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3.10.09 # 21:18 # Review # 33 Comments
Our Paranormal Activity Review
Director: Oren Peli
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
As near as I can tell, Paranormal Activity utilizes a single moment of computer generated visual effects. The rest seems to be old-fashioned trickery. Doors move on their own, invisible shapes cast shadows on the wall, and deep, resonating sounds emanate from the walls. And Hollywood should take note, because such old-school techniques are what kept the budget to around $15,000 – and the film is more terrifying and entertaining than every major studio-released horror film in the past 20 years.
Every time a new horror movie is released (especially the ones touted as “the scariest horror movie you’ve ever seen”) I get my hope up that I’ll go to the theater and recapture that intense feeling like the first time I glimpsed The Exorcist on cable television and had to fumble for the TV remote with my eyes closed.
Tonight, after watching Paranormal Activity, I felt that way again. As part of Paramount’s unique marketing campaign, the film is only being release for a few midnight showings at select cities. One assumes this is to create word of mouth and ticket sales large enough to justify wide distribution. Judging by the packed 1am showing, that shouldn’t be a problem.
It’s hard to talk about this film because it’s probably not what you think it’s going to be, and what it actually is shouldn’t be ruined before you enter that theater and there’s no turning back. Suffice to say, it’s MUCH scarier than your average ghost story.
This is the latest entry in the “found footage” sub-genre, which started all the way back with 1999’s The Blair Witch Project, found its peak with Cloverfield (2007), and reached seeming perfection with [REC] in 2008. But Paranormal Activity proves there are still plenty of thrills left in the genre.
The movie has no opening or ending credits, no title sequence. It simply begins with a title plate stating that Paramount (the distribution company) would like to thank the local sheriff’s department for their co-operation. Then the footage begins, without fanfare. There is no lighting, no artistic cinematography … the footage plays out for 99 minutes, documenting the the lives of Katie (Katie Featherston), Micah (Micah Sloat), and their suspiciously noisy house.
Critics will be divided on the actually quality of this film. It’s undeniably frightening. As the camera begins to capture paranormal events, night after night, with increasing intensity, the tension in the audience is palpable. But because the film never once breaks the “found footage” gimmick, it also does not obey a normal three-act structure. Many of the scenes and camera angles are repeated since Micah places the camera in the same place each evening while the couple sleeps. Many of the shots are hard to see in the dark and often reaction shots are lost because the filmmakers were limited by one camera. However, this also lends to the realism. The film’s sole intention is to scare you, and it succeeds largely because it looks and feels like stuff you find on YouTube, making the terror uncomfortably real.
Is it the scariest movie ever made? You’ll have to make that judgement for yourself … but I will say this: it’s 4am, and I don’t want to finish this review because I’ll have to turn off my light.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Our Rating: A-
Leave your own Paranormal Activity review in the comments.
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Yes!!! This makes me want to see it so bad. Reactions like this only reassure me of its scariness.
All the signs are incredibly positive. I’m really looking forward to seeing this now… and scaring other people with it.
Great review, I totally agree, it made me feel like a 10-year-old again, hiding behind the sofa, watching the black and white The Haunting.
Saw this Friday – it gets under your skin and into your psyche – There are a few different scenes that I absolutely can’t get out of my head – especially at 2am when I’m trying to sleep…no joke – this movie is creepy….
Just saw a midnight showing and the story development was right on point… Haven’t been this scared in a loooong time.
SAW IT LAST NIGHT
THIS MOVIE IS NOT THE SCARIEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME BUT
THIS I WILL TELL YOU SINCE THE ORIGINAL CHAINSAW MASSACRE
THE FIRST 2 HELLRAISER AND THE DEVILS REJECTS
ALL THOSE MOVIES DIDNOT AFFECT ME THE WAY THIS MOVIE HAS
ITS GONNA BE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE I CAN SLEEP WITH MY WIFE NEXT TO ME AGAIN THIS MOVIE MAKES SIMPLE THINGS REALLY SCARE
IT REACHES DEEP INSIDE ANYBODYS FEARS WHERE YOU THOUGT YOU WERE SAFE.I WILL SEE IT AGAIN BUT NOT WITH MY FAMILY
ICANNOT PUT THEM TO WATCH THIS MOVIE
IT REALLY FREAK ME OUT HONESTLY
BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE
THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY
I’ve just came home from seeing it and i honestly believe that this was actual footage…. so many statements have been made that this is just another typical scary movie. However, i beg to differ…. the ending sets it str8 that it would most likely b found footage
Saw this movie 10/11/09 in Downtown Santa Cruz, CA at an old theater for the midnight showing. The thing was sold out and the buzz was high. Everyone had heard something about this film and had high expectations, this usually means a bunch of angry, let down moviegoers at the end but that was just not the case. as the movie starts out every one is just waiting for something scary to happen and the ghost to pop out and chase Katie around there cookie cutter San Diego home but you get drawn in by Micah and Katie’s relationship and you kind of care. Then you get your first dose of an image that will no doubt stick in you head and remind you that there are things you are scared of, a still night vision shot of two people in bed, sleeping in a dark room. The couple starts to experience strange things that really scare Katie and seem to amuse the some what Douche-baggy Micah doors moving loud noises and then progressively more disturbing things that are sure to UN nerve the post skeptical horror fan. The use of tension and the fact the film uses your own imagination to tailor fit the scariest image you can conjure up make the low budget movie not just make you shift in your seat but make you grip that thing like its really going to save you. From there the tension gets even worse as everytime that damn night scene shows up with that evil time stamp you tighten up and sweat it out. The movie never breaks from its mission to use less to scare the crap out of you and the couple sitting next to you. My buddy and I left the movie talking about how scary it really was and what we would have done had it been us and so was everyone else. I not a huge wuss or anything but I didn’t sleep a wink that night I watched ESPN with all the lights in my house on. Every little normal noise I hear every night was surely a demon stalker and I couldn’t get that bedroom image out of my head. Overall this was one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen, I recommend you see it and tell your friends, as its best viewed with your buddies or your girl at the latest showing they have.
I just saw it on Sunday and it was freaking scary.
My head still hurts because I couldn’t sleep last night
from just thinking of the movie. I love scary movies but
this one just creeped me out alot.
this movie was by far the scariest movie ivew ever seen. the footage is all based on what really happend in that house.
that was one of the scasriest movies ive seen in a long time
its sooo true that movie is the scariest movie iv ever seen in my life or maybe later on therell make more scarier movie then just tat AAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!
SCARY!*O*
Scariest part I thought was when she got drug down the hallway. I didn’t see what happened to her face at the end cause I was hiding lol and I usually don’t get scared that easily!
the dragging scene was great, this is the first time in a long time i was constantly worried about peeing myself
Hey SuperMario,
Please explain to me the whole TYPING EVERYTHING IN CAPITAL LETTERS thing.
I just don’t get it. I do cringe every time I see this, and say to myself “moron!”
Too much work? Don’t know where the Big Letters Should Go?
oof.