Ringu 0: Bâsudei

AKA:
Ring Ø: Birthday

Written by:
Kôji Suzuki (short story Ring: Birthday)
Hiroshi Takahashi (screenplay)

Directed by:
Norio Tsuruta

Made in:
Japan in 2000

Actors:
Yukie Nakama .... Sadako Yamamura
Seiichi Tanabe .... Tôyama
Yoshiko Tanaka .... Shôko Miyaji
Kumiko Aso .... Etsuko Tachihara
Ryûji Mizukami .... Wataru Kuno
Takeshi Wakamatsu .... Yûsaku Shigemori
Kaoru Okunuki .... Aiko Hazuki
Daisuke Ban .... Heihachirô Ikuma
Junko Takahata .... Kaoru Arima
Masako .... Shizuko Yamamura
Masami Hashimoto .... Kiyomi
Kazue Tsunogae .... Sudô

Plot:
The prequel to the horror film Ringu, this movie provides the background story of how Sadako later became the vengeful murdering spirit. The story starts with her as a shy, somewhat withdrawn, college student who nonetheless gets involved in a drama club. The director thinks she has talent, but some of the other performers start to get jealous of the attention he gives her. Meanwhile, a reporter investigating Sadako's spiritualist mother thinks there's something very suspicious about the young woman, and arrives on campus to confront Sadako just as a series of strange deaths start sweeping through the drama club. IMDB

Review:
Definately a good movie, but like with most Asian movies, the beginning is slighly confusing, not knowing if the movie is going through many flashbacks or just one or none at all.

The Japanese and American versions of The Ring are very, very different. Almost 2 completely different stories. I can get more into that, but I'll wait until I review The Ring.

This movie is creepy, but really not until the end. The plot is okay, but not as good as the other 2 Japanese movies. This one explains a lot in the Japenese story, but I really don't think they can make a 3rd American Ring movie. I don't think the story would work, but I suppose we'll find out if they do or don't remake it.

I think the whole drama school thing is very much a filler to find out more about Sadako and what happened to her.

Language is in Japanese of course, but should be very easy to find with English subtitles.

I did really like the movie, but it isn't as good as the other two, Ringu and Ringu 2.