Why did this movie creep me out?

yeah me too lol

lol yes, yes it could :)

ACK! First I forgot to put in the name of the movie (The Grudge) then the cool animated japanese ghost graphic doesn't play right! Can anything else go wrong with this discussion?!

Yeah, I don't like slasher flicks or the horror movies with too much splatter -- it's just not entertaining to me. I prefer the more suspenseful or intelectual horror. I love reading Clive Barker and hate what has been done to most of his stories when made into movies (The Hellbound Heart was NOT supposed to be what it became as Hellraiser!) and I don't care whaat anyone says, I still love Stephen King! But the gore factor in The Grudge certainly doesn't account for the degree to which it creeped me out...

Actually I wouldn't think that the odds are in favor of an eventual freak out. The more I watch/read, the more jaded I become to that subject matter: I've seen and/or read it all before. So it is VERY surprising to me when one DOES manage to get to me, especially when I can't figure out WHY it got to me the way it did.

I'm not sure if I want to see it! At first, I didn't want to see the first one because I didn't think it would be any good... not I don't know if I want to see the second because 1) It might be TOO good and 2) If it ISN'T too good, I'll be dissapointed! I just can't be satisfied! LOL!

I agree! I think it's because it's something so unfamiliar to Westerners-we are accustomed to our own culture, our own beliefs and our own "ghost stories", which are all basically the same tale, just retold in a different manner. The idea of a "new" and unheard of paranormal experience and the history or culture behind it excites and disturbs us, because we don't understand it as we would "our own" stories. We sort of already know the plot of our own stories and there's nothing unique about them. I always find stories (especially scarey ones!) more frightening when told from the perspective of someone who is so different from me, having lived somewhere different and experienced different belief systems.

I thought that might be it... and it still might... but I've seen several other japanese ghost stories and none of them got to me. I understand the yin yang aspect: Western ghost stories often have Good vs. Evil, but Eastern don't have that dichotomy; all things have aspects of both. It may be as simple as the sound the ghost made (I know that IS one of the creepiest things!) but I wouldn't think that would account for the degree that it got to me *shrug* maybe I'll never know...

DOH! I made the discussion from The Grudge list and totally forgot to actually put The Grudge in the discussion!