‘Paranormal Activity’ All too Normal
by Carl KozlowskiHumans like to think they know the difference between truth and fiction. But in the modern media age, even as we feel technology has made us more savvy than ever, there’s always a disquieting edge that makes us wonder what’s really the truth and where are we being manipulated. Is Fox News really “fair and balanced” just ‘cause they say so, for instance? Or is Obama really bringing “Hope” back to America just because his colorful posters say so?
Back in 1999, a movie called “The Blair Witch Project” burst into the American pop culture consciousness from seemingly nowhere. It appeared to be (and was marketed to viewers as) a raw documentary film about three student filmmakers and their tragic last days experiencing supernatural forces while lost in the wilderness, but in reality it was a fictional film made for under $30,000 by a team of indie filmmakers and actors and had caused a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival months before.
The resulting hysteria of “was that real or not?” among the average, uninformed horror-film fans drove the film to a massive $150 million gross in the US alone, and inspired dozens of spoof films and cheapo horror films in its wake. But no one’s been able to catch that lightning in a bottle of mass mental manipulation twice – until now.
“Paranormal Activity” uses the same conceit of “found footage” depicting the tragic consequences of supernatural attacks on seemingly normal people. In this case, it follows the events that befall young shacked-up couple Micah (Micah Stone) and Katie (Katie Featherston) after Micah buys a video camera in an attempt to see whether they can catch on video exactly what’s causing awful noises to waft through their apartment and doors to slam viciously while they sleep at night.
Katie is more inclined to believe there’s a supernatural element to things than the skeptical Micah, partly because she reveals that she’s experienced strange behavior before from what seemed like spirits at other times in her life, no matter where she’s moved. Micah starts to believe pretty soon as well, however, especially after he leaves a Ouija board out and notices that it’s very definitely been used for a message from the beyond. Soon, a paranormal expert comes over to check things out and says he definitely thinks there’s trouble brewing.
“Paranormal” uses a string of subtle effects to convey the slow yet steadily growing horror felt by the couple as they experience all manner of noises, slammed doors, shaken chandeliers, flipped-on TVs and eventually the sight of hideous claw marks in some strategically placed powder on the bedroom floor. The lead actors are total unknowns making their feature film debuts, effectively adding to the feeling that this is real rather than a predictable cinematic adventure sure to be survived by a star like George Clooney or Angelina Jolie.
And yet, while first-time writer-director Oren Peli crafts a haunting, desolate look for the film with its frequent use of shadowy night footage, very few moments of the film provide a true scare that makes audience members jump out of their seats or shriek in terror. Having seen it with a crowd of mostly underage teenagers who should have been perfect targets for a truly scary film, I can attest that the loudest freakouts of the film – other than its undeniably disturbing final moments – came when audience members dropped bottles loudly at tense moments, provoking false panic immediately followed by whoops of laughter, and at the film’s conclusion, a chorus of disappointed comments.
That reaction was surprising, because distributor Paramount Pictures is turning “Paranormal” into a box-office juggernaut by using a viral Internet campaign in which a million people had to electronically “demand” the film be released widely before the studio would release it nationally (surprise, the campaign worked). Having seen through the hype after surviving a screening, one can only hope that the “demand” won’t keep growing once word gets out about its almost-nonexistent plotline and simply sporadic scares.
Advance hype in a Los Angeles Times’ article on the film stated that Steven Spielberg himself went crazy for “Paranormal,” finding it so terrifying that he believed his advance screening tape was haunted and that he brought it back to his office the next day wrapped in a plastic trash bag for fear of touching it. If this is what terrifies the legendary director of “Jaws” and writer of “Poltergeist” these days, then perhaps he’s made a few too many family films.
He should have also kept the tape in the trash bag and spared the rest of us our ten dollars.
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66 Comments
I've actually seen ghosts and UFOs and I still don't believe in them. Of course, I don't believe in Hope and Change, either.
