Ring (1998)

[bunniefuu]

AZMIK-ACE ENTERTAINMENT

KADOKAWA, PONY CANYON, TOHO,
IMAGICA, ASMIK-ACE & OMEGA PROJECT

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
MASATO HARA

PRODUCERS: SHINYA KAWAI,
TAKASHIGE ICHISE, TAKENORI SENTO

RING

NANAKO MATSUSHIMA

MIKI NAKATANI

HIROYUKI SANADA

FROM THE NOVEL BY KOJI SUZUKI
[KADOKAWA PUBLISHING]

SCREENPLAY: HIROSHI TAKAHASHI

DIRECTED BY HIDEO NAKADA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH

A primary school boy was on holiday
down in Izu with his family.

He wanted to go out and play,

but there was a TV show
he didn't want to miss.

So he recorded it on the VCR
in their room.

But the channels down there
are different from Tokyo's.

No station there uses that channel,
so it should've been blank.

But when he played it back at home,
there was a woman on the screen.

"You will die in one week," she said.

The kid stopped the tape,
and then the phone rang.

"You saw it."

And a week later, the kid died.

What's wrong, Tomoko?

- Who told you that?
- Everybody's talking about it.

- Did Yoko?
- No, not her.

What is it?

I saw a weird video the other day.

- Where?
- With Yoko and the rest.

Did all of you really go
and spend the night somewhere?

Nothing happened!

But that night...

...Iwata found this weird video,
and we all watched it.

How was it "weird"?

It's hard to say.

Just after it ended,
someone phoned us.

It was some kind of prank call.

How awful.

Everyone else had heard that story.

Today it'll be one week.

Come on!

You're just trying to scare me.

I had you going!

- I don't believe you!
- You're so easy to fool.

But did you really
spend the night there?

- So what happened?
- I'm not telling!

- Confess!
- It's a secret.

Is it true?

Masami!

Masami!

Hello?

She's right here.

Hello?

Oh, Mum!

A friend came over.

Got it. Yeah, yeah.

Extra innings in baseball.
They'll be late.

Don't scare me like that.

Look who's talking.
I'm going to tell everyone tomorrow.

I'm going to the toilet.
Don't go upstairs without me.

Sure.

There's this "video curse"
everyone's talking about.

Yes.

Have you heard
what kind of video it is?

Yes.

- Don't look at the camera.
- Sorry.

Once more.

Have you heard
what kind of video it is?

I heard that suddenly
there's this scary woman

who says,
"You will die in one week."

They say if you watch late night TV,
she appears.

And then the phone rings.

Late night TV? What channel?

I heard it was on a local channel
down in Izu.

In Izu?

And is there really someone
who died a week later?

It's no one that we know.

What is it?

A high school student I know told me,

a girl who'd seen it
died on a date with her boyfriend.

An accident?

They were found dead
in a parked car.

He'd seen the video, too.

It was in the newspaper
two or three days ago.

Do you know what school?

No. My friend heard it
from a friend of hers.

- Ms Asakawa. Here you go.
- Thanks.

About ten years ago,

a pop idol k*lled herself,
and people saw her ghost on TV.

Yeah, but everyone you ask
about this one

talks about the Izu Peninsula.

Well, maybe that's where
this one started.

Where's the woman from?

Further west, in Gifu.

That was after a big
traffic accident down there.

A big accident?

These stories get started
when people die horrible deaths.

- So what happened in Izu?
- I don't know.

Anyway, I'm off. Goodnight.

Goodnight.

YOUNG COUPLE
FOUND DEAD IN CAR

A 19-YEAR-OLD TOKYO BOY AND
A 17-YEAR-OLD YOKOHAMA GIRL

FOUND DEAD IN CAR
ON MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 6TH

Take care of it, will you?

Weren't you leaving early today?

Okazaki, will you do something for me?

Can you find this high school for me?

- Sure.
- Call me when you find it.

Yoichi!

You're changed already!

I put your clothes out, too.

We need to hurry.

- Did Grandpa call?
- No.

Why did Tomo-Chan die?

Some strange disease, I guess.

Zip me up.

Do kids die, too?

Sometimes they get sick.

But don't talk about that
at Aunt Yoshiki's. It's too hard for her.

Tomoko often played with you,
didn't she?

FUNERAL ATTENDEES -
THIS WAY

Dad...

- How's Big Sister?
- She's lying down. Best leave her alone.

I'll go and help.

Yoichi, you come and sit here.

Reiko-Chan.

