Cameras Piss Off Demons.

Sleep with the door closed, and one eye open.

Paranormal Activity

starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

directed by Oren Peli

Modern Horror is still, in many ways, chasing after the tails of it’s predecessors. The best most modern scary movies can do is put a knife in the hands of a psycho and set them loose on a slightly stupid group of teens or college kids. Half of whom are scantily clad. Let’s examine what we call horror these days; for the most part, zombies are now more comedy than horrific (not all a bad thing, btw) and slashers have become the new kings, the best being Hostel, the original Saw, and Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake. Where are the ghost/demon stories? With the exception of Drag Me To Hell, can anyone name one good ghoul flick? Well, thanks to director Oren Peli, we have the birth of what perhaps could become the new standard in the genre; and it is devistatingly terrifying.

Paranormal Activity chronicles the story of Katie and Micah (yeah, they use their real names) and the ‘entity’ that is haunting them. Katie has seen/heard/felt this thing from a very young age; the incidents have recently worsened as Micah, her boyfriend, has moved in. Micah decides to document it with a camera that watches over their bedroom as they sleep. Strange things start to happen during the night, and become increasingly violent. Micah’ attitude doesn’t help, either. He attempts to make contact with the ghost through a Ouji board, and constantly curses and challenges it openly and verbally. After a visit from a psychic, it turns out that they may not be dealing with a ghost at all; it is a demon, that is apparently facisinated with Katie. Oh, and the worst part? Leaving the house won’t stop it. It will follow them.

The genius of this film is in the simplicity. With the exception of five minutes total of the film, it could have been made with three friends and a crappy hand held camera. This style gives it a sense of realism that is chilling. The demon is never actually seen; its movement is seen through shadows, moving doors, and violent roars. Most of the shots take place in the bedroom, and every time it pops up on the screen, it is sure to make your heart race because you know something is about to happen. As the actions get increasingly horrific, the suspense builds up. It leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The fact that the events actually didn’t happen to those involved is the real shocker; it is presented in such a believable and real way. Too real. Kudos to rookie Oren Peli. Be watching this guy for whatever he does next.

The only bad thing I can say about this film is that I hate the guerrilla camera techniquesthat are increasingly being used in Hollywood these days. But what irritates me more is that since the film is being shot this way, there must be dialogue inserted to make the excuse for the characters carrying the camera. Its so lame and fake sounding. Micah goes on and on about how much he spent on the camera to make it ‘good quality’ so the audience doesn’t question why the film isn’t grainy. Micah constatly explains why the camera is there and why he must carry it room to room. There is even the cliche scene where he tries to leave it on while Katie and he have sex. The film makers spend so much time trying to make excuses for the style that they take a bit of the realism and purpose out of it.

This film is single handedly the creepiest movie I’ve seen in recent memory. Nothing has terrified me this badly. I’m not afraid to admit I’ve lost several nights sleep, just sitting in the dark replaying the events in my head and praying they don’t happen to me. Though it is the apex of Modern Horror, and should be the direction in which Horror should move forward, I will not be buying it for my collection. One viewing is more than enough for a lifetime. No thank you. Be warned reader; the movie is awesome, but tread softly.