Our perceptions are not to be trusted. Knowing that fact alone is winning half the battle.
The truth is out there? Really out there. "You got two hands, prayin hands, that pray for no man"(Devo).
The fact that Spielberg likes this movie isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for me.
If the culture hypes it, or it is said to be "widely acclaimed", that's how you can tell it's overblown crap.
Having gotten burned with "The Blair Witch Project" I will take my time with this latest offering. "Blair Witch" was a lousy film but it's marketing was both brilliant and historic. Start a web rumor that the thing was real and slowly bring it along through the blogosphere until those who heard of it had no choice but to see it. The Sci-Fi Channel (now the ubercool "SyFy") did their bit with a "special" purporting to explore the "background of the Blair Witch legend." I suspect that "Paranormal Activity" is more of the same and will wait until I can be scared out of my wits in the comfort of my own home for a two-dollar investment at my local video store.
The wife and I went to see it Saturday and we had the same reaction as the teens you described. As did the rest of the theater from what we could tell – confused looks among 50-plus people and a "Is that it?" comment from one guy up front.
Now, I will say this, the movie bothered me quite a bit when I went to bed that night. Every noise seemed louder and ominous and when a back brush hung by a suction cup on our shower wall fell to the ground making a big bang and scaring the crap out of me.
Demons everywhere, I tell ya.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Big Hollywood, Fernando Colon. Fernando Colon said: ‘Paranormal Activity’ All too Normal http://bit.ly/RehKQ [...]
This past weekend, my daughter & her boyfriend went to see Paranormal Activity, my wife & I went to see Law Abiding Citizen. When we got out of the theatre, they thought it was a huge waste of time/money, while my we thought Citizen was a blast!
This movie isn't in my area, but when I saw The Blair Witch Project, I was a bit bored (it could have been trimmed by about 10 to 15 minutes), and,. after it was over, I approached a couple I'd seen in the theater and asked if they thought it was scary. Like myself, they didn't think so.
Then, that night, just as I was about to fall asleep, that last scene popped into my head, and my dark bedroom suddenly seemed a lot more menacing. And I felt uneasy going into the basement when no one else was in the house. That's the same sort of thing I've been hearing about Paranormal Activity.
We've become conditioned into thinking that blood, gore, and things popping out and going "boo!" is horror, but real horror involves the creation of tension, unease, and dread, and, as even Kozlowski inadvertently concedes, this film seems to be doing the job.
I am not a fan of movies that are only made for one viewing. The jump out and scare you stuff just doesn't work past that first viewing. I think i won't waste my time.
I ted to prefer pg-13 movies because they can't rely on the easy and have to be a "smarter" movie.
I still don't understand that standing in the corner thing at the end of Blair Witch and it has been a decade.
I still don't know what it is Meatloaf won't do for love either.
*sigh* so many unanswered questions.
this movie had a great setting because it takes place not in some ruin or old mansion, but a modern middle america suburb house. but where it fell down for me is the arrogance and hubris of the lead male character. and also the psychic.
thx you too much
I like when these movies come out and see folks totally drawn in by the power of perception. It gives me instant identification to the type of person they are. I know a person his 70's who for the most part is pretty bright and has held cerebral positions throughout his life thought Blair Witch was real. A closer look at this person will reveal he believes in the JFK and Princess Diana conspiracy (I am afraid to ask about 9-11) and will shut his mind whenever I lay out any evidence to the contrary with a wave of the hand (I am investigative consultant). I am not saying that everyone who is taken in by this movie is a conspiracy theorist as many can selectively suspend belief and immerse themselves for enjoyment. The power of perception can have great effects on some people while I still have my faded "Question Authority" bumper sticker. I am thinking of getting a new sticker of my favorite response that says: Evidence please!
