I live in the middle of nowhere, and while it is a great place to raise kids, we don’t exactly have too many choices when it comes to entertainment options. I feel this most acutely when a new movie comes out in limited release, which means that I will have to wait until it is released on video. "Paranormal Activity" is one of those films. I have been doing a lot of research on this movie, and am fascinated by its plot, simplicity, and the explosion of viral marketing that has made this the biggest online sensation since "The Blair Witch Project". The two films have a lot in common, but are vastly different in one important way: “The Blair Witch Project” was not scary. "Paranormal Activity" looks like it might actually be quasi-terrifying. I for one can’t wait to find out if it is as frightening as the trailer seems.
The film tells the story of a young couple, Katie and Micah, who are plagued by a supernatural presence in their home. A psychic tells the twosome that they are not the victims of a ghostly haunting. Their tormenter is instead a demon that is attracted to negative energy. In an attempt to document this phenomenon, Micah sets up a video camera in the couple’s bedroom. Of course strange things begin to happen, and this slight disturbance escalates into a full blown terror attack in no time flat.
I won’t give anymore of the plot away, but suffice it to say, it sounds pretty creepy. The film was originally slated for release in 2008, but was held in limbo due to disputes between the production company and the films’ distributor, Paramount Pictures. This rift was soon healed after the movie was screened in front of an audience of mostly teenagers. They were terrified, word spread of the film’s macabre plot, and the rest is cinematic history.
As excited as I am to view this film, part of me cannot help but feel a little bit apprehensive. I cannot remember the last time a movie was authentically "scary". Most modern horror films are all about the gore and blood, and that is not frightening as much as it is disgusting. It is much easier to nauseate a person than to truly terrify them. Let’s face it. The Alfred Hitchcocks, Wes Cravens, and John Carpenters of the world are a dying breed. We are left with directors who cannot evoke real emotion that isn’t tied to a person’s gag reflex.
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So if you are one of the lucky few who can view "Paranormal Activity" with a crowd of fellow moviegoers, consider yourself very lucky. I will be waiting in the wings this Halloween season rewatching everything from "Psycho" to "The Devil’s Rejects", anticipating my turn to experience what could be one of the most frightening films of the last 10 years. At least, I hope it will be!