Film Forum Independent Screening Series presents Ringu

Film Forum screening series presents:

Ringu (Japan, 1998) -- A nightmarishly modern and stylish Japanese horror film that was remade in the U.S. as the box-office hit, The Ring. Based on an old Japanese folk tale and a popular series of novels by Koji Suzuki, the 1998 version is still Japan’s highest-grossing horror film ever, and spawned a series of sequels. The American version released in 2002 also was a hit, but the Japanese version, 20 minutes shorter and with less of an emphasis on visual wizardry, perhaps is even more disturbing and powerful. The film focuses on a bizarre videotape that kills viewers within a week after watching it. (Editor’s note: This film was released without a rating in the U.S., and contains adult content.)

The Film Forum series rewinds high-profile Hollywood remakes this spring, looking at the less popular films that inspired them. Sponsored by the ASU Herberger Institute School of Theatre and Film, the Film Forum highlights independent cinema, and offers a free alternative to big-budget movie palace fare. Titled Lost in Translation, the spring 2010 series explores earlier versions of four films that probably are known more in the U.S. for their Hollywood remakes.

“These original versions will likely please fans of the remakes while also revealing nuances and surprises that provide for interesting points of comparison,” says Jason Davids Scott, School of Theatre and Film lecturer and curator of the Film Forum. “The School of Theatre and Film is home to more than 400 film and media production and filmmaking practices majors; the Film Forum serves them as well as members of the greater public.”

Screenings are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at Neeb Hall, 920 S. Forest Mall, on the ASU Tempe campus.