By my count, this is actually the sixth "lost video footage" horror movie, since (and including "Blair Witch"). Other such films include: "Cloverfield", "Diary of the Dead", "[REC]" and "Quarantine" (which is a remake of "[REC]"), and I'm not sure if "Cannibal Holocaust" (unseen by me) counts either (filmed two decades ago). Of what I've seen of these films, "[REC]" is extraordinarily good. And when you discover that they shot the film in a manner which kept most of its actors in the dark (literally and figuratively) as to what will happen next, our audience reaction mirrors that of theirs.
I'm looking forward to seeing this. I like good bump in the middle of the night movies and that this one's premise is that, for the most part, it could be anyone's house. Makes it more personal. But the difference between this and Blair Witch Project, is that no claims this was real. It's a great time of the year for it and hopefully it'll be as fun as a haunted house.
I'm looking forward to seeing this. I like good bump in the middle of the night movies and that this one's premise is that, for the most part, it could be anyone's house. Makes it more personal. But the difference between this and Blair Witch Project, is that no claims this was real. It's a great time of the year for it and hopefully it'll be as fun as a haunted house. I don't believe in the JFK or Princess Di conspiracies. Just like a good scare.
The Blair Witch Project was a bust, bored me silly. I also wish I had saved my cash.
I disagree with the assessment. I saw the film with a crowd of college students and the screams were frequent and loud. As a horror film fan who has grown tired of the relentless onslaught of remakes and over-the-top teeny-bopper gore and snorefests of late, I found this film to be both refreshing and damn scary. What I found most interesting was the total absence of religion and/or grasp of the spiritual among the main characters. It's almost a godless "Exorcist/Amityville" in many ways. I loved it. It creeped me out both during and after watching it. There are few films that can do that to me any more.
There is another movie that came out about the same time as "The Blair Witch Project" and it was called "The Last Broadcast". It was about a reporter investigating mysterious deaths possibly involving the Jersey Devil. I actually liked this movie, especially its shock ending.
I saw the Last Broadcast, it was alright until the ending. Which I thought was total cop out. I always felt they should have left ending open as to what hapened.
Comparing this film to the Blair Witch doesn't help it in my book. I rented it when it came out on video to see what all the hype was about and that's what it was all hype. The only brilliant thing about the movie was the marketing campaign. I remember a reviewer at the time tried to say the movie was a metaphor about how Americans never know when to give up. Yeah no liberal bias. I might right this movie when it comes. The setup seems to know the secret of horror movies, make a situation or setting the audience knows (our own homes) scarey.
The film took place in a house, not an apartment. There were footprints on the powdered floor. Claw marks appeared in a photo on the wall.
"Poltergeist" wasn't scary [meat sliding along the counter, following precisely the only (and clearly) ungrouted gap between counter tiles?]
The scariest moment of the film took place not in the theater, but later, at home, when it was time to turn out the lights and try to go to sleep.
This movie was FREAKIN BORING during the first half. I almost got up and DEMAINDED my $10 – however, halfway through the movie, it started to get slightly more exciting. It's NOT WORTH $10. When Hollywood refuses a movie, remember, there is A GOOD REASON – the movie prob SUXS! Don't spend the money, it's not worth the NECK ache!!
I saw the movie and liked it. It is exactly what it is advertised to be, so I'm not sure what people were expecting that would cause them to leave disappointed. The film was designed to be creepy and it was. Was it a timeless movie that people will be talking about for years to come? No. Was it a better than average scary movie? Yes, because its "found video footage" approach roots it more in the real world where smaller things can successfully scare you.
yes, I felt that same way. I've been looking for a movie that totally creeps me out and this did that psychological thing that stays with you hours after you leave the theatre.
I agree with the posts that say the true mark of a scary movie is whether easy it is to go to sleep that night. I was 12 when I saw "Poltergeist" and let me tell ya, I was dreading bodies popping out of the floor that whole night after I saw the film. Even if it was absolutely impossible that would happen.