Does anyone know why Tomoko died?

- No, not me.
- But the police did an autopsy!

But there was no evidence of a crime.

People don't just die like that.

And it's a closed coffin.
Isn't that strange?

Yoichi?

You shouldn't just come in here.

Go downstairs.

Go on.

- Hello?
- It's Okazaki.

I found the name of the high school.

Seikei Academy in Yokohama.

Thank you.

IN LOVING MEMORY
SEIKEI ACADEMY

Excuse me.

Was the girl who died in the car
a friend of yours, too?

If there's anything you know...

They all died the same day.

Yoko and Tomoko.
And Iwata, too, on his motorbike.

They all saw the video.

What video?

Yoko told us they'd all seen
this weird video.

When it was over,
they received a phone call.

Tomoko saw it, too? Where?

They all went and stayed over
somewhere.

The girl who was with Tomoko
when she died...

She went crazy and she's in the hospital.

She won't go anywhere
where there's a TV.

The girl was named Yoko Tsuji, 17,
in her third year at Seikei Academy.

The boy was Tadahiko Nomi, 19,
doing a college prep year.

The car doors were locked.

I've never seen a corpse
that looked like that.

Cause of death?

Unknown.
Their hearts simply stopped.

- Drugs?
- Nothing came up in the autopsy.

They'd just started snogging,
then they just died.

It doesn't make sense.

Yo-Chan was at the funeral.

He used to go upstairs
and play in her room.

Yes, he did.

THE PHOTO SHOP

I found Tomoko dead here.

Tomoko!

IZU PACIFIC LAND

Izu...

I might be late tonight.

Put your supper
in the microwave. Got it?

- Mum?
- Yeah?

Tomoko saw the cursed video.

Why did you say that?

Don't say anything about that
at school, do you hear?

I won't.

I'm off.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH

IZU PARKWAY

This is crazy!

IZU PACIFIC LAND

"My dad's fat. My mum's fat.
So I'm fat, too."

You're here alone?

Yeah, I'm doing a bit of work.
Erm...

These four people stayed here
on August 29th.

Did you notice anything unusual?

Just a minute, OK?
August 29th...

That tape...

That one.

What tape is it?

This one?

Someone must've left it.

ERUPTION

SADA

One week...

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH

So Yoichi's in school?

Year 1.

So how are you, Ryuji?

Same as always.

What are you doing?

Teaching at a university.

So you said there was a phone call?

Yeah.

So this phone will ring after I see it?

Four people died, all on the same day!

So go to a shrine and get an exorcism!

Take my picture.

Face this way.

Hurry up and take it!

It's over.

No phone call.

Copy this for me.
I'll take a good look at it.

It's not certain death yet.

It's a video. Someone must've made it.

I'll check who stayed there.
Also for pirate broadcasts.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH

From the Izu bureau.

Thanks.

Why do you want
that list of customers?

Sorry, but I just need to check
something by myself.

Was it you?

Did you do this?

- Sorry I'm late.
- What's wrong?

Nothing.

How did it go?

No one I phoned
had taken a tape to the cabin.

And they all sounded normal,
not like they'd make a tape like this.

Pirate stations?

There's no record of an ill*gal broadcast
anywhere in Izu.

Here's the copy.

Asakawa...

Have you ever seen this woman?

No.

This shot is weird.

From that angle, the cameraman
should appear in the mirror.

What do you mean?

Well, you could fix it
with special effects, but...

"Eruption..."

Which eruption?

You can't read it on a regular home TV.

Come in.

This is Takano. A student of mine.

This is Asakawa, my ex-wife.

How do you do? I'm Takano.

I'm Asakawa.

Sir, the publisher wants your essay.

Why did they tell you that?

They couldn't get hold of you, sir.

Ask them to extend the deadline a week.

Me? Ask them yourself, sir!

OK, OK...

It's no good.

"Sada."

Is Yoichi all right alone?

He's used to it.

Whoever did this
left a sign subconsciously.

He wants to be stopped.

Wait.

"Frolic in brine, goblins be thine."

Sounds like some sort of saying.

- What does it mean?
- I'll check tomorrow.

...who says,
"You will die in one week'. '

They say if you watch late night TV,
she appears.

And then the phone rings.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH

I heard it was on a local channel
down in Izu.

Hello?

I found it.
As I thought, it is a saying.

It's something
about "brine" and "goblins".

A saying from where?

Oshima Island.
There's a volcano, Mt Mihara, there.

Hello, Yoichi?

