Paranormal Activity

[Talia]

Just saw this tonight, and found it pretty scary. Nicely done for an indie flick. You might call it a 'Blair Witch Project' for the suburbs, though if you hated BWP I would still recommend seeing it and judging for yourself.
I liked BWP, so .. judge my opinions as you may.

Not scary through and through but enough genuine frights to leave me unsettled at the end. Good stuff!


Those who've seen it what'd you all think.

[WhiteShadow]

I liked it.

It was slow in some parts and other than the occasional mildly creepy scene it didn't really start picking up until the last 15 minutes.
I rather enjoyed the ending and I have to admit, the part where she stands motionless at the bedside for three hours was creepy.

p.s. Did anyone else sit and stare at the 5 minutes of plain black screen when the movie was over in hopes that something else would happen or was it just me?

[Kevin David Anderson]

Still amazed at people’s response to this film.  I was so bored I considered hopping theaters, which I haven’t done since I was twelve.  Nothing happens. 

I waited, and waited for something to happen.  Anything.  Nothing ever does.  Except in the last ten seconds. 

I liked BWP, and though it was unique stuff for its time, a decade or so ago.  This was just boring. 

On the bright side, my popcorn was excellent.     

[Sgarre1]

I think it's one of those movies that is seriously damaged by hype - it's approach is very low-key and so any expectation of "the scariest thing EVAH!" are going to fail almost by definition.

That's not to say I thought it was brilliant and just misunderstood by those who dislike it.  It is a certain *style* of horror movie, and if that style isn't your style, well, it ain't gonna work, but PARANORMAL ACTIVITY has pacing problems all over the place and, while I appreciate and actually prefer the low-key approach nowadays (certainly more than action horror or torture porn), a little too *little* happened for my tastes (again, the pacing was severely mishandled in regards to parceling out events and timing them to the narrative flow).

That said, as a horror film, viewed separate from all the expectations, I found it as enjoyable (and in some specifics moments, more enjoyable - the investigation of the attic was a nice, prosaic scale homage to a similar scene in THE EXORCIST, IMO) than a lot of the crap that gets fobbed off as horror nowadays (DAYBREAKERS, anyone?).  I theorized at the time that it would have a good chance playing as effectively on the small screen at home as it did on the big screen in a theater, but I've since revised that opinion, as I believe that nothing but the most sophisticated home audio system could replicate the intense felling of ominous dread conjured up by the use of low frequency rumbling that occurred on the huge cinema sound system at choice moments.

Looking forward to THE WOLF MAN!

[Scattercat]

I'm glad I watched it with Rifftrax, is all I have to say.  I enjoyed the effort and the general attempt, but the actual movie as a whole was kind of meh.  The characters were whiny and unlikeable, and while I appreciate realistic dialogue, there is a limit.  (That limit is somewhere below having an ENTIRE MOVIE whose dialogue consists of:  Woman - "Don't."  Man - "But I waaaaannna!")

The ending underwhelmed me completely.  I generally enjoy the 'less is more' approach, and I actually was quite creeped out by the whole attic sequence (and the nice touch of Katy's hair blowing just as she says, "I can feel it breathing on me!")  However, the blatant in-your-face sequence that wrapped it up left me cold, and the stupid text that came up afterward made me snort derisively.  It was like the last line of one of those cheesy ghost stories they sell to nine-year-olds. 

You know what would have made a way awesomer ending?  Last scene just as it was, with the walking out and the screaming and the leaping and the screaming and the quiet and then the footsteps, slow, slow, slow... and then WHAM, the door slams, locking the audience's perspective inside, and we never see what happens.  I'd even forgive the stupid cheesy text plate after that, because it would be creepy as all get out after the strangeness and ambiguity of the prior scenes. 

Both Blair Witch and Cloverfield did the ending better than this version.  Heck, even Quarantine did it better!  Srsly, Random Newbie Filmmaker.  Lern 2 scare.

[wakela]

Though I wholeheartedly applaud the effort and the subtlety, I have to give it a "meh."  I would definitely see this guy's next movie, though.  There was some very creepy stuff like the attic scene and the standing by the bed.  I also liked how the sound of the footsteps coming up the stairs and entering the room gave me a sense that I was in the presence of the demon, but I needed a little more.   Maybe a half-viewed face in a window,  stuff messed up in weird ways (like the chair-stacking in Poltergeist), etc.   Though I didn't find either character particularly likable, her progression from harmless, forgettable suburban girl to demon-haunted, tortured victim was interesting.  He, however, remained a douchebag throughout.

The movie actually trained me to be less scared as it went on.  My knuckles were white on my beer glass as I watched the tape of the first night, but as each night went by with not much happening I began to relax.  A movie like this should make you dread the coming of night.

Still, it wasn't stupid and it wasn't insulting.  You have to give the guy credit for going subtle, he just went a little too subtle. 

