Oculus: Chapter 3 - The Man with the Plan (2006)

What can i say, i love the Twilight Zone style shorts (and i'd say this was akin to that sort of sci-fi /horror) but this has got to be one of the most affecting short films that i've ever seen without it having to lower itself to the reliance of gore and visual explicitness.Simply a gruelling and incredibly paranoid half hour. Shot on an obviously low budget with minimal casting and mininimal locations (i.e. one room) it achieves maximum tension and maximum freakishness without actually being overtly freaky. A completely different viewing experience from what the ordinary filmic audience is used to.The acting was superb from the main character and my only quarm with the entire production is the last few seconds could have been a little more in the same vein and less showy (not in an f/x sense but more in a well,was it him or was it the mirror? Regardless,it's one of the most (not terrifying, but i think psychologically draining would be an accurate summary) nightmarish shorts you're likely to see.Check it out now!!!! A+

One of my friends (zablalbaz) saw this at DragonCon and was raving about it. He managed to get it to show some of his friends. From all the hype he was giving it, I figured it was good, but did not believe it could have been *that* good. Some people say the alarms were too loud, but I think they were perfect. Amazing how a simple alarm clock can make you jump like that. I did notice how the video monitors have different things going on in them. Very freaky and scary, but not on a blood and gore scale. Very freaky on the paranoia and sanity of the mind spectrum. I was amazed at how well this film was at keeping my attention. Very tough to do for a 1 man star in a film. I cannot wait to see the full length feature films for this once completed. My wife was not very impressed by this film, she just thought the guy was insane and out of his head. But, you should watch it and decide for yourself.....insane, paranoid, or is the legacy true...

I saw this movie at the Dragon*Con 2006 Independent Film Festival. It was awarded 2 awards at that festival and rightfully so. This is probably the best short horror film I've ever seen. The simplicity of camera usage really works.The main character is brilliant. His acting is quite good and is believable. The 3 cameras in the room with Tim Russel make his insanity that much more believable. I love it. I have talked with Mike and he says that they are in the process of making a feature film compassing the first three chapters together. I can't wait. I will be first in line for that film. The effects of the "mirror" creatures are used so well. You don't see them for very long so it scares the pants off of you when you do. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to watch a good horror movie for once. Best 32 minutes of spine tingling horror I've ever seen. Thanks Mike.

I was lucky enough to see this wonderful film at the Dead by Dawn Festival at the weekend. Oculus is a cheaply made film which is visible from the start. But that doesn't effect the impact this film has on an audience. An antique mirror with deadly powers is tracked down by a guy who's been researching into the deaths of the past people who have owned it. Setting up an experiment, consisting of several cameras, various alarms, a plant, a dog and a white sheet, he sets out to reveal the mysteries of the mirror once and for all. This short had some exceptional parts in it. *SPOILER* The mirror people bellowing out the sound of the alarm is so cool, the mirror ghost suddenly appearing when the lights flash scared the s***t out of me, and the mirror itself - for an everyday inanimate object really does strike a nerve. *END OF SPOILER* This film; considering its low budget, and its average acting is a very powerful film that produces some strange and interesting ideas. I would recommend anyone to see this short if they get the chance, and as its part 3, hopefully the i'll someday get the chance to see 1 and 2 - fingers crossed!