|
|
Electricity is one of the elements that we rely even depend upon in our daily lives because most of what we use is electrical from watching TV, working on the computer, using the coffee maker, talking on a cell phone, you name it. But we also know it's not the most stable element as things have gone wrong or there have been fatal accidents. This causes us to live with the subconscious dread that the very things we rely upon can turn against us on a dime.
This film is an under the radar gem, it's also kinda another one of my childhood gems if you can believe it since this is one of the first horror films I've ever seen.
I really love the premise which I'll admit is a bit absurd, but I personally think it's a colorful and kinda cool premise, it's basically taking the old Haunted House motif but instead of ghosts it's electricity.
I even like that there is mystery to this strange phenomena, we never really know why the hell this is happening, is it some forgotten experiment by the government or is there some cyberterriorst faction that has invented a sophisticated techno virus to attack our technology and infiltrate residences; I'm not sure you guess is as good as mine. But to me I feel that just adds to the scares it really gets to that subconscious fear that what we can't control or even understand can kill us.
The pacing is solid it a steady build up but it does pay off in full. I really like the suspense where is a sort of paranoia were you are constantly afraid that the next appliance the character operate or get near will go haywire and hurt may'be kill them.
The music is very good I really like the end theme song which I thought sounded cool and is one of my favorite end themes, it just has this exciting techno feel to it which fits the film.
And the effects are great as their all practical, from how the electricity is animated and moves making it seem like some entity that's alive. We even see some nifty shots of circuit boards being burned, mercury melting and spreading, just all kinds of things fraking up. Though my favorite effect was with the TV where it was producing this moving lazer beam that just kept building up faster and faster.
However what makes this film work the most is in the protagonist whom are likable characters you actually care about. I really liked the son played by Joey Lawerence. Yeah I use to watch the show "Blossom" but this film was before his fame on the show, all I can say is good start. I really thought he was sympathetic as he's a kid still adjusting to his father's recent divorce and his new life in it.
Even like the father played by Cliff De Young and the foster mom by Roxane Hart both of them are some stereotypical disbelieving parents, I really love how this film breaks that tired cliché and actually has them on the kid's side. Both are rational people but their actually open minded because despite some disbelief even they both notice something not kosher with their appliances which defies logic. I'd personally behave the same way as both of them, with some of the stories we hear about what happened in the last two houses and witnessing how one appliance suddenly turns on without even pressing the on switch you have to wonder.
Even like the little drama as we see both the father and son are trying to have a working relationship and even love the final conflict at the end when both are helping each other from the bad situation. Which I found touching because their doing what any good father and son would do, that's something I don't see often in the horror genre.
Overall like any new electrical appliance this film is worth a spin, Pulse has a pulse.
Rating: 3 stars
score 8/10
hellraiser7 24 January 2017
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3626361/ |
|
15-3-2021 12:07:05