Karen Gillan – Page 3 – We Are Movie Geeks

Calling All Guardians! Enter MARVEL’S “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” – GUARDIANS OF GOOD And Win A Trip To The Premiere

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Marvel Studios, Dolby Laboratories and Visa Signature are joining forces for a nationwide MARVEL’S “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY—GUARDIANS OF GOOD contest in conjunction with the August 1, 2014 release of Marvel’s film starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper.

MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY—GUARDIANS OF GOOD invites real “Guardians of the Galaxy,” young men and women (ages 14-18) from across the United States, to share their stories of how they are bettering their communities through service, science or innovation, and gives them the opportunity to connect with a galaxy of Peer Guides—who are already doing great things—to learn from their successes.

Entries will be accepted between June 11, 2014 and June 29, 2014.

Application forms, eligibility requirements, official contest rules and more information are available at http://www.marvelguardiansofgood.com.

Applicants for GUARDIANS OF GOOD will participate in online sessions with Peer Guides, who will include representatives from generationOn, Broadcom MASTERS®, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” Ultimate Mentor Leadership Council. Peer Guide sessions are scheduled to take place between June 13, 2014 and June 21, 2014. The Peer Guides will discuss their personal stories of service, science or innovation as well as learnings and advice.

Following the Peer Guide sessions, all applicants will then submit a short video explaining how they are improving the galaxy and what inspiration and guidance they received from their Peer Guides. The five best video entries will be selected as winners.

The five winners will each receive: Two round-trip tickets to Hollywood, including hotel accommodations, from July 20 through July 23, 2014, to be on the red carpet at the World Premiere of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” on July 21, 2014; an invitation to the first-ever GUARDIANS OF GOOD INNOVATION & SERVICE SUMMIT on July 22 at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, where professionals and peers will share their knowledge; a backstage tour of the Disneyland Resort; and a red-carpet screening of the film at a Dolby® Atmos^TM Theatre in or near the winner’s hometown.

GUARDIANS OF GOOD INNOVATION & SERVICE SUMMIT is scheduled to include presenters from NASA/JPL, speaking on the monitoring and protection of Earth through asteroid detection and Earth-observing satellites and ensuring the safety of Mars spacecraft during a comet encounter, Disney Imagineers, generationOn, Broadcom MASTERS®, Discovery Science Center, & Disney Global Community Outreach.

For more information about MARVEL’S “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”—GUARDIANS OF GOOD, please visit http://www.marvelguardiansofgood.com.

About the Contest:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Contest commences on or about 6:00 AM PST on June 11, 2014 and ends at 11:59 PM PST on June 29, 2014. Open only to persons who are 14-18 years of age and legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and not employees of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, MARVEL, generationON or any of their parent, related or affiliated companies nor members of their households or immediate families. Limit one (1) entry per student. Winners must be able to travel on July 20, 2014. See Official Rules at www.marvelguardiansofgood.com for full eligibility and entry requirements, prize description, conditions and limitations. The official contest sponsor is Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe.

To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige, p.g.a. producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Nik Korda and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. The screenplay is written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman. The film releases in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2014.

Director James Gunn. Ph: Jay Maidment. ©Marvel 2014

Watch The New Trailer for Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team. They call themselves “the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Watch the latest preview. Who’s ready for August 1st?!

Post by Guardians of the Galaxy.

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe.

Directed by James Gunn, Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman.

marvel.com/guardians

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/guardiansofthegalaxy

Follow us on Twitter: @Guardians

Photos: ©Marvel 2014

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY New Teaser And Poster

Check out the new teaser and retro-looking poster for director James Gunn’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

Don’t miss a LIVE Q&A with the cast including Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and Director James Gunn, and the exclusive world premiere of the trailer on Monday, May 19th at 10:00am PT only on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guardiansofthegalaxy

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman and releases in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2014.

marvel.com/guardians

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/guardiansofthegalaxy

Follow us on Twitter: @Guardians

Photos: ©Marvel 2014

WAMG At The OCULUS Press Day

OCULUS, the new horror film co-written and directed by Mike Flanagan, introduces audiences to a new kind of terror: the eerily inscrutable Lasser Glass. This beautiful antique mirror is no ordinary villain. Its seemingly harmless reflections hold a malevolent supernatural force that infects the mind of the viewer, leading to paranoia, distorted visions, and eventually, possession. Recently, WAMG attended a small press conference for the film where Karen Gillan, Katee Sackhoff, James Lafferty and Rory Cochrane spoke with members of the press about the film, what type of horror they like, and what scares them. Check it out below.

Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force¬¬ unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home. Determined to prove Tim’s innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations, and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again…

This is such an intriguing premise – an intriguing film with the intersecting temporal lines. When each first got the script, what was it that struck you, not just about the script as a whole, but the individual characters?

KAREN GILLAN : One of the things that I loved about the script, so much, was the time that was devoted to the characters, so we really get to see them develop before things happen to them. We’re actually invested, and care. They really earn the scares, which really excited me. I just loved the character that I played. I thought that she was really interesting.

KATEE SACKHOFF : Very similarly, in the sense that I really loved the fact that, for Marie, we got to see this vulnerability that she had, for years, with her before the mirror actually took her. I wanted to really make the audience love this family, and understand this family, then ultimately feel heartbroken for these children, and what they’ve had to go through. Mike [Flanagan] just did a phenomenal job on pulling you on this slow ride, that was engaging you the entire time… then, the last 30 minutes seem to just punch you in the face repeatedly. [Laughs]

JAMES LAFFERTY : I have to agree with Katee. I think it was the family aspect that drew me in. The fact that there are children involved in the script really started tugging at my heartstrings, and then to see the performances that they give on-screen was just mind-blowing to me, so that really shined through for me.

RORY COCHRANE : I just appreciated the family dynamic that could have happened, sort of, without these supernatural forces that were surrounding them. If you took them away you would still have this family.

My question is for Rory. We’re used to seeing you in roles where you are very likable. In this film you start out that way, with a like ability factor… I was just wondering how you found the right tone for your character as he evolves through the storyline?

RORY COCHRANE : I have to give credit to Mike’s development of the character. I think he gave everyone, sort of, this part to play with. For me, as an actor, I just want to get in and try to be super creepy, and play the realism of how I felt in the scenes. In between whatever scene we were doing, “what is the reality in this scene?” Forget the mirrors, forget the ghosts. That’s the only way I wrapped my head around it. We obviously have a slow decline without trying to play that up too much.

Mike has said that the mirror reflects the characters fears and insecurities. I was wondering if each of you could comment on how you perceived your characters fears and insecurities, and what you took as fuel.

KATEE SACKHOFF : I‘ll go, since mine was incredibly obvious. This is a woman who… the childen were 13 years old, and I was 32. To me, I would have had to have had these children at 18 or 19 years old. I wanted to play that as the reality, because my sister had a child at 18, and she is a phenomenal woman. She finished college. She worked her ass off. So, I didn’t want to age myself up, or play it in some negative light. If that was the reality of the situation, she probably gave up much of her own life for these children, and there is a lot of insecurity that comes from that. What is your importance to the world beyond being a mother? You’ve given up… you know. You can relate to body issues. Women can. I stand in the mirror and go “Oh, geez!” or “Oh my gosh! This is happening!” and I haven’t had children yet, so I can’t imagine what that’s gonna be like. So, I’ll probably do it some more. I think that her insecurities are incredibly obvious from the very beginning. I understood that, because I have seen it in so many women. It’s painful to not like yourself physically. I understood the insanity of that. [laughs]

Those children were incredibly. They looked like the young version of you, Karen, and Brenton. The casting was incredibly… Did you guys get to see the work of the younger actors playing you, or did they see your work on set? Did you synchronize between each other?

KAREN GILLAN : So, basically these guys filmed theirs, sort of, in the past section of the film first. That was the first three weeks of the shoot. Brenton and I went down to set all the time and just watched what everybody was doing. Absolute credit to Annalise, who played the younger version of my character, because she absolutely established the character. I went down and watched what she did, and then just took it from there. I tried to extend on it.

So, you cut your fabulous ponytail…

KAREN GILLAN : I know! It’s gone! [Laughs}

Since the Lasser glass reflects, or exacerbates its victims darkest fears and insecurities. If you were to look in the mirror, what would your greatest fears be?

KAREN GILLAN : That’s a QUESTION!

