15th December, 2009

KRIS BATHER

Paranormal Activity (M)

In a word: Unique

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: Paranormal Activity is being billed as 'the scariest film  ever made'. "That’s the beauty of this film; its simplicity. There are no credits at the start or end, no music, and no special effects. There is some profanity thanks to the macho Micah and welcome humour, but the film never goes for cheap thrills. It has a sudden (and not a happy) ending too, but for those who like to be scared you’ll find something to like here."

This is the little film that could. Made for only $11,000 and filmed in the director’s own house, this has become the The Blair Witch Project success of the decade. However, that is where the similarities end. Blair Witch was unleashed in the days when the internet was a footpath rather than the information super highway it is now, and driven by word of mouth “is it real?” fervour it quickly latched on to the pop culture consciousness.

Paranormal Activity is less ambitious than Blair Witch (being set all in one location) and primarily uses only two actors. It also shows its superior entertainment value by making those actors believable and sympathetic and doesn’t allow the hand held camera direction to become a shaky annoyance. Made in 2007 by writer/director Oren Peli it became a grass roots success thanks to its debut at that year’s Screamfest Horror Film Festival. It was then snapped up by Paramount Pictures, who wanted to immediately re-make it, which seems the default desire of every studio who finds a gem outside of the studio system.

However Peli was reluctant and stood his ground, asking for one more test screening of the film in its current state before throwing big names and a bigger budget at it. This rather humble strategy worked. With screenings beginning in September of this year at various colleges across America it’s fan base grew, leading to an eventual cinematic release, and its “most profitable film ever” title. The unique marketing, which consisted of a trailer showing terrified audience members, and the praise of Steven Spielberg made this a surprise smash.

So, what’s the film actually about? Not a lot actually happens. Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat portray a couple who have recently begun experiencing disturbances at night, so Micah decides to set up a camera in their bedroom to catch what they suspect is a haunted house in action. As strange noises escalate to slamming doors, monstrous voices and far worse throughout the course of the film, the couple survey the aftermath each new morning and it takes a toll on their relationship. They soon discover that it’s not a ghost at all, but a demon, who has been following Katie most of her life and is now feeding on the negative energy in the house.

That’s the beauty of this film; its simplicity. There are no credits at the start or end, no music, and no special effects. There is some profanity thanks to the macho Micah and welcome humour, but the film never goes for cheap thrills. It has a sudden (and not a happy) ending too, but for those who like to be scared you’ll find something to like here.

The actors are average looking people, not “movie stars” and this realistic approach is the film’s greatest strength. As Alfred Hitchcock knew, it’s the reactions of the cast that reveal true horror, not over the top violence for mere shock value. Peli uses the same principles to great effect. What he does with wind and sound is disturbingly effective and on the journey home you’ll wonder how he achieved some of the effects on such a low budget.

I must say I was hoping to be scared more, but I have seen a lot of movies in my day so perhaps I’m just jaded, but films like this that offer something different than the usual cinematic fare we’re offered are usually worth supporting and remind Hollywood that it’s not millions of dollars that’s needed to deliver entertainment, but only creativity and the boldness to act upon it. That costs very little, but as Paranormal Activity shows, it has blockbuster potential.

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