2009 saw the release of "Paranormal Activity," an independent, low-budget horror film shot in found-footage style. No horror film in this format had really matched the success of 1999's "The Blair Witch Project," the one that started it all. I'm not sure "Paranormal Activity" was expected to be as huge of a hit as it was, but due to a smart roll-out that allowed word of mouth to spread like wildfire, it made over $100 million in the U.S. alone and eventually spawned 4 sequels (including the upcoming "Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension," which is to be released on October 23rd). There was also a spin-off entitled "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones," but this was really more of a sequel/prequel.
Upon its initial release, "Paranormal Activity" was only released in a handful of theaters. Trailers showed clips of the film combined with the reaction of the audiences who had seen screenings of the film. This made the film extremely intriguing to me, even though I have seen this advertising technique done before. What is it that makes this so scary? Why do I know hardly anything about it, yet there is a lot of buzz surrounding it?
Luckily, it opened close to where I was living at the time, and I had to go see it opening weekend. It was on one of the biggest screens in one of the biggest auditoriums with a huge crowd, just the way a horror film should be seen.
The basic setup is this: Katie and her boyfriend Micah have been experiencing weird, hard-to-explain events in their home. Micah gets a camera so he can videotape what occurs when they sleep to see if there is anything that could help to explain these odd happenings. When they go to sleep, things captured on film include the door to their bedroom opening and closing by itself, noises from different areas within the house, and people acting against their will, almost as if they are possessed.
There is a scene in the film where Katie is dragged out of bed by the presence in the house. At the time I saw this in theaters, the audio went out. It didn't matter. I was so glued to what was happening, I hardly even noticed. I was so scared.
"Paranormal Activity" scared the living daylights out of me. I'm so glad I was not living alone at the time of its release. The image of Katie slowly walking around when she's under the influence/possession of the demon still freaks me out to this day.
Similar to the release of "The Blair Witch Project," word of mouth exploded upon its initial release, and there was a ton of buzz surrounding it. What ended up happening was that while many people ended up liking it, there were also quite a big number of people who felt the film was not scary and over-hyped. I think those people should try watching it again.. Alone. In the dark. At night. Then we will see if they still think it isn't worth the hype.
I am still scared of these movies to this day. Most horror films more just creep me out, but this one is truly frightening. It is one of the best movies you could watch this Halloween season..
Upon its initial release, "Paranormal Activity" was only released in a handful of theaters. Trailers showed clips of the film combined with the reaction of the audiences who had seen screenings of the film. This made the film extremely intriguing to me, even though I have seen this advertising technique done before. What is it that makes this so scary? Why do I know hardly anything about it, yet there is a lot of buzz surrounding it?
Luckily, it opened close to where I was living at the time, and I had to go see it opening weekend. It was on one of the biggest screens in one of the biggest auditoriums with a huge crowd, just the way a horror film should be seen.
The basic setup is this: Katie and her boyfriend Micah have been experiencing weird, hard-to-explain events in their home. Micah gets a camera so he can videotape what occurs when they sleep to see if there is anything that could help to explain these odd happenings. When they go to sleep, things captured on film include the door to their bedroom opening and closing by itself, noises from different areas within the house, and people acting against their will, almost as if they are possessed.
There is a scene in the film where Katie is dragged out of bed by the presence in the house. At the time I saw this in theaters, the audio went out. It didn't matter. I was so glued to what was happening, I hardly even noticed. I was so scared.
"Paranormal Activity" scared the living daylights out of me. I'm so glad I was not living alone at the time of its release. The image of Katie slowly walking around when she's under the influence/possession of the demon still freaks me out to this day.
Similar to the release of "The Blair Witch Project," word of mouth exploded upon its initial release, and there was a ton of buzz surrounding it. What ended up happening was that while many people ended up liking it, there were also quite a big number of people who felt the film was not scary and over-hyped. I think those people should try watching it again.. Alone. In the dark. At night. Then we will see if they still think it isn't worth the hype.
I am still scared of these movies to this day. Most horror films more just creep me out, but this one is truly frightening. It is one of the best movies you could watch this Halloween season..