PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
Let me preface the first statement I'm going to make in this review by revealing something about myself. When I go to the cinemas, I become scared far more easily watching a good horror picture than at home viewing it on home video. The cinema is such that it transports you to wherever you pay to go for the 90, 120, etc. minutes that you're there. Rarely have I ever been scared by a film watching it on my TV, sitting on the living room couch, and with the lights turned off of course (which has now become standard practice for me when watching at home). "Paranormal Activity" scared me. So much so that I had to turn on a light when watching it.
The film has many points that I did not like, particularly with the ending. But let's go back to the beginning before looking at the end. The film picks up in September 2006 with Katie and Micha, a couple who have moved into a home in suburban San Diego. Katie recounts the story that since her childhood, she has been haunted by an evil presence, periodically experiencing strange and unexplained noises and occurrences from time to time.
To further investigate, the couple set up a camera to record in their bedroom as they sleep. They first capture the sounds of running footsteps and keys falling to the floor only to discover that the latter has actually happened, for seemingly no reason. After an unsuccessful attempt to have a psychic come in and assess the couple, they are referred to a demonologist by the very psychic they called because they are not dealing with a normal haunting or ghost, but a demon.
Katie Featherston in a scene from Paramount Pictures' "Paranormal Activity"
The psychic, Dr. Friedrichs (Mark Fredrichs) warns Micah to not follow through with the idea of possibly using a Ouija board to try and speak to the entity. After a falling out over the idea and an unexplained fire, wind, and movement on the board. The couple then are in severe distress when an unexplained photograph that was thought to be destroyed in a house fire from Katie's childhood appears in their attic. The demonologist referred to them by Dr. Fredrichs is unavailable, leaving the couple to fend for themselves.
This film is very unique in that if you saw it in theaters, that particular version of the film featured no credits, besides a single establishing copyright. This super-low budget film's success came largely from the hands at Paramount and the filmmakers wanting to sell this film as a true story as much as possible. We're talking about the foundation of a new, modern, ultra-real genre: found footage. In 2008, Matt Reeve's "Cloverfield" presented the found footage genre on a scale never before experienced, leaving audiences wondering "what the hell are we seeing?"
Part of the appeal is that this movie feels like something we're not supposed to see. A very personal dilemma going on between Micah and Katie that is controlling their lives and soon, affecting every aspect of their being. Of course, why doesn't the couple just move out? So often we are faced with cliches in horror movies with no real explanation as to solve them. In this case, why doesn't the couple just movie out? This is explained early on that Katie has had this presence follow her since she was a young girl (inexplicably solved in "Paranormal Activity 3?" - it's the only sequel I've seen and it hasn't cleared anything up). In other words, she can not escape. It's attached to her.
Now, I know it seems that I have nothing but praise for Oren Peli's film, but the third act, unfortunately for me. Really brought the film down. The film is an exciting climax. Just when we think that the filmmaker can't be anymore dangerous to his viewers, he gives us an ambiguous ending, which is actually a staple of the found footage genre. But the third act leaves us hanging in a way that I did not appreciate. I will not write about it because I am trying to keep these reviews as spoiler free as possible (feel free to contact me at my yahoo email, social media accounts, or in person if you'd like to discuss any of these films). The "pay off" of this film was a huge let down.
As a matter of fact, there were three different endings shot for this particular film. The original was changed at the suggestion of none other than Paramount Executive Steven Spielberg. To me, it seems that the change was brought on as an obvious way to make money. While the film's original ending, which can you viewed on youtube, was very closed ended and capped the story somewhat nicely (another staple of the found footage genre is leaving unanswered questions), the theatrical cut provides no such thing, an obvious front for a sequel, which either way, would have happened in my opinion.
Did the ending bring the movie down for me? Yes. Such a fantastic film was tampered with by studio hands. I love Steven Spielberg, but the extent of his suggestion to me is unknown. It could have been a simple "I think you should leave the ending a little more open to anything" or "I want you to do exactly this ending, or else." Again, I don't know. However, I wish I'd known about this ending to prepare for the spoiled ending of this brilliant film.
6.5/10
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009) - Rated R
- Directed by Oren Peli
- Written by Oren Peli
- Runtime - 86 minutes
- 6.4/10 stars on IMDb
- 87% on Rotten Tomatoes
Links
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/paranormal_activity/
Sources
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