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Re: Paranormal Activity
There was a remake planned for PA, I know of the screenwriter who was actually brought in to rewrite it for a feature film (which they should have, and the director wanted to do it) and they decided to just go with the original, probably deciding that there was more upside. But it was going to be remade.
Re: Paranormal Activity
Somewhere in between Cannibal Holocaust, The Entity, The Blair Witch Project and Open Water lies the source material for a story told through the 21st century breakthrough of digital camcorders, their mediums being YouTube and Reality TV...The scariest bit about Paranormal Activity is that some people were actually scared in the screening.
PA fools you not. Starting with the lack of opening credits - aside a 'thank you' to the families of those involved from Paramount, which is a version of an old stunt known in the GNR fandom as Uzi Suicide - you know you'll be watching nothing but a series of home videos, generally regarded as the toxic waste of cinema. Many fledging filmmakers got their first paychecks by shooting and/or editing hours of footage on vacations, christenings, weddings, etc, trying to rise above the oft sub-par footage (courtesy of either the head of the family or the odd cousin), trying to insert a faint touch of artistic expression. We've all been there, powered by sheer enthusiasm and ignorance of youth. But we made damn sure Daddy doesn't screen those tapes outside the residential compound.
Another distinct visual gimmick is the stationary camera shot, covering the bedroom. Much like the most effective single shot in Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot, where the undead boy looms ominously outside the bedroom window, the Dormcam is also used repeatedly throughout the story, milking away some of the effect. The Big Brother network series carved a niche of nightvision shots consisting mostly of people sleeping, which makes one smirk in the middle of the screening upon the realization of a BB Haunted House.
Horror maestro Stuart Gordon once said that good acting is the best special effect. While PA tries to cover up the lack of budget by focusing on the characters, it'd be helpful if they'd be even half-way likable. The man of the house comes across as a complete dud, and you'd hope he'd be cut in ribbons any frame soon. The lady is halfway more likable, but I wonder what's she doing with a complete idiot like that. The lack of consistency in character motives (any rational person would take a hike halfway through, or atleast seek professional help) doesn't do the narrative any favors.
When all is said and done, the most memorable things (not many, mind you) happen in the Dormcam, with the timecode whizzing on the lower-right corner to clue one in on timing the phenomena. I personally found the Amityville reference of 03:15AM rather cute. Most often we view the Dormcam footage in real-time, occasionally stepping into fastforwarded material. A few suitably eerie moments are extracted, yet nothing even remotely frightening. Than again, unlike probably over 95% of my fellow cinema punters, I'd already spent many a long night in desolate houses and toying with Ouija boards.
To sum up, if you have any prior experience or enthusiasm in either horror films, paranormal activity, filmmaking in general, or all of the above, don't see this film. You'll only be bored out of your skull, with the chick gasping for breath next to you only serving to distance you further from your fellow men.
People sure have gone a long way from the campfires to scared of things like that.
Unfortunately.
Re: Paranormal Activity
So I take it you didn't think it was the scariest movie of all time? 
Nice catch on the Amityville reference. Wouldn't have spotted that in a million years, possibly due to being near comatose while watching it. Axl could have jumped in the room performing The General and I probably would have missed it.
These "mockumentaries" are played out. It's not used very often, but in my opinion just isn't a viable selling point to a story. The cash is flowing in for this tripe surprisingly, but I think its a really uncreative approach to film making.
The scariest bit about Paranormal Activity is that some people were actually scared in the screening.
This fact will forever blow my mind. Some sort of study needs to be done on the phenomena that this film created. People were told by websites and a few journalists it was scary, then immediately proceed to blow their vocal chords while being in a state of panic watching a movie that's less scarier than Ernest Goes to Camp.
Re: Paranormal Activity
The video that i've seen of these "scared" people from the screenings, primarily are women.
Hell I got a girl to scream and hold me tight during Halloween H2O. It doesn't say anything about a film's "scary" quality. Some people are just overexaggerative in their emotions.
Re: Paranormal Activity
The video that i've seen of these "scared" people from the screenings, primarily are women.
Hell I got a girl to scream and hold me tight during Halloween H2O. It doesn't say anything about a film's "scary" quality. Some people are just overexaggerative in their emotions.
There have been reports of men pissing themselves during this movie.
Re: Paranormal Activity
There have been reports of men pissing themselves during this movie.
Well, excuse me! 
Seriously, while there may be a whole lot of sceptics on the forum, I for one have literally grown up with unexplained phenomena left and right. Not something you could carelessly write down as 'supernatural', but basically strange things that'd proven difficult to rationalize. There may be completely natural explanations to everything, I wouldn't know.
My mum and sister are pretty big on this stuff, although they wear it well - particularly mum, who once alerted me of a warm spot in their bedroom. I checked it out, and sure enough, there was heat in a place where there shouldn't possibly be any. We both also noted a sweet smell in the room, vaguely resembling the scent of cookies in the oven.
I talked her down from it, real gently, explaining as far as supposed paranormal activities go, this basically qualifies as a textbook example. She got into her head that whatever apparition might've lurked there was obviously benevolent enough to allow her a good nights rest.
Whether one chooses to believe it or not, either way, one shouldn't be too quick to dismiss the possibility of apparitions. Particularly when dealing with a sensitive character like my mum, telling her it was all in her head would've no doubt resulted in a sleepless night as she'd try to convince herself the heat just wouldn't be there.
So, every time I see a film about haunting, I can't help to smile on how clueless people appear to be when confronting the phenomena. My advice would be the Arthur Conan Doyle routine: When the impossible has been eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true.
Frankly, I don't see ghosts as 'impossible', as I've yet to come across any indismissable evidence to point otherwise. You can only play the joint hallucination card so many times before it gets old.
Re: Paranormal Activity
Axlin08 wrote:The video that i've seen of these "scared" people from the screenings, primarily are women.
Hell I got a girl to scream and hold me tight during Halloween H2O. It doesn't say anything about a film's "scary" quality. Some people are just overexaggerative in their emotions.
There have been reports of men pissing themselves during this movie.
Sounds like a bladder issue. 
Re: Paranormal Activity
There have been reports of men pissing themselves during this movie.
:laugh::laugh:
Where are these reports coming from. I downloaded screener. Watched it, lights off all that jazz. Was bored. Let me 12 year old cousing watch it, they said it was boring and not scary. Let my Dad who loves his horror films watch it and half way through asked me what this tripe was and then asked me to tell him if it ever looked like they were gonna make a good Halloween again...
He will never be satisfied
