, and watches it*. And the tape is real. With but seven days alive, she must find the answers of how to stop the video.
Based on a book by Suzuki Koji, this masterpeice is one of the best films of all time. Made for only 1.2 million dollars, it's small budget- and has been a hit in many countries, including China, Japan, and Singapore.
Ring even smashed the box-office records in Japan on release.
Ring spawned a LOT in its path- it is, after all, Japanese, and as anyone who's seen what the Japanese are like with Animé will know- once the Japanese like something, they LIKE it.
Products include:
-A sequel, with another in production (Ring 2 and 3)
-A prequal (Ring 0)
-A radio drama
-2 television series
-Manga,
-Other books
-Photo-booths where you have your picture taken with the ghost from Ring.
-Rasen, a sequel made by a different company to the original... which is very, very poor, unfortunately, and has many changes in plot. Ignore this one, watch Ring 2. However, the book version of Rasen is pretty good I've been told.
Ring, Ring 2, and Ring 0 are already on DVD from Tartan Video in Britain and bootleg copies in US. A translated version of the film is meant to be coming to the US, and the English translation of the book has just appeared in US.
Many theories are out there behind so much of the plot- as it has had so much about it including novels and such, all of which seem to echo each other in some way, the ideas behind the plot become very interesting... one I have seen is at http://www.somrux.com/ringworld; It brings a lot of theories and questions and answers to some.
If you EVER see this film ANYWHERE, see it. You must.
And after watching, you'll never put a strange video on again.
*One of the stupidest things anyone could ever do, really.