Movie 7/31 of my happy octobering horror marathon. Oculus offers a bunch of interesting things to think about. The whole film might very well intentionally show how people can get corrupted by forces they do not understand. Of course this is taken to the extreme here, after all it's a horror movie. But if we're thinking about the film and reality on a more grounded level, we can see how, amongst other examples, the mirror works in some ways as an allegory for a television. Or in general the word mirror could be used for something like that, it is one of these black mirrors which are such a big part of most if not all people's lives, as we all know. Also, the tactics of mass media certainly include mirroring. Saying, for an example, look what that monster is doing in the United States, in order to make you think more about what happens over there than in your own country. I'm aware that wouldn't work if they only said it once or twice but as everyone can see, it happens every single day. If you're told a lie, or even a complex partial lie, over and over again, odds are you'll believe it. Same with countless other examples, but let's get back to the topic. The mirror in Oculus is obviously quite old and has occult meaning, hence the title, unless it's random which I doubt. It's said to have been at the Scottish home of the royal family for some time, the Balmoral Castle. Balmoral Castle, yeah I got it alright. The frame is made of Bavarian black cedar. Where did the Illuminati originate? I know that always sounds dumb since it's a meme and what not, but that doesn't make it any less true that the nefarious group existed, and still does in hidden ways in some form. I don't think the film ever really showed how the Russell family came into the possession of the Lasser Glass, but perhaps it's not that important as to why they got hit by it. Likely the supernatural force only cares about making humans suffer, so I suppose they don't necessarily need to be part of some bloodlines or whatever. Here's two pieces of dialogue I like: "It's a trick to get us back inside." "What if this is a trick to keep us standing there?" That is precisely how interpreting most of the news, especially nowadays, feels. You absolutely do not know what is true anymore and how to tell, the information overload going on for sure is on purpose in order to get people to only react, be all caught up and overwhelmed by everything. Logic is mostly thrown out the window when drama and sensationalism is ruling all screens. Part of that last bit I got from Jay Dyer's video about Corona and Resident Evil, so credit where credit is due. That man is spot-on and a huge help in making sense of all this madness. So, to close this out, there's lots of layered elements to Oculus. The meaning of it can be interpreted all kinds of ways but I am sure my interpretation is accurate. Films mostly are more than meets the eye. A story isn't always just a cute little story written to entertain you for two hours, especially not if it's intended to be seen by lots of people, by these gigantic and politically influential companies. There often seems to be a clear reason why some films get more promotion than others. Not all movies are have bad intentions. Not all flicks referring to occult practices are necessarily intended to truly depict it, sometimes filmmakers simply react to films they've seen themselves. A bunch of films like this one exist because horror movies of the kind can sell well and work. It's not all fully controlled. Not every director is part of some cult, but then again some are. Just something to think about. Once you can see how that actually makes perfect sense, by thoroughly researching, you'll know. And once you see everything with new eyes, it only becomes clearer, more overt, more unsubtle. I got off-track quite a bit as I always do when writing down my thoughts quickly after seeing a movie, but I also want to mention that I found meaning in the eyes looking like mirrors once you've been killed because of the Lasser Glass. Another straightforward but smart thematic clue. What I also appreciate is how the brother character got completely brainwashed by intellectual scientism, until he didn't even believe himself anymore. That's relevant to me because of how many folks with degrees actually cannot see the forest for the trees. This is a well-executed horror drama with lots to look into. Always good to have some thoughts after the credits roll, whether or not the film was intended in an evil or a well-meaning way.
