14 DAY TRIAL // Critics often say it’s harder and harder these days to count on a good scare at the cinema because Hollywood is either too afraid to take any chances or fixated on remakes, reboots and sequels to be able to come up with something new. “Paranormal Activity” seems to be the one movie that will finally put an end to a long run of scream-free shows, with critics labeling it the next “Blair Witch Project.”
Granted, “Paranormal Activity” comes ten years after the aforementioned mock documentary film and relies heavily on buzz built on the Internet, but that’s not to say that its merits are not worthy of consideration. In fact, its limited run over the weekend has shown that it stands great chances of becoming the next best thing in terms of faux documentary horror films once it's released on more markets, Hollywood Insider believes.
“The other industry surprise was the ridiculously impressive gross for the viral marketed phenomenon ‘Paranormal Activity.’ Screening in just 159 theaters, Paramount’s uber-scary horror flick grossed an estimated $7.1 million, putting its per-screen average at an astronomical $44,163 and giving it the 5th spot in the weekend’s rankings. This film has garnered so much attention that the studio will take it nationwide next weekend.” the movie-oriented publication says.
What’s even more interesting than the brilliant debut in US theaters (the flick first made the festival circuit and has been present on the scene since October 2007, when it premiered at the Screamfest Festival in the US) is that it comes with a budget of nearly $15,000, an amount that no longer seems so insignificant when the plot is taken into account. “Paranormal Activity” details the story of a couple who live together in the same house. When she tells him that there’s a presence at the foot of the bed every night, he decides to buy a camera to shoot what happens at night as they sleep.
As it turns out, things are never what they seem and, together with some shaky camera work, the lack of effects and the obvious rawness of the material (which works to enforce the sensation that what the viewer sees is real), “Paranormal Activity” sets itself apart as one of the best horror productions of the recent years. Below is the trailer for it, see it and judge for yourselves.