by MATTHEW HAYS

Though the horror genre is clearly hot again, I confess to becoming very weary of the steady stream of sub-par horror movies that have come out of America in the past few years. Sadly, the audience for these movies, though I don't disparage their love of horror, will go see virtually anything, so the studios keep cranking out crap.

Suffice it to say Takashi Shimizu's The Grudge is not utter crap. But it's not great, either, and that is a disappointment, as it's a remake (by the same director, no less) of a hit Japanese horror film that rocked audiences and has become a landmark success. The concept involves the spirits of people who die under extreme emotional duress.

In the remake, Sarah Michelle Gellar, taking time off from the Scooby-Doo franchise, appears as a woman who takes odd jobs in Japan. In a temp job, Gellar goes to a house to cover for a nurse who hasn't shown up. The place is a mess, and the old lady, whom Gellar is supposed to care for, has wet the bed. (This movie manages to be both creepy and gross.) Something's amiss, clearly, but since granny can't speak Gellar can't find out what the heck is happening. She searches through the house, trying to find out if anyone else is around. She goes upstairs to the final room, peering in, gazing upon a closet that is taped shut. She can hear a weird noise coming from inside; is that a cat? Or a young child crying? Or Celine Dion's latest album being played backwards? She ventures to the door and begins removing the tape…

The Grudge is full of suspense set-ups like this one. And some of them are indeed scary. But the film suffers many of the pratfalls associated with remakes, in particular the warmed-up leftovers syndrome. Gellar manages one emotive expression - ‘Oh my gawd, this is, like, so creepy!' her face seems to say - but little else. A rental, at best, sad to say. Or check out the original at Cinéma du Parc.

The Grudge opens Friday, Oct. 22

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