Most people I have talked to agree that whichever of the two movies you watch first, you'll like more.

I saw the US Ring first at the theatre and really enjoyed it.
Ringu didn't do much for me - I want to sell it.

My brother saw Ringu first and was totally creeped out by it.

I tend to agree with that statement, probably has to do with the novelty wearing off. I like Ringu better myself but The Ring is a worthy remake. Other points made in this thread are valid as well, such as pacing/production values. The pacing in a lot of asian horror films tends to be much slower (Ringu, Sorum, Inner Senses, Dark Waters, etc...), they tend to take a lot of time establishing a tense and creepy atmosphere that slowly gets under your skin while North American horror films tend to want to get to the scary stuff faster using more eye candy. I prefer the former approach. Also as others stated, I did find Sadako creepier than Samara. I also found the journalist/son interaction more interesting in Ringu with the son (after he watched the video)being creepier as well. And the creepy kid, creepy girl with long black hair hanging in front of her face has become a staple of Asian horror (Audition, Ringu, Dark Waters, Phone, Ju-On), nobody does it better than they do. Also, while the horse scene taken on it's own is extremely effective it is part of a backstory that is neither as mysterious nor as interesting as the one in Ringu. God forbid Brian Cox is a great actor but I found that whole segment at his house almost out of place and the bathroom scene borderline silly.

I assume we'll have the same discussion when the Ju-On remake comes out. Except in this case we'll be comparing the American remake with the Japanese Ju-On: The Grudge movie. The original Japanese tv movie is better. One of the questions will be: Is Kayoko creepier than Sadako/Samara.

P.S. I believe that Sam Raimi is having director Takashi Shimizu direct his own American remake of Ju-On.

I saw The Ring first and I like it better.

You can say what you want about sf/x, but they definitely helped with the creepiness factor in the American version. When I finally saw Ringu, I was struck by how low-budget it looked in comparison. This isn't a third world nation we're talking about. Can't their studios spend a little money for production value's sake?

Whenever it is possible, I suggest you to see Ringu first, then see The Ring.

My consideration:
It is always an advantage to see the original version of a movie before seeing the remake. The originality of the idea is the one thing that cannot be exceeded by the remake.

If you like it and it creeps you out:
a) You might want to know how well or how bad the remake will give you the same chill
b) You can save your time by not seeing the remake, cause you've known the ending

If you like it and it doesn't creep you out:
a) You might want to know how well or how bad the remake is made
b) You can save your life by not seeing the remake, cause you'll probably be scared to death this time

If you don't like it or it creeps you out:
a) You can expect for the better polish from the remake
b) You can save your time and your life by not seeing the remake

Point: you've seen the original anyway.

Same options will apply if you see the remake before seeing the original. But with different point: if you don't like it and want to save your time and your life .. er .. what, you haven't seen the original??! You should!!

Whichever version you watch first, you will probably enjoy that one more.

I saw The Ring first and liked that one better.

OT: If you live in the Los Angeles area the New Beverly Cinema will be screening The Eye/Ringu from October 29-November 1. I'll definitely be there!

Care to give specific examples of how they dumbed it down?While I agree with this, it should be pointed out that the Japanese Ring was not exactly original. It was based on a novel, and I believe the movie was also preceeded by a tv miniseries and Manga.

Yep, the novel. Thanks, Groucho.

As someone who enjoys slower-paced foreign films, I still couldn't get myself to like Ringu. Some scenes were great, but overall it was a bit too hokey -- I liked the mythology in The Ring better.

And no, I didn't like The Ring because it was , but I did see it first.