![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
So, Paranormal Activity is available on Netflix online to watch so naturally I had to watch it.
Hmmmmm... first off it's not a terrible movie. But it isn't high art either. I don't understand all those commercials on TV where they show cowering audiences freaking out. There wasn't much to freak out over really.
Pros:
Old school in situ special effects trump CG crap fests like the remake of "Haunting of Hill House" anyday.
Micah dies at the end.
Didn't guess the ending until just before it happened.
Distinguishes between haunting by dead people and a demonic haunting- thank you movie which is as knowledgeable as I am.
Pychic smart enough to make a run for it and ave himself (presumably he has seen a horror movie before- I posit that all horror movies except Scream must exist in an alternate world where there are no horror movies)
Cons:
Long slow build up to a climax which comes to quickly AND takes place off camera.
Because the movie was shot with a single camera it was eay to predict when something would happen and where because the camera HAD to be there or there wouldn't be a movie.
Too many things that should have had any normal person shitting in their pants went TOTALLY UNREMARKED UPON. Anyone care to comment on the FLAMING ouji board? No? Moving on. Anything to say about the creepily INHUMAN foot prints in the baby powder? No? OK, fine, be that way. And why did no one think to do a rubbing on the scratched up formerly flaming ouji board???
Micah was a total douche-bag. The only reason for which seems to be to further the plot. Which made me pray for his death!
The fact that the film opens by telling us the police are in possesion of this film means someone will die by the end so that was pretty heavy handed forshadowing.
I can't imagine that Paranormal Activity 2 is going to be a vast change from this formula. Maybe they can improve upon the characters and go into more depth about the haunting. Rather than skimming the surface like PA1 did.
But I don't know why everyone seemed to be hyperventilating over this film. It's basically just a good old school story with effects provided by that thing the dentist blows into your mouth with.
Hmmmmm... first off it's not a terrible movie. But it isn't high art either. I don't understand all those commercials on TV where they show cowering audiences freaking out. There wasn't much to freak out over really.
Pros:
Old school in situ special effects trump CG crap fests like the remake of "Haunting of Hill House" anyday.
Micah dies at the end.
Didn't guess the ending until just before it happened.
Distinguishes between haunting by dead people and a demonic haunting- thank you movie which is as knowledgeable as I am.
Pychic smart enough to make a run for it and ave himself (presumably he has seen a horror movie before- I posit that all horror movies except Scream must exist in an alternate world where there are no horror movies)
Cons:
Long slow build up to a climax which comes to quickly AND takes place off camera.
Because the movie was shot with a single camera it was eay to predict when something would happen and where because the camera HAD to be there or there wouldn't be a movie.
Too many things that should have had any normal person shitting in their pants went TOTALLY UNREMARKED UPON. Anyone care to comment on the FLAMING ouji board? No? Moving on. Anything to say about the creepily INHUMAN foot prints in the baby powder? No? OK, fine, be that way. And why did no one think to do a rubbing on the scratched up formerly flaming ouji board???
Micah was a total douche-bag. The only reason for which seems to be to further the plot. Which made me pray for his death!
The fact that the film opens by telling us the police are in possesion of this film means someone will die by the end so that was pretty heavy handed forshadowing.
I can't imagine that Paranormal Activity 2 is going to be a vast change from this formula. Maybe they can improve upon the characters and go into more depth about the haunting. Rather than skimming the surface like PA1 did.
But I don't know why everyone seemed to be hyperventilating over this film. It's basically just a good old school story with effects provided by that thing the dentist blows into your mouth with.
