Ring 0: Birthday

Ring 0: Birthday (リング0 バースデイ) is the 2000 Japanese horror-psychological thriller prequel of Ring directed by Norio Tsuruta. The film is based on a screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi, which in turn is based on the short story "Lemon Heart" from the Birthday anthology by Koji Suzuki. The story follows the life of the character of Sadako Yamamura just before she consigned to her fate seen in the later Ring series.

Ring 0, along with Isola was known for being the one of the earliest Japanese live-action psychological thriller-focused films to be released theatrically. as well as the first psychological thriller films which released theatrically in japan during early 2000s to gross over ¥1 billion in distribution income, preceding other releases like The Beach, Unbreakable, Vanilla Sky and Panic Room. Ring 0: Birthday was nominated for the 2001 edition of Fantasporto, but lost to Amores perros.

Plot
In the present, a girl confesses to her friend that she watched the cursed videotape. She also recounts having nightmares, including seeing Sadako’s murder by Dr. Ikuma.

30 years prior, Akiko Miyaji, the fiancé of a fellow reporter who was killed during Shizuko's infamous ESP demonstration, interviews Shizuko's daughter, Sadako's former elementary school teacher Sudo, about Sadako's nensha powers. Sudo recounts how Sadako was withdrawn as a child and predicted her classmates drowning in the ocean during a field trip. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Sadako joins an acting troupe as an understudy. Her natural charisma infuriates lead actor, Aiko Hazuki, whose relationship with the troupe director, Yusaku Shigemori, sours due to the latter's newfound favor for Sadako. Aiko is later found murdered by a figure in white, so Sadako takes her place. Sadako and troupe sound director Hiroshi Toyama are attracted to each other, much to the disappointment of Toyama's girlfriend, costume designer Etsuko Tachihara. While praised by Shigemori and Toyama, the other troupe members grow to distrust and fear Sadako, as they suspect that she is the one who caused Aiko's death and other supernatural occurrences, including an apparition of a girl in white with long hair similar to Sadako.

Akiko is told by Sudo that Shizuko descended to madness before her suicide ever since moving to live with Dr. Heihachiro Ikuma and that Sudo heard strange childlike noises in the attic. Etsuko, wanting to discover Sadako's origins, contacts Sadako's psychiatrist, but he refuses to answer and throws away Sadako's résumé; the résumé is taken by Akiko's assistant, allowing him and Akiko to locate Sadako in the troupe. When they start photographing her, she telekinetically breaks the camera; the two discover that all the photographs contain ghostly faces and a girl with long hair, confirming Akiko's suspicion of the existence of "two" Sadakos. Shigemori, obsessed with Sadako, says he will kill her if she tries to kill him. Toyama interrupts and Shigemori is killed through a cut that also wounds Toyama. Sadako heals him just by touching him; later, he can help a disabled man regain his ability to walk. After finishing their last play, the two confess their love and promise to leave the troupe and live together.

The play is a disaster as Sadako, influenced by recordings of her mother's demonstration played by Etsuko, sees visions of her mother during the demonstration and kills her psychiatrist. The troupe members beat her to death. They visit Ikuma, who tells them that Sadako split into two beings resembling each of her parents; the malevolent one, who resembled her unknown father, is kept from growing by Ikuma in the attic. Before they can kill it, both Sadakos merge with each other and escape with Toyama. Sadako kills all the troupe members in her merged form, including Toyama. Akiko and Etsuko hide in Ikuma's house. Rather than face Sadako's wrath, Akiko shoots Etsuko and herself.

Sadako is found by Ikuma, recovered and tearfully mourning her own actions. Ikuma drugs her and chases her outside to the well. Despite her pleas, he brains her with an axe and throws her down the well before breaking down in tears. Sadako dreams of meeting Toyama again and screams as the well stone is slid in place, trapping her inside.

Production
In 1999, Koji Suzuki was finishing his written sources for the Ring series by including a fourth titled Birthday which collects three short stories that filled in details of the story. Asmik Ace decided to hire Ring and Ring 2 screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi to adapt the short stories of Birthday, Takahashi decided to only adapt the story Lemonheart from Birthday due to the Complex nature of the Short story collection. Lemonheart captured the life of the character of Sadako just before she consigned to her fate seen in the later Ring series. Hideo Nakata was offered to directed Ring 0, while Kenji Kawai was offered to composing the music of the film under request from Takasige Ichise, the producer of Ring and Ring 2, however both Nakata and Kawai turned down an offer.

