Swan's Japanese Horror Reviews 5: Pulse

[AIMJenova]

A good majority of remakes of good Asian movies to american cinema are awful. It could just be the restrictions he US has on the content of movies and the need to peak the interest of short term attention audience from losing interest hence putting Scare scenes in every five minutes.

[chubbypickle11]

Awesome review Swan!

[spooky2828]

R.I.P Swan.....



[slappycider]

OMG YES I HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SUBS!

[AoEVideos]

Tasukete... Tasukete... Shinami tasukete...

; . ; This is the most BEEEST SCARIEST HORROR JAPANESE MOVIE EVER!!! Beats Ju-On... Which is impossible... AH!!! T.T Love the movie

[ShamAndShort]

Very Scary movie. one of my favorites - the american remake was so horrible

[pyramidhead007]

after watching pulse i'm so scared when being home alone, I just watch spongebob and wait for someone to come home... I'm never watching that movie alone again!

Awesome movie.

[Hijinx1982]

Oh! Crap! I had no idea this guy had past away R.I.P Rodger Swan (1986-2010)

[jpenny18]

@Hijinx1982 he died? How?

[shin0bi88]

You can make it less annoying if you put the SUBS on your TV and not the DVD

[shin0bi88]

There were a few scenes I could do without but overall I liked it. Some of the "horror" parts were too experimental art for me

[turok818]

how can u say it was the worst movie, it defenalty wasnt...i mean dont get me wrong the japaneese was far better......but the english wasnt bad.....

[StarDr0ps]

lol I think I see pokeballs in the background. Miss you Rodger!

[younoob82]

RIP i hered how you died i will whach these movies in honnor of you

[Axmovieman]

This episode has the best spoof!

R.I.P. Rodger.

[Chloroformityy]

I just finished watching this, and while there were a handful of scenes that were unnerving (at the end where the male lead goes into the room taped off) it was overall a *huge* disappointment.

I let people hype me up for it too much -- I was expecting to LOVE it. I even ordered it off Amazon without thinking otherwise.

I found the characters to be nonsensical (not to mention lacklustre actors) & the plot undeveloped and incoherent.

It's unfortunate, but I was counting down the clock.

[BlkUnk]

i know the cyber world has brought us closer together..... 'Zegglear' FTW

[AvoidingtheQuestion]

This is my all time, 100%, absolutely favorite horror movie of all time. It's not your cookie-cutter run-of-the-mill horror film, it doesn't really make you jump, instead it sinks deep into your soul and your mind and scares the fuck out of you.

[Paul5028]

Iam Sorry I never really liked it

[transfixedtornado]

i never thought i'd ever like a "horror" film, but I have to say that pulse *the original* managed to become one of my all time favorite movie.

Totally agreeing with your review.

[BonnieMint]

Nice dude, the remake was terrible. Do you know of any other movies that give you that isolation feeling?

[sheneya]

I just watched the American remake, 2 minutes in, I knew it would be hell to go through, but I'm wierd, I have to follow things through, no matter how miserable it makes me.

PS: When are you doing more reviews, I miss them.

[nogocologne]

I just saw the original japanese verson - this is just one masterpiece of an "emo core" horror movie.

[1heartless1]

Sweet, one of the female characters, Koyuki's in it. She's a really good actress. Loved her in Kimi wa petto

[jam724]

man i get so pissed of when subtitles are delayed or the voice is delayed even if its by 1 millisecond i can tell and it pisses me of :L

[Craving4perfection]

i agree!!! pulse (the american remake) sucked sooooooo badly and the worst part is that i couldnt get my money back when it was over! and pulse two??!?!?!? id rather cut off a toe before i watch that crap lol

[Radiowave440]

I saw the Movie  i thought is was Good!! m

[nutherefurlong]

Worst movie ever created? Be careful with that word--

Check out Andy Warhol's "Sleep" before you start using superlatives like that :)

[Psypomp]

Hey, it's Warhol... what can you expect?

(sorry, but I have some pent-up feelings about his "art")

[nutherefurlong]

You seen the video here with Robert Hughes meeting a Warhol collector? Classic.

[yukikoforevernoise]

I'm not really into Warhol but I'd just like to point out that the fact that you have "pent-up" emotions about his art means that his art is totally validated. It's transgressive art, if you hate it that's marks just as much success for Warhol as someone loving it.

