Ju-On

Ju-on, one of the most critically hailed Japanese horror films and the basis for The Grudge, gets this surprisingly deluxe, high-quality stateside DVD release from Lions Gate Home Entertainment. The feature, presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, offers glorious picture quality, rich darks, and vivid colors. Further sucking viewers into the film's frightening world are superb audio tracks presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 for the Japanese-dialogue version and 2.0 for the English-dubbed version. For those not wanting to hear the poorly dubbed English, both English and Spanish subtitles are available. A standout attraction on the disc is the audio commentary by director Sam Raimi and his friend, director Scott Spiegel. Raimi, who also helped bring the remake to American audiences, admits early on that not only is it his second time watching the film, but he feels as if the film is teaching him how to properly make a horror film. The fact that both Raimi and Spiegel are still scared by many of Ju-on's freakiest moments makes listening to this hilarious and intelligent audio commentary a real treat for fans. From there, the DVD offers up a treasure chest of extras like several interviews with the cast, behind-the-scenes footage, and an insightful interview with the film's gifted writer and director, Takashi Shimizu. Shimizu discusses the long history of the Ju-on film series, the distinct style of Japanese horror films, and scary haunted houses in depth. The interview is thankfully subtitled in English. A group of not-to-be-missed deleted scenes with Shimizu commentary and an American-made trailer for the film round out this first-rate DVD release.