Pulse (1988)

Director:

Paul Golding

Writer (WGA):

Paul Golding (written by)

Release Date:

4 March 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

It traps you in your own house... then pulls the plug.

Plot:

An intelligent pulse of electricity is moving from house to house. It terrorizes the occupants by taking control of the appliances...

Plot Keywords:

Power Line | Boy | Terror | Electricity | Police Car

Cast

Cliff De Young	...	Bill Rockland
Roxanne Hart	...	Ellen Rockland
Joseph Lawrence	...	David Rockland (as Joey Lawrence)
Matthew Lawrence	...	Stevie
Charles Tyner	...	Old Man Holger
Dennis Redfield	...	Pete
Robert Romanus	...	Paul
Myron Healey	...	Howard (as Myron D. Healy)
Michael Rider	...	Foreman
Jean Sincere	...	Ruby
Terry Beaver	...	Policeman
Greg Norberg	...	Policeman
Tim Russ	...	Policeman

Directed by
Paul Golding

Writing credits (WGA)
Paul Golding		(written by)

Produced by
Robert C. Edwards	....	associate producer
William E. McEuen	....	executive producer
Patricia A. Stallone	....	producer

Original Music by
Jay Ferguson

Cinematography by
Peter Lyons Collister		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gib Jaffe

Casting by
Irene Cagen
Meg Liberman

Production Design by
Holger Gross

Art Direction by
Maxine Shepard

Set Decoration by
Greta Grigorian

Costume Design by
Jacqueline Saint Anne

Makeup Department
Janeen Davis	....	makeup artist assistant
Kathryn Fenton	....	makeup artist (as Kathryn Miles Logan)
Susan J. Kelber	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gregory Goodman	....	post-production supervisor (as Gregory E. Goodman)
Charles Skouras III	....	production manager (as Charlie Skouras)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kenneth Edward Brewer	....	third assistant director (as Ken Brewer)
Joe Camp III	....	second assistant director
Mike Topoozian	....	first assistant director
Jeffrey Hilton	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Libet Arnold	....	art department coordinator
Kip Cochran	....	carpenter
Douglas Dick	....	construction coordinator
Joe Griffith	....	storyboard artist (as Joseph F. Griffith Jr.)
Mike Langston	....	lead painter
Lucianne Lassalle	....	scenic artist
Mark H. Lee	....	lead carpenter (as Mark Lee)
Peter Lloyd	....	visual consultant
David B. Long	....	construction foreman
Kathleen A. Moloney	....	set dresser
Michael Muhlfriedel	....	leadman (as Mick Mulfriedel)
David J. Negron Jr.	....	storyboard artist (as David Negron Jr.)
Christopher S. Nushawg	....	set dresser
Bjorn Reddington	....	set dresser (as Bjorn T. Reddington)
Joel Rivera	....	lead carpenter
Michael J. Rohen	....	lead carpenter (as Michael Rohen)
Lauren Roman	....	painter
Ian Scheibel	....	property master
Laura Settlemier	....	set dresser
Robin Thomas	....	painter
Randy Weightman	....	assistant property master
Gregor Wilson	....	art department production assistant
Chris Santini	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Beauchene	....	boom operator
Barbara Delpuech	....	cable person (as Barbara Way)
Gordon Ecker	....	sound designer (as Gordon A. Ecker Jr.)
Gordon Ecker	....	supervising sound editor (as Gordon A. Ecker Jr.)
Robert C. Edwards	....	sound designer
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Glenn T. Morgan	....	sound editor
Robert Nichols II	....	sound re-recordist (as Robertr L. Nichols)
Greg Orloff	....	foley re-recordist
Gary Ritchie	....	sound re-recordist
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Jeffrey L. Sandler	....	sound editor
B. Tennyson Sebastian II	....	sound re-recording mixer
Becky Sullivan	....	adr editor
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound mixer
Marvin Walowitz	....	sound editor
David A. Whittaker	....	sound editor
Karen G. Wilson	....	sound editor (as Karen Wilson)
Richard E. Yawn	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Richard O. Helmer	....	special effects

Stunts
Michael Cassidy	....	stunt coordinator (as Mike Cassidy)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ismael Araujo Jr.	....	grip
Scott Browner	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Branch M. Brunson	....	electrician: second unit (as Branch Brunson)
John Connell	....	first assistant camera
J. Patrick Daily	....	key grip
Carl Denooyer	....	video technician
Joan Geguld	....	electrician: second unit (as Joan Geduld)
Peter Jensen	....	Steadicam operator
Kelvin Jones	....	still photographer
Kent H. Jorgensen	....	dolly grip
Charlie McIntyre	....	electrician (as Chuck H. McIntyre)
Daniel McKinney	....	camera operator
Kevin Myers	....	electrician: second unit
Ronald J. Pure Jr.	....	electrician
John 'Fest' Sandau	....	best boy electric (as John Sandau)
Adam Richard Sklena	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Jesse Tango	....	best boy electric: second unit (as Jess Tango)
Newton TerMeer	....	gaffer: second unit (as Tom Ter Meer)
James R. Tynes	....	additional photographer
James R. Tynes	....	gaffer
Gary Wagner	....	director of photography: second unit
Tom Bob West	....	best boy grip
Eric Whitehead	....	grip
Sharon Wilson	....	second assistant camera
Charles 'Chaz' Norcross	....	key grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	casting: loop group
Penny Perry	....	casting consultant
Anthony Sepulveda	....	casting assistant: loop group (as Tony Sepulveda)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Timothy D'Arcy	....	key costumer (as Tim D'Arcy)
Paulette E. Holmon	....	set costumer (as Paulette Holmon)

