Sunday, December 05, 2010

1471 - Paranormal Activity

Because I'm an idiot I decided to watch this film late at night. I can only imagine that it's going to give me nightmares, or at least a messed up sleep. We'll see. I think that the best horror films play into real fears and I'm sure most people have spent some time in a house that made weird noises, especially when you're by yourself - so this territory was ripe for a solid horror/suspense/whatever this is. I remember getting something on the internet that was a teaser asking I wanted this film to come to my city - which was a brilliant way to spread buzz for it.

The 'found-footage' film is getting pretty popular, mostly because it can be done on a budget, but so rarely is it done as well as it is here. For those that don't know this film is about a woman who has been plagued by a 'demon' her entire life and her live-in boyfriend has decided to document it to see what happen, all the while antagonizing the demon 'causing it's actions to escalate.

This is a scary film. It doesn't rely on violence or blood or anything. It's just pure tension and release. As the film progresses, every time we get to the 'bedroom shot' your whole body just wants to get whatever is coming over with - this is a good thing. It starts off creepy and never lets up. The only misstep it takes in terms of utter reality is that they're waiting for an out-of-town demonologist to get to them - as if he's the only one of his kind living in L.A. I'm curious the direction that they took with the sequel and I'm sure that I'll check it out before long.

If you're a fan of scary flicks this one delivers in spades - is it a bit melodramatic at time? Sure, but it's entertaining, especially considering that the film was made for next to nothing. If you're in need of a good scare, look no further.

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