I finally got to watch Paranormal Activity last night. The short version: DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE.
The long version with spoilers:
This movie is the absolute epitome of a letdown, and really drives home the fact that sometimes hype can really sell a movie. This thing is pure boredom, and the one scene which I suppose was supposed to be really scary, literally made me laugh out loud.
Part of the problem, other than the fact that bumps and doors slightly opening and closing while people are asleep doesn't scare me, is that I didn't really give a fuck if these people were gutted in their sleep or not, let alone if something was bumping their walls and waking them. They were completely unlikeable characters, and to be honest they came off as completely fucking stupid throughout the entire movie.
I'd love to post more pics but this is essentially the only shot in the whole 107 minute movie anyway.
I get what the director was going for here, with the popularity of TAPS on Sci-Fi, ghost hunting seems to be all the rage right now, or at least its' in the spotlight more so than it's ever been before, and why not cash in on that a little using the old Blair Witch formula? And it appears that it's worked out big for them. Paranormal Activity just didn't work out for me though.
I absolutely loved The Blair Witch Project, and i defend it to this day, but what made it so great was how much you didn't see, how much it left up to the audience to interpret for themselves. It did just enough to put ideas in your head, but never gave you the money shot. Paranormal Activity goes the other route and pretty much blows it's load on three scenes, which I unfortunately laughed at all 3 of. No uneasy feelings, no screaming and crying giant man-tears, and no problems sleeping in my bed alone afterwards.
In summary, watch Paranormal Activity to see just how bad The Blair Witch Project could've been, watch it for two characters who you wish the ghost would just pick up and throw out the window, and even watch it if you're a fan of Ghost Hunters like me. However don't watch it if you're looking fora genuine scare, you won't get one, unless of course you're afraid of invisible chickens who live in attics.
2 comments:
Invisible chickens? Gah!!!! My worst phobia.
But seriously, yeah - I agree with you on BLAIR WITCH and still find that effective as hell. As far as PA, I've heard an alarming number of horror enthusiasts expressing -at least- disappointment with it, so I doubt you're alone. I might see it still, but I sure as hell ain't excited about it based on the word from the front lines.
It seems like this film has suffered from fake hype...much like Snakes on a Plane. Nothing can come close to the realism of The Blair Witch Project.
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