I'll be late tonight.

You're OK alone?

I'm sorry.

MOUNT MIHARA ERUPTS

Here. But it's a long time ago.

DID LOCAL WOMAN
PREDICT ERUPTION?

- What is it?
- Do you have an Oshima Bureau?

I think so. A correspondent.

Get me the number. Tonight.

- What for?
- You only have four days left.

I'll handle it with your correspondent.

You stay with Yoichi.

Grandpa!

Well, hello.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH

- He wants to go fishing with you.
- Is that so?

- Come on, let's go!
- Let's go out fishing!

Grandpa! You've got one!

Aww, he got away!

You're not very good at this!

OK, let's try it again.

Let's fish over here this time.

All right.

You're home.

Hello?

Your man in Oshima says

that our woman is probably
the one who predicted the eruption.

Her name was Shizuko Yamamura.

She threw herself
into the volcano 40 years ago.

- What do we do now?
- Go down there, I guess.

I'll go tomorrow.

Oshima? But I only have
three days left!

I know. And I have four.

I'll call you again.

Is something wrong?

No, just some work.

Auntie.

Yoichi?

Yoichi! Did you bring that here?

You did, didn't you? Why?

Tomo-Chan...

Tomo-Chan told me to.

I was careless.

I sensed something at your place.

I thought it was the video.

It was Tomo-Chan.

She's not Tomoko anymore.

Yoichi can see her, too, then.

It's all my fault, isn't it?

It should've ended
with Tomoko and the others.

I wonder.

Who did the story start with?

Stories like that don't start with anyone.

People feel anxious,
and rumours start flying.

Anxious?

Or people start them,
hoping things will turn out like this.

Mr Hayatsu?

Hello. Sorry you've had to come
all the way out here.

This way.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH

The Yamamura family used to run
big fishing crews here.

They're all but out of the business now.

Shizuko's cousin is still alive.

His son and daughter-in-law run an inn.

I've booked you in there for the night.

Why did Shizuko Yamamura
commit suicide?

They say she went crazy.

The newspapers had written
some things about her.

She was famous all over the island
after she predicted the eruption.

It'd always been said
that she had strange powers.

She was what they call a seer.

After that, a professor showed up.

You've heard of him, Heihachiro Ikuma.

Wasn't he fired?

He brought Shizuko to Tokyo
and did experiments on her.

He was trying to prove
the existence of ESP.

The papers built him up,
then tore him down.

The media haven't changed much
in 40 years.

I remember hearing something about it.

But... didn't someone die
during one of the experiments?

Dr Ikuma disappeared
after his university fired him.

I doubt he's still alive.

Even if we found him, then what?

They say Shizuko had a daughter.

Anyone in?

- Hello.
- Welcome.

Right, I'll leave you to it.

This way, please.

Will it be one room?

Separate rooms.

This way.

But...

Please...

Wait, please!

Please tell me about Shizuko!

- I have nothing to say.
- What about her daughter?

There was no daughter.

Not hungry?

No...

When I die, be with me...

Cut it out.

Please!

And then, if you learn anything,
use it to save Yoichi!

Stop it, I said!

The girl with Tomoko lost her mind.

Who knows what'll happen to me?

You'll be fine!

Because I'm not "normal".

Maybe all three of us should just die!

Good idea. We shouldn't have
had a kid in the first place.

Stop it!

There are still two days left.

- Excuse me.
- Come in.

You were asking before about Shizuko...

This is all that's left.

Is this Dr Ikuma?

Yes. It was before I came here.

- Anyway...
- Thank you.

Frolic in brine

Goblins be thine

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH

You'd best head home early.
There's a storm on its way tonight.

What was Shizuko like?

She was a strange one.

She'd sit out here the whole day long.

Day in, day out,
just staring at the sea.

The fishermen all hated her.

For us, the sea is unlucky.

Every year, it swallows some of us.

And she'd just stare out at it...

"Frolic in brine, goblins be thine."

If you play in the sea,
the goblins will come for you.

Shizuko could read minds.

She would know things about people
that they didn't want known.

That could be painful.

Go home!

I have some similar abilities myself.

You're the one who told people
about Shizuko, aren't you?

- It was you who called Dr Ikuma.
- I did what?

You thought you could
make money off Shizuko.

You took money
from the newspapers, too.

Shut up!

Tell me about her daughter!
What happened to her?

- I don't know!
- She should've been with Shizuko!

You were there...

...when Shizuko gave her demonstration.

Correct.