Once the Ring 0 went into production, numerous changes were made to the film production staff. the director for the film was the first changes as Nakata was replaced by Norio Tsuruta. Tsuruta had previously worked on direct-to-video horror scripts such as Honto ni atta kowai hanashi (Scary True Stories) in 1991, and wrote and directed the sequel. After working on two Pachinko-themed feature film in between 1993 to 1994 and eighth direct-to-video horror works between 1991 to 1996, Tsuruta subsequently take a hiatus for nearly 3 years. Tsuruta first work after a nearly 3 years of inactivity was "Tatari", a second episode of the Kansai TV Tanpatsu Drama Haunted School: Spring Haunting Special in March 1999, which Tsuruta was directed while Takahashi take responsibility on a screenplay. Tsuruta was offered to directed under request from Takahashi due to previously collaborated in "Tatari". Tsuruta referred to the film as "a tragedy" with a theme about "a young woman who is oppressed because she is different from everyone else. In Japan, there is great pressure not to stray too far from the norm". the Assistant director-pair for Tsuruta was Shozo Katashima. the second changes is cinematographer which now handled by Takahide Shibanushi. the third changes is Sound recording and reproduction Director which previously handled by Kiyoshi Kakizawa in Ring 2 was replaced by Tetsuo Segawa, a veteran sound recording director who start his sound recording director career during the late Japanese New Wave era. The fourth changes is the Sound Effects Director which handled by Kenji Shibazaki in Ring and Ring 2, however Shibazaki was replaced by Shizuo Kurahashi, a veteran sound effects editor/designer when the film went into production. the fifth changes is the Script supervisor which handled by Kumiko Yoshida in Ring 2, however Yoshida was replaced by Yoshimi Amaike when the film went into production. the last change for the film production staff was the Art director which handled by Iwao Saito Ring, Rasen and Ring 2, however Sato was replaced by Osamu Yamaguchi when the film went into production. Genre-wise, Ring 0 retain the J-Horror Genre found in Ring and Ring 2. however, the Techno-horror Genre that made Ring famous is now abandoned in flavor of Psychological Thriller, a Genre that many Hollywood Directors as well as some East Asian Filmmakers has already explored such as David Fincher, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyamalan, Satoshi Kon and Kiyoshi Kurosawa,  but many other East Asian Filmmakers and screenwriter including Tsuruta and Takahashi itself are not famillar with.

Yukie Nakama was cast in the role of Sadako. After Nakama's friends had seen Ring, they teased her about her resemblance to Sadako. Nakama was later contacted by her agent who mentioned they were looking for actresses for the role of Sadako and tried out for the role. She received confirmation of her role in the next two weeks.

Music
"finale" by Japanese rock group L'Arc-en-Ciel, was used as the film official theme song, and it was released as Double A-side single, three days before the film's release. the band performed "finale" for the first time on the "RESET>>LIVE *000" Concerts at the Tokyo Big Sight on December 31, 1999. The music video of "finale" was directed by Wataru Takeishi. Unlike many music videos from the songs that were a part of a film soundtrack or featured in a film at that time (such as "I Disappear" by Metallica and "Take a Look Around" by Limp Bizkit, both from Mission: Impossible 2), the music video of "finale" doesn't incorporate any film footage into it. Despite the video doesn't features clips from the movie, it could not be included on any of the DVD releases of the film, although it was included in the band second video compilation Chronicle 2 in 2001. the full track version of "finale" was appeared on the band's eighth studio album, "Real". while The 4 minutes theatrical cut version of "finale" was only appear in the Closing credits of Ring 0: Birthday, as well as live performance on Music TV Show such as Music Station and Count Down TV. but not included in the film official soundtrack CD released by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing. Furthermore, the name of the theme song was kept secret on all print advertisements, posters, television commercials, and press material for Ring 0: Birthday except the theatrical pamphlet and the double feature traliers, as a part of Sony Music Entertainment Japan decision to used several marketing tactics for "Neo Universe/Finale" to increasing sales.

