Pulse (I) (2006)

When their computer hacker friend accidentally channels a mysterious wireless signal, a group of co-eds rally to stop a terrifying evil from taking over the world.

Director:

Jim Sonzero

Writers:

Wes Craven (screenplay), Ray Wright (screenplay),

Stars:

Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, Christina Milian

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kristen Bell	...	Mattie
Ian Somerhalder	...	Dexter
Christina Milian	...	Isabelle Fuentes
Rick Gonzalez	...	Stone
Jonathan Tucker	...	Josh
Samm Levine	...	Tim
Octavia Spencer	...	Landlady (as Octavia L. Spencer)
Ron Rifkin	...	Dr. Waterson
Joseph Gatt	...	Dark Figure
Kel O'Neill	...	Douglas Zieglar
Zach Grenier	...	Professor Cardiff
Riki Lindhome	...	Janelle
John Burke	...	Newscaster
Mike J. Regan	...	Phantom (as Mike Regan)
Steve Tom	...	Male Newscaster #2

Storyline

The hacker Josh invades the computer of Douglas Ziegler, who is developing a powerful wireless signal, and accidentally releases a mysterious force that takes the will to live of human beings, generating a suicide epidemic and increasing the force. His girlfriend and student of psychology, Mattie, sees each one of their common friends die and the destruction of the modern world, and together with her new acquaintance Dexter, they try to plan a virus developed by Josh in the network to shutdown the system and save mankind.

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Plot Keywords:

computer | technology | cell phone | epidemic | psychology | 

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Taglines:

There are some frequencies we were never meant to find

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi terror, disturbing images, language, sensuality and thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 August 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Epafi me tous nekrous

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$75,394 (Argentina) (13 October 2006)

Gross:

$75,394 (Argentina) (13 October 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Weinstein Company, The, Distant Horizons, Neo Art & Logic

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with Fangoria magazine, the director assured readers that key scenes from the original movie, in particular the tower jump suicide, would be retained. This scene is absent from the theatrical version. However, the scene is present in the unrated version

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Goofs

When we see the first instant messaging conversation between Stone, Izzy, and Tim, Tim's screen name is "Tim86". However, when Tim starts talking to Stone, it has changed to "Tim79".

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Quotes

Mattie Webber: How long have you been watching this?
Dexter McCarthy: No, I think the question is, is how long have they been watching me.

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Connections

Followed by Pulse 2: Afterlife (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Esto Es Lo Que Hay"
Written by Maurico Jose Arcas, Armando Figueredo, Jose Luis Pardo, Jose Rafael Torres, Julio Briceno,
and Juan Manuel Roura
Performed by Los Amigos Invisibles
Courtesy of Luaka Bop, Inc.

User Reviews

Pulse flatlines!

Towards the end of Pulse, a US remake of the hit Asian horror Kairo, there was a moment which actually made me jump. It was a cheap mechanical scare that was totally predictable, but it still managed to jolt me. And I was grateful that it did, because it stopped me from lapsing fully into a coma.

After the dreadful American remakes of other J-horror hits such as The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water, all of which did their best to cause my brain to shut down entirely, I did wonder about the wisdom of watching yet another. But I'm a fair man, and I like to give films the benefit of the doubt, so in went the disc...

Sporting a grungy, desaturated look, and nasty MTV style editing, Pulse is typical of the unimaginative and stale horror output that has blighted the genre this decade. The film, aimed at the teen demographic, does away with logic, suspense and a decent plot; instead, we get an easy-on-the-eye cast, some cool CGI effects, and a story that makes no sense whatsoever.

In this confusing tale, a hacker accidentally allows strange creatures from another dimension to come into our world, using communication devices as conduits. Once in our world, these things suck out our will to live, which results in people either disintegrating into ash, or committing suicide (and by the end of the film, you'll know exactly how they feel!). As these monsters slowly take over any part of the world in which technology allows them access, a couple of teens discover the existence of a computer virus which may be able to put an end to the evil invaders, but with red tape as their only protection (don't ask!), will they succeed?

Dreary cinematography, coupled with a dull-as-ditchwater script and uninspired performances from a bored looking cast, make Pulse an experience that I am not in a hurry to repeat. Director Jim Sonzero manages one or two visually impressive moments (involving the bizarre other-worldly freaks, which look like they're straight out of a Chris Cunningham video), but for the most part, he seems content to translate the illogical, badly written and plot-hole ridden screenplay into uninspired visual tripe, without giving a moment's thought to the fact that nothing makes much sense.