KATEE SACKHOFF : It’s martini time! [laughs]

KAREN GILLAN : I don’t know. That’s a really tough question! I don’t know… I don’t know…

KATEE SACKHOFF : Take it away Karen! [laughs]

KAREN GILLAN : I would say, probably not being able to do what I want to do, and basically not being fulfilled and happy. I don’t know how that would manifest itself in a mirror, but yeah. Just that feeling of not being satisfied with my life. That would be the worst thing that could happen to me.

RORY COCHRANE : I would see every audition that I’ve ever gone on. [Laughs]

KATEE SACKHOFF : We were joking about that earlier. Like a ‘Funny or Die’ sketch. Every worst audition that you’ve ever had. I’ve got a few of those. I had someone answer the phone half way through once…

KAREN GILLAN : Really?

KATEE SACKHOFF : I was like “Do I stop? Or just keep going? I don’t know what to do right now!” [laughs]. I just went “Aliright, I’ll see you later then.” and left. I just stopped.

KAREN GILLAN : That is really rude!

There are so many sub genres of horror films. I was wondering, for each of you, what is the thing that gets you to like horror movies? The gore type? The supernatural thriller? The psychological one… what does it for you?

KAREN GILLAN : I love horror films so I just wanted to chime in. I’m a big horror film fan, so this was really exciting for me. I’d say I love the cheesy slasher ones for the gore aspect, but really, the ones that are truly scary are the slow burners that really start to build up. I love THE RING. I just thought that they did that really well. That wasn’t so gory. It was just a really creepy video.

KATEE SACKHOFF : There are enough things in my life that scare the shit out of me already! [laughs] I tend to be mostly scared of movies that are about something that could actually happen. As actors, we spend a lot of time on the road, and in different places. I tend to wake up in the middle of the night and run into walls a lot, and forget where I am. So, for me… that is my biggest fear. Things that can actually happen. Like, someone tried to open my hotel room one night, and the chain was going, and I was like “Oh my god! What’s happening!” and it’s just those weird things, because you are constantly not home. So, I’m never in a comfortable place. So, those type of horror movies scare the shit out of me.

KAREN GILLAN : Hotels are really scary.

KATEE SACKHOFF : Yeah!

KAREN GILLAN : One time I was in a hotel, and I was convinced that it was haunted so I decided to make a film of it… and there’s nothing on it[laughs]. I called the reception and I was like “This room is haunted! I need to move!” and they didn’t ask any questions! They were like “Yeah. We’re gonna move you.” [Laughs]

RORY COCHRANE : I just want to add to that. When we were in Alabama, she [Karen] had a stalker that… am I allowed to say this…

KAREN GILLAN : Oh… I don’t know… [Laughs]

RORY COCHRANE : Anyway… The guy made his way across the United States sending postcards and things… It got to be pretty scary. So, the guy actually shows up at the hotel with flowers, and everyone around the set, the crew were like “Karen, you have to be really, really careful!” and she was like “Oh, that’s so sweet! He brought me flowers!” [laughs] She wasn’t scared of that at all… and that was a real thing!

FOR MORE INFO:

WEBSITE : http://www.oculus2014.com

FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/oculusmovie

OCULUS is in theaters now

WAMG Exclusive Interview With KATEE SACKHOFF : OCULUS

OCULUS, the new horror film co-written and directed by Mike Flanagan, introduces audiences to a new kind of terror: the eerily inscrutable Lasser Glass. This beautiful antique mirror is no ordinary villain. Its seemingly harmless reflections hold a malevolent supernatural force that infects the mind of the viewer, leading to paranoia, distorted visions, and eventually, possession. Recently, I sat down with the lovely Katee Sackhoff, who plays Marie Russell, a mother who tragically lost her life shortly after the Lasser Glass was brought into their new home, to talk about her first role as a mother, the possibility of ghosts, and “road sodas”. Check it out below.

You’re no stranger to horror films, doing HALLOWEEN : RESURRECTION, WHITE NOISE 2 : THE LIGHT, THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 : GHOSTS OF GEORGIA… What was it about this film that made you want to sign on?