I don't know if I would find "Paranormal Activity" scary or not. BWP frustrated me with the tenderfoot crew's stupid mistakes but I admired how it took full advantage of its very low budget to create a believable horror story. Horror is the only genre that benefits from bare-bones filmmaking over big-budgets and fancy special effects. Real-life paranormal experiences and ghost stories are scary because they mess with our sense of reality. If it can happen to a regular all-American family in a rather ordinary home, it can happen to you. Big movie stars and fanciful haunted houses take that possibility away.
Whatever to the The Blair Witch Project film makers?
Did they become ghosts and disappear with the $150 million?
There is nothing scarier than Barney Frank and Chris Dodd sitting on Banking and Financing committees.
I shit my pants everytime I think about it.
There is nothing scarier than Barney Frank and Chris Dodd sitting on Banking and Finance committees.
I shit my pants everytime I think about it.
I say "The Blair Witch Project" in a setting that was probably the only way it could seem good to anyone – in an early screening in West LA with producers/directors/writers in attendance. Everyone there wanted to be there, knew the general conceit, and had a good time. In a general audience, or, even worse, on tape/dvd, the film wouldn't work at all. I suspect "Paranormal Activity" is somewhat the same.
A general audience is probably just gonna talk too much or not "get into the spirit of the film," so to speak, like an audience at one of the rare, early screenings that attracted the type of viewer who would "get into it." Atmosphere is important when watching movies like this, I think.
That said, God bless the filmmakers for at least trying something different in this age of splatter-fests and torture porn. Going back to psychological horror instead of gross-out horror is quite the bold step these days.
the sinner,
Patrick
I'd say that last scene in Blair Witch was the only troubling part for me. The rest of that film I was annoyed at how whiny they were. When the girl started freaking about how they were lost and had crossed the creek 4 times, I started screaming (at my TV, watched it on tape) "Follow the d*mn creek downstream you idiot!"
Haven't seen this one and doubt I will. The wife has been watching Ghost Hunters on SciFi (now SyFy) for a few years. They spend more time trying to prove that nothing is there rather than the other way around. I can only take so much of it.
I grew up in the 60s. Still the scariest movies for me, Hitchcock without a doubt.
That was a good one. Kind of confusing for me in parts, but kept me watching the whole way through. I figured out the killer about 30 seconds before it was shown. Didn't have any proof, just a hunch.
I already knew that The Blair Witch was not real when I saw it, so it took away the "magic". Except the last scene was pretty scary.
A college-aged co-worker just saw this movie this weekend and said it scared the BLEEP out of her.
Horror, like comedy, is hard – different things scare different people and some of us don't like those torture films like Saw. It's all a matter of opinion.
I saw this movie last night and I was bored out of my mind… My friends (the girls and one of the boyfriends) were absolutely terrified, but I found the movie to be laughable at best. I want my money back…
I have to agree. Was disappointed at the theater, but jumped out of my skin at every noise that night. *spoiler alert* would have been a much better film if the chick from The Ring hadn't shown up at the end.
I agree. Our theater was rocking and rolling w/ frequent screams. It was hilarious, however, at the end of the movie (you know what scene I'm talking about) when the four very large black men (possibly linebackers) in my aisle got up and ran out of the theater! I kid you not!
What did Micah have against the demon expert? That part of the movie bothered me. It was reasonably scary. Somebody in the theatre was reacting ot the scenes. The end was rather sudden.
I was a projectionist back in the 80s. One day I came in to work to see that one of doors to the "Nightmare on Elm Street" auditorium was completely missing from its hinges. The staff who worked the night before reported — and I have no reason to doubt them — that some big black guy in the audience got so scared that he shoved past his friend sitting in the aisle seat so hard that he knocked him out cold and then ran up the aisle with such a head of steam that he actually broke the door.
People, please tell me you don't actually BELIEVE any of this cr*p.
