Paranormal Activity Review (10-11-09)

Awww you hated diary of the dead? i loved it.
Hated land of the dead and i didn't like the make up in Dawn of the Dead.
However i love some of the special features in Dawn of the dead.

Gotta say I loved The Blair Witch project, may favourite horror movie of all time, though it loses most of the effect after the first viewing. Though I've showed it to various friends and girlfriends and they just get bored. Maybe I'll have to check out Paranormal Activity .

My idea on the whole fear verses gore thing is that, over time, people have got use to having these things shoved straight down their throat and are not willing to think about what is going on. What I love about the Blair Witch is that you need to use your head and it's not the movie that scares you, but your own mind

i definitely agree that the people in the theater drive the movie home; my friend named cupid made this blood curdling scream at the first night of paranormal activity and that directly put me into the highest level of fear factor for the rest of the film. i can safely say that this was muuuuuch more scarier than Halloween Horror Nights...and that's a real life experience!!

I agree with pretty much everything you said (especially about horror movies today and the difference between revulsion and fear) except for one thing: being genuinely scared is not fun. At all.

It's fine if you can walk out of the theater, shake it off and go home. I can't do that. By the time I've cared enough about the plot and characters to become really, truly terrified, it does not go away. I've got an unusually overactive imagination and I just can't seem to shake this dread after I've watched a horror movie.

This all reminds me of this one time my whole family was out of town and I was alone at my parent's place. Big place. Mansion in the woods, old building, not too many other houses around. So, naturally, I rented a movie, got a pile of snacks (thank god I did) and settled down to watch a horror movie, The Ring. I know, not a very scary movie, but you'd be surprised how pants-shittingly terrified you can get when you're alone in a huge creaking mansion at night in the woodsy asscrack of rural Belgium. Once the movie was over I was so freaked out I didn't have the balls to get off the couch. I basically camped out on the couch with a blankie over my head surviving on snacks and coke for the better part of two days. I'm not even kidding, that's how terrified I was.

So, yeah, I'm a major pussy. I've been terrified a lot and it was never fun. And the weird thing is, I absolutely love old-school horror movies, but I can't watch them on my own, I haven't got a boyfriend anymore (and he didn't like movies anyway) and my friends don't like horror. I'd love to see Ringu and Kairo and Rosemary's Baby and the Exorcist and a slew of other movies, but it's sooo not worth camping on the couch for.

lets youtube this shit!

Uh, boyfriend and girlfriend in the movie? Wasn't it just the mom, sister and brother? I'm confused now.

Someone explain :/

Also, I liked this movie (for the most part) too.

I think you saw a different movie.

Just saw it tonight so sorry this comment is a few months late.
My movie crowd burst out laughing at

(SPOILERS)

the part where the demon dragged her out of bed.

(END SPOILERS)

I also found it hilarious. I, honestly, think that some people are just not scared by this kind of style. I know when I wasn't laughing I was bored shitless. I was not drawn in because the boyfriend and the girlfriend were unbelievably stupid, and the scares were all jump scares (never jumped either, mainly because it was all predictable BS).
And why would the guy keep on provoking the demon? I don't get why he keeps provoking it after the first few times. It's obviously not helping. Not that I was cheering for the demon, but I think the couple was fully aware after the first few days the camera, ouija board etc... was DEFINITELY not helping. They were asking for it. Basically, the movie was like a boy poking a beehive, a girl telling him not to poke the beehive or else she'd leave, even though she never left, and of course, they both get stung in the end...LEAVE AND STOP PROVOKING IT MORONS!

(SPOILERS)

I felt no sympathy for them when the demon kicked Micah's ass into the camera and possessed Katy's, dumb, dependent ass in the end.

(END SPOILERS)

I love your videos Spoony, but you shouldn't get on your high horse and criticize people for liking movies like Transformers (yes, even though it's a pretty mindless flick) because there are people who are into that. You liked this movie and some people will enjoy it and will genuinely be scared by it, and some people will just not like it and won't connect to the types of scares this movie has to offer. Not because they don't get it, but because it's just not to their tastes.

I just saw this movie. It was AWSOME

I watched this at home a little while ago with my gf, and it isn't more boring at home as it is in the theatre, if you put the volume up and make it absolutly dark=] the fummiest thing was after we were done she thought she heared something, she was about to piss her pants, and then it turned out to be my pet cat. hahaha

306 @Jaz

Yeah it actually is Ghost Hunters, the kids show ur thinking of is probably "Ghost Trackers", a REALLY shitty show on nickelodeon... yeah kinda gayy how i even know this....
Gotta agree with Spoony on Ghost Hunters, about 99.999999999999% of the time they find NOTHING, but its that 0.00000000000001% that keeps people watching.....

Though i did hear somewhere that their "Findings" are staged, i don't know about this....anyone know if their legit or not?

I feel like I'm missing something. I didn't find it scary AT ALL.

I met my girlfriend at the cinema, and saw some of my friends. They told me they had just seen Paranormal Activity and I said that we were about to watch it. One of my friends seriously said "Don't. Just don't. Seriously man. Don't watch it. DON'T. THERE'S NO SOLUTION AT THE ENDING" etc.

