25 things you didn’t know about your favorite horror movies

The Grudge – Took precautions to avoid any paranormal mishaps

Speaking of Japan, next we move on to The Grudge.

A nursing student living in Japan named Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is temporarily assigned to be a caretaker for an American family. When she gets to the house, all she finds is an elderly, catatonic woman and a deserted house. She soon finds a supernatural creature haunting the place.

As more people die and more supernatural occurrences start happening to Karen, she starts to discover more about the curse that has taken over the house and needs to stop it before she becomes the next victim.

Unlike The Ring and other Japanese horror film remakes that were mentioned, The Grudge was the only one that actually kept the story in Japan, instead of moving it to America. This was a great way to keep the culture of the story intact.

Due to the dark, paranormal nature of the project, the cast and crew took some special precautions to avoid any on-set mishaps or real supernatural occurrences from manifesting. Before filming began, the crew actually performed a ceremony in which they were blessed to avoid any incidents during the production. When you’re dealing with demons and ghost women and children, maybe that’s a good idea!

Speaking of ghost women, there’s one scene that a lot of people remember best from this movie. Kayako, the ghost of the woman killed by her angry husband, comes tumbling down the stairs, slowly going after Karen. The way she slowly contorts her broken body is burned into our brains, but it turns out that production didn’t even use special effects or a stunt double.

Actress Takako Fuji is a trained contortionist and ballet dancer, so she was able to perform all her stunts herself. There were no trick shots or digital manipulation — it was all her! Do you think she pulls out that trick at parties?