Alterverse

The idea of accessing another dimension is interesting but the premise of this film is utterly absurd. To compound this, the acting is wooden and the reactions are nonsensical. If you were to find your video cameras were picking up on an alternate reality I'm pretty sure you would react a bit more extremely than "well that's a bit strange". I love decent low budget independent films, but this was awful. Sorry guys, you should have taken the idea of accessing an alternate reality and gone in a different direction than this. Also it is not necessary to show the camera's on screen menu ("REC", audio wave, battery power etc) in the footage as well as digitally adding lines to the footage to try to prove that it's a type of "found footage" film. Since when, nowadays, do you see this in the final footage in even what is considered "home movies"?

Before I start this review a full disclosure; I was given special permission from 'Occupants' director Russ Emanuel to submit this early review. 'Occupants' has several convention screenings throughout the U.S. this year, which I will link at the end of the review text. In addition, I submitted an unpaid testimonial video for the Peterson Research Institute, my dialogue is not used in the completed film, thus I have decided to review based on the distinct merits of the 82 minute production, instead of recusing myself from review as I did in 'Rock Of Ages'.

Intrinsically, 'Occupants' is a study of reality for the erudite. 'Occupants' forces the watcher to be engaged in the story at all times, and assumes the viewer is an intellectual sci-fi and or horror fan. There is no blood and guts, no murder, maiming, killing or fighting. Director Russ Emanuel and writer Julia Camara craft a bare bones tight suspenseful flick, with just enough information to continue to ask more alternative dimension, and reality questions.

'Occupants' opens innocently enough with couple Annie and Neil Curtis Briana White and Michael Pugliese setting up camera's throughout the house to record and document their commitment to clean living. Of course things go askew when another couple shows up in an alternate reality, and that couple turns out to be them. The highlight in 'Occupants' is the thought provoking and careful acting of Briana as Annie. Although both her and Michael Pugliese had to go through the dual character landscape, Annie had to carry the entire film, not only with dialogue, but every emotion possible, from anger, to happiness, to fright. Look for her star to rise in the coming years.

'Occupants' is basically a single location film, shot in a home. The audience are witnessing the lives of these two characters, and their doppelgangers. This aspect perhaps would have been additionally served by fleshing out one additional couple, beyond the minimal PRI videos. Perhaps a bit of nitpicking, I wanted to see a further scope of field explored, but Russ, in deference to pacing, kept the film tight of focus, which is also fine, but a bit of less impact. Again this is a lower budget film, and the ending is left open and asks more questions. One could assume that this was not meant to be it for the Peterson Research Institute and 'Occupants'.

Look for a fantastic, intuitive, extended cameo from talented 'Star Trek: Voyager' alum Robert Picardo as Dr. Alan Peterson. He is trying to wrap his mind around the goings on of the mysterious Curtis couple, and attempts to offer advice. Picardo is a pro, he has an amazing realism in all of his performances, not like acting, more like life. Again would have been cool for them to actually visit with him rather than video, but alas, the budget constraints, I am sure if a second 'Occupants' film, or a series is made this angle will be explored more in depth. There are concepts, not worth spoiling in 'Occupants', so the story will not be further discussed in this early review.

Definitely a no morons allowed film, if one does not like B movies, nor talking based movies, nor sci-fi, films, that raise more questions than answers, 'Occupants' is not for you. Dichotomy balanced in dimensional portals, juxtaposed into semi delusional state, is 'Occupants' in a nutshell. The film is thoughtful, and worth a purchase. Even with minor quips aside, 'Occupants' rates a 7 out of 10.

You rarely see a film about parallel universes in mainstream movies, this film fills the gap. The concept is interesting, the story plays well and well packaged for a small indie film. A few twists add to an entertaining hour and a half.

This was pretty good cause it showed you what could happen if you alter things and expect other versions of you to just understand. Think of the different wavelengths humans are on in your own universe. That is how you should see this kind of situation. Annie was really a clueless chafector. I wished the movie went a different direction cause i have a lot of questions. I really did enjoy the idea of the camera and frequencies. I dont understand how those letters or the camera got where they did. The movie lost me at that point but overall it was a good idea and annie irritated me a lot. Some ppl just dont know when to stop.

This is my first time writing a review. I felt I had to speak up after wasting $6 and an hour and 20 minutes of my life that I will never get back. I love horror movies, even bad ones, but this one was truly dreadful. The writing was awful. The acting was terrible. If this had been a student film, it would have gotten an F. The positive ratings must have been paid for. It's an abomination of a film.