FROM "KAIRO" TO "PULSE":  A JAPANESE HORROR FILM GETS AN AMERICAN MAKEOVER
In the past few years, movies based on Japanese horror films have captured the imaginations of American filmgoers. The hugely popular 2001 film "The Ring" and its sequel--which told the story of a journalist who investigates a mysterious videotape that seems to cause the imminent death of anyone who views it--were based on the Japanese film "Ringu." "The Grudge," based on the Japanese film "Ju-On," became a major hit in 2004, and "The Grudge 2" is now slated for release this fall.
Producers Mike Leahy and Joel Soisson are confident that "Pulse" is the next in the line of these successful remakes.
"Japanese horror films tap into something that American films don't," says Leahy. "They deal with loneliness and isolation, and the scares are much creepier. There are some really creepy moments in 'The Ring' and 'The Grudge,' and I think 'Pulse' will deliver as many."
The goal of the Asian films was to "creep out" rather than "gross out" audiences, which attracted the American producers. "The Japanese have managed to turn horror inward," says Soisson. "I think after years of having monsters crushing cities, they suddenly realized that the scariest images are the ones that come from inside your head. Americans have been late in arriving at that realization. We overkill everything. We make these big, audacious movies that aren't very scary. The Japanese have figured it out, and I think so does 'Pulse.'"
"Pulse" is based on the 2001 Japanese horror film "Kairo." Written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, "Kairo" revolves around a group of Japanese teens who investigate a series of suicides linked to an internet webcam that promises visitors the chance to interact with the dead.
"It's an art horror film that's very haunting, mysterious and poetic," says Soisson. "We learned a lot from the original film. The Japanese excel at restraint, even in horror. But when they do deliver the scare, and you don't expect it, it takes your breath away. I think we've captured that sort of attitude in 'Pulse.'"
While still preserving the innate sense of dread that permeates Kurosawa's film, the American version expands on the original concept. "We've tried to make it bigger and scarier, and I think it works," says Soisson. "We want to make you jump out of your seat."
But like "Kairo," "Pulse" addresses the latent dangers of our fast-paced, wire free, digitally driven lifestyles and exploits our fears about technology. In "Pulse," a group of friends at an Ohio college stumble upon a campus wi-fi portal that doesn't just connect them to the internet--it plunges them into a horrifying hi-tech nightmare. Leahy calls it "the ultimate computer virus."
"'Pulse' leaves a lot of questions hanging about the technology that we're using--like, is it really using us?" asks Kristen Bell, who stars in the film. "Some of this technology can think for itself, and that's really frightening."
For producer Soisson, these elements combine to make "Pulse" a terrifying frightfest that feeds into our hidden paranoia about modern living. "In our film," says Soisson, "the terror is personal."
With a hot concept and a chilling script by Stephen Susco (who also wrote "The Grudge" and "The Grudge 2") in their hands, the producers were fortunate enough to attract the expertise and resources of Bob and Harvey Weinstein and their newly minted film production firm, The Weinstein Company, to their corner. The involvement of the successful former Miramax chairmen--who have produced such horror blockbusters as "Scream," "Scary Movie," and their sequels--attracted many of the actors.
"The element that brought me to this project was the Weinsteins," says Jonathan Tucker, who plays ill-fated computer hacker Josh. "They don't get involved with projects that aren't first-rate."
Leahy and Soisson also began their search for a director. They landed on Jim Sonzero, one of the top commercial directors in Hollywood.
"We knew he would bring an incredible eye to the project," says Soisson. "Jim understands what a frame of film can do better than anyone. He also has an affinity for actors and a great sense of story--things a commercial director doesn't often get a chance to display. That's why he wanted to do this, along with loving the project.
"He's a well-rounded director," continues the producer. "He gives you what you want, from the look, to the attitude, to the final payoff. He was a great discovery."
Sonzero was attracted to the film's themes, particularly the idea that technology creates more of a sense of isolation than community. He views "Pulse" as a cautionary tale.
"It's an illusion that we are brought together by communication devices. The more we interface with them, the more alienated we become," he says. "Instead of us actually having physical contact with one another in this world of digital technology, we end up depositing fragments of our voices on each other's machines. We communicate 'virtually' with each other. Exploring these ideas was really appealing to me, because I wanted to make people think on another level."
Sonzero was also impressed by the original film. "Kurosawa's vision was really haunting, and his scares were these unique slow burns," he says. "I loved that."