Release
Ring 0: Birthday was released in Japan on January 22, 2000 where it was distributed by Toho. It was released on a double bill with Isola. the film was theatrically released in Malaysia as Ring 0: The Origin on December 19, 2002 where it was distributed by Buena Vista-Columbia TriStar Distribution Joint Venture. In the Philippines, the film was theatrically released as Ring-0: The Birthday on May 21, 2003.

Home media
Ring 0: Birthday was released on VHS and DVD format shortly after its theatrical run in Japan, with a NTSC-J Regions VHS format released first on July 21, 2000, Followed by the Region 2-locked DVD released on October 27, 2000, Both From Kadokawa Video. the 2000 Kadokawa Video DVD release presented the film in its original 1.85:1 Anamorphic widescreen format with Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and include the extra features that was unavailable on the VHS released, including the Cast and film staff interviews, behind-the-scenes featurette, Deleted scene, Theatrical Trailers and TV Commercial/Teaser for the film.

The film was released in United Kingdom as straight-to-video released by Tartan Video (under their Asia Extreme Label) on February 25, 2002, in both VHS and Region 0-DVD format. The 2002 Tartan Asia Extreme Released presented the film in its original 1.85:1 Anamorphic widescreen format, though carried no special features apart from filmographies, photo galleries and tralier for other Tartan Asia Extreme Released.

On April 28, 2003 Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd. and The AV Channel co-announced that Ring 0: Birthday will released in Australia through the Eastern Eye Label as straight-to-video released in June 11, of that same year in both VHS and Region 0-DVD format. The 2003 Madman/Eastern Eye Released presented the film in the 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen format instead of the original 1.85:1 Anamorphic format found in the Kadokawa Video and the Tartan Asia Extreme Released, and carried no special features apart from filmographies, photo galleries and tralier for Hellsing, Samsara, Spirited Away, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Wendigo. There is an Easter egg located in the extras features menu. When the Madman Propaganda is highlighted, the viewer can press left directional buttons to highlight a Kanji character on the girls tongue, then press Enter button. By doing this, the cursed video used in the previous films will be play.

Tartan later released the film as a part of The Ring Trilogy DVD Boxset, on October 25, 2004 in both 3 Disc Keep case Standard Edition (Ring and Ring 2 Disc are Region Free DVD while Ring 0: Birthday Disc are Region 2-locked DVD, all disc include the same special features found in The 2002 Tartan Asia Extreme Released) and 4 Disc Region 2-locked DVD Digipak Remastered-Collector's Edition (including the addition Disc which contains Sleeping Bride and the inclusion of the DTS 5.1 soundtrack option in all disc (the DTS 5.1 soundtrack are recorded at a bitrate of 768 kbit/s), both of which are unavailable in the Standard Edition). The 2004 The Ring Trilogy Collector's Edition Released of Ring 0: Birthday presented the film in the 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen format found in The Madman/Eastern Eye Released and contain special features including the Film Notes by Kim Newman and three extra features found in the 2000 Kadokawa Video DVD Released (behind-the-scenes featurette, Deleted scene and Theatrical Trailers). The 2004 The Ring Trilogy Collector's Edition Released of the film also including the Dolby Digital 5.1 (recorded at a bitrate of 384 kbit/s) and DTS 5.1 soundtrack option (Both in Japanese), in addition to the Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo soundtrack (recorded at a bitrate of 192 kbit/s) found in The 2002 Tartan Asia Extreme Released. The film was released direct-to-video in the United States under the title Ringu 0 on August 23, 2005 by DreamWorks/Universal Home Video.

Reception
Online film database AllMovie gave the film two stars out of five, referring to it as a "mediocre Carrie rip" and that it "can only be truly reviled as a desecration of the original Ringu's uniquely persuasive and subtle horror". The review noted that the "film's effort to explain exactly who Sadako (Yukie Nakama) is and how she became a powerful evil force, the film heaps contrivance upon contrivance, mixing clichés from backstage melodramas with those from Carrie and all its imitators, and leaving the viewer with little beyond the strength of Nakama's appealing performance and a few mild scares to hang on to".

The films opened in third place at the Japanese box office.