Hailed as the new Exorcist and one of the greatest horror films of all time by some, Paranormal Activity has certainly garnered a lot of press. Released alongside a slew of other horror films just in time for the Halloween season, including Saw VI (yes, there are that many), The Stepfather and Zombieland, Paranormal Activity was actually made in 2007.
Filmed in only a week and with a surprisingly low budget, it took two years for this film to move past the limited distribution phase and onto nation-wide screenings.
Comparisons have been drawn to 1999's The Blair Witch Project, as both movies attempt to make the viewer believe the film is not merely based on actual events, but instead depicting these events as they occur.
Filmed with a handheld camera, Paranormal Activity views much like a home movie. Absent are the infamous horror movie scores designed to elevate tension. Instead, the film capitalizes on the simple effects of silence and noise, day and night.
Much like Blair Witch intended for the viewer to believe the events actually occurred in the Maryland woods, Paranormal Activity begins with a thank you to the police of San Diego for releasing the footage.
Set in 2006, Micah and Katie (each played by actors actually named Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston, respectively) have just moved into a suburban house. Micah has a stable job and Katie is a student with the dream of becoming a teacher. Their lives are perfect - they have the perfect relationship, perfect new home and perfect future to look forward to.
However, Katie elected not to mention to Micah that since the age of 8, she has been haunted by a spirit at night - something that becomes obvious once they begin living together. In her defense, there really is no protocol for when to tell your significant other that you are being haunted.
Skeptical of this so-called "paranormal activity," Micah buys a camera to film the activity at night. However, he seems more interested in filming their nookie sessions than at the prospect of catching the paranormal events on tape.
When they invite a psychic into their home, Katie describes nighttime occurrences that range from hearing scratching to pounding to the whispers of her name in the middle of the night.
Once the psychic suggests that the couple shouldn't provoke the spirit, Katie insists that they leave it alone. However, with a recording of the door moving by itself in the middle of the night, Micah becomes obsessed with figuring out what is happening.Sequences follow that include everything from unexplained noises to occurrences and other typical aspects that consist of a "haunting." An Ouija board even spontaneously catches fire when Micah and Katie aren't home. Where Paranormal Activity succeeds is its departure from what is typically expected from the modern horror films, which equates levels of goriness to levels of horror.
A true horror buff would recognize that this isn't necessarily the case. Horror classic Psycho never features any graphic violence (by modern definition), yet it cannot be denied that what is depicted in the film is truly horrifying. Perhaps the crew behind the Saw franchise should take a lesson from Hitchcock's classic.
While Paranormal Activity does feature violence, it all occurs off-camera. That isn't to say that the viewer feels removed from the scene - in fact, it engages the viewer even more. At the edge of their seats, viewers will anticipate the return of the characters to the screen in order to see what has occurred. Oftentimes, the only clues to the events are the strangled screams we hear off-screen.
Steven Spielberg has claimed that he had to stop watching in the middle because he was so terrified. Having seen it, the conclusion I come to is that Spielberg must not be able to handle his horror films very well.
Even for the faint at heart, Paranormal Activity doesn't necessarily have to be watched with the lights on in the middle of the day. What its dependent on, though, is how much the viewer becomes immersed in the movie.
The home movie feel can very easily draw the viewer into the scenes. However if you're like myself and missed out on becoming fully engaged in the film, it's quite likely you'll miss the thrills and chills as well. And if you don't watch Paranormal Activity as a horror film, it can appear quite comedic.
This film is what you make of it. It could quite possibly be as disturbing as The Shining for some viewers, while to others, it may be as benign as Disney's Halloween Town. Whatever your reaction, Paranormal Activity might be the best pick for an in-theater movie to get you in the Halloween spirit.
But even so, it is doubtful that Paranormal deserves a spot on the famed horror movie shelf alongside Friday the 13th and Halloween.
