The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, April 14, 2014 -- 7A AMC's 'Turn' to 1700s "Ain't nobody got time for this!" Stu nnig'Oculus' Film calls upon horror classics in winning story By SEAN CZARNECKI Daily Arts Writer This past weekend I had forgotten my ID when I went to see "Oculus" with some friends, and the cashier told me she could not admit me. It was against Oculus policy to admit anyone into an AtQuality 16 R-rated film and Rave under the age Relativity Media of 18 without a legal guardian after "bedtime." I am beardless and skinny; I look like a child. I have no ID and my friends, who are younger and shorter than I, must now argue on my behalf. Yep. This is feeling 22. I start laughing. Kids may buy tickets to watch "Rio 2," but when no one is watch- ing, they will steal away into the theater to see what others would protect them from. The fact I have to grovel my way past security confirms that our fascination in horror and violence is still strong, and our desire to "protect the children"stronger yet. And "Ocu- lus," a near masterpiece, demon- strates'the ability of that genre to lead us further into the territory of madness in a well-structured, well-executed story that tests and violates your sensibilities. Call "Oculus" the MacGyver of horror. Like the "Saw" franchise (a dumber concept), there is a winding assembly of machines in this film, and they are set going on a clock right off the start. Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites, "Blue Lagoon: The Awakening") is a man recently freed from a mental institution, determined to split himself from the past. As a child, he shot dead his own philandering father, whom the police called a sick man in need of help. His mother is also dead, driven to insanity at the end of her life. Tim is free to move on and continue his healing process. But his sister, Kaylie Russell (Karen Gillan, TV's "Doctor Who"), has other plans. To her, the guilty party has yet to be revealed. She believes their father was not seduced by a woman, but by something else: a mirror. A mirror that possesses you and consumes you. The siblings reunite at last, and she has decided for the both of them, they will destroy this paranormal object. The buildup to this showdown takes time and energy, sometimes overwrought, sometimes over- dramatic, and you may wonder whether there will be a payoff - a pouring of gore (the money shot) or at least a jump scare. It's tedious, but you have to admire the plot's mechanics (Despite the really dumb-lookingghosts.) The structure of this film is almost untouchable. Much of the plot operates through flashbacks. Two timelines move parallel to each other: the past and the present. Writer-director Mike Flanagan ("Absentia"), who based this feature-length film on his own short film "Oculus: Chapter 3", moves between these two dimensions effortlessly. But the mirror, a supernatural force, as the tagline of the film puts it, only lets you see what it wants you to see. These two dimensions, past and present, overlap. That the brother's and sister's sense of reality is also split from each other only exacerbates the problem, makes it more complex, and yes, horrifying. This is perhaps the film's most unsettling quality: the mirror delineates reality. All of the mirror's victims have gazed into its reflection. You see their yearning, an excruciating sense of incompleteness, and they want inside its image. Each time reality is split, fissured, fractured into shards, our dread grows. The characters are fighting their madness, kicking off its cloak like they're trying to wake from a nightmare, and the horror lies in a realization: what have I done while I was away? The mirror itself, once brought into the room, fills the atmosphere with ghosts. By virtue of there being a reflection, there is already the added presence of unseen observers. Horror films are most electric with dread when we sense eyes on our back. Their voyeurism fills uswith premonition. And the mirror is a great eye (an oculus) that opens alternate realities, ghosts that trace the curve of our spines. Two horror classics, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "The Shining" explored similar themes of madness and reality through the manipulation of their physical and figurative space of setting. Freddy Krueger, a specter of a killer, bends and reshapes the boundaries of the dream and reality. You descend into aplace whose horror depends on the imagination of its villain. The Torrance family wanders the passageways of an immense hotel. You lose your way and you lose yourself. "Oculus," however, brings you into the intimacy of a home. Its killers are mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. The visual culture of Japan understands the terror of mutation. The perversion of nature, the Unnatural, repulses our sensibilities. It goes against our innate sense of what is "correct." As in "Akira," which provides one of the most stunning transformations in cinema, you can still see where there was once a human. In "Oculus" you will find yourself thinking: This was once a mother, a father and so on. The power of mutilation is profound in our imaginations. (I would also recommend playing through the "Silent Hill" franchise. Just a screenshot makes me tighten up) Still, this is a film that under- stands possession, its essence, the deeper reason why itnterrifies us: It is the agony of living in a body not your own. In a mind outside your control. This is why we wander into the dark and invite horror into ourlives. We come because we like the thrill, we are masochists and sadists, and it leaves usviolated. By JOE REINHARD Daily Arts Writer You shouldn't always judge a show by its pilot, but in the case of AMC's "Turn," it's hard not to have a few res- ervations. For a program that's supposed to be Turn a mix of a spy thriller and a SeriesPremiere Revolutionary Sundays at 9 p.m. War drama, it's AMC disappointing that the first 90 minutes aren't as exciting as one would hope. The show opts for a slow-burn approach, and that isn't to say there's nothing to enjoy here, but it's clear it'll take some time before there's any real payoff. Luckily for "Turn," its first episode, a well-rounded premiere if nothing extraordi- nary, helps it along in proving itself a worthwhile investment. In part, that's because the program's slower pace is rather deliberate. Just by taking a look at the source material - Alexan- der Rose's book "Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring" - it's interesting to see the show's approach to the history. "Turn" stars Jamie Bell ("The Adventures of Tin- tin") as Abe Woodhull, a man who's hesitant to work as a spy because of conflicting priorities between family, country and what he feels is right. Because the book doesn't give Abe's per- spective alone, they could have easily chosen a more heroic lead, such as Benjamin Tallmadge (Seth Numrich, "The Good Wife"), whose early involve- ment with the rebellion could have lent itself to more exciting stories sooner in the season. Instead we primarily follow Abe, and as of right now, he's not the most interesting character. Bell does a fine job in the role though, so it should be interest- AMC "Running water would be nice." ing to and m agains since orities safe a Judge] McNal bean") tagoni right choice one, h on the to a th major watch Abe become more to work off of moving forward ore involved with spying anyway, and a good supporting t the British, especially cast. The few exciting sequences he has to juggle the pri- and flat-out cool moments of keeping his family (particularly at the end) also nd appeasing his father, do enough to tease the spying Richard Woodhull (Kevin and backstabbing that's to Ily, "Pirates of the Carib- come. In general, it does merely . Choosing Abe as the pro- "enough" to present itself as a st may seem questionable well-rounded show, but seeing now, but seeing how the how it's in it for the long haul, seems to be a conscious this is forgivable. opefully we'll look back "Turn" really shines in its pilot as a necessary piece portrayal of the Revolutionary rilling story (and not as a era, which might not do enough misstep). to make the story into must- watch material, but the setting and tone will appeal to those I' " 1 with an interest in the time SS SiOW- period. The main concern inning," not right now is that people might not watch until later on (at a "slow." point when it presumably picks up and becomes especially thrilling), consequently leading to low ratings and an the show's credit, one early cancellation (and so never n't confuse the phrase getting the chance to reach its burn" with just "slow." potential). For now though it amount is accomplished gets a recommendation, and we pilot, as it provides Abe can only hope that it doesn't decent backstory, enough betray our trust. bi To should "slow- A fair in the with a 'Silicon Valley' shows promise By EMILY BODDEN DailyArts Writer "Silicon Valley," HBO's newest series, premiered last Sunday, April 6, and it seems to hold a lot of promise. Despite its underwhelming pilot, the show Siliwn as a whole seems to be a Valley smorgasbord Series Premiere of other well- reevd Sundays at 10 p.m. received comedies - HBO particularly prominent in the writing of the characters. Intelligently constructed, the showtakes place in the titular Sil- icon Valley and revolves around website and app developers. Unlike Comedy Central's "Work- aholics," the type of work that the characters do is very much at the show's forefront. Several times during the premiere, a social hierarchy within the tech world is established. While the writers obviously play up stereotypes (the coders are described as "douche- bags" and characterized much like the douchey jocks that can be found roaming the halls of Ameri- ca's high schools), it seems crucial to the show's future development. Even within a world that could easily be filled with the dorki- est and smartest kids you grew up with, audiences discover that Richard (Thomas Middleditch, "The Wolf of Wall Street") and his friends still remain at the bottom of the social ladder, casted as the underdogs. Some of the secondary charac- ters are brilliantly written. Some personal favorites include Peter Gregory (the late Christopher Evan Welch, "War ofthe Worlds") and the doctor (Andy Daly, "East- bound and Down"). Welch plays Peter Gregory beautifully. In his first scene, Gregory gives a TED Talk with a cadence so painfully awkward and forced that it's clear the writers are entirely famil- iar with the banality of the real TED lectures. The doctor gives nods to Dr. Spaceman from NBC's "30 Rock" through a few slightly incompetent and self- involved mannerisms. His pitch at the end of the visit, which sent Richard into even more of a downward spiral, is similar to the times Tracey visited Dr. Spaceman in "30 Rock." But not all of the secondary characters are welcome inclusions; having a hot, yet well-informed techie as a love interest for our socially awkward, but endearing protagonist, seems undeniably trite. Even if Richard does not get romantically involved with Monica (Amanda Crew, "Charlie St. Cloud"), the writers will surely play up the sexual tension. Hopefully HBO doesn't fall into this repetitive pattern and instead looks to use the character for something more compelling. HBO's latest has plenty room for growth. The character Gavin (Matt Ross, "American Psycho") seems like he could have been taken out of a sketch in "Portlandia." When Richard goes into his office to discuss selling his website, all of Gavin's employees gush about their employer in a seemingly cult- like manner. While Richard does not prescribe to the vibes of Gavin's office, the discomfort of the relationships permeated the scene. While notHBO'sbestpremiere, "Silicon Valley"has plenty ofroom to grow. The characters, evoking those of shows past, are solid, and the writers have set themselves up for potential greatness as the season progresses.