Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Japanese remakes own horror movie for Hollywood

Tue 9 March, 2004 02:26

By Olivier Fabre

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese horror film maker Takashi Shimizu is bravely treading where others have dreaded to go.

The 32-year-old director, with only two domestic full-screen movies under his belt, has been picked by one of Hollywood’s top producers, Sam Raimi — the man behind the mega-hit "Spiderman" — to remake the Japanese horror flick "The Grudge".

Many Japanese horror films, such as the blockbuster "The Ring", have been remade by Hollywood and relocated to the United States.

Thanks to Raimi, however, Shimizu is now directing his own movie remake in Japan but with Hollywood stars.

"I first thought of refusing the offer because I saw no point in remaking my own movie," Shimizu said in an interview.

"But I was interested in seeing how I could keep the Japanese-ness of my style, but then offer something interesting to U.S. audiences using an American cast," he said.

The English-language version of "The Grudge" — which was known as "Juon" in Japan — stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, of Buffy the Vampire fame, as a help care volunteer working in Japan and Jason Behr, of "Roswell", as her boyfriend.

Together, they discover a house in the grips of a curse, but unlike many horror films there is very little gore and blood.

"I think horror is a very general word that doesn’t really describe this sort of film making, which is the idea that it doesn’t need to be in your face," Gellar told Reuters.

"It’s more what’s left unsaid or what’s almost said."

Shimizu first grabbed attention as director of a video-released horror film that became a huge success through word of mouth until it convinced sponsors to produce a full-length movie that became a hit throughout Asia.

Advertised as "the scariest horror movie in Asia", "Juon" and the sequel "Juon 2" grossed a total of 1.5 billion yen (7.3 million pounds) at the box office in Japan alone.

FEARS FOR HIS FANS

The films also sparked a new genre of horror movies that in one way or another imitated Shimizu’s style and minimalist taste.

Now, what worries him most is disappointing his fans.

"Most of my Japanese fans will have seen the original version," Shimizu said. "I have had to incorporate many different twists and turns in this one so as not to disappoint them."

One reason many Japanese directors have failed to make it in Hollywood has been an inability to speak fluent English.

Shimizu is no different, but cast and producers took a gamble by hiring a translator to follow his every move.

"She’s a brilliant translator," said Shimizu of Chiho Asada.

"All of us, the actors, directors and staff were all apprehensive and worried about the language issue at first, but things have somehow worked out," Shimizu said.

Gellar said non-verbal communication has helped.

"We really have to communicate with things other than language," she said.

In that way, the making of the movie may resemble the plot of Shimizu’s earlier films — confusing and perplexing at first.

"There were a lot of things happening in ways that were minimalist but very effective," said Bill Pullman, known for his role as U.S. president in "Independence Day" and who also has a role in "The Grudge".

"It was impressive," he said.

Filming is taking place through March in Tokyo, backdrop for the recent Oscar-winning hit "Lost in Translation", for a planned release by Columbia Pictures in late 2004.