KATEE SACKHOFF : The script, first and foremost. Mike Flanagan is a phenomenal writer. I had read a script that he had written prior to this one as well – ABSENTIA. He’s really, really talented in taking something that is so simple, and that everybody can relate to, kind of flipping it on its head, and making you ten times more afraid than you’ve ever that you’ve thought of. In the case of ABSENTIA – a tunnel. We don’t think about it. Now you’re terrified of a tunnel. A mirror, you know… Everybody walks by, like, 50 mirrors a day. Now you’re terrified of a mirror. There are little things that he’s able to flip on their head. That’s the main reason that I wanted to do this movie. I thought that it’s an interesting take on the, kind of, perfect little American family. I think that women, especially woman as we get older, can identify with aging, and societies expectations of us, and out body image. We all look in the mirror on a daily basis and go “I wish this”. Now, what if that mirror was possessed and made you, not only question this about yourself, but truly believe that you are completely imperfect. It’s an interesting thought, you know?

Absolutely. You mention the concept of family. How did you prepare for your first role as a mother?

KATEE SACKHOFF : I didn’t want to make myself look older. I think that was one possibility, but I thought that the interesting thing would be if you take an educated woman who probably finished college… If those were my children I would have gotten pregnant at 19 and 20. I wanted to show her that age in a positive light. My sister had her son at 19, and she’s an incredible role model. She finished college. She does a great job. She works her ass off. So, I didn’t want to show a stereotypical, negative view of what it’s like to have a child young. In that sense I just, kind of, modeled her off of my sister who was a young parent, and who questioned her self as she got older. She felt almost that she got older faster because she had a child young. She’s in her early 40’s and she has a child that has graduated college, and is 25 years old. I mean, it’s very interesting. She feels older than most 45 year olds because she’s been a mom since she was 19. So, her insecurities may be heightened in that sense. I don’t know. I was really looking for that dynamic, and portraying it in a more positive light… until it obviously goes awry. [Laughs]

Speaking of insecurities, I’m curious how long your make-up process was for this, because they really transformed you and put you through the ringer!

KATEE SACKHOFF : She’s pretty nasty, right? [Laughs] That was another thing that we had talked about. I just kept saying “More. I want more. I want her to look worse.” Rory [Cochrane – who plays Alan in the film] made a great example of it earlier and said “Everything in this movie from the children’s perspective, and is two completely different realities.” One child believes that all of this bad stuff happened, and the other child believes that their parents were violent, and things went badly. So, I wanted it to always have an explanation for her going crazy. We added the alcohol into one scene… maybe that was it. Maybe Alan really did just go crazy, and maybe he was having an affair. Maybe all of these things… Now I completely lost my train of thought because I’m thinking about all of the scenes with Alan, and all of the examples of it. It’s a very interesting thing how it went so negative so quickly. [Laughs]

As a horror fan, I really enjoyed the different perspectives, and the different takes on things… I think that it’s really hard to get horror right in this decade.

KATEE SACKHOFF : Audiences are smarter. They’re expecting more. They’ve seen everything before. So, how are you going to make it different? How are you going to make a horror film different?

What is your reaction to seeing yourself on-screen, or in the make-up chair with all of the prosthetics on? I imagine it’s pretty wild!

KATEE SACKHOFF : On bad days, it took about two hours… two or three hours, and then it took a couple of hours to get off. Getting it off was hard. That was actually worse. I just wanted her… she’s sitting here, beating up her children. If this is one of her realities – that maybe their mother did beat them – it affects one of their realities. I wanted her to be ugly. We just kept adding more and more prosthetics. I wanted her to be hunched over, almost like an animal with a crazed look. It is weird to see that on-screen, but I think it’s probably easier to see myself on camera that way than it is to see myself looking normal. Looking normal is harder, because I’m more critical of myself in less of a character, I guess.

You have such a diverse fan base in sci-fi and horror. Have you every had a fan come up to you and talk about their experiences with the supernatural?

KATEE SACKHOFF : Some, yeah! A little bit… I’ve done a few movies that have possessions and ghosts, and things involved around them. I think it also make, as an actor, more susceptible to believing in these things as well. People do talk to me about crazy things. [Laughs] You can’t help but talk about it on set. That’s the favorite topic of discussion. Yeah, and I believe in that sort of stuff. I think you have to. There is no scientific proof in either direction, so that’s the question. It kind of just leaves everything up in the air. I think that’s why supernatural movies and television shows are so scary.You’re talking about something that you can’t prove or disprove.

Plus, it’s a little more fun to believe…

KATEE SACKHOFF : I think so too. I think it’d be much more interesting to believe that my Grandfather is sitting right there [looks beside her on the couch] just watching, you know.