With Sonzero on board, casting could begin. The filmmakers assembled a fresh, young ensemble headed by Kristen Bell, the star of the popular UPN series "Veronica Mars." Bell was enlisted to portray psychology major Mattie, who must investigate the chilling, cryptic e-mails she begins to receive from beyond the grave.
"Mattie really provides the narrative of the film," says Bell. "She witnesses the suicide of someone close to her at the beginning of the film, and it eats at her. She's the one that stays driven to find out what's really going on, and she doesn't give in."
Bell was drawn to the project after watching the Japanese version. "There's something spectacularly creepy about 'Kairo,' because it deals with technology that we use every day," she says. "The thought of something infiltrating an object that you're so comfortable with--your computer--is scary. There's something very unsettling about the film, even when you're done watching it."
Ian Somerhalder, who played Boone Carlyle in the first season of the hit ABC series "Lost," was then cast as computer geek Dexter, who ultimately becomes Mattie's only ally in her search for the truth.
"Kristen and Ian are both very talented, good looking, super people to put through hell," says Joel Soisson with a smile. "They went along with it. They were troupers."
Christina Milian, a singing star and actress in such films as "Be Cool" and "Love Don't Cost a Thing," was added to the cast as Isabel, Mattie's best friend and roommate.
"Isabel's the free spirit of the group. One night she might party with a guy; the next night she might get a pizza with Mattie," says Milian. "She's also the friend that's skeptical. She tries to calm Mattie down and tell her there's nothing happening, that she's looking into this thing with Josh too much."
Jonathan Tucker, whose film credits include "Criminal" and "Hostage," signed on to play depressed computer hacker Josh, who in Joel Soisson's words "opens Pandora's box in our film. He's the guy that creates the problems that everyone else has to solve."
Tucker agrees. "My character discovers a portal that opens up a world that he doesn't expect to find, and that my friends have got to figure out how to close," he says. "He falls on difficult psychological times because he discovered this opening that's allowed these evil spirits into his life."
Adding a little comic relief to the group of friends is Stone, played by Rick Gonzalez, who most recently appeared in "Roll Bounce" and "War of the Worlds."
"Stone is a cyber pirate, a hustler. He pirates DVDs and gains internet access into places that he shouldn't," he says. "He and Josh run a little scam getting university students test grades. They make a little money on the side."
Samm Levine, former star of the hit NBC series "Freaks and Geeks," signed on as Tim, who "has a super big crush on Mattie," says the actor. "He's been trying to make her notice him, but it's really not working."
Levine was also attracted to the idea that so intrigued Jim Sonzero--could the technological advances we use in our daily lives turn on us?
"We were trying to point out how the internet is supposed to bring everyone together and make us one world," says Levine. "But it really creates distance between people."

AN EASTERN EUROPEAN ADVENTURE:  PRODUCTION BEGINS ON "PULSE"
Principal photography on "Pulse" took place in Romania, which has emerged as a hub of filmmaking in Eastern Europe. "Romania is turning into a global marketplace in the film business," says Michael Leahy. "While we were shooting 'Pulse,' three other movies were being shot nearby."
The filmmakers chose Romania for both financial and aesthetic reasons. The country, nestled between Bulgaria and the Ukraine, was overrun by the Soviets in the 1940s. Freed from Communist rule in 1996, the country has recently made attempts to return its architectural landscape to its former grandeur, creating an interesting visual dichotomy that appealed to the filmmakers.
"For many years Romania's been concrete and monochrome. Now, it's coming around again," says Soisson. "In the last ten years, since it's become a free country, Romania has tried to emulate the United States and the Western world. So it's an America, but slightly tweaked."
That's exactly the look Sonzero, Leahy and Soisson were striving for. "Romania represented all of the images that we felt were critical to this movie--the sense of despair, emptiness and otherworldliness that you could build on a soundstage, but it wouldn't be half as real," says Soisson. "It's a very important atmospheric hook for our movie. The second Jim Sonzero saw it, he knew it was the right place to shoot 'Pulse.'"
"I responded to Romania when we went on our first scouts," agrees the director. "Technically, the film is set in the American Midwest. But when you see the architecture and landscape of Romania, it adds to that feeling of things being a little off and creepy. The exterior locations offered that slightly twisted look that could be America, but isn't. It's something a little bit weirder, something a little bit off."
The filmmakers agreed that Romania was just similar enough to the States to pass for Ohio, but "different enough to make you feel like you've stepped out of your world into something like a dream or, in places, like a nightmare," says Soisson. "The movie takes place in America, but we wanted an America like you would never find outside your own door."
