Sarah Michelle Gellar

I’m pumped for this sucker, why? Because from what I understand this version of the film fixes everything I HATE about Sony Screen Gem’s The Grudge (review #1, #2). On May 17th you’ll be able to pick up Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s upcoming release of The Grudge: Unrated Extended Director’s Cut on DVD, which not only will be a different movie, but be loaded with extras. Takashi Shimizu’s fifth Ju- on film is a supernatural horror film concerning a virus-like curse that hits certain people at death, only to be passed along to a new victim. Read on for full details on the specs...

My main man in Japan, NanaharaShuya, did us a huge favor while in Japan. The Japanese version of Sony Pictures’ The Grudge (review #1, #2) is loaded with about a dozen differences that you’ll see on the uncut DVD later this year, so we asked him to check it out there and fill us in on the differences. Inside you’ll find the exclusive report...

Our boy NanaharaShuya writes:

Alright, I just got back tonight from watching what can affectionately be called ’THE JUON’ here in Japan. I posted before that it was going to be UNCUT and let me tell you IT was. Rather than rehash the entire film again I will just give you a run down of what was new. Take notes..hahah

1. After Bill Pullman’s Death we Focus on his dead face and the eyeball on the pavement has slightly popped out looking like a white gum drop.

2. The Old senile lady when she meets Yoko (caretaker) is messing with tape and her fingers are covered in blood.

3. Later SarahMichelle shows up and sees the bandaged fingers as well. Its a new plot point I believe showing that she was the one who locked Toshio in the closet.

4. During the Open House the sister hears things and finds a cat figurine in Toshio’s closet as well as remnants of his drawings.

5. During the American couples first night in the house the wife hears the clatter of what she believes to be the mother but is really Toshio.

6. They show a bit of Jason Behr working and studying before a recently discharge SMG shows up at his work.

7. Ted Raimi meeting Yoko jawless in the hallway is extended and she even stretches back quite a bit to show down her throat quite a lot.

8. The Bill Pullman scene where he shows up at the house and finds Ayako’s body is longer. She falls out of the closet and we stay on her for quite a while. She seems to follow him throughout the room. Her neck is making crunching noises.

9. The thumping that you hear from the hanging body in the next room reveals that Toshio is pushing his fathers feet into the wall and that’s why we have the sound! I thought this visual was pretty eerie.

10. Here is what makes the uncut uncut. The father killing his family scene. He grabs Ayako and semi strips her and grabs her by the throat and in his rage twists her head to an almost 360 and it splinters and cracks as she spits blood. The ’aaaaaaaacckkkk’ sound is from her dying as her throat is distended. Toshio views the ENTIRE thing! This reveals why he is always bug eyed when on the stairwell looking down because this is where he was sitting.

11. As SMG is saving her comatose hubby we see more of the family death. It looks as if he cuts the cats throat in the tub and then he slams its carcass against the tub walls. We then actually see Toshio being drowned. He even has a moment where he looks at his father before he dunks him in. Then there are jump cuts of where the father placed their corpses. These spots end up being where they congregate. Toshio is dead in his closet along with his mother in the attic.

12. I believe in the US version SMG yells at Jason Behr ’not to look at her’...in this version the dialogue wasnt there. When Ayako is giving him the staredown of death.

13. In the aftermath of the fire we see a POV from SMG point of view in the ambulance as well as firefighters performing their jobs on the house.

Thats it...after that everything is as it was in the cut version. The funny thing here is that Shimizu said this one would be more open ended with less resolution but it was just the opposite. If anything this version explains a lot MORE than you would expect.

Im going to attach the urls below of pics of the booklet and the promo items sheet of what you can buy with the film. Including are cool little cameras you can click thru and view pics from all the films! Enjoy

Your man in Japan

 NanaharaShuya ’Mark’"

Davis DVD writes:

"Due on May 17th, the disc arrives with a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Extras now include a commentary track (with the director Takashi Shimizu, producer Takashige Ichise and actress Takako Fuji), 15 deleted scenes (with optional commentary), director Takashi Shimizu original Ju-On short films "4444444444" and "In a Corner," "The Grudge House: An Insider’s Tour" featurette, "Production Designer’s Notebook: The Sketches of Lwao Saito," Sarah Michelle Gellar and KaDee Strickland’s video diaries and storyboards. Retail is $28.95."