Editorial Department
Rodney Blain Browning	....	post-production assistant
Norman Buckley	....	additional editor
Phil Downey	....	color timer
Jeff Faustman	....	post-production assistant
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter
Tatiana S. Riegel	....	assistant editor
Diane Seniw	....	post-production coordinator (as Diane M. Seniw)

Music Department
Mary Patrao	....	assistant music editor
Allan K. Rosen	....	supervising music editor

Transportation Department
Chuck Clarke	....	transportation coordinator
Joseph J. Dawson	....	transportation assistant
Brian Delahanty	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Keith A. Baumgartner	....	production coordinator
Stephan Blom-Cooper	....	assistant: Mr. Golding
Andrew Chapman	....	location manager
Jim Clancy	....	caterer: U.S. Catering
Cynhia Cohn	....	production assistant
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	production accountant (as Jennifer Eden Zolten)
George Thomas Gamble	....	production assistant
Tim Goldberg	....	location manager
Eric Goldstein	....	set production assistant
Harry Hauss	....	helicopter pilot (as Harold Hauss)
Dea E. Hickox	....	assistant accountant
Wendy Holland	....	production assistant
Karen Hughes	....	set production assistant (as Karen A. Hughes)
June Jordan	....	stand-in
Shelby Kzilsky	....	craft service
Ellen Levene	....	unit publicist
Kris Fullan Martinez	....	production secretary (as Kris Fullan)
Helen Merken	....	studio teacher
Margo Motter	....	stand-in (as Margo Mottur)
Skye Olson	....	craft service (as Skye Olsen)
David Oliver Pfeil	....	title designer
Marcy Pringle Price	....	script supervisor: second unit
Sharron Reynolds	....	script supervisor
Myra Rosenthal	....	studio teacher
Paul J. Schneider	....	production assistant
Alice Spivak	....	dialogue coach
Max Vogler	....	stand-in
Brad Wallace	....	production assistant

Thanks
Haskell Wexler	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Aspen Film Society
• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures of Canada (1989) (Canada) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Videosonic Arts (1990) (Greece) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Cinema Research (animation and opticals)

Other Companies

• Aspen Studios  music mixed at
• Aspen Studios  music recorded at
• DeLuxe Laboratories  processing
• Goldwyn Sound Facility  re-recorded at
• Lacey Aviation  helicopter
• Oxford Scientific Films  macro photography
• Panavision  Panaflex camera and lenses by
• Preston Camera Systems  gyrosphere aerial camera system
• Sound One  adr facility
• TAJ Soundworks  foley facility
• U.S. Catering  catering

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | France:-12 | UK:18 | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM18 | Germany:16

Company:

Aspen Film Society

Trivia:

The Rocklands address in 1947 Kenwood, that is one year after Kenwood Electronics started.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When David first arrives at the house a mic is visible for a moment above him and Ellen. The mic then pulls away being hidden by an archway.

Quotes:

David Rockland:We had a microwave and everything, but mom just never used it. She was scared of it, she says it could make you sterile.

Movie Connections:

Features Starman (1984)

It's okay...

The idea of a malevolent force living inside the local power lines (and thus, inside your home) is not a bad one. We can probably live with the plot, but what about the movie? The fact that we are treated to multiple shots of stuff like, oh I don't know, the thermostat (accompanied by tense music) to heighten our fear should give you the answer.

Apparently an electrical storm causes something to happen at a substation. Exactly what happens we will never know, because we pretty much see the lightning strike, then spend some time watching different film angles of power lines and equipment overlaid with the opening credits. I think that the lightning strike created "The Pulse," allowing it to travel over the wires finding a safe place to kill people, but do not quote me on that.

Enter Bill, Ellen, and David, the standard (fissionable) elements of a nuclear family. His dad's house might be in a well to do neighborhood, but Bill has installed all sorts of bars on the windows to prevent forced entry. Since the chances of a burglary in this film are probably nil, we can bet they will be unable to leave the cursed house at some point due to Bill's paranoid security measures.

Demonic forces (even ones with polarity) love to torment young children and the little wuss makes a perfect target, so how does it screw with David? By cracking gas mains, making the television go freaky, and eventually turning the home into a flaming death trap. It is all very silly to me, including the grass dying around the house. The current usually stays inside the wires or various appliances, why would plant matter start dying? Guess it just seemed like a "horrific" thing to happen.

If there was ever a movie the Amish would enjoy this is it ("See Jeremiah! Machines are the Devil's work! Now go outside and round up your six brothers for supper."), perhaps that was the audience targeted when it was produced? If so then someone in marketing got fired, probably beat up and then fired now that I think about it.