THE RING – This cinematic thrill ride will keep you on the edge of your seat, from the stunning opening to the astonishing conclusion! It begins as just another urban legend – the whispered tale of a nightmarish videotape that causes anyone who watches it to die seven days later. But when four teenagers all meet with mysterious deaths exactly one week after watching just such a tape, investigative reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive) tracks down the video … and watches it. Now, the legend is coming true, the clock is ticking, and Rachel has just seven days to unravel the mystery of The Ring.
THE RING TWO – INCLUDES BOTH THEATRICAL (4K UHD & Blu-Ray) & UNRATED CUTS (Blu-Ray Only) – A terrifying legacy haunts a single mother in this sequel to the frightening box-office hit, The Ring. Hoping to leave their terrifying experiences in Seattle behind them, Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) and her son, Aidan (David Dorfman, Zombie Roadkill), move to the small town of Astoria, Oregon. When Rachel learns of an unexplained murder that occurred after a teenager watched a strange videotape with his girlfriend, she suspects her past is following her.
RINGS – Discover the terrifying new chapter in the groundbreaking Ring franchise. When a radical college professor (Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory) finds the mysterious video rumored to kill viewers seven days after watching it, he enlists his students in a dangerous experiment to uncover the secrets behind the Samara legend. When the deadly video goes viral, they must figure out a way to break the curse and defeat Samara before her evil is unleashed upon the world. But how do you stop her when she’s everywhere?
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Video Quality
The Ring Collection allows the American films in the franchise to be treated properly for the first time with a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray in 2160p/Dolby Vision courtesy of Scream Factory. The Ring gets an upgrade from the dated Paramount Blu-Ray first seen in 2012 with a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative that has been supervised and approved by director Gore Verbinski. Perhaps more impressively, The Ring Two is making the jump to 4K UHD Blu-Ray without ever receiving a domestic Blu-Ray release. This new transfer is derived from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. Finally, the much more recent Rings gets a fresh 4K master that may not be as vital as the other two, but it proves to be a welcome upgrade all the same. All three of these movies have an accompanying Blu-Ray derived from the same source. Some of these transfers share many similar qualities, so we will be discussing them in groups with notable differences pointed out.
The Ring and The Ring Two are the standouts of the set, and not only because they are the superior movies quality-wise. Fans will be astounded by the texture on display in the clothing and within the creepy production design. The level of detail and clarity newly on display is a wonder thanks to the perfect amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves impeccably with nothing ever feeling clumpy even within the numerous shadowy environments. We did not spot even fleeting specks of damage thanks to the careful handling of the image. This presentation is true to the original look of the films with the added resolution making elements seem more defined and natural. Considering The Ring Two was stuck on standard definition previously, this is a major leap in quality. There are no unsightly digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or any other such nuisances. The special effects with the videotape recreations are rendered faithfully.
The 4K UHD presentation of Rings similarly impresses with strong gains in clarity throughout the feature. With this being shot digitally, this material upscales quite nicely as the production design has a very tactile appearance that is explored in favorable depth along with the disturbing makeup effects which are spotlighted in all of their grotesque glory with this transfer. The transfer is filled with properly defined textures that are absent on the accompanying Blu-Ray. The fleeting instances of compression artifacts and banding present on that disc are eliminated with this 4K UHD disc.
Some of the most substantial improvements across all three discs come from the utilization of Dolby Vision to gain the greatest sense of accuracy in the palette. Many fans have complained that the previous Blu-Ray release of The Ring had a color grade that pushed too hard towards green. It would appear this master approved by Verbinski dials it back to its intended blue. All of these films have a stylized color grade that renders effectively on disc. There are improvements to the range of the color spectrum and accuracy, especially. The handling of the contrast is amazing as black levels stay deep with great detail. Most of these films take place in shadows, underneath rainy skies, or at night, and these scenes are more vivid and finely delineated in 4K UHD. The highlights in the film are more controlled with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming. Scream Factory has treated fans of this franchise to something special.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray set delivers a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 lossless track for The Ring and The Ring Two, while Rings takes this configuration and bumps things up to a DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that is slightly more expansive than the preceding entries. Each of these tracks brings the right level of immersion to create a chilling soundscape by engaging all of the channels with sound effects and ambient noise. All of these elements work together to creep under your skin. As the characters enter a new space, the surround speakers ground you in the space.
