Kairo
                                         (2001) 
                                             (aka: Pulse)
                                                    review by Bill P.

Source: DVD
Films Year Of Release: 2001
By: Universe
Running Time: 119 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen, 1.85:1
System: NTSC(Color)
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo 5.1 Surround Sound, Japanese Language with English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese Subtitles
Region 3

One thing I have discovered as I have ventured into the dark world of Asian Horror cinema is that many of these amazing films have several things that stand out above all other types of movies. What are they? Atmosphere, a sense of dread and forboding, a feeling of unease and enough chills to send a hearty Eskimo running to catch the next plane to Florida. "Kairo", aka, "Pulse" is no exception. Not only was this one of the most chilling films I have ever seen, but dare I say, it far surpasses the vaunted "Ring" in the terror department.

Now, in all fairness, some of these Asian terrors come with their fair share of plotholes and unexplained events. Basically, you take it for what it is and absorb what is on the screen and leave it up to your own mind to figure things out. Any interpretation is probably valid and supposedly these wonderful filmmakers want it that way. Again, in this respect, "Kairo" is no exception. The film takes place in present day Tokyo, or does it? Maybe it's a few years into the future, I can't really tell. Whatever the case may be, many Tokyo residents are disappearing and the great city, though never really shown this way right off the bat, seems to be collapsing.

Three of our hero's working at a plant and flower shop are concerned over the fact that one of their co-workers and friend, has not been heard from for quite some time. He's working on a disk of some sort and the three pals are worried about that also. One of the girls decides to go to the missing lads apartment and while searching through it, comes upon the missing friend who is seemingly fine. As they chat and the girl looks for the disk, the young man casually picks up some wire, walks to another room and hangs himself. This bizarre and atmospheric opening simply sets the tone for the chilling remains of the film which includes a young man who encounters a website with bizarre images that then asks him if he would like to meet a ghost.

The bottom line folks is that apparently in the spirit world, their space to roam is finite. Another words, they have run out of room and have found a portal into the human world through the internet that will allow them to spill over here and ease their overcrowded, otherwordly domain. Now, this may all seem hokey to many but trust me, it's carried off here to maximum frightening effect. The images that appear on the internet are downright bizarre and at times disturbing. The effect on human beings after they encounter a spirit in the "forbidden room" is startling. One scene that stands out had the hairs on my neck not only standing on end, but running for the hills!

Yes, this particular scene may have some thinking of "Ring" but here, it came across as more powerful and spooky. Another scene aided by a correct dose of CGI, simply blew me away. Again, there are some things here I'm not too sure about, such as the deal with the red tape and the whole forbidden room thing. But, I easily looked past that because of the power of the film as a whole. Folks, I know you hear a lot about scary films but let me say, this film was intensely scary and had the goosebumps working overtime.

Simply put, this was one of the scariest films I have ever seen and although some may find parts slow moving, it's well worth your two hours. Several scenes will blow you away and I'm confident you will conclude that "Kairo" is tough to beat when your in the mood for some chills.

The DVD:

Picture Quality:

My brief experience so far with Universe disc's has been very positive and "Kairo" is no exception. We get a nice 1.85:1 widescreen transfer with a crisp, sharp image. Colors looked absolutely fine and the blacks were solid. I didn't notice any grain or dirt on the print. Actually, I didn't notice damage of any kind present.

Sound:

Excellent Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound presentation here. The audio is Japanese language and the English subtitles are quite literate and easy to read. The sounds were crisp and clear and that's very important in this film as music and sound play a very important role in the overall effect of the movie. Well done.

Extra's:

Not a single one that I could find. You get a pretty bare bones DVD here but in all honesty, I wasn't bothered by it at all. The film itself, the nice widescreen picture, the wonderful audio and literate and easy to read subtitles more then made this worth the money. And folks, if you look hard enough, you won't pay too much for this disc.

Final Thoughts:

I really don't know what else to say here. This is an acceptable DVD from Universe of an absolutely chilling, bizarre, atmospheric and unique film. As I watch more of these Asian chillers, I'm coming to the realization that nobody does a ghost or supernatural film like the Asians do. This is the best I have seen so far and I put it a notch above the more famous "Ring". Highly recommended!

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Gang, this is very important so check it out. Although this disc is NTSC, be aware that it is REGION 3. It will not play in your standard NTSC player. You need a region free player so please make sure you can actually play it before you buy it