If you love film, you likely have been to a repertory screening at some point in your life. The chance to watch an older movie, on the big screen, with a crowd as in love with the opportunity to watch a movie in theatres, maybe for the first time, or maybe to recapture that sense of wonder of when you first saw it. The idea of repertory showings of movies still exists, but it’s also become corporatized through Fathom Events and their annual TCM series. That’s not inherently a bad thing (it’s how I finally watched “Vertigo” and “Jaws” on the big screen), but it also takes away some of the pleasure of going to an art house theatre like Atlanta’s The Plaza, which constantly has older films on tap, as well as special showings; my experiences with “The Crow” and “The Shining” there are unmatched.
It took me a while to figure out who my bookend director for 2024 was going to be for this series. As I listened to his memoir while on the road for work, I knew the answer had to be the one and only Mel Brooks, and starting our year had to happen with his 1967 directorial debut, “The Producers.”
This week, I took in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Pulse” for the first time. I hope you enjoy!
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
“Pulse” (2001)- A-
There’s something unnerving about “Pulse” that goes beyond the central conceit. As someone coming to the movie after “The Ring” (and “Ringu”) and “The Grudge” (and “Ju-On”), it’s fascinating how Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s film has practically left them behind in terms of how beloved it is among horror fans, and fans of Japanese horror. I wonder if it’s, in part, because he seems to be tapping into Y2K anxieties in his film, and the results of this particular haunting effect the world on a global scale. Most ghost stories focus on an individual situation; this one expands it in a way that takes us by surprise, but we ultimately cannot be surprised by. That is a unique talent to have as a filmmaker.
In “Pulse,” we follow two people whose stories will eventually merge into one. The first one, Michi (Kumiko Asô) has nived to Tokyo, and works at a nearby plant shop with friends. One of those friends, Taguchi, has been missing for several days. When Michi goes to see him, he is distracted, but after turning her back for a moment, she finds that he has hung himself. She finds a disc he was working on for work, but when she looks at it, she finds simply a series of images of his face staring at the computer monitor. Meanwhile, an economics student names Ryosuke (Haruhiko Katô). His computer begins acting on its own to access the internet, and he begins seeing disturbing images, as well.
When one thinks about this plot at its base, it’s almost supernatural horror by way of Assimov. I find myself thinking about the “Buffy” episode, “I Robot, You Jane,” which had a demon scanned onto the internet by accident, and monster goofiness occurs. “Pulse” is more foreboding in its approach, as its spirits manifest in the real world, often identified with a black substance where it was. This is a haunted house movie but on an expanded scale, as people try to figure out the truth. Where it deviates from most haunted house movies, of course, is that there are no easy solutions to get rid of these haunting spirits. They are here to create anxiety in the world, reflecting on our paranoia about technology in a way that goes beyond “Terminator”-like action. This is about something infecting the world, a pervasive force that makes us question our future. Kurosawa may well have called the anxiety of social media before it had a name. We are left wondering if we can find happiness again, once we’ve come in contact with the darkness in humanity through its own creation.
Previous “Repertory Revue” Films
“The Producers” (1967)
“Shadow of a Doubt” (1943)
“My Brother’s Wedding” (1983)
“Your Sister’s Sister” (2011)
“The Hunt for Red October” (1990)
“Backdraft” (1991)
“Beverly Hills Cop” (1984)
“Ladyhawke” (1985)
“3 Women” (1977)
“Brainstorm” (1983)
“1984” (1984)
“Natural Born Killers” (1994)
“Pulse” (2001)
See Brian’s list of 2009 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2010 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2011 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2012 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2013 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2014 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2015 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2016 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2017 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2018 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2019 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2020 “Repertory Revues” here.
See Brian’s list of 2021 “Repertory Revues” here.
See Brian’s list of 2022 “Repertory Revues” here.
See Brian’s list of 2023 “Repertory Revues” here.
