Ringu Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Ringu Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 25, 2019

Note: Scores above are approximate averages for the four films in this set. Please see the reviews linked below for scores on each individual film.

J-Horror.

What do you think of when someone mentions this “national” genre? If you’re like any number of fans, and as both commentator David Kalat and even the back cover verbiage of Ringu mention, the Ring* series will no doubt be at the top of the list. Interestingly, the back cover states that the original Ring film “launched the J-horror boom in the West”, though Kalat takes at least some issue with that assertion in his appealing analysis of the film. Kind of interestingly (and maybe just a bit peculiarly) given this series' outsized reputation, none of the Ring films has evidently been released on Blu-ray for the domestic American market before this, but Arrow, long the curator of niche items for some devoted collectors, has once again come to the rescue with both a standalone release of Ring, as well as a boxed set including four films.

*Kalat makes a cogent case that the coinage Ringu is due to the transliteration of Japanese orthography, and that the film's director himself told Kalat the name of the original film was Ring, so references to that film in particular and the series in general will use that version of the title. That said, the discs in this set sport the Ringu versions of the titles, and so links to films and/or reviews will show that version. Similarly, Spiral is listed with that title on its disc (as opposed to Rasen), so that title will also be used. Confused yet?

For reviews of the four films in this set, please click on the following links:

Ringu 0 Blu-ray review

Ringu Blu-ray review

Ringu 2 Blu-ray review

Spiral Blu-ray review

Ringu Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Ringu Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Ringu Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements on each disc are detailed in the above linked reviews (note that Ring 2 and Spiral share a disc). This is another very handsomely packaged release from Arrow, housed in a nice chipboard slipbox, with the three keepcases sporting white covers (as opposed to the standalone Ringu release, which has a darker cover). A pamphlet sized booklet is included that has some interesting essays and technical information.

Ringu Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The first Ring continues to be a uniquely, well, haunting experience that explores ideas of fear of technology as well as a rather potent subtext concerning healing a "wounded" child (I'm trying to be a bit circumspect for the two or three people out there who don't know the "secret" behind the story). I know several people who actually like this or that element of at least one of the other Ring films, including both Ring 2 and Spiral, but in my estimation the follow up and/or prequels never quite rise to the heights of the original. One way or the other, Arrow has once again assembled an impressive package with generally solid technical merits and some really well done supplements. Highly recommended.