Paranormal Activity

"Paranormal Activity"
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
Grade: C+

Maybe if I would have seen this movie months before anyone, I would have bought into the hype. Much like the Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity borrows much of the same technique and tone. Non-actors portraying an event with no explanation, only the horrific aftermath.

The film follows a young twenty something couple who live in an enormous house. I'm not sure what else we learn about them other than their professions and the horrible demonic spirit that haunts them. The film is shot on a hand held camera, and most of the suspense occurs last at night as we view the couple in there room via a camera on a tri-pod. The hours fast-forward, and then slow down when it catches something spooky, or the characters hear something; a door shutting, a light turning on, etc.

The film runs about 90 minutes, and the novelty wears off about 45 minutes into the film. The actors are serviceable, but that's not what the movie is going for. Much of the tone and aesthetic stems from the YouTube generation, where filming anything can get you noticed. While this film certainly has true origins, it may inspire other films like this, as this film was made for a meager $11,000.

The main problem with the film is that most of the scares and jolts are shown in the trailer. The best parts come in the last 10-15 minutes, but by then it doesn't matter. While the last shot will payoff most audiences, it's a cheap trick that follows the previous 85 minutes that constantly tease us.

I certainly didn't hate the movie, I even bought into it more and more as it went along. I think it plays better as a rental, or a midnight movie rather than a good theater experience. After all, most of my audience was laughing, and making obnoxious comments; never a good mixture with a mild letdown of a movie.