Poltergeist was a great movie. So many scary moments as a kid seeing that. Granted the special effects are a little dated by today's standards but so what, it hit on so many archetypal fears. Classic horror movie. And didn't the little girl actually die during the filming of Poltergeist 2? I remember that made the series even scarier to me in a way. As if they had touched on something or disturbed some real entity during the filming. Anyway, haven't seen Paranormal Activity but I'll probably wait to see it on DVD with the so-so reviews. And I think the Blair Witch found videotape angle has been done to death, although it still works sometimes. I think Cloverfield handled it well.
Architects & Engineers: Blueprint for 9/11 Truth. Google it. Then tell me how much more proof you need.
I thought the movie was great. It was nice to see a horror movie that didn't rely on absurd levels of gore, sadism, and torture. The scariest stuff in the film is what you're imagining just out of the camera's view, in the darkness down the hallway of their home. And, yes, the anticipation of what's happening is far better than the cheap "jump out at you" scares in other movies.
This movie is far better than Poltergeist, which is also a good movie. Some of the overnight static shoots, especially the time lapse ones, are tough to watch (in a good, scary way).
And I agree with whoever it was above who wrote the scariest part of seeing this movie is falling asleep that same night. I turned the lights out last night and every creepy shot from the movie popped into my head. If you buy into the concept and want to have a good time, you'll love this one.
Cuckoo alert!
I never gave much credence to the paranormal but a recent example of Russian Mysticism has given me pause. Former Soviet premier and Russian Mystic Nikita Khrushchev famously used an expression generally translated into English as "We will Barry you!" while addressing Western ambassadors at a reception at the Polish embassy in Moscow on November 18, 1956. This is almost a full five years before the birth of Obama (where ever it might have taken place)
Wow. Is this the same "large" group of engineers that said a piece of foam could not have damaged the space shuttle. Or the same group of scientists that had proof a fourth shot at the JFK assassination and on and on and on. No sorry I don't need to look at a wack job web page. I am an investigative consultant for a living and see this kind of aberrant thinking from self professed forensic experts all the time for a living. Take your cause to a courtroom or STFU.
It's not whether it is realistic but whether it is effectively presented. I don't believe in werewolves or vampires but movies about them can be scary. But the paranormal is real, as porthuronpunk so aptly points out below.
I've read this comment about 10 times and I'm still as confused as the first time I read it. What point are you trying to make here? Did you leave out some thoughts or what?
Yeah… Neither do I … Watch out for the Copenhagen Global Warming Treaty coming up, it can take over parts of our government. Check it out…
Teens are easy to scare. Those of us closer to the grave are holding our terror until we pass over into the other side.
BuckwheatPicard said, " still don't understand that standing in the corner thing at the end of Blair Witch "
Really?? Did you pay attention to the backstory the "students" uncovered during their investigation?
That one scene is what made a boring, profanity-laden film scary. At least, the idea it implies.
The "story" was that the child-torturing, murderous witch would make one child stand in the corner (with nose to the corner) while another was being tortured and brutally killed. So, when the cameraman comes down the last flight of stairs to discover the other person standing nose-to-the corner… This means HE is next. He will be the one to be tortured and killed. As this idea settles in,he starts to freak out and the camera is knocked out of his hands (as, it is assumed, he is attacked.) You are left hearing the screams of a tortuerd man. Creepy.
Or maybe it was "camera woman" and "she"
It's been so long since I've seen The Blair Witch Project.
But you get the idea.
It is a very long and drawn-out attempt at a joke.
Can you describe these ghosts and UFOs that you've seen but don't believe in? I only ask because — no lie — one of my dreams in this lifetime is to see a verifiable, no sh*t ghost or apparition and a bonafide UFO at least once before checking out for good.
I saw a horror movie where the demon had huge ears and purple lips… oh, wait… that was the news.
Thank you. My wife and I saw it with a great crowd who was really into it and we loved it. It seemed more like an experience than a story, but the experience was truly frightening. I haven't been scared by a film in years but this one did it. Any piece of art that can intentionally illicit true emotion from me becomes a favorite (and I don't mean being pissed that I spent money to see it).