These films have some amazing scores, beginning with Hans Zimmer in the first film and continuing on with sounds that conjure the appropriate atmosphere with terrific fidelity. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear in the center channel without getting overshadowed by the music or any sound effects. Scary moments pack a punch in the low end. These discs provide each film with the ideal soundscape defined with nuance and clarity. Scream Factory has offered a first-rate audio experience for this series. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided on this disc.
Special Features
The Ring
- Ghost Girl Gone Global: A truly terrific new 93-minute documentary is provided in which filmmakers and film historians from all over the world discuss the origins of J-Horror and how the Ring franchise was brought from Japan to America to become its own minor phenomenon. There is a great exploration of the original source material, the initial film adaptation, how the stories translate fear, the influence it had on cinema at large, and so much more.
- Don’t Watch This: A nearly 16-minute collection of unused material from the film is provided.
- Rings: A 17-minute short film is provided which bridges the gap between The Ring and The Ring Two as we get more background on the Ryan Merriman character.
- The Origin of Terror: A four-minute piece in which the cast and creative team share some of their favorite urban legends while experts share some background on urban legends as a concept.
- Cast and Filmmaker Interviews: An eight-minute piece that gathers brief interviews with actors Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox, and David Dorfman; director Gore Verbinski; and producer Walter Parkes. These give quick overviews of the characters, themes, the story at large, and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
The Ring Two
- Theatrical Cut (1:49:30 – 4K UHD & Blu-Ray) and Unrated Cut (2:07:52 – Blu-Ray Only)
- Audio Commentary (Theatrical Cut): Film Critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham provide a new commentary track in which they discuss how this film functions in relation to the Japanese films and the American version that precedes this one, the direction of Hideo Nakata, the stylistic evolution, the score of the film, and much more that is worth a listen despite small stretches of silence.
- Rings: A 17-minute short film is provided which bridges the gap between The Ring and The Ring Two as we get more background on the Ryan Merriman character.
- Deleted Scenes: A nearly 19-minute collection of unused material from the film is provided.
- Fear On Film – Special Effects: A six-minute look at how the special effects were crafted in this sequel to achieve the maximum amount of horror.
- Faces Of Fear – The Phenomenon: A six-minute look at the special qualities of the franchise that reinvigorated the horror genre.
- Samara – From Eye To Icon: A six-minute look at the iconic entity at the center of the franchise including the creation of her unsettling appearance.
- The Power Of Symbols: A five-minute look at the iconography and motifs featured in the film.
- The Making of The Ring Two: A 13-minute look at the creation of this sequel featuring interviews with the cast and creative team.
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-and-a-half-long trailer is provided here.
Rings
- Deleted/Extended Scenes: A 19-minute selection of unused footage is provided here with some interesting moments, but you can understand why most of it was cut.
- Terror Comes Full Circle: A nearly 13-minute piece in which the cast and creative team reflect on the franchise and explore how the new film builds upon what came before.
- Resurrecting The Dead – Bringing Samara Back: A nine-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss bringing the iconic character back for new thrills including how she interplays with new technology and the makeup work that brings her to the screen.
- Scary Scenes: A seven-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss their feelings about horror films and the thrills and chills of the movie.
Final Thoughts
The Ring Collection brings together the three American films that were received to varying degrees of critical and commercial success. While there are understandable reasons why people might not like all three, we happened to have a decent time with every single one of them – even if the quality gradually slipped after the initial film. The Ring is as strong of an American remake as one could ask for, and there are some interesting angles in The Ring Two even if it comes up short of its predecessor. Rings is the most universally maligned, but even this one worked as its own unsubtle approach to the subject matter. Its shortcomings are numerous, but it makes for a fine mindless watch. We did not have any real affection for the franchise heading into this release, but we are glad to have been swayed. Scream Factory has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray set featuring fabulous A/V presentations along with some great new and archival special features. If you love the series, it has been given a worthy release. Highly Recommended
The Ring Collection is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.