paranormal activity (2009)

Paranormal Activity (2009)
Written and Directed by Oren Peli


It is my belief an assessment of a film can be made after the dust has settled, kind of like not getting caught up in the moment of everyone playing dumb and being hip. However, you do want to be relevant, being based out of Maine, does have its limitations. But we're allowed to be out of the loop, so catching an independent movie here and there gets harder and harder.

I suppose you want me to talk about P.A.

I kind of want me to as well.

We've now entered the third week of this monstrously successful horror film made with limited funds (its being compared to Blair Witch, I believe this will go down as the most successful low budget movie ever, B.W.P. was made for a little over 100 grand, P.A. was shot for 15 grand, and is on track to rake in a hundred million box office receipts).

What is the average person saying? For the most part its a resounding thud, not a lot of people seem to be into it as much. With a lackluster opening and very little happening through the film up until the climatic ending, its hard to see why it is a success thus far.

Not to me.

With a clever marketing scheme, the movie has employed a very real couple of people (who you'll be yelling at to get out of the house), mixed with a story, and one other thing, its pretty original. The two actors are refreshing in their non-plastic faces of models, but look like regular people, their story, far fetched, makes for a good cinematic case of the power of suggestion. I leaned forward alot looking into the darkness of the hallway most of the film, trying to see what hides in the dark. Even with the camera essentially positioned in the corner of the bedroom for most of the film, I was surprised how very little that could happen could be so effective. I agree with the masses, its not great, its not the best thing ever. It's very clever, and being a man who wants to break into film, this is the type of story that makes me want to pull out the cell phone a make a movie comprised of 15 second shots.

Its hard to satisfy our jaded horror audience, its hard to scare them, but when you hear a grown man behind you in the theater say "FUCK THAT" as our lead actor goes into a room where the television turns on by itself you know they have at least done a good job at keeping the audience manipulated.

For me, its all about the last ten minutes, where honestly, I had chills, I laughed a little nervously, I felt like a little kid on my bed sheets around my neck trying to adjust my eyes to the lack of light.

P.A. is a great horror story, and probably couldn't have been handled any better than a small crew and two actors, it'd be a shame to remake this, it'd ruin its integrity. I disagree with haters saying it doesn't deserve the hype, it made tons of people go to the theaters, its the first horror movie in the last five years to out gross Saw in box office in October. It shows we can have new stories told in Hollywood, and better yet, we don't need Michael Bay to spend millions of dollars on a shallow remake of far superior original movie.

I love P.A. for what it is, just as I did with Blair Witch Project and Open Water, mostly because the film makers have passion in these films, not because they were worried about the green coming their way.

Be like me, be in the loop, watch, have your own opinion.