This Collector's Edition collects the original Japanese RING Trilogy: Exactly one week after staying at a remote cabin, a group of Japanese teenagers all meet sudden... more
dead. The bodies are found gruesomely contorted their eyes frozen as if they had seen something more terrifying than any physical threat. The video then becomes an ...
A review by coleecip on Ring Trilogy (DVD) January 19th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Outstanding
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Special Effects
Good
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
Advantages:
THE greatest horror movie ever made
Disadvantages:
Pace too slow for most Westerners to get into
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Many people have seen "The Ring" - other people like me have seen "Ring" and read the book in 1998 and crow about it like it means something important.
Try and say Ring is not the greatest horror film ever made and you will be wrong. Try to say that the American remake has ruined the genius of the original and alas you would be wrong again.
There is no denying that the power if Ring has been shattered by everyone knowing the ending - so if you do not know the ending then lock yourself in a room - and watch it as the ending is outstanding. knowing the ending really does cause the film to lose its power - while the American remake, I think, is a perfectly good version and I like the slight variance of the ending compared to the original film; there is still the sense of sadness that once you know the ending - you will never be able to get that sense of fear and terror again.
I shall tell you why and I shall tell you what I think about this little box set and the randomly added extra film "Sleeping Bride"
THE FILMS
Ring / Ring 2 and Ring 0: Birthday / Sleeping Bride
Ring generated a storm through Japan as part of the TV series - this has not been translated yet and so the TV series remains an enigma outside Japan. The film mixing the traditional ghost stories of Old Japan with the technology of New Japan is what made Ring such a great and copied film of modern times.
The Story RING A video tape when shown leads to a phone call and the person dies on the seventh day of extreme fear. During the film (and this doesn't spoil it) it transpires that by copying the film you pass on the death curse to the next person and so the film continues to be passed around ad infinitum. Ring charts the search of a journalist investigating the deaths of a group of friends and to the eventual discovery of the story of Sadako (the ghost in the machine). If you do not know the story then I can tell you no more than this - suffice to say as many people know the ending of Ring is one of the pinnacles of modern cinema and an ending which has not been bettered in its terrifying effect on anyone and I mean ANYONE who watches.
RING 2 Continuation of the story that leads to a chase for survival of the journalist's own son who has also watched the tape. The history of Sadako is expanded and to some extent this story does contain elements of similarity to the first film. Some critics has mentioned that this is a weak sequel - AND THEY WOULD BE RIGHT - There is a film called "Spiral" which is true to the book of the same name which has also become a film in its own right (Many people believe "Spiral" is a weak version and a rip off of "Ring", but they are wrong, "Spiral" is the true film and Ring 2 is the rip off. Still that is a different review!!
Ring 0: Birthday NOW - This where the box set annoyed me - I watched Ring 0 before and the film in this set is a completely different film with a completely different story. I was confused as I was desperately telling my 16 year old brother how good Ring 0 was. "Birthday" charts the life of Sadako and how she is followed by a sinister twin sister. Sadako is a promising actress and various members of the cast succumb to their deaths. Ring 0 that I saw previously featured the making of the video tape seen in the first movie and is on a par with "Ring". The fact that Ring 0: Birthday is a completely different film should be borne in mind when buying this box set. It is still an interesting film, but not one to go out of your way to see.
Sleeping Bride This is wholly unconnected to "Ring", but is a genuinely lovely little film that I am sure has forced many Japanese men to a girlie film night in with their girlfriends. The film is about a young boy in hospital where one of the patients is a girl who has never awoken since being born. The boy visits her every day after reading the story of Sleeping Beauty. The girl never wakes up and many years later after seeing the girl's story on the news the boy - now a man - renews his visits to her until one day she awakes. However - she announces that she will only be awake for one week and then fall asleep again forever. He then tries to convince her that her thoughts are just false and she will stay awake if she believes herself that she will......... A genuinely moving and beautiful little story - that is part of "Ring" trilogy box set as a separate DVD for no apparent reason. So if you hate horror movie look out for Sleeping Bride anyway.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Mainly film notes Making of Ring 0: Birthday Trailers Ring 0 Deleted scenes
To be honest there are no real items of interest on the special features, but it does have a nice moving hologram as you can see on the picture of this DVD.
VERDICT For fans of "Ring" this is a nice box set to have, but it is a little pricey maybe for what you get. The price is now about £25 - I bought only because I had some Amazon vouchers, and the original £39.99 was a rip-off.
The interesting thing about Ring movie is that the movie is about a film that if you see you die and you need to pass it on. This is exactly what directors across the world seem to be doing themselves. Ring was made then passed to a Korean director who made a version called Ringu Virus who then passed it back to Japan where Ring 2 was made and Ring 0 then the Americans made The Ring and The Ring 2. So unless someone else makes another version America will die in seven days!!!!!
UPDATE - It turns out the Ring 0 I refer to was not called Ring 0 at all, but was called LOOP which is not out yet on DVD.
