BY COLIN ENQUIST
If you have been reading Stories in Medium the past couple of months, you would already know how excited I was to see Paranormal Activity. Paranormal Activity is the newest indie darling film to get a nation wide theatrical release, thanks to the 1 million people who clicked Paramount’s Demand It button. Also the horror film is just in time for the Halloween season too!
Oren Peli made this film on a minuscule budget of $15, 000. Part of the reason Paranormal Activity is selling out shows everywhere has to be the two stars of the film. The relative unknown, Katie Featherston (Mutation) and Micah Sloat, really are fantastic. You could easily put up an argument that neither will ever win an Academy Award but the outstanding chemistry the two have make up for any minor glitches in their performance. Featherston really does a wonderful job of playing a college student about to have a nervous breakdown.A simple plot like Paranormal Activity’s causes possible ticket holders to question the hype the film has generated. The couple is being haunted by a demon, really Katie is being haunted and Micah is along for the ride. Micah is adamant that he can stop the entity and films the ordeal they are going through, never letting the camera out of his sight. The sluggish moving plot Peli has created is something we do not see enough of. As the demon begins to torment Katie and Micah more and more, the tension is leisurely starting to reach its boiling point.
Instead of using the overrated bag of tricks Hollywood is now obsessed with, Peli tests each viewer’s imagination by solidifying the presence of the invisible demon, off camera. Rattling the chandelier, moving the door or banging on the walls, slowly disturbs Katie and the audience. Micah still senses what is happening is unbelievable, even with the footage proving that something is fucking with them.
Suspense filled at first, Paranormal Activity begins to transform itself into the horror film the hype machine has created. With Micah provoking the demon while Katie is not around, the attacks he instigated get worse. This leads to a few truly terrifying nights for the couple. Who would have thought baby powder could be so scary?
I will not ruin the few moments that ring true to the hype, as the posters states, “Paranormal Activity is one of the scariest movies of all time. You will be affected as it’s hard to ignore the imprint it leaves on your psyche. Nightmares are guaranteed.”
For those that did not know, the ending has been changed from the original cut. It still keeps the same tone so it is not really a big change. Steven Spielberg is the apparent cause of the change and you can not really fault him for the switch. You can view the original ending here. Both are creepy, the theatrical cut evokes a more startling image for the audience but the original ending drives home the spine-chilling scares of the film that will sit in the back of your mind for the next few nights to come.
Personally, this film scared the shit out of me. It was not to the point that I had to walk out of the theatre like a few did. This film will be loved or hated; it will all depend on your imagination. Creepy, disturbing, terrifying, and tons of suspense make this film a must watch. If only Hollywood focused more on making films like this instead of seven Saw films (which I still adore to an extent) and counting! The Hurt Locker and Moon are the best films I have seen this year. Who would have thought a low budget horror film would also be grouped into this category.
4 out of 5
4 comments:
Definitely one of the scariest films I've ever seen...very refreshing in a time when we see too many horror sequels and remakes. More originality!
I'm glad they showed this instead of doing a remake first, like they originally planned to do.
By the way, I believe they're on the sixth 'Saw' film, not the seventh.
They are, but they have announced a 7th and it will be in 3D.
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