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Masterful Cinema

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Jake, a young teenager watches a cursed video tape after joining a teen cult named "Rings". Join Jake as he lives the horrifying experiences of Samara Morgan's cursed tape. Rings is a short film that takes place before the events of the american remake and sequel to the 2002 Ring movie titled The Ring Two that starred Naomi Watts but unfortunately this short film not only was not needed to be made or released but also a pretty damn waste of my time since nothing happened that was even remotely interesting or actually scary you know? (0/10)

It's far better! Scrap the soporific main feature and go for this beauty of a short film. Well, actually the sequel does make this look superb, but what we have here is an innovative 14-minute short that has an engrossingly taut layout and actually foreshadows the opening of "The Ring Two".So, after the opening death scene in "The Ring Two". This one goes back a week earlier and follows the teenage boy Jake who joins a small circle of teens, who are interested in the cursed videotape. Where they convince Jake to watch the video to save one of them. Then we watch Jake go through the mind-boggling experience, where he records and films the details. But when it starts to get the better of him he soon realises that this is no easy walk in the park and he's finding it hard to get somebody to watch his tape.The way the story opens up is an neat idea involving this urban legend of the cursed unmarked videotape becoming somewhat of an underground thrill ride for curious and extreme on lookers who just want to test out this dangerously bizarre mind trip. There are cult groups that have experienced this sensation, where they have recorded accounts that pop up on the Internet. It even touches on the idea if these images are something more, like an opening into another dimension than just illusion. Somehow this one packs a lot of realistic excitement, hair raising frights and very surreal visions within the limited time and it's still rather fulfilling in its subject matter. The atmosphere is highly cold and depressingly ominous with such intense performances. There's just much more substance and terrifying images here compared to its bigger brother. Even the filming techniques are extremely sharper with CGI that's more crisper, atmospheric camera-work and rapid-fire editing that fitted into the twitchy / on edge mood it was going for. The brisk pace never lets up or gives you a chance to get comfortable, because you get caught up in the frantic mess the main character falls into.A hauntingly gripping and very well executed short.

I think that the Idea behind this cult that is forming right in front of our very eyes, that cult being Samara basically and what happened to her, very interesting and since buying the collectors edition DVD's I must have watched RINGS at least ten times and I enjoyed it the tenth time just as much as the first time.Rings makes the perfect join between THE RING and RING TWO. Lots of people complain about the unexplained bits of the story, personally I think that makes this brilliant cult film ten time better then it already is. As far as I'm concerned these films are some of if not the best pieces of film making to date, not forgetting the original RINGU of course which was also great considering the low budget.POSSIBLE SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT.I think Hideao Nakatta (Apologies for the spelling) has created one of the best Horror characters in Samara and her life, short as it was, would make a great film by itself. (Mabey I should have kept that Idea to myself) The classic art of symbolism which the Japanese do so well has been done to perfection with this story. The way they have shown Samara's connection with water has almost made it a character in its self. I think that these films have a lot more in them then most people care to reallies and if you really think about everything thats happened up to now has had a reason. Finally, at the centre of all this is of course the tape, which in its self is pretty creepy, but everything you saw on that tape the first time it's shown to us has now been explained in some way or another.These films are truly amazing.

After purchasing the collector's edition for The Ring, one of my all-time favorite films, I immediately popped in the bonus disc to check out the new features. I was treated to a bunch of cool new supplements including lots of cast interviews, trailers and much more. But the real main attraction of the disc was a short film entitled "Rings", which serves as a prelude to The Ring Two. I saved the best feature for last and eventually hit the play button."Rings" features Ryan Merriman as Jake, a high-schooler who becomes obsessed with the videotape and its strange new following. It seems as if the infamous videotape has become a cult following, with many people watching it, seeing how long they can stand to live after watching it and then finally passing it on to the next person, who does the same. They post their experiences online at a public website. People believe that it is a window that shows us either heaven or hell, and that the experience should be cherished and not feared. However, once Jake is introduced to the tape by one of these cults, he starts to unravel as he sees strange things and experiences horrors that no one should ever have to bear. The cult that supposedly had his back and his "tail" (meaning the person who he passes the tape on to) turn their backs on him, wanting to finally have a perspective on what happens on day seven. Also appearing in this short is Emily Van Camp, who plays Jake's classmate Emily. Both Merriman and Van Camp are featured in the upcoming sequel.This short does a great job of linking the two "Ring" films together. It is shot in a different style that works very well for it, making it both creepy and visually appealing. The script is well-done as is the direction by Jonathan Liebsman. The acting is fine as well. And just in case you were curious, Samara does make an appearance here. And just because this film is short doesn't mean it isn't scary. There are several creepy moments that echo the first film and many jump scares as well. The atmosphere also adds to the intensity.Overall, "Rings" is an excellent short film. It makes me anticipate the sequel even more than I once was, and was surprisingly very well-made. It was interesting, entertaining and scary as hell. Plus it ends with a cliffhanger that makes waiting for the sequel even more unbearable.This new DVD set is a must-buy for fans of the first film, as well as those who are anticipating the sequel. Get it now before the sequel comes out. You won't be disappointed.8/10 (A-)