Advantages: Very scary! Well directed and executed Disadvantages: Can seem a bit slow
These are some of the scariest films I have ever seen! I have seen the original Japanese versions and thought that these American remakes were amazing films in their own right. Deaths are occuring 7 days after watching a certain video but you never really see anyone get killed so the suspense and mystery are high which makes the films scarier. It plays on your imagination and builds up suspense very well for an american horror film. Some could say ... ...that this builds up the suspense even more and makes it much scarier! I think these films are well directed and executed and would reccommend anyone who hasnt seen them to buy this box set. Even though it is rated a 15, viewers older than this will be scared! ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: The most complete version of the story, J.R.R. Tolkein would be very proud. Disadvantages: None. It is a masterpiece, a true epic.
...This Trilogy box set is a must for any avid lover of the story of 'Lord of the Rings'. Not only does it include the complete 'Director's Cut' of all three films, but contains a massive amount of behind the scenes extras on the making of the whole complete film.
The extended versions give the story a more fluid and comprehensive representation of the original story as written by Tolkein, compared to the original theatrical releases. This is particularly noticeable from the second film onwards as I find the cinema release of 'the Two Towers' a little lacking in detail. This version is extremely long, however, being more than 11 hours in length in total which might put off some potential buyers.
The special effects are mindblowing and the music is breathtaking. There are memorable performances by all the actors, especially by...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
...Here, in one brilliant box-set, come the three extended editions of the Lord of the Rings ? the absolute ?must-have? product for all fans of the films. Not only do we have the extended versions of the films, but also each one is packed with behind the scenes documentaries and photo galleries, commentaries and much much more.
PART 1: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
THE PREMISE:
First off, I am a huge fan of Tolkien, and have read a lot of his work, so I came to this film with a degree of apprehension as well as excitement. 'The Fellowship of the Ring' is the first part of 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy of books. The most read fiction work ever, LOTR is a fantasy that is so deep and detailed that it feels real. Tolkien spent years and years writing it, and so any film version needed to be a serious undertaking: Peter Jackson rose to...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: best dvd collection you can own, Disadvantages: need plenty of time to see the film
...Probably this film "LORD OF THE RINGSTRILOGY " have been reviewed many times. But I would still like to share my experience with this brilliant film by Peter Jackson. Everything about this film is perfect! I would suggest you to sit tight and don't let anyone disturb you while watching it, you will definitely miss something important if you did. Actually it happened to me so i just warn you! Don't make the same mistake as i did. Luckily i have the DVD set and i can watch it anytime i want to. Anyways here are some briefing on what to expect.
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three live action fantasy epic films: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). The trilogy is based on the three-volume book The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. While they follow the book...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Plot: A four disc box set featuring 'Ring' in which a group of teenagers are found murdered and mutilated within a week of watching a strange video and a curious journalist finds herself drawn into the web of fear - 'Ring 2' in which journalist, Mai Takano, once again investigates the strange video tape which has claimed the life of her boyfriend. She is deeply drawn into the supernatural world of Sadako - and 'Ring 0' in which more psychic goings on take place in this prequel to 'Ring'. Sadako takes a job in a Tokyo theatre company and soon people start dying.
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): PALISADES TARTAN; FUSION MEDIA SALES; SONY DADC
Release date: 25/10/2004
No of Discs: 4
Catalogue No: TVD 3499
Barcode: 5023965349927
Languages
Main Language: Japanese
Subtitle Language: English
DVD Description
This Collector's Edition collects the original Japanese RING Trilogy: Exactly one week after staying at a remote cabin, a group of Japanese teenagers all meet sudden inexplicable deaths. A cousin of one of the victims, reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima), begins an investigation that leads to the discovery of a videotape containing hauntingly bizarre footage. Upon viewing the tape, Reiko receives a phone call stating that she, too, will die in one week. As the clock ticks away, Reiko enlists the help of her estranged husband, Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada), who possesses limited psychic abilities. Together they attempt to discover the meaning behind the cryptic film and break the supernatural curse. Hideo Nakata's RING, based on a novel by Koji Suzuki, was such a hit in Japan that it spawned both a sequel and prequel, along with a huge cult following. Like a horrific version of an X-FILES episode, the dark, moody film makes the most out of the mysterious and the unknown. As any viewer will admit, the surreal, death-inducing video presented within the movie is extremely effective. And as RING's tension builds, so does its sense of mounting doom. One of the creepiest motion pictures ever made, RING culminates in an unbelievably chilling finale. Do not watch this film alone...and make sure the phone ringer is off.
Technical information
Special Features: Original Theatrical Trailers, Making Of Ring 0 Documentary, Ring 0 Deleted Scenes, Exclusive Presentation Of Hideo Nakatas Previously Unseen Sleeping Bride, Film Notes By Kim Newman
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound: DTS 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Dubbing Sound: DTS 5.1 Surround Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Japanese
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since : 25/06/2005
Compare Ring Trilogy (DVD) to other similar Horror
![The Ring Trilogy [Collector's Edition]-DVD](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/99322385.jpg)
![Ring Trilogy (4 disc Collector's Edition) [DVD] [1996]](http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/icons/no_pic_generic_S1.gif){kind=icon}
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
05.04.2005
11.05.2009
10.10.2009
