From Deseret News archives:

Stay Alive

Published: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 11:22 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
STAY ALIVE — * — Frankie Muniz, Samaire Armstrong, Sophia Bush; PG-13 (violence, profanity, brief sex, brief drugs); Carmike 12 and Ritz 15 Theaters; Century Theatres 16 (Sandy); Century Theatres 16 (South Salt Lake); Cinemark 24 at Jordan Landing; Megaplex 12 at the Gateway; Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons; Red Carpet Gateway 8 Cinemas.

The deep, dark conspiratorial message at the bottom of "The Ring" was, for those who missed it — "Don't copy videotapes. They'll kill you."

It fit in nicely with the movie industry's whole "Don't copy — that's stealing" campaign.

And the hidden message in this week's dose of horror, "Stay Alive"?

"Go to movies. Don't play video games. They'll kill you."

As if 100 million game addicts can be "cured" by a mere horror movie.

"Stay Alive" is about a ghostly video game that sucks you in and kills you. First, you die onscreen. Then, you meet your fate the same way off-screen.

Attractive 20-ishes — Sophia Bush, Frankie Muniz, Jon Foster, Jimmi Simpson, Samaire Armstrong — get their hands on some unlicensed game. They ignore the fact that a trio of folks we don't even meet in the opening scene have been killed. They play. And they go, one by one, to their Final Destination.

Story continues below
Rule No. 1 for a scary movie: Be scary. Director co-screenwriter William Brent Bell has a spooky New Orleans (pre-Katrina) setting, creepy, spectral presences and gruesome, too-young deaths. And he can't make them the least bit frightening.

Rule No. 2: Make us care for and suffer with your cast. Here, we just watch and wait for them to buy the farm. Or in this case, the plantation.

Not one character makes anything more than the thinnest impression. Foster, in particular, is just dreadful. How hard is it to say, "I can't believe this is happening," over and over, with conviction?

Pretty darned hard, apparently.

"Stay Alive" is rated PG-13 for horror violence, disturbing images, language, brief sexual and drug content. Running time: 85 minutes.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Movie Info
Rated PG13 for violence, profanity, brief sex, drug use.

Cast: Frankie Muniz, Samaire Armstrong, Sophia Bush
FIND LOCAL MOVIE SHOWTIMES
Image
Rebecca M. Heunermund-Brenneman, Spyglass Entertainment

Frankie Muniz, left, Sophia Bush, Jon Foster and Samaire Armstrong play dangerous game in dreadful horror film, "Stay Alive."

previousnext

Latest comments

Gifts for gamers

There are some games I love not on your list. Arkham Asylum for one.

Daughter: Mitchell fed me my pet

Our parents made my brothers help kill and clean our rabbits before we ate...

Why would you keep it open? I would understand if there was a lot of amazing...

The government will run our health care well? Read Reader's Digest, November...

BCS stable at top, Y. up to 14

TCU stomped on the MWC so they are naturally ready to crush Florida, Alabama...

Jazz win 6th in 7 games

could you understand Dave Locke any more than my mom does and she is not even...

Notre Dame fires Weis

Attending the ND/BYU game 3 years ago in south bend, a couple of things stuck...

I missed the game, actually i heard a little bit of Locke on the radio (man...

Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal

quotes were good: Article was dumb and unnecessary.

Understanding translation process

I believe the art depicting Joseph looking at the plates may possibly be...

Advertisements