Paranormal Activity Movie Review

I have decided to get into film making. I made some pretty scary movies when I was in junior high that I think could make millions. I say this because Paranormal Activity only cost the director $11,000 to make and it has since made over 60 million! I think he even shot it in his house. My movie isn't quite as subtle as a haunting story though. It centers around a man who was getting his picture taken at Yellowstone sulfur pits and he backed up too far and melted. He now massacres Japanese tourists taking pictures. His name is "Killgore." Pretty original name I know.

Paranormal Activity has come out of nowhere this past month and has relied on good word-of-mouth advertising to become a huge success. It is very reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project, which is why I will be comparing them.

If you watch the preview for PA you will see movie audiences getting freaked out, mostly girls and guys with turtlenecks, that is. It gives little to no information about the actual movie. I'll break it down without giving any spoilers. A couple has decided to film themselves at night to find out what has been going bump in the night. As they provoke whatever is haunting them, the hauntings get worse. Yeah, that's it in a nutshell.

Now for the question. Is it actually scary? Yes, it relies on building suspense and watching the couple in tense, unexplainable situations. Over half of the movie is the couple during the day talking about what happened the night before. This can get tedious. They bicker back and forth and you hope that at least one gets killed off. Thankfully the boyfriend can actually be funny. So a few good scares and laughs is worth it. The best bits of the movie are when the camera is set up in their bedroom at night and the fun begins. Not that kind of fun, perverts. The reason this movie and the blair witch are scary is that you don't really see what is out to get you. The movie builds up to a great climax but sadly gives you a cheap scare to close it off. I wish it ended more like Blair Witch, who could forget that ending where they were running through the abandoned house with the handprints and screaming and children laughing....and then Mike is standing facing the corner. Oh, I get the chills just thinking of it.

For those of you who complain of motion sickness, you might get a little nauseous, but it's nothing compared to cloverfield or blair witch. The acting is much better in paranormal than blair witch as well. Yes you might get annoyed with the couple and wish they had a brain between them, but at least they aren't playing hot potato with the camera saying "Where's the F%#in' map!" "I don't F#%ing have the F$%ing map!" "Who has the F$*in' map?!" "Is that Dora?" "She has the F$%#ing map!" In short, the dialogue is tolerable in Paranormal Activity.

Basically this is one scary movie because it hits you where you feel the safest - Home. I honestly was afraid to sleep alone that night. Don't take your wife to this movie if you want her to ever feel safe at home. Is it a good film? Not really. There is little to no plot. But it is definitely effective at providing lasting chills. Plus, There is no better movie to get you into the Halloweener spirit.

I give Paranormal Activity 3 emotional scars out of 5.