PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009)

I went into Paranormal Activity after the marketing of the major movie studios had already gotten a hold of it and labeled it “the scariest movie ever made.” However, the film tries to pawn itself off as real video footage from the very start. So which one is it Paramount? Your movie has barely started and I’m already not buying into it because you have conflicting marketing schemes.

I couldn’t help but think of The Blair Witch Project when this film started. From the warning at the beginning that this was real footage to the first-person camera perspective, it seemed as though Blair Witch was definitely going to have been at least an inspiration for the making of this film. Unfortunately, as the movie progressed, I couldn’t NOT compare this film to The Blair Witch Project, as it just seemed to mimic it further and further. The only real differences I could tell between the two were the settings and that Activity shows you just a little bit more then Blair Witch was willing to. But in showing you just that little bit more, your imagination doesn’t run as wild as it did with Blair Witch, and your imagination can be truly scarier than anything you’re shown on screen.

The story of the movie is also way too predictable as it practically holds your hand through what is about to happen almost immediately after they say it. “You better not do X or else Y will happen.” So they do X and Y happens and I’m supposed to be surprised? Hardly.

Ok, this one was just a given. Let’s make it something a bit more challenging next time.

Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight…

10 years and going strong.