The Grudge (on DVD)

2004’s The Grudge is not for the faint-hearted. Writer/director Takashi Shimizu remade his Japanese original into this “Americans in Tokyo” version. Shimizu does not give the audience much breathing room. The scare goes on from the beginning till the end while the body count increases. Sarah Michelle Gellar is the female lead, but it really doesn’t matter who is in this movie. The main attraction of The Grudge is the spookiness and the gore. I basically had to close my eyes 60% of the time, but I did enjoy one single detail in the movie. While Gellar’s character tries to figure out which train to take, a Japanese man quickly cuts in front of her and buys a ticket. While Gellar is saying “Excuse me” to apologize, the man has already walked away without any acknowledgment of his own truly rude behavior. It definitely reminds me of my time in Tokyo. I am also curious where Shimizu finds all those empty and quiet places in Tokyo for his characters. I guess it must be movie “magic”. If looks can kill, the creepy creatures in this movie definitely prove it.