Creepy! (Paranormal Activity)

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Wow...

So I just saw Paranormal Activity at a local theater. Sooooo creepy! I'm also surprised that there wasn't a thread for this before (not one I could find, anyway).

For those of you unfamiliar, it's a horror movie about a couple in a haunted house. It's shot camcorder-style, but unlike Blair Witch or Cloverfield there is hardly any shaky cam stuff. More often than not the camera is mounted on a tripod (which is explained in the story), so it doesn't cause any motion sickness-type feelings. And OH MY FUCKING GOD is this movie creepy. There are a few jumpy moments, but most of the real scares come from psychological tension.

Anyone else see it?
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
No, but I'm intrigued. Thing is, I can no longer watch horror movies in theatres--even ones that most people consider stupid and not at all scary. I just scare easily, and being in a dark theatre in that kind of situation makes me feel trapped.

I'll probably check it out when it comes on video, though. :D The non-shakiness of it appeals to me. I like that realistic camcorder thing, but I do not like the motion sickness that comes with it. It might not even be in my town. I hadn't even heard of it.
 
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Amorous Eyes said:
Also, I did really like Cloverfield, and .REC (not the lame Americanized version).
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I liked Cloverfield too, but I know the camera work turned a lot of people off. Thankfully in PA any moments of shaky camera shots are rare, tame, and the most important stuff happens while the camera is stationary.
 
Bowielee

Bowielee

This movie will never play anywhere near me, so I'll have to wait for the DVD to come out, but it looks great.
 
Troll

Troll

Ugh. The movie is still creeping me out. I think it was a bad idea to see it, then go home to an empty house that looks similar to the one in the movie.
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
Oh my God oh my GOD OH MY GOD I already know I can never see this movie. I just had to turn the trailer off, because I was squirming and gasping in a public place. Brrrrrr, I have way too vivid imagination for this kind of horror movie. Give me cheap shocks and cheesy blood, and I'm fine. But this... nonononono.... it's a shame, because it looks fantastic.... but no. Nonono.

I'm still having trouble sleeping after finding out who the villian is on Dexter this season.
 
Steve

Steve

The movie was made for under $20,000 and to date has grossed around $10,000,000. Thus showing Hollywood you don't need to drop several million into special effects if you have a good story.
 
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Steve said:
The movie was made for under $20,000 and to date has grossed around $10,000,000. Thus showing Hollywood you don't need to drop several million into special effects if you have a good story.
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...except Hollywood is learning impaired and afraid of taking chances. They want big-budget tripe with derivative stories that will draw millions of dumb viewers. You know, Michael Bay films.
 
Steve

Steve

For those of you who saw the movie, I read that Stephen Speilberg changed the ending of the movie. From what I've heard from people who saw the film they would have preferred the original ending as the "Hollywood" ending was a little over the top. Agree or disagree?
 
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Troll

Steve said:
For those of you who saw the movie, I read that Stephen Speilberg changed the ending of the movie. From what I've heard from people who saw the film they would have preferred the original ending as the "Hollywood" ending was a little over the top. Agree or disagree?
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I read about that too, and saw a summary of the original ending. I disagree. I'll admit that the current ending went a little too far over the top, it does fit well with the pacing and build up that took place in the movie. From what I understand of the original ending, it was anti-climatic and vague. I don't think it would be an improvement. I think the newer ending could be better, but did a good enough job of completing the film.
 
HowDroll

HowDroll

I wasn't blown away by this movie. It was entertaining, but I scare pretty easily and I didn't bat an eyelash until maybe the last 30 seconds. I also got really, really motion sick from the camera work--I almost thought I was going to throw up. I was also in the third row, so that probably didn't help. It was a good movie, but you all can probably wait until it comes out on DVD and not miss too much.
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

We just got back from it. I wasn't blown away, but was certainly interesting, and very easy to get into. I'm only aggravated that...

They show the ending in the trailer.

I knew it when I spotted it, hoped I was wrong, and then I was right. I hate when they do that.
 
S

Silvanesti

Dude.... I got to admit, i just watched it and that scared the everliving shit out of me.
 
KCWM

KCWM

escushion said:
We just got back from it. I wasn't blown away, but was certainly interesting, and very easy to get into. I'm only aggravated that...

They show the ending in the trailer.

I knew it when I spotted it, hoped I was wrong, and then I was right. I hate when they do that.
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Kind of like Quarantine. Hated that as well.
 