[elbenjo90]

Kairo is undoubtedly one of the most atmospheric movies I have ever seen. I bought this on DVD last month and its deffo one of my favourites. :D ^_^

[dmfriend25]

Hey, I love your videos. Especially the review on One Missed Call. I will definately see that one some day. And I totally agree about J-Horror film remakes. I hate what they did to The Ring. Give me the origional Japanese version any day. Keep making these reviews. I can't wait to see your next one. :)

[kevstew26]

So i watched this movie after watching your review. And yeah it is slow i was actually turned off at first but afterwards i was just absorbed by it like you said :P I just finished watching it, on my laptop alone at 11 p.m. And i must say probably one of the scariest films i've ever seen. Like not one jump scare rather just flat out creepiness. And i absoloulty love the philosophical debates about life and death. One of the best j horror movies in my opintion

[jaythestingray]

And that remake sucks pretty bad

[jaythestingray]

One of my all time favorites.

[achilles6221981]

I like the comment in the movie by Harue, where she says asks her friend if he started going on the internet to connect more (with the world and people), and then says that it never happens. That there is no connection on the internet. The instant online connection that the internet has provided, yet there is still a terrible void felt. Ofcourse it is dramatized in the movie, yet I still feel the truth in that mssge.

[crazydanger]

this movie had one scene that scared me for life...and it wasn't your "jump and scream" kind of scary, it was haunting, and there was something about it that just terrified me. the scene i'm talking about is the one where that one woman in a black dress was walking or moving in a weird way....that was totaly crazy...

黒沢清先生は素敵な監督ですね。「回路」がすッごく好きだ。

[revilolee]

Hated the American remake. The original is still a great film though :).

[paraframe]

ZEEEEEGLAAAAAAH

[Saitoko7]

I've never seen a ghost story quite like Kairo! The acting is excellent, with believable characters, and the ghostly entities are truly creepy! When describing it to others, I've hesitated to mention much about the "ghosts coming through the internet" thing only to avoid the initial "ugh, SEEN IT." eyeroll reaction. If taking the film at purely face value, the internet conduit isn't overplayed as a shock gimmick to carry the entire film. The underlying message is subtle but effective, however!

[num9yne]

the acting was bad, and it was not that scary, sadly the american version was creepier

[AidoFeif]

The Japanese original stands as an existential horror about the inherent loneliness of mankind. It is beautiful and extraordinarily well-composed.

It's American remake can make no such boast. It uses cheap, weak scare tactics. Not only does it fail to employ the beauty and intelligence of the original, but it also fails to provide a decent scare, in my opinion.

[39hugocabret42]

the american versjon...

i think i died a littel inside

[undeadmaudie]

Also, in Kairo it is more realistic because people are dying slowly, but in the american remake people are like screaming and running like godzilla is attacking or something.

[undeadmaudie]

The scene where the guy is looking in Taguchi's apartment and he sees that girl who peeks over the edge of something. one of the scariest scenes.

[chaosmage9]

i watched the american version, and it kind of put me off the whole story line of pulse, so i'm unsure whether i want to check the japanese one out

[sewagedweller]

japanese horror movies are usually scary

[terrordrift32]

but the american version sucked. liked the japanese version even more.

[chaosmage9]

i watched the japanese version... it was SO good!

[AidoFeif]

Do it! Pulse had maybe the worst American remake I've ever seen, but the original is one of my favorite movies.

If you're down for a quiet, contemplative horror movie, I think you might still enjoy it.

[samuraigodzilla]

I think spot on that its actually a really sad movie.

[DoritosOFdeath]

US Pulse was the worst remake ever, but not the worst movie ever, I saw meet the spartans and disaster movie, so I know of which I speak.

[xTheBrandoShowx]

ye, another example of American Downgrading :( Yanks should leave Japanese movies alone :P

[guestinformant9]

The problem lies w/ US studios just cashing in on the popularity of J-Horror. If the remake were in the hands of a competent filmmaking team- independent of a major studio- that was actually interested in the allegory of the original, the remake could have been just as compelling.

The themes of Pulse apply just as strongly to American culture, but sadly studios these days aren't interested in the poetic possibilities of horror- only the easy shocks and gore. Such a shame, really.

[DancabaZ]

fuck yer man this is the best youtube series! You're just awesome! Oh and did you like the remake of one missed call? (i need to know thizs coz the one missed call review video is no longer available :(((((((((((

[rodgerswan]

never seen it to be honest haha. fans of the original japanese versions really just aren't the intended audiences for the remakes, so sometimes I think it's best to just save myself a headache and stick to the original heh.

[turok818]

@DancabaZ its ture most remakes are absolutly horrid, the remake of one missed call was one of those crappy ones......but the remake of ones like ring, and pule are very very well done

[matreyia]

i wanted to kill myself after i saw this movie because I felt what the characters felt. It was very freaky.

