(2009) ***
A mother and two teenage children played by 25 year olds are menaced by an unseen force. On the advice of a paranormal investigator the trio is encouraged to document the unusual activity occurring in the home. The son, Thomas, sets up cameras in his mother and sister’s room, and the living room. He also carries a camera with him at all times so we are given other views of the home. Each night documented is filled with creepy events, which I will not spoil here. After a while it becomes clear that the entity is not interested in Thomas, but rather his double-d sister, Samatha.
Surprisingly effective, this blatant rip-off of Paranormal Activity, which I also enjoyed, is actually a scarier, faster-paced film and it’s the first film this year to give me the heebie-jeebies. Yes the acting is poor (e.g., Samantha breaks the fourth wall a few times and overacts), the home is ridiculously sparse (e.g. Samatha’s room is a bed, dresser and a crucifix, and that’s it.), and it’s never clear what any of the characters do for a living since none of them ever seem to leave the house, but overall the director creates a tense situation that made me jump more than once. I must acknowledge that I’m a bit biased because I love horror movies that involve found footage or things caught on a security camera. Watch this back-to-back with Paranormal Activity for a double treat of eerie.
6 comments:
Hmmmm....I was thinking I should skip this one because I hated Paranormal Activity. Still not sure.
Paranormal Activity is on my list for this year! Adding this as well...
People seem to either love it or hate it. I thought both were really creepy. Watch it with all the lights off and the sound turned up. Paranormal Entity was made with $11,000.
if you're going to rip off a movie concept, ripping off the title is pretty ballsy.
That's so true, 50. Me and JPX had that very conversation the other day, and he said that's what got him to watch it. He liked paranormal activity, so he figured he might like this too. It's definitely balsy, but also kind of clever.
I'm all for a good scare so I'm going to check this out.
Watching knockoff flicks is one of the reasons I love Horrorthon. A precise catalog of the ridiculous.
Despite the good stuff I've heard about Paranormal Activity I won't be screening it this year. It's not that it isn't my cup of tea, but it's not my favorite cup of tea.
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