Espy

Espy

It was good. Not great, but really, really good. The ending? Almost perfect. Should have ended...
when she was standing in the doorway covered in blood.
 
Troll

Troll

Espy said:
It was good. Not great, but really, really good. The ending? Almost perfect. Should have ended...
when she was standing in the doorway covered in blood.
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I totally agree. The last part felt like overkill, as if to spell it out for any morons in the audience who didn't understand what was going on.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

Creeped me out. It was a slow build. It was kind of boringish for a bit, but I understand why it was done that way. They couldn't just charge in with the big scares.

I was creeped out the most by
her standing at the bed watching him sleep! I would freak out if I woke up to my gf doing that. Jeez.
 
Espy

Espy

You know, the further I get from the film the creepier the final scene (minus the VERY end) was.
 
BananaHands

BananaHands

Staff member
I didn't like it... didn't really scare me. It dragged on. I get that they were trying to make it seem real and all that, but it only made me think of The Blair Witch Project. The girl was a horrible actress and the movie was so friggin' predictable.

For the most part, I think the audience I saw it with ruined the film for me. A girl sitting a few seats away from would just give constant updates on what was going on. "Oh my god she's just staring at him. Oh my god it's for two hours. Oh my god the door opened."
Also, near the end when credits didn't roll and it explained what had happened to the characters, I heard a few people say "Oh man, this is based off of a true story!?" "That was real!?"

Also:
When his body hits the camera the time-code and REC vanishes from the screen. For having only one special effect, it wouldn't hurt to double check that you're maintaining the whole feel for it.

tl;dr - Obvious movie was obvious. Girl was a bad actor.
 
Espy

Espy

Really? I have to disagree on her acting and go with Eberts opinion:
She is on cam for almost every shot, and of Katie Featherston's performance it's enough to say it is flawless for the purposes of this film. We're not talking Meryl Streep here, we're talking about a young woman who looks and talks absolutely like she might be an ordinary college student who has just moved in with her boyfriend. There's not a second of "acting."
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P

Philosopher B.

I liked it. I thought the amateur nature of the whole dealio added to its authenticity. I was fairly creeped out a couple of times. Best scene = the spider removal. I kinda wanted to see more of that older dude, though. I was hoping maybe he'd turn up later to do something rad.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

The night after I watched it, I woke up around 2 and had to pee. I got up and flipped on the light, and POP my lights burned out. Scared me silly for a while. :eek:
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

drawn_inward said:
The night after I watched it, I woke up around 2 and had to pee. I got up and flipped on the light, and POP my lights burned out. Scared me silly for a while. :eek:
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The night after, I really didn't want to get out of bed when the window started creaking from the heater.

Yours sounds much worse though.
 
R

Rubicon

Cajungal said:
Oh my God oh my GOD OH MY GOD I already know I can never see this movie. I just had to turn the trailer off, because I was squirming and gasping in a public place. Brrrrrr, I have way too vivid imagination for this kind of horror movie. Give me cheap shocks and cheesy blood, and I'm fine. But this... nonononono.... it's a shame, because it looks fantastic.... but no. Nonono.

I'm still having trouble sleeping after finding out who the villian is on Dexter this season.
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This. I didn't even watch the trailer, I simply read the wikipedia summary..yea...I spook way to easily. Now, a cheesy slasher film or good old fashioned zombies, love it. ghosts, demon possessions, hauntings, etc I steer clear of
 
Espy

Espy

escushion said:
I know what you mean. Since I stopped taking annual trips to Antarctica, I don't find The Thing scary anymore.
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Personally, since Leatherface and I started playing cards together I just don't find The Texas Chainsaw Massacre scary anymore.
 
Shegokigo

Shegokigo

Saw it, loved it, scared my GF near to death. A whole row of people a few behind us screamed VERY vocally at the
Man Toss
and the movie does what it needs to. Scares those willing to be scared.

Personally I couldn't buy the fact that it was a "real filming of two people" but as a horror movie, it was a damn good watch. I love the fact they didn't add credits to the film, it really lends to it. (Though it does say pretty clearly that that the movie is fictious and not meant to resemble anyone in real life at the end)

As for the ending? Yeah I would have MUCH preferred it ending with
Her just crouched over the corpse instead of attacking the camera, I mean the "Demon" never bothered the camera the entire time before that

Seriously though, my favorite part?
Her being dragged by the leg across the hallway
Wow I just made my own hair on the back of my neck stand up writing that!

Really good horror movie.
 
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