Things that go Bumpidy Bump in the Night ~ A Movie Review of ‘Paranormal Activity’

Believe the hype!  This is one film that you really should see in the theater because the experience of watching it with a crowd is both fun and funny (funny in that people really do jump in their seats and then share nervous laughter acting as if they weren’t really taken by surprise when in fact they were).  Believe me, for a film made for fifteen grand, it delivers in ways that movies literally a million times that budget usually can’t.  For one thing, and this is big, it has an honest to goodness plot that is believable as well as contains some great movie moments.

                Most of the credit for this film goes to Oren Peli who both wrote and directed it.  His cast consists of four people in total, but most of the screen time is taken with Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat who play Katie and Micah an engaged couple who are sharing an abode.  Peli was masterful in both his writing and directing when he lets the audience get to know the two as a likeable couple who you wouldn’t mind if they were living next door to you.  The movie opens with Micah playing with his new video camera and greeting Katie as she drives up in her convertible.  She wants to know how much it costs and he is acting as if he is the next Spielberg – even if he is a day trader and she is a student.  Micah explains that he simply wants to record whatever it is that has been disturbing them in the middle of the night – to see if it is something wrong in the house or if it is something else. 

                ‘Paranormal Activity’ works because it focuses on the things that really scare us which aren’t the things that special effect departments dream up.  Honestly, it is the door that opens and closes without the aid of a living entity or a breeze coming through a window that is much more frightening than Michael Myers in a Captain Kirk mask, which has been painted white for the film, ‘Halloween’ (movie trivia true story).  Someone knocking on my door in a lizard outfit is either a trick or treater or someone who is wearing a lizard costume for a reason I don’t know, but I do recognize that they are wearing a lizard costume and do not debate if lizard people have suddenly emerged from the bowels of the earth.  Now if the door suddenly moves without provocation well that is when a million scary things jump in my mind and that my friends is the grease that makes ‘Paranormal Activity’ a level above most other thrillers. 

                I know that there are some naysayers who are disappointed in this film, and I do concede that there are flaws, but faulting the film for the fact that the guy picks up the camera when his girlfriend screams isn’t necessarily one of them because how else are we the audience suppose to see what is happening.  I’m just addressing a complaint that I heard as I was leaving the theater.  Overall, I would think that it is to a movie’s benefit to have so many folks were talking about it after a screening. 

                Although this film was made in 2006, it didn’t debut until October 2007 at the Screamfest Film Festival (a film festival so small that it doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia entry) later in 2008 it was shown at the Slamdance Film Festival (which, like the Sundance Film Festival takes place in Utah at the same time).  Dreamworks and Paramount acquired the rights and have since made 63 million dollars off the film.  I know, DANG!   ‘Paranormal Activity’ just went into wide release on October 23^rd and on October 25^th Paramount revealed already a sequel planned is being planned.

                I obviously would recommend seeing ‘Paranormal Activity’ in the theater for the reasons stated earlier, but I also think that the film would play well on DVD since there are a few alternative endings.  Seeing this movie this weekend would be the perfect Halloween treat. 

              I have to acknowledge that I fell in love with Katie as a character when Micah filmed her making jewelry (beading!) with her friend but also knitted.  Long live the crafty!    

Westerfield © 2009