That's How Kids Die.

“Where there is no imagination, there is no horror” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Paranormal Activity is a Blair Witch style, shot on handicam horror movie. While the film certainly had several startling moments, I’m not sure how it would hold up upon repeat viewings (much like Blair Witch, Cloverfield, etc).  I do however, have to give a great deal of credit to the film makers for presenting the supernatural in a way that is very much akin to what you might see on a show such as Ghost Hunters.

Although some of the demonology references and the interactions with the psychic character came off as a little hokey, the depictions of the couples’ personal experiences with the entity are shown in a manner that is pretty damn convincing.  The film features only four actors, and all put in serviceable performances, and you actually find yourself caring about what happens to them, unlike the obnoxious sniveling whiners in Blair Witch. It is presented with minimal credits, further lending itself to the idea that this is a depiction of actual events.

As someone who has always been interested in the paranormal and the unexplained, it is cool to see Hollywood tackle this subject in a more “realistic” manner. This is probably one of those movies that will fall under the “love it or hate it” category, as some people will be willing to enjoy it for what it is and go along for the ride, while other with less open mind will leave the theater saying “duh… that was gay… duh, duh…”.

 Those who are willing to suspend disbelief and allow themselves to get caught up in the story are likely to find themselves terrified by some of the “footage”. There are definitely some scenes which I like to refer to as “Oh shit” moments. Of course, this film also taps into what I consider a problem with average moviegoer, the total lack of imagination and unwillingness to suspend the aforementioned disbelief. People demand to be constantly dazzled and are unwilling to meet filmmakers halfway, resulting in not being scared, startled or moved in any way by this or any other movie that attempts to do a lot with a little. During the golden age of film, particularly for the horror/thriller genres, things that happened off camera, and an atmosphere of tension and suspense were two of the most important keys to creating a successful viewing experience.  Unfortunately, those elements are largely (if not completely) lost on today’s audience.

Now I’m not trying to claim that Paranormal Activity is some sort of minimalist high art, that’s not the point at all.  It is simply a fun, scary movie, and unfortunately most people that go to the movies aren’t willing to let go and have fun.

Nonetheless, the way in which the film builds suspense, tension, dread and anticipation of the absolute worst is quite impressive for something that was probably shot with the motivation of turning a quick buck for the Halloween season, based on the Blair Witch template and a shoe-string budget. Whether or not the majority of people who go and see the film will have any sort of appreciation for this is another story.

I don’t want to give anything away for you, but I’d definitely recommend checking out Paranormal Activity over any of the tired Saw/Final Destination/etc horseshit Hollywood is clogging the theaters with during the Halloween season. Experience the film for yourself and let me know what you think.