Some might think this ought to go in the Pseudopod subforum... but despite being about magic notebooks that will kill anyone whose name is written in them, and despite said notebooks being the property of creepy-looking "shinigami" (gods of death), I just don't consider Death Note to be horror. The situation of disillusioned law student Light Yagami going vigilante with one such notebook, and the efforts of the world's greatest detective "L" to track him down, strikes me as more of a mystery/crime drama with supernatural elements.
In any case, the two live-action movies Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name are probably the best way to enter the series. Had I read the 12-volume manga first, I'd most likely have groused about all the story arcs and characters that got left out in the process of condensing the story down to about four-and-a-half hours. I'm currently about a third of the way into the anime series, which is following the manga very closely.
And an American remake seems to be in production, though I can find no information except a rumored 2011 release date.
