Movies - Ju-on

	Movies - Ju-on

Ju-on (呪怨) is the title of a series of four horror films by Japanese director Takashi Shimizu. Shimizu attended the Film School of Tokyo, where he studied under Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Kurosawa helped Shimuzu shepherd the Ju-on projects to fruition.

The title of the films translates roughly to The Curse or The Grudge. The first two films in the series were so-called V-Cinema, or direct-to-video releases, but became surprise hits as the result of favorable word of mouth. The story is a variation on the classic haunted house theme, as well as a popular Japanese horror trope, the "vengeful ghost" (onryou). The curse of the title, ju-on, is one which takes on a life of its own and seeks new victims. Anyone who encounters a ghost killed by the curse is himself killed, and the curse is able to be spread to other areas.

Under very tight budgetary constraints, Shimizu's films garnered much acclaim from both critics and genre fans for their effective use of limited locations and eerie atmosphere to generate chills. Shimizu was at the same time perfectly willing to show his ghosts onscreen, in contrast to some directors who might choose only to hint at their appearance. But critics noted that Shimizu's minimalist approach to directing and storytelling — a necessary by-product of the production's limited overall resources — allows the films to retain their ability to unnerve viewers. Very few scenes in the movies are graphically bloody, making such scenes more disturbing when they occur.

Following the success of the two direct-to-video films, and the international success of Hideo Nakata's Ringu
(1998), Kurosawa and Ringu screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi helped Shimizu develop Ju-on as a theatrical feature starring Megumi Okina and Takako Fuji. Titled Ju-on: The Grudge, this was released in 2003 to critical acclaim, and the US remake rights were purchased, with Shimizu himself attached to direct and Sarah Michelle Gellar starring. Later that year, a theatrical sequel, Ju-on: The Grudge 2, was released. The theatrical films retain the central premise of the direct-to-video films, but tell different stories. In 2004, the US remake, The Grudge
, was released.

Chronological list

Katasumi and 4444444444 (1998)

See Main Article: Katasumi and 4444444444

Ju-on (2000)

Ju-on was originally released under that exact name, but due to audience confusion regarding the V-Cinema films around the time that the theatrical Ju-on: The Grudge (2003) hit cinemas, has become informally known among Ju-on enthusiasts as Ju-on: The Curse (abbreviated as JTC1). When Kurosawa (serving as executive producer) gave Shimizu the go-ahead for his first feature length film, the project also attracted the help of producer Taka Ichise, a veteran of the highly successful Ringu series. In addition to Ichise, screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi, who had also worked on Ringu, was enlisted as a script consultant. It is perhaps because of the presence of these prominent filmmakers that Ju-on, while a direct-to-video release, boasts a rather well-known cast, including Yûrei Yanagi and Taro Suwa (both of whom are in Ringu 2
), Chiaki Kuriyama (Shikoku), and Yoriko Douguchi (Cure). Explaining the fractured, episodic nature of the film, Shimizu revealed that he had written the script based on many short films he had originally written in the hopes that they, like his work on Gakkō no kaidan G, would be produced one day.

After going direct-to-video on February 11, 2000, Ju-on was so well received that it was given a brief theatrical run on March 18 at the Box Higashi-Nakano theatre in Tokyo. It has since developed a strong cult following.

1998:
* Katasumi and 4444444444
(shown within television movie Gakkō no kaidan G);
2000:
* Ju-on, aka Ju-on: The Curse (V-Cinema
);
* Ju-on 2
, aka Ju-on: The Curse 2 (V-Cinema);
2003:
* Ju-on: The Grudge
, aka The Grudge;
* Ju-on: The Grudge 2
, aka The Grudge 2;
2004:
* The Grudge
, aka The Juon;
2006:
* The Grudge 2
(pre-production);
* Ju-on: The Grudge 3
(in production);

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Ju-on ]

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