I'm 34 years old and if I happen across an image of that little girl from the Exorcist in all her glorious possessed state I have to sleep with the light on. I don't think it matters how old you are. If you've got an over active imagination (as I have) some things are going to give you the frights no matter how old you are.
Well….I really do not quite know how to reply to your reply. I cannot figure if you're trying to be critical or complimentary….or something else. So, at the risk of "stirring the pot", if you will, let me rephrase my post. Teens are easy to scare because they haven't had the time to realize that this journey in this life doesn't start to reveal it's purpose until we get older, (that is if we're watching), and that towards the end of this life, (if we're decidely aware of ALL our senses, especially our "sixth" sense), then we begin to understand our need to be free of the thoughts and sins which weigh us down. I hope that this expansion on my blurb helps you see what I'm saying.
No need to worry about "stirring the pot". I don't post here to pick fights with people. I guess my point was I know many adults (myself included) that can scare just as easily from a silly movie as your average teenager. I saw the Exorcist when I was 13 years old and to this day I can't see the image of that possessed chick without being terrified by it and I know many grown ups with one foot in the grave that feel the same way. That's all. Kudos to you for being so big and strong and brave
I'm a big scaredy cat when it comes to demonic possession movies.
It would help to know if you are a Christian, then the explanation of what exactly I saw would make more sense, but here goes anyway. I believe that Satan is very real and is behind the fascination people have with the occult. When I was younger, I shared this spiritually unhealthy fascination. In my teens, I would wake up in the middle of the night and see visions in my bedroom, sometimes it was a cloaked figure perched on the chest-of-drawers, another time it was a young boy actually sitting on the edge of my bed. I lost track of them all. And that was Satan's problem. He overplayed his hand and instead of being scared, I became bored and annoyed and merely asked them to leave; I'd then watch them slowly disappear. Was it just my imagination? Perhaps, but once they didn't bother me, they stopped coming. Hmmm. I feel UFOs are a similar manifestation. Bottom line, don't be interested in these things. They are distractions from God's truth. Turn to his word instead.
Well, you can't just say "Don't be interested in these things" nolo. Interest doesn't work that way. One cannot control what they find interesting and I am EXTREMELY interested in that stuff. But I respect your right not to be.
On a related subject, whatever it was you saw when you were younger, nolo, I'm glad it's gone now. I'm sure you've been sleeping better.
That was my experience, too. I went just last Sunday, and there were plenty of gasps and low screams and sounds that said it was working good 'n' scary for the audience. And it did for me, too. There were lots of things about the movie that made it feel very, very real and very, very creepy. All in all, this was a really first rate horror flick to me.
I really liked this movie … but then I liked Blair Witch Project and loved Cloverfield. From the comments, I guess that those who like the Blair Witch / Cloverfield tradition like Paranormal Activity and those who don't, don't. Fair enough. But then that means that a lot of the criticisms of PA are really not criticisms of PA, but of the genre – or subgenre – not criticisms of PA as such. But then isn't that kind of like someone who doesn't like musicals trying to critique Singin' in the Rain, or someone who doesn't like whodunits criticizing Sherlock Holmes or Lord Peter Wimsey? Anyway … as someone who really does like this kind of film, I think PA is a good, scary, creepy flick and a great example of what I hope will continue to be a thriving if narrow horror subgenre.
I am sleeping better (just got a new bed, too, but that's a different story).
Actually, I do want to say "don't be interested in those things," because they're not good for you. People can "experiment" with drugs. I knew a wonderful young lady who was interested in doing just that. And she died after trying it just once. There's a universe of things to be interested in, so just be careful in what you spend your time on.
God bless you.
i found this video to be quite enlightening:
http://www.thealexanderwilsonproject.com/video.ph...
– admirer_009
Thanks for the video my friend. Funny as hell. It capitalizes on how a conspiricy belief forms. All amplified and skewed motives but absolutely no evidence or science to match the event. And that is how they all fall apart.
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