[SakuraMayonaka]

this is a gret film if you've only just began to experiance the fear of japanese horror but if your a hard core horror fan like me you won't find it that scary. its thought provoking yes, so please, don't yell at me anyone, and it's deffinately better than the american remake (no doubt about it) but it moves very slow and as i said, if you watch a lot of horror,its not that scary. but he's right, the remake is the worst excuse for a horror ever!! that and the remake of the grudge ^^

[zZRevoloutionZz]

I think Americans should only remake ACTION films because j horror is all about the story while americans only care about the gory scenes.

[SakuraMayonaka]

damn straight, even i have gotten bored off gore now, even the saw films don't affect me (they shouldn't make a 5th one coz its getting boring now) but your very right. they should concentrate on scaring people rather than grossing people out, fear is worse than guts^^

[ABUNAI888]

American versions are always bad.

[StubzTurner]

Did you know that they made a sequel to the american remake?

[rodgerswan]

yeah, i thought i saw a dvd at best buy last week that said 'pulse 2' and i shook my head in shame heh.

[manhattanwombat]

america sucks

[00000928]

Don't be racish , but i know what you mean (America sukes at making remakes )

[jpenny18]

@rodgerswan They made a Pulse 3 as well...I think one of them was COMPLETELY green screen. Like, they literally just shot the whole movie against a green screen and put in all the backgrounds later...I think. Well...that's what it looked like to me lol

[turok818]

@StubzTurner did you also know there is a third to the american pule movies XD i mean they wernt terrible but compared to japanese movie yes it was

[Flartflor]

i saw the shitty american version... it was really shit it really was and the ending is just crap! one of the worst movies ever.

[SakuraMayonaka]

same here!! i thought it was crap, honestly one of the things that gets to me about american remakes or american horror films in general is how pradictable they are!!! if your in the toilets and the lights are flickering there is always something in there!!!! so don't look under the toilet doors, just run!!! soz, i get carried away^^

[animechibi305]

i kno wat you are talking about i think the only thing they kept in the american version was the plane crash at the end(and it still was way over the top)

[mrspepper01]

american version sucked

[TwistedW00d]

The first forbidden room (with the bench and ghost) would have to be the most scene I've ever experienced. It's been a few months; I still think about it.

[Tannamontana1]

Excellant Review, I'm deffinately going to buy it now.

[Farao51]

One of the best movies of any country and any genre.

Your right, it really a genius atmosphere.

And, although it didn't really have any shock scenes, the first scene in the forbidden room was damn creepy.

It didn't deserve that remake :(

[BenAntilles]

I watched that film, and, god, it's the best and the only horror film I love.

[blackops009]

ima watch it :D

[Numsefisk25]

lol

[cinecyclist]

yes, great film. i'd put it in the genre of "low key apocalypse".

[RolandDeschain1]

PULSE is a great movies that sadly falls just short of being a masterpiece due to some terrible performances and a cheesy, over-blown score.

[Elenor88]

I hate the americans remakes.These films just becomes shit when it ends up in their hands. Don't they have anymore originality?

And your right about the Zeigler part. I was laughing when you said the name.

[ferethor3]

great review!!

[WhoDontLoveHim]

My God You are So Right the remake realy sucked noting good about it!

[UBIX89]

i totally agree with you 100% this was a great movie,i wish some american directors would make movies this good. and also i agree on the shitty remakes of some of the great japanese horror films.

[Tubemansi]

Swan...sometimes I hate you.

I agree with half of what StickyRice43 said, and honestly you help to prove my point! It IS slow-moving and lonely. And boring and completely without scare-factor! I nearly fell asleep (or perhaps I did) several times in this movie!

And you can kiss ZEIGLER's ass! The American Pulse is the only decent J-horror remake out there, (aside from The Grudge) because it doesn't try to Americanize the Japanese concept, but rather adapts it for what Americans can relate to.

[heylie13]

This film did make me super sad. I liked the effects and shots they used, I felt it reflected the characters emotions.

I actually thought the american remake was quite good and and did well to keep to the original story's plot. As far as american remakes to Japanese/Korean/etc. go.

[StickyRice43]

Im sorry but this movie was soooo damn shitty. I really hated it because it wasted about 2hrs. of my time, and then another 2hrs. for the english version which was exactly the same or worst. I felt no fear whatsoever after watching this movie.... and I get scared very easily. Hated this movie sooo much. Only agreed with ur American remake review. haha Zeegler?

[IceVallejo]

Basically you were searching for a cat-jumps-out-of-closet scary film. This is all about atmosphere and concept, and you gotta understand a bit of Jap culture to get in touch with the story... that's were the dread kicks in and the movie becomes quite the frightfest everyone paints it to be.

I recommend you look for something else that isn't this movie, Noriko's Dinner Table or Suicide Club.

