Everyone knows that Hideo Nakata's masterpiece Ring was followed by a sequel (Ring 2) and a prequel (Ring 0) which completely recall and wrap-up the story of Sadako Yamamura, the telekinetic girl who gained revenge via a cursed videotape for being buried alive in a well. Less common knowledge is that fact that this movie, Rasen, was filmed at the same time as Ring and was originally intended to be the one and only sequel - wrapping up the story of Sadako in a completely different way.
Both movies were released simultaneously in Japan but while Ring went on to be a major international hit and hailed as one of the scariest movies of all time, Rasen flopped and was quickly forgotten. Fans of Nakata's Ring wanted more - and that's how Ring 2 and Ring 0 were conceived. Rasen is now the forgotten chapter of the Ring legacy and is best watched now as an alternative to Ring 2.
The plot follows a doctor as he investigates the death of close friend Ryuji (the professor who was killed by Sadako at the end of Ring). This doctor soon finds Ryuji's wife Reiko's diary and learns of the mysterious Sadako video - and after watching it for himself, comes to the realisation that he has one week to solve its remaining secrets or risk succumbing to the curse himself.
Rasen is an excellent sequel to Ringu - for the first hour. What happens in the final act is the most incomprehensible, ridiculous thirty-five minutes of cinema I've ever seen. and I'm saying that as someone who desperately wanted to like this 'hidden' installment of my favourite horror series! Without giving anything away, the final act turns on its head anything we'd thought Sadako was trying to do through her cursed tape and makes the events of Ring seem somewhat pointless. It rambles on about philosophy and ethics and is really a damp squid of a horror movie.
Thus, it really is quite clear how Rasen was buried and I'm eternally grateful to Hideo Nakata for making Ring 2 - and to Tartan Video for failing to release this in the UK! Completists may get a kick out of seeing an alternate take on the series' theme but for everyone else - this is not recommended. At all.
Both movies were released simultaneously in Japan but while Ring went on to be a major international hit and hailed as one of the scariest movies of all time, Rasen flopped and was quickly forgotten. Fans of Nakata's Ring wanted more - and that's how Ring 2 and Ring 0 were conceived. Rasen is now the forgotten chapter of the Ring legacy and is best watched now as an alternative to Ring 2.
The plot follows a doctor as he investigates the death of close friend Ryuji (the professor who was killed by Sadako at the end of Ring). This doctor soon finds Ryuji's wife Reiko's diary and learns of the mysterious Sadako video - and after watching it for himself, comes to the realisation that he has one week to solve its remaining secrets or risk succumbing to the curse himself.
Rasen is an excellent sequel to Ringu - for the first hour. What happens in the final act is the most incomprehensible, ridiculous thirty-five minutes of cinema I've ever seen. and I'm saying that as someone who desperately wanted to like this 'hidden' installment of my favourite horror series! Without giving anything away, the final act turns on its head anything we'd thought Sadako was trying to do through her cursed tape and makes the events of Ring seem somewhat pointless. It rambles on about philosophy and ethics and is really a damp squid of a horror movie.
Thus, it really is quite clear how Rasen was buried and I'm eternally grateful to Hideo Nakata for making Ring 2 - and to Tartan Video for failing to release this in the UK! Completists may get a kick out of seeing an alternate take on the series' theme but for everyone else - this is not recommended. At all.