"Wanna see something REALLY scary?"
For all you New Yorkers, if you can only see one film as a part of this series, do yourself a favor and see the original, Japanese version of The Ring. I've seen a sneak preview of the American version, and, as much as I like Naomi Watts, and as welcome a change it is from the standard U.S. horror flick, the original is SO much scarier. Ultimately, I agree with another reviewer's assessment of the two films: the difference is the director. Gore Verbinski is a very competant studio director who can hit most of the right notes. But Hideo Nakata wants to scare the Hell out of you, by any means necessary. If you have to get it overseas from Amazon, it's definitely worth it. I'd recommend watching Ringu first, then seeing The Ring in the theatre.