PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: the film

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:02am

After a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban starter tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night.

Especially when they sleep. Or try to.

Paramount Pictures Presents A Blumhouse Production A Film by Oren Peli Paranormal Activity starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong and Ashley Palmer. The film was directed, written and edited by Oren Peli. The film was produced by Jason Blum and Oren Peli. The executive producer is Steven Schneider. The co-producers are Toni Taylor and Amir Zbeda. This film has been rated R for language.

I just heard about this film for the first time tonight, I watched the trailer immediately after hearing about it, and made plans to see it next week immediately after that. It looks truly horrifying.

What interests me the most about it is that it is a fear we have all felt since we were children. It's all about what that "bump in the night" is. That terrifies me. It doesn't hurt that the movie has been getting stellar reviews and audience reactions. And the promotion campaign is genius: screen the movie, have word of mouth spread, then have people demand the film come to their town. Just brilliant!

Can't wait to see this. Has anyone else heard about/seen it?


PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Official Site Updated On: 10/2/09 at 12:02 AM

[Parks]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:51am

...if this were real, I might be interested in it... but after watching that trailer, I kinda lost any desire to see it. :-/

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:57am

Read the reviews. Both by critics and by real people. It's sounds like it's a good one. Better yet, a great one.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:59am

Wait, they are not trying to say this is actually real , are they? The trailer was so cheesy.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 1:02am

No, they're not at all advertising it as real. It's a fictional film done realistically. Meaning zero CGI, zero blood, and only one handheld camera.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 1:09am

Ah ok, then it might be fun.

[CJR]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 1:19am

Just watched the trailer... seems like it could be worth a look.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 1:20am

I really want to see this movie and they finally decided to play the movie here in San Diego... BUT they are only playing it for three nights and only at Midnight!!

btw.. this movie was filmed in San Diego in the director's apartment! woo hoo!

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 1:54am

It has 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now I must see it.

[tazber]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 7:07am

The trailer with all the reactions from the audience members was lame. I was excited, but now I'm gonna just wait for the DVD.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 9:22am

I went to a midnight screening of this last week. I didn't know anything about it going in and it was without a doubt the scariest movie I have seen in YEARS. It gets under you skin.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 9:39am

A friend of mine went last night to the midnight showing here in NYC. She was skeptical about seeing it, being a diehard horror movie fan and thinking the trailer looked stupid and too much like "Blair Witch." However, she came out with a COMPLETELY different attitude. I asked her if she could write me a little mini review.

"On top of the fact that I, myself, was completely shaken up by it, there were people crying, shaking, you name it. The tension in the audience was palpable. I don't know how this director took a concept that is so cliche and done and made it seem as fresh as if it had been the first movie to do it. And the way he sets the whole film up is genius. He knows what it takes to get under an audience's skin. The way those people reacted in the trailer? Yeah. Ten times worse in person. It really is that scary. I'm seriously considering not sleeping at home tonight. Make sure you see it in the theater. It won't be nearly the same on TV."
Updated On: 10/2/09 at 09:39 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 10:30am

This movie sounds like it's right up my alley, but it's ONLY at midnight?!?! Cute idea, but that's not fun for me. Not in the least. The only time I ever did a midnight showing was to see Star Wars: Episode I because I was leaving for Europe for three months the next day.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 10:37am

I think they are rolling it out slowly to build buzz. I think it's going to be opening in major cities soon.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 10:42am

It's at 10pm during the week and midnight on the weekend. The only reason it's like this is because a) it's meant to be atmospheric and b) it's all distributed by demand. If the producers see that a large enough audience supports it, they may distribute it wider. But for now, it's being done on a per request basis.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 10:42am

I still resent being sucked in by all the hype and actually paying to see THE BLAH WITCH PROJECT ...... and this sounds as if it's another low-budget trite movie that becomes a big snore after a few minutes.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 10:46am

I found it MUCH more effective than the Blair Witch Project. However, I went in knowing nothing about it. I don't know if I would have had the same reaction if it had the same hype Blair Witch did.

[EVIE]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:51am

I'm seeing it in SF at midnight tonight. So excited!

[CJR]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 3:56pm

I think Im going to wait for it to be a wider release. I want to see it, but I dont know if I want to see it badly enough to drive into the city to see it at midnight. If Im gonna see something at midnight, I'd rather drive down the street lol.

Im sure it'll be playing in Stamford soon enough

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/9/09 at 4:06pm

Looks good!

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/9/09 at 4:13pm

Hand held camera and continuous voice over? No, thanks.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/9/09 at 5:58pm

They really are brilliantly marketing this film. Here's a video someone posted on YouTube that captures audio of audience reactions during a screening. (I suspect this video was posted by the marketing people associated with the film but who knows?)
Audience reactions to Paranormal Activity *SOUNDS ONLY* Seattle screening!

[morosco]

Posted: 10/9/09 at 6:03pm

And here's an interesting review that touches on the movie's viral marketing campaign. May contain spoilers.
Suggestion powers 'Paranormal Activity' phenom

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/9/09 at 6:50pm

I want to see this so bad. The local movie critic hated it which usually means I'll love it.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 12:24am

Go see this film if you truly love horror films or if you want a serious scare.

I left the theater shaking and crying. I have never had a horror film affect me in this way. Oren Peli has crafted a BRILLIANT horror film. He builds suspense perfectly, slowly taking us into Hell, and then unleashes something truly horrifying in the final moments. I won't be able to get the final minute out of my mind.

It shouldn't even be compared to "Blair Witch" other than its use of handheld camera. "Blair Witch" never really built up enough of a story or let us get to know and care about its characters, while "Paranormal Activity" makes you care for Katie and Micah so that their plight is all the more tragic and frightening. Both actors are excellent, never letting you know that they're acting. With the combination of their genuine fear of the ever-worsening situation and the realism of the handheld, the movie almost feels TOO real and puts the fear in your own home.

I cannot stress enough how PERFECT this movie is in the horror genre. See it immediately. Make sure you see it in a theater with a ton of people because it is truly a moviegoing experience. And definitely don't see it alone.