Review: Pulse (C)

Pulse (2001)
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Starring Haruhiko Katô, Kumiko Aso, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka
MPAA: UR
Grade: C

Review by Bobby Nashville

Pulse is a film with a legion of fans. Many hail it as a masterpiece, a modern day classic of horror. I didn't find it to be that, exactly. Interesting at times, yes, but this one just didn't register as a masterpiece for me.

Pulse tells the story of ghosts (or are they?) appearing on computer screens. They travel via technology, inhabit the bodies of those who use technology and trap them forever. Obviously, some major motion pictures have lifted from Pulse, most notably The Ring and Blair Witch Project. The film is a play on loneliness, and how humans are not truly connecting anymore. As I said, there are some interesting aspects to Pulse.

On the other hand, Pulse is repetitive, slow and poorly acted. It seems to go in circles and while it may be an influential film, it isn't a great one. I can't recommend it, unless you are huge fan of Japanese horror films.

I'd also like to point out that the DVD version of Pulse that I viewed came with previews that could not be skipped or even fast forwarded through. Basically, if you want to watch the movie, you are forced to sit through endless commercials for other films. This is a disturbing trend that we here at DVD Confidential are strongly against. We feel that if a customer has purchased a DVD, they should not have to sit through commercials. Previews are best left as an option on DVDs, not a requirement that the user must meet in order to see the film. The fact that this infringement appears on a film with a message about how humans are being enslaved by technology is actually a bit ironic.

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