Pulse (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
by Jim Sonzero
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Actor: Christina Milian, Ian Somerhalder, Jonathan Tucker, Kristen Bell, Rick GonzalezDirector: Jim Sonzero
Brand: Genius
Producer: Anant Singh
Producer: Bob Weinstein
Producer: Brian Cox
Producer: Harvey Weinstein
Writer: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Writer: Ray Wright
Writer: Wes Craven
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
Published: 2006-12-01
DVD Release Date: 2006-12-05
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Model: 79595
Studio: Weinstein Company
DVD Reviews of Pulse (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: Ghosts in the Machine
Summary: 4 Stars
A very noticeable feature of "Pulse" is its consistently monochromatic color scheme; every shot is drenched in grainy, unpleasing shades of blue and gray. It gave the film quite a surreal quality, as if it were filmed with an obsolete form of celluloid. What a perfect look for a horror movie, especially for one that revolved around computer technology and online video feeds. It works even better when a series of cyberspace ghosts are added to the mix. We never get a real sense of what they look like (which I found effective), but based on some very distinct glimpses, I gathered that they're pale, grayish figures, and they flicker in and out of our world like random computer glitches. Their presence gave legitimacy to the moody visuals, and that made the movie much more entertaining. I also enjoyed the dialogue; it remained true to horror movies without getting hokey. And no wonder; the screenplay was co-written by Wes Craven, a true master at creating believable dialogue.
In the tradition of films like "The Ring" and "The Grudge," "Pulse" is an American remake of a Japanese horror movie. "Kairo"--released in 2001 and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa--was just as much a social statement as it was a supernatural thriller, focusing on isolation in the midst of a highly technological world. This emphasis on humanity could be one of the reasons why the American version was at times is a little difficult to follow; it was as if certain things were purposely meant to be ambiguous, despite the fact that the audience is dying to know what the hell is going on. Spirits are entering the world of the living via the Internet, evil spirits that supposedly want life again. Even though their motive is not exactly crystal clear, we are given enough of an explanation to keep us from lapsing into total confusion.
It all starts when one of the ghosts attacks a college student named Josh (Jonathan Tucker). He had been wandering around a school library looking for someone named Douglas Zieglar (Kel O'Neill). Why he was attacked and what he wanted with Zieglar is unknown. All anyone does know is that he's now acting incredibly strange. Mattie (Kristen Bell) had been worried about him for days; not only has he not been returning her calls, he also leaves a single, ominous message on her answering machine. When she decides to see him, she fails to grasp why he's become so detached and why his apartment is in shambles. Papers are all over the floor. Dust and dirt coat everything. The food in the refrigerator is covered with maggots. There's even a dying cat in his closet (why this had to be included is beyond me). He ultimately commits suicide right in front of Mattie, which understandably leaves her angry, confused, and scared. Luckily, her friends--Izzie (Christina Milian), Stone (Rick Gonzales), and Tim (Sam Levine)--are all there to support her.
One night, while sending each other instant messages over the Internet, someone with the screen ID "Josh" repeatedly sends each of these characters a message saying, "Help me." Initially unwilling to accept this as a supernatural occurrence, Mattie attempts to locate Josh's computer and find out who's behind the message. She tracks it down to a man named Dexter McCarthy (Ian Somerhalder), a gruff-looking loner type. During their meeting, Mattie discovers two things: 1) the computer is not even plugged in, and 2) it's still in the trunk of Dexter's car.
That's when all the bad things start to happen, not just to the main characters, but to all of the American public, as well. The news continually reports a massive rise in suicides, none of which seem to be connected. But when Dexter opens Josh's hard drive, things start falling into place. It contains scores of video captures, all of which don't reveal too much to the audience other than some cryptic, disturbing imagery. We're led to believe that they're videos of people killing themselves. However, we never actually see it happen; what we do see are blank, expressionless faces, ones that seem genuinely tired of living. We also see the blurry image of a ghost in the background, hinting at some kind of possession. But the fact is that we don't really know what's going on; death is only insinuated, not spelled out for us.