The filmmakers found that Romania's dour Communist architecture served them well. A school that was built in the generic, Soviet style of the 1950's stood in for the Midwestern campus that Mattie and her friends attend. The country also provided plenty of skilled crews and some financial benefits.
"Romania is a great place to shoot a movie," says line producer Ron Vecchiarelli. "They have some great crews and skilled technicians. We only had to bring in our director of photography, Mark Plummer, and a couple other key positions from L.A."
Despite having to overcome the occasional language barrier, working with the Romanian crew was a positive experience. "The Romanian crew works really hard. They also have an amazing art department," says Sonzero. "The craftsmanship and attention to detail is top notch."
Although it took some getting used to, the actors were generally amenable to the somewhat mysterious Eastern European location, which is home to the Dracula legend. 
"Romania was the perfect location for a movie like this," says Christina Milian. "I was nervous about going over there--you hear about vampires, and Transylvania. Romania was scary already! So it was a great setting."
"I had a really good time in Romania," adds Kristen Bell. "I'm a vegetarian, so the lack of digestible meat didn't bother me at all!"
Much like shooting in Romania, shooting with Jim Sonzero--who has been described as resembling "Mr. Clean with tattoos"--at the helm was an experience cast and crew are not likely to soon forget.
"Jim doesn't look like the kind of guy you'd imagine being a director," admits Joel Soisson. "But he's got it upstairs. You watch him, and you get very confident very quick that he knows what's going to work and what won't."
"I love this guy. He's cool, and he's got a great vision," says Christina Milian. "When he was showing me the effects that he was going to use in the film, it was nuts. A lot of it was very twisted, dark and scary--great for the imagination. I think he really captured what he wanted in this film."
Samm Levine describes Sonzero as "maybe the craziest director I've ever worked with, but crazy in a good way.
"I was auditioning for this movie when I first met Jim, and I honestly thought I was getting 'Punk'd.' I walked in, and standing there is this bald guy with crazy eyes and tattoos all over him wearing a leather jacket. I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out," he continues. "But Jim is great because he brings an attitude and enthusiasm to every scene he shoots. I can't wait to work with the guy again."
"Jim Sonzero has a very beautiful and sick mind," concludes Kristen Bell. "He's also very innovative--he looks for the ultimate, creepy perspective. His new ideas made this film much more than just your average horror film. It made it something really special."
One of the strategies that Sonzero utilized to conjure up a sense of creepiness during filming was filling the set with carefully chosen music selections from his iPod.
"When we were shooting in Romania, Jim had his iPod hooked into speakers, and he played very haunting, chilling stuff," says Jonathan Tucker. "He wanted to create a certain energy before we shot--and even at some points while we shot. It was tremendously helpful. He was directing us without even saying anything."

CREATING THE CREEP:  THE LOOK OF "PULSE"
"One of the things that makes 'Pulse' stand out from others in its genre is the look of the film," says Michael Leahy. "Even though Jim comes out of the commercial world, and this is his first feature, it's a beautiful film to look at."
Sonzero opted for a color palette that was decidedly desaturated. "I was going for cool blues, pewters, gunmetal grays, and black and white to set the mood," he says.
In addition to a cool color palette, other elements contributed to a look that can only be described as unsettling for the viewer. Director of photography Mark Plummer and production designer Gary Matteson--like Sonzero, also from the commercial world--helped create the creepiness.
"The look of 'Pulse' is very unique, and I think that is a testament to the hard work and the eye of Jim Sonzero and Mark Plummer. Mark was the cinematographer on one of my favorite movies from the early 90's, 'After Dark My Sweet,'" says Leahy. "I think both of them came together and really made 'Pulse' stand out from the rest."
Bringing "Pulse" to life also involved myriad visual effects: practical physical effects, lighting effects, and digital effects.
"The concept of a virus coming off of any piece of technology posed a visual challenge because not only did it incorporate physical effects that you do on set, but also lighting effects and CGI digital effects," says Leahy. "So it was a big bag of mixed elements that brought our ghosts to life."
Sonzero had a full complement of tools at his disposal. "The world of visual effects is constantly changing and evolving. There are so many options that we have at our fingertips now that allow us to manipulate an image," he says. "We were able to pioneer and go into areas that we haven't gone into before.
"With the software packages that are available now," he continues, "you don't need a big operation to pull it off. You can explore and develop your concepts and creature effects on two or three Macs."
