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Paranormal Activity terrifies with simple story and authentic characters

Written by Kent Moore, The Shorthorn staff

Wednesday, 28 October 2009 03:44 PM

Courtesy Photo A demonic presence tormenting a couple in their home, increasingly terrifying paranormal events and a recurring nighttime bedroom shot make Paranormal Activity a chilling film. Hype can sometimes delude the experience of horror movies, and writer/director Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity has had its share of it. The $11,000-budget flick was shot in the director’s home in seven days but is more terrifying than many multi-million, redundant shower-scene blockbusters that Hollywood shells out. Many call Paranormal Activity the scariest movie of all time. Following predecessors like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity is a simple found tape, shot with a handheld camera. Don’t expect the shakiness of the others. The camera work is controlled and in the most intense scenes, it sits on a tripod. Unlike most found tape films, no credits appear before or after the footage, not even a Paramount logo. An audience can take comfort in an actors list, but the absence of credits creates an authentic, isolated mood. Micah (Micah Sloat) is a day trader who shares a house with girlfriend Katie (Katie Featherston.) She feels something is haunting her, on-and-off since childhood, so Micah buys a video camera to find the truth and prove it’s all in her head. He playfully interviews her, showing that he loves her, but thinks she’s crazy. As the film progresses the abnormal events become more frequent and whatever haunts Katie begins to make itself known. Review Film: Paranormal Activity Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat Director: Oren Peli Rating: R for language Score: 4 out of 5 Stars Early on, the couple calls a psychic. He visits, telling them this presence isn’t haunting the house, it’s haunting Katie. The old just-get-out-of-the-house escape doesn’t work, creating a claustrophobic nightmare. Four things make Paranormal Activity work. The story is simple ­— no over-thought script like the Saw series, just two people struggling to make it through another night. The characters seem real. Their banter isn’t flawlessly constructed by a writers’ team, they don’t wake up with styled hair and makeup, and seem utterly terrified throughout. The story doesn’t rely on overly planned special effects or Evil Dead gore. The effects are minimal and difficult to spot. Peli used every angle to create as much terror as possible. And most important, is the static bedroom shot. Every night when the lovely couple turns in, they set the camera up on a tripod. Peli uses this scene, which he spent weeks perfecting before shooting, to silently send the viewers into shock. When the lights go out for bed time, the quiet is unbearable and the impact is outstanding. With its slow-building tension and undeniable authenticity, Paranormal Activity is one of, if not the, scariest movies of all time. It will leave viewers unsettled, uneasy and not quite ready to go to bed. Views: 1413 | E-mail   Be first to comment this article Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6 AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com All right reserved

Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 January 2010 01:42 PM )

 

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