At this point I was shitting myself about watching it, literally shaking. Got to it, 45 minutes in and I'm not scared at all. People are jumping out of their seats in fear and I just didn't find any of it scary. I really wanted to get scared and began thinking I wasn't in the right mindset.

The only part that scared me was pretty much the end scene. Made me jump, but yeah, I left feeling a bit disappointed.

Maybe I just didn't get it..

My girlfriend wasn't scared either. The scariest thing for her was that one bit with the small spider, because she has a REALLY bad phobia of spiders. That's pretty damn pitiful if you ask me.

Aahh.

I love how you approach this, spoony my man.

I went and saw this in theatres with my friends, we're all like 17, 18.
My best friend, who sat beside me, left the theatre bawling. She was saying how it didn't blow your mind, it blew your freakin' soul.

For someone who has never really watched ANY scary movies EVER, this was absolutely without a doubt horrifying. And The girl? The WHOLE movie I was sitting there going "...You know, I'll probably look a lot like that in a few years. She even has my figure..... -shudder- ...Yeah, get it OUT. What is he doing?"
So I identified with her to the point that I'm still disturbed by how much of myself I saw in her.
And the previously haunted girl, she looked a lot like the current one, all dark hair and strong features, though you only notice if you look real close.

The one thing that my friend, who had been crying, was emphasizing the most was at the very end, "The body of the woman was never found."

No answers, urk. Apparently there's a downloaded version with a different ending or something, something with guns or whatever. I'll have to go dig it up perhaps, I've only heard whispers about it.

I love watching you talk, my man, I won't lie. Impressively charismatic.

EVERYONE needs to see this movie, and I don't care how.
It took a few weeks before I was able to appreciate it, since it took that long for me to stop hating it for how much it scared the SHIT out of me.
Ugh,

SO good.

Watched pretty much all your stuff for about 2 years, your call that Pandorum was The Decent in space was absolutely brilliant. This however dissapoints me a lot more than anything Ive seen from any reviewer ever.

Thank you for all the entertainment over the last couple of years, but I am in shock that you like this movie, shocked that you thought it was scary and horrified that you would spend so much time talking about how good it was. Feels like one of my most trusted reviewers just told me that Star Wars Part 1 was the best movie in the series. No actually, this is worse :(

Theres currently only one person that could survive this and still have me watching his reviews, and thats you.

@MEITTI

Thats an interesting interpetation. Although I'd say the characters negative emotions has an impact on what the demon can actually do. It begins by moving doors. And had they not recorded that they would never know. Right? So then, by recording and by watchin they actually see it and get afraid. That fear "feeds" into the demons strength, which in turn enables it to do more complex things.

I don't think it has it in for the boyfriend, I just think it wasn't strong enough before the boyfriend started recording.

The one thing I disagree with is that the demon gets "angry". I hate to sound like a "know it all" on something that is 100% personal interpetation. but I don't think demons have emotions such as we do. And because of that it doesn't get "provoked" it doesn't get "angry" it simply uses that anger and fear that the characters feel to grow. Its nothing personal. But hey, we all have our different perspectives and its an interesting thought even if I happen to disagree. Maybe you're right, maybe its vengeful and sees this as a personal matter, but that would be understandable and relatable. To me a demon is otherwordly and we would never understand its reasoning.

@Bumbo, what I thought of the demon, was that it was sorta "jealous", "obsessed" with that poor girl, stalking it and doing weird shit. But when she finally had a guy, amongst many other provocations, it started to become angry.



SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!


For example, the ouija board showing that demon's last victim's name, hinting that it didnt like that they would bring any magicians or anything in there. And when the guy got more cocky and angry, the demon got more angry, and showed that in different ways, like scratching only the guys face in an image. And the last straw, which triggered the last night, was when the guy burnt that picture.

What got me most about this movie...was the sound. I don't know about most people, but I've got sensitive ears (I think it comes with being a trained musician), and when that heavy, low, bass sound came on in the theater...I tensed up, got freaked out, and it totally made the experience for me. The overtone in the sound system, too, which my friend next to me didn't pick up on, but which was as clear as day to me, totally made my ears buzz, and added to that sense of dread. So, in that way, I totally agree with you - this movie wouldn't be 1/10th as frightening, if seen at home, on your laptop, with the lights on, while someone's making cookies in the kitchen. The atmosphere just isn't right. : ) Very good review.

P.S.: I don't feel bad for Micah...at all. Common sense says if the thing wants to burn a Ouiji board to send you a "message"...you don't wanna know what it has to say.

A Blair Witch style movie could probably be made to be very scary, but Blair Witch just wasn't. I consider it really bad, and consider the sequel actually good.

Nothing scary happens in Blair Witch; and no, I do not mean the whole, "we didn't see anything", I mean, nothing scary happens.

Some people set up some stones around the tent. Big whoop. Apparently some dicks trying to mess with don't even have the guts to show themselves and/or attack me while I'm asleep. And they start running away scared from the stones, and I don't get it. Yeah, it maybe fucked up, but if they wanted to hurt you they would have done so already. If they had guns, they wouldn't be scared to come out, since they don't come out, they're more scared of you, than you are of them. So nothing scary is going on here, and them getting scared if I were there, would just have me say, "Calm down, will ya."

