Reviewed by Film Editor Barry Benintende

 

Paranormal Activity (DVD)  / Starring:  Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat / 99 minutes

 

After a great deal of hype over the cost of production, Paranormal Activity is nothing more than a well-made, scary, film that holds up on DVD. Paranormal came to theaters claiming it was a true story and the footage was "found" after the fact. To add to the set up, it plays without any conventional opening or closing credits, it begins by thanking "the families of Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston." Best of all, it closes with one of those ominous "current whereabouts unknown" title cards and a bare bones screen of copyright notices. Unless you have never heard of Paranormal Activity, you know it is all a put on to sell tickets and build interest in the film. It is a bold marketing strategy and a successful one too. It does set up the audience for a stark movie with some emotional highs and interesting visuals.

There will be comparisons to The Blair Witch Project, another low budget film that marketed itself the same way. The footage is presented as if it had been discovered after the fact. The plot is simple: Micah shot it himself, hence the cheap look of the film you are watching. Whether it cost $5 or $500 million, the point of a movie is to be entertained, and Paranormal is very entertaining. It is a straight forward story of a couple that is coming unglued; a very interesting couple. Director Oren Peli shot the film in his over ten tens and for a rumored $11,000 and Peli is to be applauded, for this film looking like it should and delivering more chills that most contemporary horror films. For after all, a movie should not be judged merely by how it looks or how long it took to complete.

Katie (Katie Featherston) is an English graduate student and Micah (Micah Sloat) is a day trader, whom after living together for three years, decided to move into a house in San Diego, which looks and feels like it has barely been live in. In fact, it has a pre-furnished and sterile look similar to what might expect to find on the pages from the San Diego Home & Garden magazine.  

Featherston and Sloat are successful in authentically portraying their characters, no matter how implausible the situation may seem. The couple is being disturbed by paranormal activity which appears to be emanating from the upstairs bedroom and Micah comes up with an idea to try and capture that activity, by leaving a camera running while they sleep. What takes place while they are sleeping is what makes this film worth watching, but you will have to purchase the DVD to find out why. At the suggestion of the film’s champion, Steven Spielberg the original ending for the film was altered, which assisted Paranormal Activity in being released.

Suffice to say if you enjoy a good scare, you will love Paranormal Activity.

Rated R for language

Reviewed January 2010

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Riveting Riffs Magazine's Film Editor Barry Benintende is a freelance journalist living in San Diego. He is happily married with two sons, a daughter two cats and a Terrier named Jack.