“Oculus” is a classic horror movie that will literally leave viewers afraid of their own reflection. The story is a classic yet horrifying ghost tale revolving around a haunted antique mirror. The mirror, which is known as the Lasser Glass, is both “beautiful and disturbing” according to director Michael Flanagan. Created in 1754, the mirror has passed through many hands and homes, however, dozens of owners have experienced madness and suffered mysterious, often violent deaths. “Oculus” tells the story of two near-victims, Kaylie and Tim Russell, who attempt to unravel the history and curse of the mirror. Michael Flanagan sat down with Latin Times to discuss his new film, which despite its 2014 release date, relies on tired and true horror film techniques that are reinvigorated through Flanagan’s meticulous and methodical vision.
LT: Where did the idea for “Oculus” come from? Is it inspired by your short film “Oculus: Chapter 3-The Men with the Plan?”
MF: It took me a long time to realize that I wanted to make a horror movie, which is funny because it’s always been a genre that I loved as a kid. Then with the short film, which I made in 2005 with a bunch of friends of mine, was made specifically to try our hand at the genre. And now “Oculus” is the expansion of that short film, which took us seven years to actually make a feature film, without creating something made up of filler. My friends and I wanted to do something very interesting with it, it took us a long time to figure out what that was and to discover a production team [Intrepid Pictures] that didn’t want to produce another “found footage” horror movie.
LT: “Oculus” is a truly terrifying experience. However, the audience is enthralled. Why do people love to be scared?
MF: I think people love to be scared because the lights come on at the end of the film. We all know what it’s like to be scared. It’s one of the first emotions we experience. We learn about fear when we are very young. The beauty about going through it is that you get all the emotions, you get the rush, but at the end of it, the lights go on and you are safe. Horror movies give people a way to have a sort of cathartic release. It’s similar to the reason people enjoy riding roller coasters, or go sky diving: You get to have a rush, especially with a movie. Because viewers can examine all these dark and serious emotions, but then at the end of it, you are safe and can go about your day. I think people are just as addicted to the feeling of safety as they are to the scares. We just aren’t always aware of it.
LT: What do you think is the appeal to horror as a genre?
MF: I think horror in general, the genre itself, is a space as a culture where we can take our darkest qualities and explore them in an environment where no one can get hurt. I think we need that. In the same way that Martin Scorsese said that movies are our dreams, we also need a place to put our nightmares. That’s why horror, as a genre, will always be there and will always excite people.
LT: Tell us more about the mirror. It obviously played a huge role in “Oculus.”
MF: The mirror was designed and built specifically for the movie. We wanted to make something that was elegant, and believable as a high-end auction item, but we also wanted the mirror to have a very organic quality to it. The mirror is very deceiving. If you get up close to the frame and see the detail work, you notice that it is made up of rising humanoid shapes, which represented the souls of the victims it devoured. But you can’t see this gruesome detail until you are up close. From far away it’s a beautiful antique mirror, but as you get closer, it gets more unsettling. Russell Barnes the production designer for “Oculus” and an Alabama-based artist, Bruce Larsen, designed and built the mirror for the film.
LT: The, now infamous, light bulb and apple scene was a turning point. What did the moment symbolize for the film?
MF: That scene was a moment within the script that had to happen just then because she [Kaylie Russell] is so prepared. She is ahead of the mirror. She is even ahead of the audience in the beginning, and that scene was the moment when the mirror stepped up and said, “I’ve got you.” The mirror reminded Kaylie and the audience that it is a formidable adversary. That scene itself was one of everyone’s favorite scenes in the script, and now it seems it is the audience’s favorite scene as well. It was amazing to shoot because it was rather simple to execute. The actress who plays Kaylie, Karen Gillan had a shot glass of blood poured into her mouth, a broken light bulb put in her hand and she was able to convince the camera that she was experience excoriating pain. It was accomplished with a simple number of visuals, what I believe the audience reacts to the most is the crunch.
“Oculus” premieres in theaters nationwide Friday, April 11, 2014.
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