From time-to-time we like to cover non-gaming topics that might appeal to our readers. One topic we can all enjoy is movies. Hence, the (Not Gaming) Movie Reviews we regularly post.
Every year around the month of October, fright flicks pop up in theaters. While we’re used to the Saw series, Halloween remakes, and the myriad of monster closet movies that seem to clog up the film pipes we usually get that one indie gem that serves up plenty of goose bumps to viewers.
This year that film is Paranormal Activity— a bare-bones, low budget movie that utilizes old-fashioned “bumps in the night” to incite fear. Based on some rave reviews and smart viral marketing, I decided to spend a rainy Tuesday evening at my local AMC to check out the flick.
Background Info
I’ll do my best to keep the review spoiler-minimum but with so much of the film based on events it may be a little difficult. Paranormal Activity was created for a mere $11k, with most of the cost soaked up in camera equipment and the few visual effects. The entire film takes place in the home of couple Kate and Micah, with the majority of it in their bedroom in the middle of the night. And before you ask, there is no hanky-panky on film (although one implied scene). The film is shot in a “Blair Witch” style: one camera, lots of shaking, and first person. The story follows Kate and Micah as strange and frightful events unfold within their home.
Likes
– The first half: The movie’s first act, where the unseen is taking place, is damn near chilling. Strange sounds, moving doors, and flickering lights are all captured by a single camera placed in the bedroom. While in the theater I wasn’t necessarily frightened, but it was the effect the movie had on me when I got home that excited me. I began to wonder, “What if I left a camera on in MY house? Will I see any similar events take place?” The typical creaks and bumps of my home became amplified throughout the night. It’s these little, often missed details that the film accomplished extremely well. It’s not what occurs with you there, but what takes place when you are not looking.
– The minimal effects: The believability of the film’s first stanza can be almost directly attributed to the low-budget effects. The “Home Depot” approach to creating the events — sounds & thumps, strings pulling and pushing doors — creates an eerie atmosphere that focuses on the most basic of fears. The big “thump” that takes place mid-way through the film was especially frightening.
Dislikes
– The second half: It’s at some point, mid-way through the film, that it replaces its “bumps” for more contrived, almost cliché scares. Without divulging too much, the story becomes highly unbelievable when the couple begins interacting with the entity. Yes, there are still events that scare, but now they become more predictable and “placed.” The second half culminates with an all-too-predictable finale.
– Bad acting: The performances of the actors were lacking anything to connect the characters to the viewers. You can easily relate to the characters at first, but they quickly turn into “douchey boyfriend and gullible girlfriend.” Micah wants to “solve the problem” on his own, against his girlfriend’s wishes, until at last Kate unrealistically decides that it would be okay to continue. The characters are portrayed as overly stereotypical young adults, quite possibly insulting anyone in the theater.
– Plot holes much?: If any human couple is being stalked by an entity I’m pretty confident that they would seek professional help and contact the authorities early and often. Micah and Kate do their best to avoid any semblance of this reality. Why wasn’t a priest contacted to exorcise the entity? Why didn’t Kate tell Micah (or anyone, really) about the horrific events of her past and seek help from paranormal experts when she was young? At too many times throughout the film, I found myself trying to figure out why I already knew the end of the movie half-way through, and why I stopped caring.
In Conclusion
The first half of Paranormal Activity is at times freaky, frightening, and even terrifying. After that, the realism that the film needs to appeal to the teens and tweeners sets in, and it becomes “just another scary movie.” I was really hoping that this film could live up to the hype surrounding it, with the terrified movie-goers portrayed in the trailer. Sadly, I found myself wishing I had just stopped watching the movie mid-way through as it became increasingly predictable and unenjoyable. “A” for effort, “C” for consistency.
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