Still, the videos are effectively creepy in their simplicity; they each had a distinctly underground feel to them, as if a snuff website had been hacked into. What makes them even creepier is that they somehow get sent to everyone's computer, each time preceded by the question, "Would you like to meet a ghost?" When the link is clicked, the videos play, giving the ghosts access to our world. They then attack anyone in their path, sucking the will to live directly out of their bodies.
The only thing that seems to keep these spirits at bay is special red tape, first seen covering the windows and door of Josh's bedroom. Three days before he died, he sent Mattie a three-pack of the stuff through the mail. Attached was a note saying, "It keeps them out. Don't know why." Maybe it interferes with their frequency. Maybe it's too strong to let electronic signals penetrate it.
Maybe I'm analyzing the specifics too deeply; all that matters is that the tape is the one and only method of protection. (Did anyone but me see the connection to duct tape and a nuclear attack?) And people are going to need a lot of it. That's because the ghosts are spreading everywhere, and it's all because they can travel through a computer signal. The cities are no longer safe, and panic inevitably ensues. Ultimately, the survivors are forced to flee towards technology-free areas called dead zones (which is a fancy name for an undeveloped area). Only one hope remains: a computer virus that Josh had been developing. If Dexter and Mattie can locate Zieglar and upload the virus into their city's hard drive, things just might go back to normal.
Will they succeed? I obviously can't say, and I'm sure most people won't find that aspect of the story interesting. However, the fact that this remake is also making a social statement can't be easily overlooked. Technology is very much the enemy in this story; the ghosts use it purely as a means of control and domination over those that are living. The symbolism in "Pulse" is in no way subtle. Granted, the message it's giving isn't exactly new. But the way it's given certainly is, and I think that's what I liked the most about it. Yes, it seems like an average, meaningless horror movie on the surface, but underneath, I think it's actually trying to say something.
However, it's open for debate whether or not it's trying to say something important. It may not be saying anything at all; maybe it truly is just a meaningless horror film, solely created to scare the audience. "Pulse" doesn't leave you with definite answers, even when explanations are given. The plot is a mixture of pop out scares, psychological analyses, and technological phobias, all of which initially seem incompatible but eventually come together nicely. If it weren't for the fact that there's no gore, sex, or nudity, I could say that there's something in it for every kind of horror movie fan. But that's all right; much like life, you have to take what's offered and make the best of it. This is a very adequate horror movie, and it's sure to please anyone looking for a decent ghost story.
Description of Pulse (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
Electronic devices serve as gateways for a terrifying evil that can?t be turned off.Pulse provides clear evidence that by the summer of 2006, the cycle of American remakes of Japanese horror films had reached its inevitable downturn. After peaking with the Ring and scoring a marginal success with The Grudge, the cycle was almost guaranteed to sink to the low-point of this unnecessary and mostly lackluster remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2001 shocker. It benefits from a standard upgrade in CGI effects and doom-laden "bleak-chic" atmosphere, but it's almost completely devoid of suspense as a group of college students led by Mattie (played by Kristin Bell, TV's Veronica Mars) investigate the suicide of Mattie's boyfriend and discover a kind of wi-fi conduit that allows malevolent spirits to be transmitted from their afterlife to our world via the Internet ? think of it as kind of a broadband connection from hell, if you will. Pretty soon it's obvious that Pulse is trying (as Kurosawa's original film before it) to serve as cautionary tale about how we've allowed our lives to become numbed and devalued by using technologies (computers, cell-phones, PDAs, etc.) that keep us all connected at the expense of personal intimacy. Many of the creepiest images from the original Pulse are carried over here, and director Jim Sonzero does his best to keep the cautionary themes intact, but at some point (and after a great deal of pre-release tinkering to fit the obligatory PG-13 rating for the lucrative teen market) you have to ask yourself: why bother? --Jeff Shannon
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