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Japanese horror films are their own special brand of awesome. Movies like "The Ring" and "The Grudge' will sometimes make you roll your eyes with their cheesy acting and special effects, but at the same time contain certain horrifying scenes that will stick with you in your nightmares for weeks to come.
The latest installment in "The Grudge" series, "Grudge: The Final" has just come out in Japan, advertised by commercials airing all over. However, one commercial received so many complaints about it being “way too scary” that it was taken down and replaced with something more tame.
Below is the video for your viewing pleasure. The red text at the beginning says: “Warning! Those with weak hearts should not watch.”
Wait, is that it? Is that what you’re thinking right now, because I know I was when I finished watching. I looked all over for the real original commercial. This had to be tamer one that it was replaced with, right?
Wrong. The one you just saw is the original. The one that resulted in over 100 complaints that it was “too scary” over just a three-day period. The one that…actually had a censor bar over the only part that might be a little bit scary.
Thankfully it doesn’t appear that all of Japan is full of such “weak-hearted” individuals. Japanese netizens were quick to point out how “not scary” the supposed terrifying preview was:
“Wow. I, uh, was expecting a bit more.” “I can’t believe anyone scared by that was brave enough to make a complaint.” “Is this supposed to be a comedy? I don’t get it.” “The complaints were probably just a ploy for more publicity.”
Source: Livedoor NEWS
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© Japan Today
13 Comments
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FightingViking
@BondsanJun
What YOU TOO ??? Welcome to the club !
timtak
The fear depends upon the structure of your self. If you have a narrative self, thinking that you are the hero of your cogito, as Western psychologists and philosophers tell us that we do, then you need to internalize and hide an interlocutor. In Western horror therefore, horror emerges from language, from omens, signs, writing on walls. Monsters and murderers phone in first and exist as a voice and their victims general female are returned to a scream. If the centre of gravity of your self is your face then you need to hide a gaze in the crowd. When you see it then non-speaking Sadako or Kayako, emerges from image (well, video tape, t.v. mirror) and drags you back into into the image with her, into mirrors or developing fluid, and silence.
gogogo
Nothing scary about that video, I think this is a marketing stunt.
anahorn
It looks funny, especially that sound :) The real world can be much scarier.
smithinjapan
Japan makes fantastic horror movies, for the most part, with some really scary stuff in some of them. I look forward to seeing this (alone, since the better half loathes such movies).
dcog9065
Haha awesome comment
DaDude
Man, how many "Grudge" movies are there in the series? I only saw the first of the Japanese and U.S. versions and it scared me for weeks especially riding the elevator or looking into a typical Japanese sliding closet.
Dennis Bauer
Not big fan of Juon after you see the first time it is always the same, maybe this one will be different?
YongYang
The original Ring film, makes your "eyes roll"? Is "cheesy"? What? Don't think so, Sadako is scary as hell in that film. 'Have you watched THAT video?'
Bondsan
a day with my ex was scarier than the clip ..
papigiulio
I prefer scary movies (thrillers) over slaughter movies, but I have to admit the Grudge never did anything to me. The Ring was another kind of awesome.
M3M3M3
What? I've watched episodes of Thomas the Tank engine that were scarier.
highspot
100 complaints of it being too scary doesn't really mean much, but it's a good way for the filmmakers to promote their movie. A lot more people are aware of the movie now than they would have been otherwise. It's kind of like how the first Paranormal Activity was promoted as being so scary that people couldn't watch it.