We demanded it and we saw the movie everybody’s been talking about! Rumors are surrounding Paranormal Activity as the scariest movie in the past decade. Could it live up to the hype? Trick ‘r Treat did (or so I think) but can lightning strike twice for the horror genre in the same month let alone same year? So what did HorrorBid think of hyped up little indie film that could? Read more to find out.

Follow up:

Disclaimer: You should know upfront that I don’t scare easily in movies. I’m a shinning example of our desensitized society.

“My skin was crawling”. That’s the best way I can describe what I was feeling while watching Paranormal Activity. I could lie like the douche who was sitting right behind me as the theater lights came up, “Uh, that wasn’t scary”, but I’m not a dirty liar who’s fragile ego would shatter if some little Tiffany detected my manliness flicker . . . you know who you are. I can EASILY see how people would walk out of the theater without finishing it. Creepy, scary, and freak you out but not without some laughs to help separate the tension and offer much need relief. I’m afraid without the lighter moments the film could have been unbearable for some and many panic attacks would ensue. I’ll get right to it, the rumors are true my horror friends.

The movie starts up with Micah and his girlfriend Katie purchasing a video camera to capture strange occurrences on tape that have been happening in their house while they sleep. Really that’s all you need to know. As the story progresses we learn more details that offer possible reasons for the haunt but it never gives the audience too much info. It always keeps you wanting to see or know more and that’s what Paranormal Activity has going for it. The movie plays on the fear of the human imagination. It only gives little thrills (with hardly any production cost) that fuel the terrifying unknown. The best movies to compare Paranormal Activity with is The Blair Witch meets The Exorcist and Drag Me to Hell with a hint of The Grudge or The Ring. I don’t think I’ve ever had so many goose bumps during a movie in my life.

As stated above, Paranormal Activity has been compared with the likes of The Blair Witch. I can see the parallel but where TBW thrived from lack of communication (mainly lack of internet) and the idea that it was ‘real footage’, Paranormal Activity succeeded without viral and guerilla marketing ploys making it far superior for just being a film that could scare me (even with foreknowledge that it’s only a movie). You know it’s not real but you just can’t help yourself.

Oren Peli does a fabulous job of focusing on the sound. Don’t get me wrong, the visuals are freaky and aren’t sloppily applied like most Hollywood flicks but his use of noise is just as if not more so frightening. Honestly, every creek in my house has me jumping.

I’ve complained in the past about how big budget horror has lost its way but I’m going to reflect and say that maybe Hollywood needed to skew off track so that gems like this movie can be made. Paranormal Activity proves that the biggest actors, the best special effects and millions of dollars don’t automatically mean good movie . . . it just means more money. Art in Hollywood Horror is almost dead and hopefully studios will give more face time to the little guys like “The House of the Devil”, “Paranormal Activity” or “Trick ‘r Treat”. In the end it’s up to us the audience to decide based on our turn out and how much money the indies make. If we want more films like these we need to go to the movies.

Paranormal Activity gets a knives up from HorrorBid. Even though in the end it’s always about the money us horror fans need to take a stand and make sure art and originality are equally represented. Remakes and sequels are tipping the scales. Let’s help equal them out by supporting films like Paranormal Activity. I’m not sure how it will hold up to multiple viewings (as I will be seeing this again tomorrow) but it did what it set out to do and then some . . . scare audiences to death!