Rings

In the era of DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming video formats, it would seem rather foolhardy to revive a horror series based on an outmoded technology—the VCR. Director F. Javier Gutiérrez returns to the Ring franchise, last heard from in 2005, built around the notion that a cursed VHS tape will doom viewers to die in a week (unless they are able to get someone else to take on the curse by watching it). Here a new “outbreak” is traced to a professor named Gabriel (Johnny Galecki), who is interested in vintage devices and finds a copy of the dreaded tape lodged in a video recorder that he buys at a flea market. Believing it can reveal truths about the afterlife, Gabriel enlists his unsuspecting students in a kind of pyramid scheme, inducing them to watch the tape and then pass it on. One is Holt (Alex Roe), whose girlfriend Julia (Matilda Lutz) intervenes and together they try to uncover the tape's origin and end its reign of terror. That quest requires a visit to a spooky small town, where a blind guy (Vincent D'Onofrio) guards the cemetery, kicking off an investigation that reveals secrets about child abuse, hidden skeletons, mysterious symbols in braille, and revenge and reincarnation, wrapping up with a twist that pushes the concept into the digital age. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted/extended scenes with an alternate ending (19 min.), and the production featurettes “Terror Comes Full Circle” (13 min.), “Resurrecting the Dead: Bringing Samara Back” (13 min.), and “Scary Scenes” (7 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing franchise entry.] (F. Swietek)