Now you don't even have to watch the videotape for The Ring's eerie villainess, Samara, to traumatise you!

In this picture, taken on March 17 at the Virgin Megastore in New York's Union Square, Samara startles a customer as she walks through the shop.

This is a promotional stunt to market The Ring Two, releasing in US theatres on Friday.

The movie is a follow-up to 2002's The Ring, starring Naomi Watts [Images] and Martin Henderson. The horror film import from Japan [Images] became a fear phenomenon in the US.

The sequel is directed by Hideo Nakata, the man who ably helmed the plot in its original Japanese version, Ringu.

Photograph: Getty Images