"Paranormal Activity": worth the wait

Last night was the big night. One of the thirteen cities showing "Paranormal Activity" was Tucson, AZ and four friends and I made the two hour drive to catch it.

I'll warn you now, there will be spoilers. There is no huge twist or big "reveal" but I know some people are sensitive to even the littlest things. Therefore, you have been warned.


The last movie that caused me to lose sleep was [REC] (which, on a related note, will have its sequel released October 2nd and the reviews so far have been great) and that was only because I dreamt of that creepy Medeiros girl from the last five minutes and woke up in a cold sweat. Prior to that nothing has scared me and that's a total departure from my youth. Just the commercials for "Child's Play" kept me from sleep; watching the movie would have probably driven me to a therapist ten years earlier. It wasn't until I played "Fatal Frame" that I discovered a deep love of muscle-tensing, nerve-teasing horror. That was about seven years ago and I haven't stopped since.

I get a lot of eye-rolls when I say this, but "The Blair Witch Project" is probably one of my top ten horror movies. Granted, I saw it when it was still purported to be "found footage" but after devouring a constantly growing number of horror films in its wake, I believe it stands up against the really huge titles that come out every year. "Paranormal Activity" is ridiculously terrifying for the exact same reasons and yet succeeds in all the ways "Blair Witch" failed. The key ingredient that 99.5% of the writers, directors and producers is REALISM. It's not just good acting, either, although nothing kills a film quicker than characters that act like characters; no, it's all about whether or not the audience can relate to the events. And "Paranormal Activity" has managed to take that ideal and run with it - lapping just about every other contender several times over.

This is one of those movies that it'll be hard to explain the fear it induces because, in all honesty, precious little happens. There are no lost limbs, no blood spewage, no objects crashing into walls or moving furniture (well, a lamp and door or two). You never even see what "it" is (not technically, at least).

The premise is very simple. Micah and Katie have been dating for three years and have recently moved into a home together. Not long after, things begin to go bump in the night and she tells him that she's had paranormal phenomenon follow her since she eight years old. Micah, wanting to play the white knight/PI, buys a camera, intent on capturing evidence of whatever is causing the disturbances. About half the film is Micah carrying the camera around, annoying Katie and making jokes. The other half is at night where the camera sits on tripod, pointed at their bed and open door.

And that, my friends, is when it gets under your skin.

There is no background music. Unlike a lot of "found footage" films, the editing looks very amateurish - as if it really was shot and spliced together by a twenty-something with no background in AV whatsoever - and the acting, unlike the "Blair Witch Project" is entirely realistic. Both the characters, Katie and Micah, are believable and though they have several faults as people, you really feel for them. Katie especially, who is the one targeted by the entity, is heartbreaking. Too often the protagonists in horror films are far too calm or willing to confront whatever the hell it is that's antagonizing him or her. I honestly loved the fact that we see Katie break down and sob like a child because nothing that's going on is under her control. She's strong because she has to be but clearly she'd rather just say, "fuck it" and move on.

Asian horror has succeeded in MY kind of horror for years and for that reason I've had a cynical attitude towards Hollywood in regards to scary flicks. South Korea had both the epic "A Tale of Two Sisters" and psychological "Phone"; Hong Kong, the graceful "The Eye"; and, of course, Japan's the forerunner (or WAS) with "Ringu" and, my personal favorite, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's heartbreaking and beautiful "Kairo". Every single one of these is so simple in their execution, so sparse in their cheap, "jump" scares and so careful in their cinematography that it's easy to push them aside as something other than horror. They aren't easy to consume and are generally better after repeated viewings because they're so chock-full you miss a good quarter of what went on. But what they lack in "pa nosh," they make up for in white-knuckle tension and nail-biting suspense. "A Tale of Two Sisters" has what I consider to be the epitome of this type of horror in the infamous dinner scene. Even when you know what's coming - they TELL you just minutes before it happens - they spend a good five minutes winding you so tight that you practically wet your pants when it finally comes.

No spoilers here but it's pretty damn intense in atmosphere:


"Paranormal Activity" is the same type of film. Slow pacing and rare jumps, but by the end you've put yourself in the characters place and it's easy to see why the situation is so terrifying.

If you possibly can, go see this in the theater. I am doubtful it'll hold up as well on a small screen (although I still intend to buy it).

I look forward to a wider release 'cause God knows I'm not driving another four hours.