Let me be perfectly clear: I am not a fan of J-Horror. Ringu and the Grudge were tedious. That was enough for me. Audition? Forget about it. I guess it is, as they say, different strokes for different blokes. Pulse, though, rises above the other scary movies finding their way out of Japan because it's not small--Pulse is an epic, apocalyptic nightmare of a movie.
It's terrifying but the terror boils under the surface. The film didn't make me jump, but it got under my skin and gave me chills. Like the novel the House of Leaves, the premise is just twiggy enough to tolerate for a while. When the movie gets deeper and deeper into its tale, though, you start feeling those claws grip at you. By the end, you're in its vice- like grip, chilled to the bone. It's an awesome experience and very much unlike my other favorite horror films. It's a more visceral conceptual terror than you have in Romero's Dead films but it's not as visceral as Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It's not as beautiful as Argento or Bava, but it has crisp lines and significantly better acting than the films of those masters.
I'm not going to try too hard to describe the plot of Pulse. Basically, the Internet kills people. I think. Some strange explanations are thrown out but they really don't suffice as explanations. If you're looking to be spoon fed rational horror, watch the American remake. You have been warned.
Why was this scary? I dunno--I think it was because about three-quarters of the way through, you realize that everyone is disappearing. It's a terrifying though. Here you are, a young person trying to make their way through contemporary life in Tokyo and then it hits you--there's no one around any more. This concept preys on our most basic fears of isolation and disorientation. It's something out of a dream. The ghosts just sort of serve as conduits for Kurosawa to explore contemporary isolation and alienation. It's a brilliant maneuver. Like I said, though, if you're looking to jump out of your skin, go elsewhere. If, however, you get chills thinking about being completely alone in a megalopolis or if the thought of a house bigger on the inside than it is on the outside frightens you, then this is the movie for you.
It's terrifying but the terror boils under the surface. The film didn't make me jump, but it got under my skin and gave me chills. Like the novel the House of Leaves, the premise is just twiggy enough to tolerate for a while. When the movie gets deeper and deeper into its tale, though, you start feeling those claws grip at you. By the end, you're in its vice- like grip, chilled to the bone. It's an awesome experience and very much unlike my other favorite horror films. It's a more visceral conceptual terror than you have in Romero's Dead films but it's not as visceral as Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It's not as beautiful as Argento or Bava, but it has crisp lines and significantly better acting than the films of those masters.
I'm not going to try too hard to describe the plot of Pulse. Basically, the Internet kills people. I think. Some strange explanations are thrown out but they really don't suffice as explanations. If you're looking to be spoon fed rational horror, watch the American remake. You have been warned.
Why was this scary? I dunno--I think it was because about three-quarters of the way through, you realize that everyone is disappearing. It's a terrifying though. Here you are, a young person trying to make their way through contemporary life in Tokyo and then it hits you--there's no one around any more. This concept preys on our most basic fears of isolation and disorientation. It's something out of a dream. The ghosts just sort of serve as conduits for Kurosawa to explore contemporary isolation and alienation. It's a brilliant maneuver. Like I said, though, if you're looking to jump out of your skin, go elsewhere. If, however, you get chills thinking about being completely alone in a megalopolis or if the thought of a house bigger on the inside than it is on the outside frightens you, then this is the movie for you.