Lack of good storyline.

Absolutely the worst movie.

A lot of fun.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A young pathologist seeks answers to the mysterious death of a friend and soon comes into contact with the same cursed videotape that caused the death of the friend's wife and son, which is haunted by the curse of Sadako, a relentless spirit. Rasen is a pretty terrible horror film that goes from one point to another and literally doesn't know what it wants to be and it's conflicted between both drama and horror that neither of them truly work plus the movie is truly boring and nothing remotely interesting actually happens like never in the film. (0/10)

Having eventually got round to watching the Ring's 'awkward, contradictory pseudo-sequel' I can honestly say that Spiral is more enjoyable than any of the other Ring sequels or remakes, thanks in part to the fact that it's completely different to the original film. It's a surrealist chiller in the David Lynch mould, with a little bit of a sci-fi edge. Also, much of the film is aimed squarely at a much older, more clued-in audience.Joji Iida's clever mature direction takes the whole Ring mythology away from the urban ghost story vibe of Ring and into a deeper horror, the true intent of Sadako and her world plan. In a similar fashion to Kairo, Spiral begins as a ghost story and develops into apocalyptic Sci-fi. Personally I found Spiral much more impactful than Ring, purely because you realise how clever and truly unstoppable Sadako is becoming. It's also interesting that a large portion of this movie was cannibalised for Nakata's own US Ring Two.Simply put, Spiral is a clever, smartly made and humane chiller that deals with deeper emotions and maturer themes than your average Joe horror flick. It isn't without it's shortcomings though. The version I watched had an awful transfer, making certain parts of the movie look like I was watching some kind of VCD knock-off, and I'm told this is the only print with English subtitles available. So, be prepared to put some work in to get your enjoyment out of it. Eyestrain could be a near certainty.The other key issue is that if you're a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the first series of movies, then this is, as they say, totally contradictory. Sadako is in her early twenties when she dies for instance, and is fully capable of communication. In a way, this makes her all the more frightening, as she is arrogant, manipulative and obviously in complete control of proceedings. Then there's the complete canyon of difference between the tapes and their effects. Still, it's understandable given that Spiral and Ring were actually made back to back with the only common factors being certain cast members and the books used for source material. Also, the erotic edge given to Sadako will probably make more prudish viewers very uncomfortable.Still, Iida has succeeded where many fail, in making a horror movie with a very strong plot and mature themes. Personally I loved Spiral, and was glad to find a movie that didn't treat me like a child because the main audience they envisaged for it wasn't out of high-school yet. Spiral is a creepy, atmospheric underground treat. Check it out.

Often I can be somewhat of a movie snob, especially when it comes to the realm of horror, but this movie was godawful. No wonder the American sequel took creative liberties when making the Ring 2, it was either make a movie that involved ferocious deer, or emulate this Japanese bomb. I can understand a psychological thriller, but this movie offered such a convoluted and ridiculous plot line that it was unbelievable and thus flaccid and weak. The only disturbing part was the fact that they spent money on a movie that suggested there was such a thing as an "optic infection"...you watch something and you get a virus from it? I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible...ever. There wasn't even poorly animated CGI bits, to make the movie at least amusing. Just a lot of talking, no action, and no intelligence whatsoever. The ending had somewhat of a twist, but not nearly enough to makeup for 2 hours of sheer boredom.

Rasen' (pr 'Spiral') is the unnecessarily over complicated film whose plot bogs down this sequel to the J-horror classic 'Ringu' (1998). Filmed almost simultaneously (in order to release the two as a double bill) became overlooked due to its end result. The writers and filmmakers mistakenly go for an overly scientific explanation on how Sadako has cursed the now infamous killer videotape (and coincidentally infected it with a virus that will bring about her resurrection). Did they need to bother with explaining the phenomena? I didn't think so and apparently others didn't as well since this poorly thought of and planned out sequel was skipped over a year later with 'Ringu 2' (1999). The acting is very bland and the overall look of the film is bland as well. There is no discernible tension or suspense and nary a scare in sight.