Correct.

Correct.

Correct.

Correct.

This is a fraud!

It's nothing but a vulgar magic show!
You don't fool me!

Dr Ikuma's deceiving you!

He's making a fool of you!

Show us the...

What's wrong?

He's dead.

She's a monster!

Sadako! You did that?

Sadako?

SADA

Sadako k*lled him?

She could simply will someone to die?

She was a monster.

Sadako!

Hey!

Yes. When Shizuko k*lled herself,
Dr Ikuma took Sadako away with him.

But no one knows where they went.

Anyway, you have to find them.

Dr Ikuma may be dead,
but Sadako would be in her 40s.

I'll explain later. Hurry!

I doubt Sadako is alive, either.

She k*lled a man
just by willing him dead.

That's power of a different order
from her mother.

So that video...

It's not of this world.

It's Sadako's rage.

She's put a curse on us.

It's no good, the typhoon's too close.
All the ferries have been cancelled.

Try a fishing boat. We'll pay.

A fishing boat?

The typhoon might change course.
Your best bet is to wait.

Then I'll find one!

Mr Takayama!

- Hello?
- Ms Asakawa?

I'm sorry, but there's no trace
of either of them.

Hello?

Thank you.

Yoichi!

Izu...

Ryuji!

Ryuji...

The phone didn't ring at my house.

The only place it rang
was at that cabin!

So the doctor must've...

But we're stuck here.

You can't take a boat out
on a night like this!

I'll take you.

Sadako's calling you, isn't she?

Maybe she wants me to drown.

Take us.

Strange, isn't it?

I'm not afraid at all.

Sadako probably died there,
before that cabin was built.

Was Sadako Dr Ikuma's daughter?

He was married with kids.

His relationship with Shizuko
caused a scandal.

That all contributed to him being fired.

We have to find Sadako's body.

Will that lift the curse?
Will that save Yoichi?

It's all we can do.

Just one day left.

I guess Sadako doesn't hate you.

Shizuko used to talk to the sea.

She'd just sit there and mumble to it.

Once, I listened to her secretly.

But it wasn't human language.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH

Hello?

Yoichi?

I'll check back tomorrow.

I'm bored here.
I want to get back to school!

Don't say that,
you'll hurt Grandpa's feelings.

Grandpa's laughing.
Want to talk to him?

I'm sorry.

I'll hurry home.

What's wrong?

Mummy has something she needs to do.

Say hello to Grandpa for me,
won't you?

What time did you watch the video?

Seven or eight minutes past seven.

If the story's true, that's your deadline.

Here it is.

A well? I knew it.

A well?

Her father?

Dr Ikuma put this lid on.
Sadako's under here.

I'll go down.

Sadako was still alive!

She tried to climb out.

Lower the buckets!

Take it up!

Take it up!

Take it up!

It's six o'clock!

I know! Hurry and take it up!

Take it up!

Asakawa?

Damn it! Are you trying to k*ll me?

Hey!

Asakawa?

Trade places.

You can't lift anymore.

No!

Then who's going to pull the buckets up?

Is this really going to do any good?

And what about Yoichi?

She'll go for him, too!

Don't look down!

Where are you?

Come out!

Please! Where are you?

It's you.

Hey, Asakawa!

It's past seven! It's 7:10!

We're saved!

Why did the doctor k*ll Sadako?

His own daughter?

Maybe she wasn't his daughter.

Huh?

Maybe her father... wasn't human.

The marks are gone.

It's over.

I'll take you home.

Get some rest.

I've got a deadline to meet.

Thank you.

Idiot!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST

Why?

That's it... Asakawa!

Are you a resident?

I'm Ryuji Takayama's wife.

The body's already been removed,
ma'am.

What happened?

When I got here,
he was lying on the floor.

Did he say anything to you?
About a video?

His face...

Why Ryuji?

Will Yoichi die, too?

Didn't we lift the curse?

Why was I the only one saved?

Sadako's curse was only lifted from me.

Why not you, Ryuji?

What did I do that you didn't?

What did I do that you didn't?

Ryuji?

Something I did that you didn't
to lift the curse...

I copied it!

I showed it to you.

Dad? Yeah, I'm on my way.

I need a favour.

It's for Yoichi.

They say there's one way
you can see it and not die.

You have to copy it and show it
to someone else within one week.

- And what happens to them?
- They have to do the same thing.

- So it never ends?
- That's right. It goes on and on.

But if you don't want to die...
you'll do it, won't you?

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND