Paranormal Activity Movie Blurb by Shale October 9, 2009 Today I got off work early and was dismayed that no interesting movies were starting this Friday. Paranormal Activity would start at a convenient matinee time so I checked the trailer online. It looked like a documentary so I passed it up. Then a co-worker (thanks Jackson) mentioned an exciting new scary movie he heard about so I went and checked some more. This 2007, low budget indie film, with unknown actors has just now been widely released. It got a 94% Fresh rating by the reviewers on Rottentomatoes and was described as a good old fashioned horror flick for a whole new generation of 20-somethings. And yes, it is a mocumentary, reminiscent of the 1999 movie The Blair Witch Project. Paranormal Activity Poster (the only pic available) I couldn't find any production pics because apparently there aren't any. Checking the background of the movie I found that it is not only an indie film but a labor of love of director Oren Peli who made it on a $15K budget, shot it on a hand held camera and remodeled his own house as a set. The scene in the poster above is the main set, the bedroom of Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) the two main characters. The two other actors, almost cameo appearances, are a psychic (Mark Fredrichs) and Katie's friend Amber (Amber Armstrong). Katie has been plagued since childhood by some ghost who whispers her name at night and does other noisy things. This entity followed her when she moved in with her boyfriend Micah and the movie opens when he gets a video camera to document what is going on. It is this time-sequence video where much of our story takes place. At times Micah carries the camera around like most jerk boyfriends and annoys Katie. At other times it is set on a tripod to watch over them as they sleep. They review the night's video log and see small manifestations such as a door moving on its own, but as the movie progresses there are increasing manifestations of this paranormal activity to where it goes from benign to menacing. Katie and Micah have good chemistry together and you think they really are a couple under this increasing stress. They show affection and concern as well as disagreement and bickering. I found the movie entertaining with a few gotcha frights. Maybe I'm too old and jaded but it is not the scariest movie of all time. It seems directed at a young adult audience one that would identify with the fear of the young couple. You have to give this movie credit for taking basically two young, unknown actors working in a home for a set, using a hand held camera and no crew or any of the usual movie expenses such as CGI or other special effects and coming up with a good, entertaining and somewhat scary movie. I can see why it got such critical acclaim.
Okay, now that makes this all make so much more sense. I was wondering why there was so much hype to this movie.
I noticed on the news tonight that this movie made #1 in the box office this weekend. All the promotion was by Internet and word-of-mouth.
Movie was terrible.. I don't understand how my girlfriend was scared shitless from such a terrible movie.
I thought the filmmakers did a great job of creating suspense and making everything work with the budget that they had... Was it a masterpiece... by all means NO! Worthy effort though, I thought there were some geniunely creepy moments... especially when the (POSSIBLE SPOILER) gets yanked form her bed... I think I gave it a 5/10 on IMDB.
There may be some spoilers in my post so don't read this if your concerned over that. Idea was good, movie wasn't very good though. Terrible script, acting wasn't too great. I liked how they were implying that it may be a demon, and that this is worse than a ghost. Ultimately it was, but only at the end. The end coming up too fast, and not being very creative. Movie was predictable, and largely overated. I suppose in every horror movie there needs to be one complete idiot. The boyfriend obviously. The one who regularly taunts the demonic being, a being with more power than him and who he cannot defend himself against. Yes, some people need a lesson in critical thinking. Unrealistic. People have evolved fearing the unknown, and demons are as unknown as you can get. Unless your mentally challenged, you would be hiding under the bed just thinking about this thing. Even despite the psychics warnings, he still taunts it. Although he won't listen to the psychic this time, but he needs to listen to the psychic when his GF wants to stay somewhere else for the night (he quickly points out that the psychic said the demon will follow her). Wheres the consistency? If theres even a slight chance that you could get one undisturbed night somewhere else, you would be going there. Im sure it simply wasn't in the movies budget to rent a hotel room. Its unfortunate they didn't expand on the whole demon concept. Demons being pure evil and malicious, something much much worse than a "simple" ghost. They could of done things to make it more creepy, more evil, to really make it a threatening atmosphere. How about some demonic whisperings in the background, how about the sound of people crying/suffering, demonic howling, strange unexplicable lights glowing, demonic writings being etched into the wall by a claw (or written in blood), maybe some glowing eyes in the dark hallway. Something bizare, maddening, hellish. Instead there was a noise that sounded like vacuum cleaner malfunctioning that proceeded any incidence, foot prints in powder on the ground (i think the demon wheres nikeys btw), doors moving. Some flames on a quigee board after the demon was done using it (what was that, some kind of demon writing signiture? "your gonna die, signed Terry the demon. P.S. your out of mayo lols"). Nothing that really shows the evil that would be a demon. I suppose it was satisfactory considering the budget, but movies are routinely hammered for having cheap special effects or what not due to lack of budget. Why not this one? I feel I could of came up with a better script (and I have no training whatsoever). 3/10 from me.
Most of your points are valid, but you really have to consider the fact that this movie had NO budget. $15K is nothing any more. So, it was a (literal) homemade indie film - and it gets big credit for what it was, not what it wasn't. And it couldn't have been anything better unless someone had another $1.50 to pitch in.
Scariest movie I have seen in a while. It was more realistic then any of the other high budget horror flicks out there. There was a few flaws, but as I said, best horror movie I have seen in a long time (although I am not that big of a horror fan) 8/10 If I was them I would have gone straight to a Church (And I'm no religious), or at least as far away from that house as possible- especially after they started finding stuff in the attic...
I saw this movie in october and slept with a night light on until december. Something about the way the girl in the film was sleepwalking, losing her mind and succumbing to the possession of her demon so easily just got to me. It also gave an explanation for all those mysterious creaks and bumps that I hear all of the time in the middle of the night. (The explanation being a cloven-hoofed malicious entity that lives in your house and is drawn to you specifically for an unknown reason.) I have personally had numerous experiences of waking in the middle of the night to see a large dark figure standing at the foot of my bed, and to other people I know. I mean, years ago before this movie. And also you know when you have those dreams where you wake and you can't move or scream because someone is laying on top of you, a terrible weight, but it really doesn't seem like a dream at all, and when you bring it up the next day you find two other people in your household have had the exact same nightmare in the same night? I don't think about this all of the time at all, but when I saw the movie and saw them talking about some of the same things and offering an explanation for some of it, well, the whole deal just creeped me out in a big way.
I thought this movie was soo creepy. I was scared for a couple nights when I would sleep after I watched this movie. It has a bunch of different endings, too. Seems like everyone I talk to about the movie has seen a different ending.
really ? so they made different versions? i havent heard that but it'd be kinda cool. man, this movie bare freaked me out ! its simplicity is what makes it; it could easily be filmed in your own street. the worst bit is when she gets dragged away at the end. also when she is awake at night just sstandin in the room n she dont remember it is creepy. in the cinema i saw it at she flies toward the screen at the end which makes u jump !! there was no credits n the theatre stayed dark for a bit which was dead weird but effective at the end !
this is the least scary movie i have ever seen it makes the blair witch project look like a masterpiece soooooo lame