[StickyRice43]

thanx for the suggestions, sorry bout dissing on the movie, i guess it's juss not my taste, and kewl, i wuz thinking about watching suicide club :D

[kalumqni]

ZIEGLER OMFG!!! =)) =)) I laughed at that part it was so funny, though I don't remember that name... When I first watched the remake, I thought it was entirely american-original and it scared me. But now I know it was another remake (AGAIN!) by Americans... they have to stop. Anyway, I'll watch the original - hope i can still sleep after that hehe :D

[LittlePinky82]

I saw some of the English remake and it was boring so I'll have to check out the Japanese version. Usually the remakes aren't that good anyways so I'll hopefully find it. :)

[008secondride]

try blockbuster

[RussiangirlNY]

its up loaded here on youtube, just type in kairo!

[katorulez93]

i really like the intro, music and how you do that face with the fingers and stuff. i wish ya kept it

[cougartrak]

I like your commentary, but that music is really really intrusive. Maybe the musicians are friends of yours, but you would do well to ditch the music, trust me.

[rodgerswan]

you'll actually find in the latest two episodes I've gone a different route and replaced the music with video footage from the films. But yeah, these old episodes I was just still learning the balance so sometimes it was rather intrusive I agree haha.

[Sandbag209]

Nice to know, I was going to comment on that too.

[miinaluvzramen]

ohhh thx 4 ur great review. i've been wanting 2 watch this movie sooo much! i watched da remake. i've got to c this! ^.^

[desipoop]

the english remake sucked !

:)

[damnerrors]

best scene when they watch the pc screen and there is no sound at all

[wRAINw]

LOL when i first started watching i was like yeah its scary but im not gona..."AHHH! *covers eyes* on that part u sed lol.

[lomeck]

pulse(actually kairo )has another copy of turkish called "dabbe" with configurated islamic theme and the director of this movie has just release a new horror movie called "semum"

better take a look

[wuligan]

I love asian horror... most of my friends all hate it. Pulse is by far my favorite horror movie. Loud noises and quick scenes... yea.. people may jump... but the scenes in this movie... scare the shit out of me for the entire scene... and it lasts after the movie is done. And yes... the american version was complete crap, i think i even said the exact words you did... "the worst movie ever made". Thanks for helpin the j-horror fans out there and keep it up:)

[RussiangirlNY]

agree 1000000%

[DavidRandallCurtis]

Great review.  Kiyoshi Kurosawa's most recent films, "Loft" and "Retribution" have not been released in America... do you know any places where one can find them?

[Holyboy33]

Nice Review but what the hell are you looking at at times you're freaking me out!

[rolandser]

another great rewiev as always Swan ^^

lol loves all these random endings :D

[frodoftheninefingers]

I actually found the jap. version of this at the local hy-vee store for $10!!! I couldn't believe they actually had it! unfortunately I have yet to buy it...

[BlackPanther637]

I agree its way better then the remake.

[StubzTurner]

I expeted more from the remake because it was directed by Wes Craven.

[BlackPanther637]

The remake was written by Craven but not directed by him.

[StubzTurner]

Oh, my bad.

[yugo667]

Great film scares the hell out of me.

[pokepencil]

the eye is chinese

[Olimogtaba]

What about The eye

[CaptainJudithSparrow]

I remember when I saw the previews for the American Pulse and I wanted to see it, but it never came to my crappy little town. So I rented the Japanese version off Netflicks and I absolutely loved it. That's when I got into J-Horror films. The Locker, Juon, Ringu, The Sisters, Infection...I absolutely love them. I really hate the American remakes of some of these films because their completly...wrong!

Anyway! You rock, and I love your reviews. <3~

[Merdiato]

ZIEGLER HAHAHA

[numberonejrio]

I've read about this movie. Almost all american remakes suck anyway.

[mochologist]

hi from tokyo. its very interesting to hear (watch, i mean) reviews of those movies by the directors from japan, from a view point of a person outside of the islands. pulse is one of my fav films and i like kiyoshi kurosawa's works a lot. thank u for the great reviews!!!

[rodgerswan]

thank you for the wonderful feedback! I'm glad that my reviews are being seen all over the world. I hope I can continue to post reviews of great Japanese films.

[Keterol]

If you're looking for really scary well done movies, I recommend "Carved: The Slit-Faced Woman." It was released in Japan last year, and I heard they shipped it to America right away due to the number of requests the director received. Amazing plot, deep and relatable character development, and perfectly placed sepia tone camera shots add to the eerie detail of this creepy schoolyard myth adaptation. I would like to see a review of that one.

[rodgerswan]

hahahaha, oh, I'll have a review of that 'gem' coming up soon. Just you wait haha.