Posted January 18, 2008
By VivaLaGonzo

There’s nothing original under the sun, and nobody knows that better than American film execs. The remake of the Japanese horror gem “Ringu” into “The Ring” in 2002 has created a monster, and not a scary one either. Ever since Samara crawled out of the well and into our hearts, there’s been an unstoppable trend of mediocrity in American horror. Recently we’ve seen stellar Asian horror films remade into utter failures here in the States. “Ju-on” became “The Grudge” – a lackluster effort with Sarah Michelle Gellar. Even with the original’s director at the helm, the movie suffered from lazy jump-scares that pale in comparison to the creeping dread of “Ju-on.” A dull sequel followed. “Kairo” – a tale of ghostly computer viruses – was perverted into “Pulse.” This adaptation featured the acting chops of singer Christina Milian, and (lucky for us) a sequel is in the works. In addition to other vapid remakes like “Dark Water” and “One Missed Call,” we’ll soon be treated to a revision of the Hong Kong horror classic, “The Eye.” Chalk these failures up to the culture rift between Asian and American ghost stories. Maybe the idiocy of John Q. Moviegoer is to blame, too.