Japanese Horror the New Alternative?

[James]

It all started with Ringu getting recognition once The Ring came about. Then came news of Battle Royale. Now more Japanese films of the genre are coming around.

Do you think that Japanese Horror is the solution to the too-tame state of horror nowadays? Have you seen any films that you can comment on?

I recently came across a DVD called Audition, that really caught my eye. But it's hard to spend $20 on a movie that you don't know the first thing about. Not unlike Anime, where there's not enough exposure in the US to get a general consensus, or catch it on TV to know what to think.