Paranormal Activity

On Friday night at midnight, J and I went to the movie theater expecting to see a good but disappointing movie. I was very, very excited to see Paranormal Activity, but J kept telling me that I would probably be disappointed so I had to bring my expectations down by a lot. I was excited, but prepared for the worst. So, there we were in the theater, at midnight and slowly the theater began to fill up. And then the movie started.

If you haven't heard about this movie, then let me tell you a little about it. Paranormal Activity is director Oren Peli's first film. Filmed in the style of Blair Witch and Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity is filmed with a single, hand-held camera giving off a very realistic, documentary-like feeling. The movie tells about a young couple who move into a house together. After a few unnatural things begin to happen, Micah finds out that ever since Katie, his girlfriend, was a little girl she has been haunted by some sort of spirit. Micah then decides to bring home a nice camera to film the unnatural activity that is happening. After that, literally, all hell breaks loose. The couple discovers that the spirit that plagues Katie is a demon and is looking to destroy her. I won't tell anymore of the plot because then the entire film would be ruined. The movie relies on the fact that the audience has no clue what to expect. Every little bump in the night is a surprise and the movie would not be nearly as scary without the suspense.

The best things about Paranormal Activity were the plot and the actual filming, The way the film was shot was amazing. The movie was made for a mere $11,000 but the filming seemed very professional and well-thought-out. Every shot was made so that the audience would be looking in the background, trying to see something move or change. The day scenes, while not as good as those shot in the dark, were still very impressive. The dialogue between Micah and Katie make the movie very real because they talk like a real couple would talk if a camera was in the room. They fight, argue, make up, and fight again all in front of the camera which makes the movie seem all the more realistic and truly set the stage for the terrifying night scenes. The beginning of the movie is a bit long and boring and all you can do is wait for the night scenes. But at the end of the movie, you will dread the night scenes because they are so terrifying and the day scenes don't bring any comfort either because, by the end, strange things happen during the day too. And then, the ending. All I can say is "Holy crap." I will not say anything else except that the ending will shock anybody who can stay in the theater long enough to see it.

Paranormal Activity is the scariest movie I have ever seen. Ever. And I've seen many, many. many horror movies. And it truly scared me. I could barley go to sleep after watching it. And I wasn't the only one who was scared. If you've seen the previews for Paranormal Activity then you've seen the pictures of the audiences screaming their heads off because of this movie. I was very skeptical about this. I highly doubted that anybody in the theater would even jump or gasp, let alone scream. However, I was mistaken. By the end scene, almost everyone in the theater was screaming, even the grown men. I would guess, though, that Paranormal Activity is best viewed at night. I highly doubt that it would scare anyone who watches it in a brightly lit room in the middle of the day. However, if you do dare to go watch Paranormal Activity at night, then be warned. It has been said that Paranormal Activity is the scariest film since The Exorcist. While I've never understood what was so scary about The Exorcist, I'm sure the people who saw it the first night it was released were terrified. And I believe this will be the fate of Paranormal Activity. Thirty years from now, people will no longer fear things that go bump in the night like the monster of Paranormal Activity, but for now, Paranormal Activity will truly terrify anybody who walks into that theater. Paranormal Activity is the scariest thing I've ever seen and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind shaking in fear and not being able to sleep with the light off for a few nights.

-H