Dvd
Paranormal Activity
From first time director, Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity tracks the story of a young couple who move into what seems like a typical suburban house until they become increasingly disturbed by a presence they experience in the middle of the night. In the style of The Blair Witch Project, all of the low budget handi-cam footage is presented as if it had been discovered after the fact, shot by the couple as they experience these strange happenings.
Starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs
Directed by Oren Peli
Written by Oren Peli
Thriller, Horror | 1hr 26mins | Rated (M) | contains offensive language | Origin: USA | Language: English | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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There are moments in Paranormal Activity when you have to ask yourself why you’re so terrified. This much-hyped, low-budget flick is really no more than a boogeyman thriller. With a budget of just US$15,000, writer-director Oren Peli didn’t even need to invest in a set, shooting the entire thing in his house.
The film’s limited setting means there’s much repetition – your heart rate will literally oscillate as the sun goes up and down. But thanks to its less-is-more filmmaking techniques, Paranormal’s biggest triumph is its ability to ramp up the tension throughout. Much of the time it’s like waiting for an electric shock.
It helps that the two main leads are so easy to watch. Their take-the-piss relationship does plenty to calm the nerves in the lead-up to the scary stuff – comic relief has never been so welcome. Yes, there are a couple of silly bits and you must suspend disbelief to get the full effect, much like its forefather, The Blair Witch Project.
Because the home-footage, cinema verite style has been done before, it’s not as impressive as it might have been ten years ago. But if it’s an old-fashioned fright night you’re after, you won’t be disappointed.
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The people's reviews
54 reviews
Press Reviews
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Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
An ingenious little horror film, so well made it's truly scary.
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Hollywood Reporter
Paranormal" ultimately does deliver in a way that "Blair Witch" never did, but its achingly slow buildup is a test not just of an audience's patience but the power of hype surrounding the latest alternative scary movie.
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Los Angeles Times
Peli works at mining the unknown, the unknowable, like a minimalist, using small moments and virtually no special effects exceedingly well.
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Rolling Stone (USA)
With a $15,000 budget too puny to empty a petty-cash drawer, the no-frills Paranormal Activity comes packed with thrills.
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Time Magazine
Beyond the viral ingenuity of the marketing, what's cool about PA is that it's not just a fun thrill ride; it's an instructive artistic experience. A horror-movie revisionist, Peli follows a less-is-more strategy.
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Variety (USA)
Paranormal succeeds in staying unnervingly "real."
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