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

A man sets out to prove an antique mirror is haunted.

Director:

Mike Flanagan

Writers:

Mike Flanagan, Jeff Seidman

Stars:

Scott Graham, Brandyn Feldman, Joe Wicker

12 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scott Graham	...	Tim Russel
Brandyn Feldman	...	Delivery Man
Joe Wicker	...	Delivery Man
Matthew Reynolds	...	'Daddy' (as Matt Reynolds)
Flip	...	Himself
Danielle Zazula	...	Mirror Ghoul
Shea Cerveny	...	Mirror Ghoul
Kristin Gardner	...	Mirror Ghoul
Nathan D. McMahon	...	Mirror Ghoul
Chantelle A. Gil	...	Mirror Ghoul
Stephanie Gil	...	Mirror Ghoul
Lindsey Hughes	...	Mirror Ghoul
Sergio Beynaga	...	Mirror Ghoul
Michael Bloch	...	Mirror Ghoul
Robert M. Olson	...	Mirror Ghoul

Storyline

Years ago, Tim Russel's father committed a horrible atrocity; it was always Tim's contention that the large ornate mirror his father possessed was the cause of this terrible event. Now after years of research, Tim has traced the bloody trail of destruction that treads in the wake of this dark and forbidding mirror. With a history of over 300 years of mysterious circumstance, Tim intends to capture these horrors on tape and reveal the true nature of evil that lies within.

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Taglines:

No one knows who created it. No one knows what possesses it. But Tim Russel knows what it can do... and he's going to prove it.

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Genres:

Short | Horror

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Details

Official Sites:

Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Oculus: The Man with the Plan

Filming Locations:

Venice Beach, Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Back 2 One Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

32 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This short is the inspiration for the feature film Oculus (2013) starring Karen Gillan. The feature was also directed by Mike Flanagan.

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Goofs

Boom mic and operator visible in Scott Graham's glasses during the entire "history" section of the film.

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Quotes

Tim Russel: I have met my demons and they are many... I have seen the devil and he is me.

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Alternate Versions

Early versions of the film featured an alternate ending in which Tim's friend Steve (Dave Levine) comes to see him after Tim stops answering his calls. Steve finds Tim near death, sitting in front of the mirror, the entire room in shambles around him. The video equipment is destroyed. Steve glances into the mirror and sees Tim's "father" perched over him, draining the life from him. Tim falls dead, Steve stumbles back in shock, and then becomes enchanted by the mirror. The earliest versions of this ending had Tim's dead body sit up and attack Steve, the later versions just left Steve staring into the glass, transfixed.

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Connections

References The Grudge (2004)

User Reviews

Excellent short film

Saw this at the Dead by Dawn film festival in Edinburgh and it was the best short film screened there this year in my opinion.

Essentially this is a one man show with Scott Graham alone with an evil mirror for much of the running time. While this doesn't sound particularly exciting, this growing feeling of paranoia and the increasing madness of the lone character propel the story.

Keep an eye on the video monitors that have been set up for the experiment, it's a small but very creepy touch.

Oculus is part 3 of a 9 part story. If Mike Flanagan can keep up this level of invention then I look forward to further entries.