I feel the same way about my Grandmother.

KATEE SACKHOFF : Yeah! It’s just fun!

You’ve played all sorts of different characters… Sci-fi, action, horror, voice-over… Is there any type of role, or genre that you would really like to play, that maybe you haven’t?

KATEE SACKHOFF : I’m just about doing things that I haven’t done before, and if I have done them I try to do them in a different way, you know? I’m a huge fan of romantic comedies, so for me, I would love to do that. I would love to go do stage, and to do musical theater. I started in musical theater. I just want to work as much as possible for the rest of my career, and have fun doing these things. I think that’s why I’m drawn to genre, because it’s more fun than going to do a drama where you’re crying all of the time. [Laugh]

Plus, it’s a little easier to unwind at the end of the day.

KATEE SACKHOFF : It is. Yeah. I mean, this was a bit harder because I was in prosthetics. For me, unwinding at the end of the night was washing my face off and going back to the hotel. It was on days where I was in full prosthetics and sit through a two-hour process to take off, I would get back to the hotel and everyone would already be in bed. [Laughs] So, then I would start drinking by myself [laughs]… like, “I’ve gotta unwind”. I think I had a $700, almost $800 wireless bill for downloading movies on iTunes [laughs] because there was no Wi-Fi. I was using my G4 on my iPad to turn my computer into a… yeah. So, I was downloading movies on iTunes. It was bad. [Laughs] It was so expensive.

You get caught in that trap…

KATEE SACKHOFF : You have to! I do it now. It’s so bad.

Well, what are some of your favorite movies?

KATEE SACKHOFF : Right now… I just watched BLUE JASMINE. I thought that Cate Blanchett was amazing ing that movie. As far as movies I’ve seen this year. I just saw DIVERGENT. I’ve read the books. I took two of the guys from the cast LONGMIRE with me, and they were like “What am I, a twelve-year-old girl?” [Laughs]… and I was like “We’re seeing DIVERGENT. Zip it! Put some Jack Daniels in your Coke and let’s go!”

Just a little “road soda” or, as I like to call it, “talent juice”…

KATEE SACKHOFF : Exactly! We like to call them “roadies” in Louisiana. [Laughs]

FOR MORE INFO:

WEBSITE : http://www.oculus2014.com

FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/oculusmovie

OCULUS is in theaters now

OCULUS – The Review

Scaring people has become a lucrative business over the years and decades since Hollywood first embraced the concept of fear for fun. Some of the most profitable contemporary films in terms of investment-to-return ratio have been horror films. In theory, this sounds like a good thing. Unfortunately, profitability does not always equate to a film being a creative success. For those looking for casual scares that appeal to little more than our base reflexes, similar to riding a roller coaster, there is no shortage of options on the market. However, for those of us looking for something more in our horror films, the selection is more limited.

I am happy to report that OCULUS satisfies that craving rather well. No. It’s not a perfect film, but few are these days. That really should go without saying anymore. The film’s marketing proudly announces “from the producer of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and INSIDOUS.” Try your best to take this with a grain of salt. Each of those films carry their own merit, and certainly fit well within the same genre wheelhouse, but refrain from allowing the franchise stigma to cloud or influence your opinion before seeing the film.

OCULUS is not the most original story at its core, playing on a number of popular and recognizable themes. However, the method by which the story is told is rather unique and definitely engaging. Far from linear and disjointed by design, the film leaps forward and backward in time between the present day and childhood for our two main characters. Kaylie, played by Karen Gillan, is an attractive young redhead engaged to the owner of an auction house by whom she is employed. Tim, played by Brenton Thwaites, is her slightly younger brother, recently released on his twenty-first birthday after having spent time under psychiatric care.

Kaylie and Tim have a secret. As children, their parents died and, despite the incredibly horrific events that led to their deaths, Tim ultimately was blamed for murdering his parents. The fantastic truth landed Tim in a mental hospital and prompted Kaylie to commit herself to keeping the siblings’ promise to destroy the entity responsible for the death of their parents. Kaylie’s journey of supernatural vengeance begins with a beautifully dark and ornate antique mirror that once adorned the wall of her father’s home office and has recently been sold by her fiancé’s auction company.