Phantom design was one of the most important elements to get right. "When it came to phantom design and concept design, we were able to do a lot of research to develop a look for a phantom that had not been seen before," says Sonzero.
Sonzero, veteran special makeup effects designer Gary Tunnicliffe, visual effects supervisor Kevin O'Neill and the effects house collaborated on the phantom design. "Gary designed the first phantom, and then we did some alterations on that, and ultimately Jim Sonzero made some changes," says Michael Leahy.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the phantoms bear a strange resemblance to Sonzero himself.
"Jim's a very interesting looking guy. He's got a shaved head. He's got tattoos. He's got radiantly white teeth, and in some ways the phantoms seemed to evoke that same look," says Soisson. "After we put them through the effects mill they came out a little scarier. But the phantoms originally started off as, as I think, clones of Jim Sonzero."
The phantoms also have their own chilling signature sound. "It's best described as a reverse sucking, screaming sound that is very unique. It's something you've never heard before," says Sonzero. "It started with a shrill human scream and breathing, and then it was reversed, stretched, processed and modulated. It added a layer of horror to the monsters."
Despite all of the dazzling, state-of-the-art effects, "In this movie, we've also gone for the kind of effect that is my favorite--the non-effect," says Joel Soisson. "It's something that you don't realize is off or different until you think about it. Most of our effects are about taking things away. We've been very diligent to remove anything that feels comfortable."
Some effects scenes were lifted right from the original. "There's a benefit to doing remakes, and that is that if there's something that is really good, you can steal it and no one will blame you," says Soisson. "And the original 'Pulse' has a few of those scenes."
One scene in particular is of a female apparition coming down a hallway toward the audience. "As she moves forward she stumbles and recovers, but in a very odd way that kind of defies gravity," says Soisson. "It's one of those tricks where you're not sure if anything's been altered, and it leaves you a little disturbed."
Other scenes were fresh from the fertile minds of the "Pulse" filmmakers. One particularly memorable sequence is Isabel's hair-raising confrontation with a phantom in the dorm laundry room. Joel Soisson calls it Jim Sonzero's "master stroke scene."
"Christina Milian goes downstairs with a load of clothes to do wash, but that's not what ultimately happens," says Soisson. "I think what Jim does very well is take the completely mundane and elevate it into something absolutely terrifying. And you don't exactly know where or how, or even why this is going to happen, but it does. And because you're not prepared for it, it just kills."
The filmmakers had several discussions about how to best film the scene, which needed to deliver one of the biggest scares of the movie.
"Some people thought we should do it entirely with CGI; others thought we should actually having four people stuffed in the dryer," says Ron Vecchiarelli.
The filmmakers decided to shoot the scene practically. "We put four or five individuals in the hole in the dryer, with each of them responsible for a particular body part," says Leahy. "The people had to move at the same time to make it work. It's frightening."
"It's one of the creepiest things I've ever seen, and Gary really kicked ass on it," says Sonzero. "We're very excited about that scene as the signature scene in the movie."
"Gary Tunnicliffe has done so many strange movies with creatures that he was very good at figuring out which way the arms should move," says Vecchiarelli. "His ideas worked out great."
"This is the scariest scene I've ever done in my life. This phantom comes out of nowhere--legs, arms, a giant scary head--and straight into Isabel's face," says Christina Milian. "I think my heart jumped out of my chest when it happened. The scream that came out of me was real; it wasn't practiced or rehearsed."
"That scene with Christina in the laundromat is some of the scariest footage I've ever seen in any horror movie," says Samm Levine. "It's terrifying. I'm not going to the laundromat anymore after watching that."

Bob Weinstein has a term that he calls "lift off." During a screening of a scary movie, he sits in the back of the room and watches the heads of audience members to see if they jump out of their chairs. He gauges the success of the film according to the frequency of "lift off."
"I think it's a purely chemical addiction to adrenaline," explains Mike Leahy of our lust for "lift off." "I think our neurotransmitters get addicted to that thrill that happens when you're on the edge of your seat, when you have a scare, when there's lift off. It's a thrill. In the course of our everyday lives we don't get that kind of thrill."
And thrills and chills are exactly what's in store for "Pulse" audiences. In the words of Samm Levine, "What's better than trying to scare people?"
"The audience can expect to jump out of their skin, and have a great time, and to be freaked out," says Christina Milian. "I don't know if you'll be able to go to sleep at night."
Perhaps Jim Sonzero puts it best: "'Pulse' will scare the hell out of you."

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