MovieChat Forums > The Grudge (2004) Discussion > How to not be so scurred of this damn mo...

How to not be so scurred of this damn movie?!

posted 9 years ago by summer_wine7
35 replies | jump to latest

I'm a huge fan of the horror genre. Though some movies make me jump or creep me out, nothing really scares me and as soon as the credits roll I am usually over it (unless it was also a sad story, in which case I usually think about it for a little longer but not much). I've seen the very vast majority of horror movies that would be listed as scariest and don't have an issue with any of them.

The Grudge however is different. I saw it in 2004 when I was 17 - I saw it three times actually - and it scared the absolute *beep* out of me to the point of leaving the light on when I went to sleep and barely sleeping at all as I covered my ears the whole night. I was terrified. I didn't know why. I just couldn't shake the images and creeps it gave me.

Three years later I watched The Grudge 2, with my dad, TWICE in a row - he suggested I watch every single scene (no looking away!) which I did and cracked jokes about it to help me get over it. It didn't help. It may have made it worse.

Fast forward another 3 years and I watched The Grudge again with my then boyfriend... I knew exactly what was gonna happen... I screamed every time... I could hardly sleep that night.

I keep wanting to rewatch it because I can't stand that it scares me this much. But rewatching doesn't seem to fix it.

Does anyone have any tips as to how to get over this ridiculous fear/fixation (i.e. recurring dreams, can't stand the rattling sound, keep going back to think if I should rewatch it)? I just want to be able to watch this movie, be like 'lolz good scare' and go to bed unafraid and get normal sleep. I can't stand that it scares me.

Also I know where I am posting and fully expect trolls and insults... but it's a leap of faith maybe another person who had a similar fear browsed over here too.

[–] Cujoseph 9 years ago

Watch it like 50 times lol. I used to be half scarred for life from watching the ring but after I watched it 50 times (BTW I watch all my favorite movies atleast that many times) it's not scary it's almost like I root for Samara now lol.

[–] summer_wine7 9 years ago

Goddamn 50 rounds of The Grudge... I'm not sure if I can deal, lol! Especially with all the amounts of times I need to sleep between those 50 times :p

[–] Thrill_KillZ 9 years ago

I've seen em all and gotta say The Ring, out of thousands was the one that succeeded in freaking me the hell out big time. It's been so long since something has been made to match that kind of fright, watching late night in the pitch black alone was such a hair raising experience and it still worked for a few multiple viewings.

I put the The Ring franchise and it's Japanese counterparts Ringu and Ringu 2 in my top ten scariest horror flicks in existence, horror masterpieces imo. I forgot how long it had been since they were out as I'm just now looking at their IMDb pages.

Having seen The Ring only about 3-4 times and not in about 10 years I think I'll give it a go tonight and see if it still has the spook factor, something about that well scene and the VHS tape and the overall tone and atmosphere that really gets under my skin.

[–] summer_wine7 9 years ago

Good for you!

[–] insane_D 9 years ago

How could you be scared after the first scene?

Obvious mannequin + strawberry jam = can't take the rest of the movie seriously

[–] mockinggay 9 years ago

Exactly me with Insidious lol.
I don't know any tips though, I'm just not easily scared

[–] Evil_Reverend_Kane 9 years ago

I was the same after watching Insidious, the old woman really creeped me out! After Insidious chapter 2 where you get the whole back story of her, it conquered my fears Same deal after watching the Ring, although the second time I watched it, I got over Samara.
The Grudge was very creepy, scene on the bus and under the bed covers still gives me goose bumps. Maybe try watching the Japanese version as well? Best thing to remember is that it's just a movie....maybe get hold of "the making of the Grudge" it could help put your mind at ease.

[–] Syvelocin 9 years ago

I'm a huge horror fan and have been watching horror movies since I was way too young to be seeing them. My mom is also a huge horror movie fan so that's how I got exposed to them so young. But I had seen most of the staples by the age of 5 and yet The Grudge is the only one that ever bothered me, to the point that I'd call it emotional trauma. I saw it around age 8 and I literally didn't sleep with the lights off again until age 18. I had reoccurring nightmares about it, even when it had been years since the last time I saw it. I still sometimes have issues even now eleven years after seeing it. For whatever reason, when I'm paranoid or it's late and I'm trying to get to bed, the first image my brain conjures up will be Kayako's face. I'm a lot better than I used to be. The nightmares have mostly stopped. I'm afraid my fear won't get completely better from here unless I go to more drastic measures...

Exposure therapy is a real thing that is widely seen as the most effective way to get over fear, unfortunately. It's exposure to the stimulus until no anxiety is felt anymore, then you progress to a more extreme exposure. So like, you just picture it in your head for a while until you feel absolutely no fear, then you look at a picture until you don't fear it, then you watch the movie over and over. I'd say watching it even more than you have would be helpful.

Alternatively, I hear many people have success looking at behind-the-scenes of the movie they're scared of. There are parts of the movies that are very silly and I've definitely laughed a lot especially at the sequels. I think that has helped me, to look at things with a technical perspective of movie-making and imagining an actress playing Kayako and having to make those sounds and crawl around on the floor during filming.

[–] nogodlover 9 years ago

Lol. It scared the crap out of me too and so did The Ring. I couldn't sleep at all after watching The Ring. I won't watch The Grudge or The Ring by myself. I wish I had some advice for you, but it looks like we're in the same boat.

[–] summer_wine7 8 years ago

And that's the weird thing - I LOVE The Ring! I'll watch it alone, home alone, I don't care - I love that movie, I think it's beautifully made. And it makes no sense because if the Grudge scares me this much, so should The Ring!

[–] teho13 9 years ago

The same for me.. The Grudge is THE film that gives me nightmares when I was younger and still gives me the chill when I rewatch it or think of it at night even after numerous views. I dont know what is it with this movie but its look like that a lot of people where scared to death by it, even traumatized by it. Its like pure fear. And Ive watched a lot of horror/scary movies myself but this one.. This one is the only one to do this effect on me.

I know, sorry for my bad english.

[–] tmy8919 9 years ago

I suggest you do not watch this film over and over again as I think you probably remember all the scenes. Rather, you should think that all the scariest things from the film would only happen in Japan. In your culture, there is no way that you could ever encounter this type of ghost.

And you could tell yourself that you have actually learned a lot through watching this movie because you want to reduce the chances of you ever facing ghosts.For example, you now know that you will find out what has happened in a second-hand house before you go into it, and you will not always trust what you have heard over the phone or you have seen through a peephole. As we are aware of all these things, we will have a better and safer live.

:)