Directed and co-written by Mike Flanagan, who last previously ABSENTIA (2011), OCULUS works on the viewers’ mind in much the same way the mirror twists and pries on Kaylie’s and Tim’s minds. Truth and reality, time and memory, these are tools by which the entity uses to protect itself and wreak havoc on the lives of those who possess the mirror. The origin and story of the entity, for the most part a great mystery, does have a name revealed most briefly and without much ordeal. Marisol. Perhaps the filmmakers felt this was of little importance, but I feel if more attention had been given to the antagonist’s back-story the film would have been that much more engaging.

Steven Spielberg’s classic JAWS comes to mind, not directly, but when explaining the relative absence of Marisol from the film. Like minimizing our visual exposure to Bruce the shark, the viewer is not overexposed to Marisol, instead leaving much to the imagination and focusing on the mystery and suspense that actually drives the film. OCULUS does not delve too deeply into the back-story of Tim’s and Kaylie’s lives, outside of the events that led to their parents’ deaths. The frightening flavor of the film is not seasoned so much by knee-jerk scares and cheap thrills, but rather by a sense of the unknown powered by disorientation and distraction. Just as Marisol keeps the siblings’ distracted from their goal of destroying her, the film keeps the audience distracted from its flaws and weaknesses by immersing the audience into a more cerebral and visceral experience.

For the wannabe ghost hunters out there, pray you never encounter the likes of Marisol. One of the most intriguing elements of OCULUS is how formidable a foe she turns out to be, as creative and patient as she is brutal. Despite its correlation to films such as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and INSIDIOUS, OCULUS actually has far more similarities to that of THE RING, both in it’s evil antagonist and in the type of fear the film instills in the viewer. The modern meets Gothic mood of the film is enhanced by the cinematography of Michael Fimognari, experienced in the genre, and original music from The Newton Brothers.

In retrospect, given time to reflect and analyze the film, OCULUS is engaging as an in-the-moment cinematic indulgence. It will surely hold up to a second viewing as a way to watch for details missed in the original viewing, but I question the longevity of the film’s ongoing appeal. Ultimately, how the film ends in general is more predictable than the details of how that ending plays out. From early on in the film, the audience gets a sense of what must inherently happen, but it’s the thrill of watching that inevitability unfold before us that is as enticing as it is appalling, but isn’t this truly at the core watching any good horror film?

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Win Tickets To The Advance Screening Of OCULUS In St. Louis

Relativity Media’s upcoming horror-thriller, OCULUS, hits theaters nationwide on April 11th – prepare to #SeeYourEvil!

Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, OCULUS first premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and stars Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Rory Cochrane and Katee Sackhoff.

Determined to prove Tim’s innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations, and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again…

WAMG invites you to enter to win a pass (good for 2) to the advance screening of OCULUS on Wednesday, April 9 at 7PM.

Like great horror films before it, OCULUS does not rely only on jump-scares to grab the audience. “Ultimately, the really good scares in classic horror movies always come down to the characters,” says director Mike Flanagan.

Who’s your favorite horror movie character?

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Trailer Premieres – New Photos

On Tuesday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the trailer for the highly anticipated GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY had it’s full, blown-out premiere – along with help from the movie’s star Chris Pratt. Check it out now.

Looks awesome!

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Get a load of the treasure trove of new images from the film.

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers.

The story is by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn, with screenplay by James Gunn.

MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY RELEASES

IN U.S. THEATERS ON AUGUST 1, 2014.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/guardiansofthegalaxy

Twitter: @Guardians #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy

1st GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Trailer To Premiere on Jimmy Kimmel Live – Tuesday Feb 18

This Tuesday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jimmy will present the World Premiere of the trailer for the highly anticipated upcoming Marvel film GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, with help from the movie’s star Chris Pratt. This will be the first time Marvel fans will have a chance to see the official trailer for the film, which releases on August 1st.

After Jimmy Kimmel Live airs, the trailer will be posted for 24 hours exclusively on Jimmy Kimmel Live’s YouTube channel.

Alongside Pratt, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY boasts a star studded cast, including Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Benicio Del Toro.

(via USA Today)

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers.

The story is by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn, with screenplay by James Gunn.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY releases in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2014.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/guardiansofthegalaxy

Twitter: @Guardians #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy

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Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

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MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY RELEASES

IN U.S. THEATERS ON AUGUST 1, 2014.

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Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY releases in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2014.

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