Connect with us

Movies

[BD Review] ‘Oculus’ Is A Fresh, Unrelentingly Terrifying Supernatural Horror Film!

Published

on

Oculus

Originally published September 10, 2013. Every story has pretty much been told. When it comes to supernatural horror, every concept and image has been exhausted. What sets the effective entries apart from the lot comes down to the filmmaker’s personal sensibility he injects into the material. James Wan’s The Conjuring doesn’t break any new ground yet I found myself invested in the family and fearing for their lives. That personal immersion made Wan’s first-rate theatrics all the scarier. Oculus, Co-Writer/Director Mike Flanagan’s follow-up to the impressive Absentia contains all those attributes…and more.

Traumatized siblings Kaylie and Tim Russell decide to take on an ancient, cursed mirror that was responsible for the death of their parents when they were children. The feature was inspired by his 2006 short, Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan which he also co-wrote and directed. I was initially skeptical going into this because of the whole killer mirror angle. The mediocrity of Alexandre Aja’s sole misstep, Mirrors was still fresh in my mind. 105 minutes later, I ate my words.

Elements of Oculus will look familiar to genre fans in some shape or form. What sets it apart from every other supernatural genre picture is the manner in which it tells its story. Flanagan daringly tackles two intercutting timelines from start to finish. He is aware how it may be tricky for an audience to follow so he methodically increases this technique slowly and slowly as the picture progresses. Flanagan allows us to get accustomed to this different way of watching a movie. Once the third act kicks in, Flanagan has successfully got the viewer accustomed to viewing dueling stories, so much so that he increases the intensity to the point that we’re watching the interjecting timelines practically from one shot to the next. It’s an overwhelming, whole new intensity I’ve never experienced before. What’s even more astounding is the fact there was zero confusion with the plot progression. I didn’t leave the film thinking there were logic gaps. Flanagan masterfully makes it all make sense at all times. At the same time he leaves just enough ambiguity at the end to make us theorize, as well as allowing the experience hauntingly linger with us long after it’s over.

Flanagan keeps the violence to a minimum but whenever it does abrupt, it hits its maximum impact on the viewer. One reason for that is the well-developed relationship of the family. The cast which includes Sci-fi fan favorites Katee Sackhoff (Battleship Galactica) and Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) are totally convincing at every turn. They successfully ground the supernatural element. It was a quality I enjoyed in Absentia too. Flanagan seems to deeply care about his characters and getting the viewer connected on an emotional level which in turn makes the ride that much scarier. The tension builds beautifully, as the timelines begin to blur. The third act is made all the more terrifying and claustrophobic because of this mash-up. It’s uncharted territory when the audience has no clue where the film will go from edit to edit. It’s a revolutionary way in which to play out a horror set-piece.

It’s great to see more and more filmmakers resisting the use of CGI which has destroyed countless of supernatural horror films. Like Insidious, the ghosts here are played by actors. Any use of visual effects is kept invisible. Mike Flanagan has taken a huge leap to the forefront of today’s genre filmmakers. He proves that with imagination and care for the craft, originality can still happen when telling a familiar tale. The experience of watching Oculus is that of being caught in an unrelenting nightmare you just can’t wake up from. The best horror film I’ve seen in some time.

Movies

SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

Published

on

As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

Continue Reading