Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
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Oh, the hype, the hype, the hype.... The rumblings that surrounded the film Paranormal Activity had reached a fever-pitch prior to its release and succeeded in creating some of the highest expectations about a horror film yet. Its ability to scare movie-goers is now controversial at best and it seems that the film has sliced the horror-community right down the center. Was it really as scary as some say or could it be that the film's hype was its own worst enemy?
Paranormal Activity's story-line is simple; A young couple decide to set up a movie camera after hearing some strange noises in their home at night. Certain that she has been followed by a ghost since childhood, Katie Featherston is not nearly as eager about their nocturnal filming as her hunky beau, Micah Sloat. As the sinister happenings get more frightening, the tension builds as we wonder; what horrible things are going to happen to this nice couple?
The premise of this movie is meant to strike fear in the hearts of everyday folks and it works; what if you were preyed-upon in the safest of places -- your own home? Nothing is more frightening than that, right? While it does feel like a Suburban-Blair-Witch, the tension does mount as we wait for something to happen; and that takes a while.
I do believe, however, that it was certainly far scarier for theater-goers; being a captive audience wouldn't allow for distractions and the amplified audio would definitely elevate the Boo-Factor. There are many scenes with "Shh, listen, and what was that?" These scene-set-ups force the viewer to focus in and listen hard. While there are some corny moments and ghost-hunter cliche's here and there, there are still some good scares to be had with this film.
The BluRay disc has an alternate ending which they can thank their lucky three-toed demons they didn't use; the theatrical version is much better and much scarier! While not the scariest movie of all time, Paranormal Activity is well worth a rental.
Make sure you turn off the lights and turn up the surround-sound for this one.
Overall Rating : 3
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 January 2010 18:49 )
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