I think this is creepier.  Tip: watch the video before reading the blurb.

[Effie Collins]

I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but I thought this film was total crap! It never scared me, at all, and I kept whispering to the person next to me "and this happens next, I bet anything..." and, on nearly all of the times I said this (I was wrong about the timing twice... they still  ended up happening, just a bit later than I expected) I was absolutely correct. To say that this was predictable film is an understatement. And sadly enough, it's a movie we've all seen time and time again. Just because it was presented a la Blair Witch doesn't make it a different story. Just more badly delivered.

But... that's my opinion. Sometimes, I like the off-screen happenings being used for scare. But it loses its glory after... say... the third instance. Had this film had a good mixture of visual, as well as off screen... (say, for instance, as The Exorcism of Emily Rose... damn good movie and it blends the off-screen happenings with on-screen very well) it may have been better.

I'm beginning to wonder why the film industry even tries anymore. Horror movies are only getting worse.

[Sgarre1]

I'm beginning to wonder why the film industry even tries anymore. Horror movies are only getting worse.

I would point out that, unless you mean it in comparison to, say, You Tube videos or micro-budget home films, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY was hardly a product of "the film industry" - it was only bought for distrubution after being made as a cheap indie and shown at Sundance.

[Talia]

I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but I thought this film was total crap! It never scared me, at all, and I kept whispering to the person next to me "and this happens next, I bet anything..." and, on nearly all of the times I said this (I was wrong about the timing twice... they still  ended up happening, just a bit later than I expected) I was absolutely correct. To say that this was predictable film is an understatement. And sadly enough, it's a movie we've all seen time and time again. Just because it was presented a la Blair Witch doesn't make it a different story. Just more badly delivered.

But... that's my opinion. Sometimes, I like the off-screen happenings being used for scare. But it loses its glory after... say... the third instance. Had this film had a good mixture of visual, as well as off screen... (say, for instance, as The Exorcism of Emily Rose... damn good movie and it blends the off-screen happenings with on-screen very well) it may have been better.

I'm beginning to wonder why the film industry even tries anymore. Horror movies are only getting worse.

Doesn't offend me. Film scared the crap out of me personally. Methinks its just a matter of taste and what works for one personally and what doesn't.

I reckon  you also hated Blair Witch Project (which I liked, though didn't find it ALL that scary).

[Effie Collins]

Not at all. I absolutely loved the Blair Witch Project. I think my major problem with P.A. was the predictability of everything that happened. If you read, write and love horror like I do... there's that desensitization that happens. And you begin to know what's been done. And done. And done some more. I go to watch something new and it' just like everything else. It makes me look very hard for real scare. It amazes that so many people thought the movie was frightening.

And as for the comparison... this film is just one of hundreds that I think are crap. I've been let down by so many horror movies it's not even funny.

Maybe I'm just really hard to scare.

[Fenrix]

You know what would have made a way awesomer ending?  Last scene just as it was, with the walking out and the screaming and the leaping and the screaming and the quiet and then the footsteps, slow, slow, slow... and then WHAM, the door slams, locking the audience's perspective inside, and we never see what happens.  I'd even forgive the stupid cheesy text plate after that, because it would be creepy as all get out after the strangeness and ambiguity of the prior scenes. 

I like your alternate ending more than either of theirs. I also thought a good one would be her walking in all bloody and then crawling into bed. You could have ended it there or have her freak out the next morning off screen. Toss up a text plate about how the film was used as evidence in her murder trial.

[teprngr]

Paranormal Activity sure seems a scary movie and I definitely plan to see it –
If not for anything else just to come to my own conclusions about it I love
Horror movies and don’t miss an opportunity to see them when I get the
chance I loved BWP and it PA is anything like it, I am sure I’ll like this as well
 But at the end of the day, as rightly said, it is all a matter for taste

[Talia]

Paranormal Activity sure seems a scary movie and I definitely plan to see it –
If not for anything else just to come to my own conclusions about it I love
Horror movies and don’t miss an opportunity to see them when I get the
chance I loved BWP and it PA is anything like it, I am sure I’ll like this as well
 But at the end of the day, as rightly said, it is all a matter for taste

I liked BWP, and imho PA is much better. I think you'll like it.

[AliceNred]

I saw this one a couple of weeks ago. I thought for the most part it was boring.

I thought the acting was OK, and the relationship was kind just beard and butter.

I did like the ending.

Overall I just couldn't see why this movie was such a hit. Not original, not well acted and done OK.

[Bdoomed]

I only saw the ending of this movie a few weeks ago.  As in the last 10 minutes or so.

I thought it was pretty funny.
Don't listen to me tho.

[AliceNred]

Some have brought up BWP and is so much better. That was original. everyone could act, and there was good pacing. I've watched in the last year and I have to say it held up pretty well.

I does my little heart good to see that others, thought little of the movie as well.