HarborTides

Posted in: Entertainment on 10/14/09 at 2:20 PM PST

Photo Courtsey of Oren Peli

From first-time director Oren Peli comes Paranormal Activity, a new movie with a familiar concept that claims to be archival footage of a real life incident under far-fetched circumstances.

Paranormal Activity sets an example of how to use subtlety in the Horror/Thriller genre and understands that what you don't see and what you don't know, is usually more disturbing than any million dollar Hollywood contrived monster. It's a technique that has been mastered in the past by other successful psychological thrillers, but all too often overlooked. Paranormal Activity may not perform on the same caliber as other Horror classics, but it is good enough to put you in the Halloween spirit.

The first half of the film starts off at a slow place, but gives you time convince yourself that these characters are real, which thankfully isn't too difficult due to the improvisational acting style. The plot, or lack thereof, is shallow and may turn some people off. It boils down to this; Micah and Katie are a young couple living together and have been plagued with strange sounds and occurrences in the nights preceding the starting point of the film.

Micah decides to monitor their bedroom with his new video camera in hopes of uncovering the source of the disturbances, despite Katie's reluctance. She is convinced Micah's actions are only antagonizing the entity responsible for the commotion, as it becomes more prominent each night.

Maybe it sounds too uninspired or boring for some, but If this short synopsis catches your interest, you will not be disappointed with the results. Every time the couple falls asleep, you know it's time to clench your date's hand in suspense. There is an overwhelming sense of tension that is more effective and likely to keep you up at night than any gory alternative or in-your-face scare tactics. Instead, this movie cunningly provokes the anticipation of the audience and delivers a little more with each chilling bedroom scene.

Shot on a mere $15,000 budget in 7 days with virtually no film crew or special effects, the minimalist approach pays off because the supernatural events which haunt Micah and Katie feel genuine and candid.

For the most part, you will be convinced of this video's credibility. It's never actually revealed who or what is causing the fuss, but you know that it is coming from a completely unnatural source and those of us who have ever been weary of a strange sound in the middle of the night will dreadfully share the fear of the characters.

The film initially opened in 13 college cities and has slowly been opening in more cities due to high demands via the official website.

But the recent buzz surrounding it, and the backlash bound to come after it's been over hyped, almost places it's word-of-mouth status on par with that of other indie college films such as Napoleon Dynamite and Juno. This is a film you should see now, because with low expectations, it's a fun, suspenseful ride worth watching.

Paranormal Activity is now playing in select theaters and opens nationwide on October 16th.

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