Going in circles with a compass; there's a magnetic rock nearby powerful enough to become the dominant magnetic force instead of the North Pole. Big whoop.

And the so-called money shot: There's a guy standing there. And? What?

So I got no idea whether I should watch this, I'm leaning towards no, but on the other hand it at least showed they showed and let you here something that is actually scary.

I don't think the show is ghost hunters, since thats a kid show.

Saw this one tonight with my wife. Absolutely loved it. SECOND scariest movie of the year next to Drag Me To Hell.
Why? Same reason you mentioned- emotional investment in the characters, and the lack of an explanation as to what actually happened. The cloven footprints in the powder really sent it home for me- unholy cow !!

As per usual, you hit the nail on the head, my friend. Now I have to sleep on the couch, because I didn't tell my wife how bad it was gonna be... sigh...

Also, I watch youtube clips at home. So I actually disagree when you say you should see it in theaters. Because it feels like a series of youtube clips to me, and to go to the cinema to see it is a little like taking this movie out of its element. I would watch it where I would percieve it to be more in context. To watch an action movie at home isn't as effective when compared to watch in awesome widescreen with brutal surround sound. Imagine the hulk in theaters and compare it to the impact of watching at home. Unless you have a home cinema system, which I don't, it isn't as effective.

BUT paranormal activity doesn't need a surround system, it doesn't need a wide screen. I would actually recommend watching it like you watch a youtube clip.

I agree with the most of this review. However I thought the parts where they argue are very effective and I'll tell you why.

The demon feends on conflict and bad emotions, correct? Well, the power of the demon escalates with their negative emotions. So when he starts recording, its "weak" and it can't do much, for instance: it opens a door. Not very impressive. When they continue recording and provoking (provoking in a very "shallow" manner I would say where he acts tough but really he's scared) they get even more scared when they see how it grows in power, which feeds the demon. They turn on eachother and argues, negatve emotions which strengthens the demon. Everything negative and what might be seen as drawn out bickering is empowering the demon to the point where it has the power to "meet his goal" so to speak. I thougt it was pretty nice to see their emotions towards eachother get perverted since it was a sublte way to know that the demon is getting stronger, its getting closer to achieving its goal. For every negative emotion, every argument, every gasp it grows in strength.

To me it was very powerful to feel how the demon used their own emotions and goals against them to achieve its own. I figured it had little power at the begining and, like I said, it escalated with the fears and emotions of the characters.

I really loved this movie as well, I saw it on my birthday for a good laugh becuase i thought it was gonna be really stupid but i was REALLY scared and into the movie. i have never seen a better horror movie than this, when you saw the girl at the end chills just went up everyones spines, and thats good acting throughout the whole movie, i loved it, even though it really scared me.

I have to disagree with the comment that the movie was filmed documentary style. It really wasn't. It was just a couple trying to catch something happening in their house. But this is a minor point. Your vlog is very funny and your opinions are eloquently put. I agree that the sense of dread in The Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity makes them both terryfying. I saw Paranormal Activity at home and I promise you, it's still scary. You're alone, your ac makes noise. I'm still sleeping with the light on.

wonder what spoony thought of shaun of the dead?

I just got back from the theater and I have to say that Paranormal Activity was amazing!

*Mild Spoilers*
just thought I'd warn ya.

I've heard little about this movie before I've seen your review on it and based on that I had to go see it. One thing I've never really liked about many horror movies I've seen is the shock horror, the pop out of nowhere and ooga-booga. What I liked about this movie is that it didn't need that! The only thing you see about the monster/ghost/demon is the footprint in the powder(witch I thought looked so cool!). I was half thinking throughout the entire movie that the camera was going to turn around then boom, there he is or at least a reflection of him in a mirror or something.

Truly less is more for Paranormal Activity!

I don't know if you've seen Joshua yet, but I think you'd like that brand of horror. Perhaps not, but maybe.

I have not read through the other 290+ comments but going off what you had said about the comparison of Horror movies to Scary movies it reminded me of something about the comparison of Horror Terror and Dread.

Horror is finding a dead body, you're horrified by it's presence.
Terror is someone running at you with a bloody knife, you're terrified for your life.
And last Dread is returning home to find a window open that you know you had closed, or sitting on your couch and hearing someone upstairs when you're the only one home. Dread is that unknown.

Kairo was also one of my favorite horror films just on that same basis that this is really going down and this isn't something controlled it's on a worldwide level. Glad to see that you felt the same and that you mentioned it.

I think 2012 will be scary only because 2012 is coming and people have superstitions that something is going to happen.

Kudos to you for recommending Kairo, which I fucking loved and is one of the most underappreciated horror films ever; I also recommend the other movies by its director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, such as Cure and Seance. Also, another little-known but excellent film is Jacob's Ladder; if you've played Silent Hill or seen the movie, everything they ever did was lifted practically wholesale from that movie, and it shows, so check that out.