Last night I watched Paranormal Activity, at home and in the dark with candles. Earth Hour had just ended, so I figured I'd keep the candles on and add to the spooky atmosphere. Not the wisest decision as it turns out. This, my dears, is the first time in a long time that a movie has truly rattled me; beating heart, dread in my stomach, sweaty palms, the works. By the time the ending came around I was watching through a blanket covering my eyes. I was able to get to sleep later that night however, though I had to keep my door closed and was extra cautious about walking around in the dark (though I should be doing that anyway; stubbed toes are not fun). And no nightmares to report, which is what many of the film's reviews promise. But still, very much rattled.
Now I'm usually not such a scaredy cat when it comes to horror movies. I can get creeped out, or grossed out, or maybe unsettled, but often I'm not actually frightened. In fact I'm a pretty big fan of the genre. I've always been interested in the spooky, fantastical side of life; hence my passion for vampires and shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural. The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, Psycho, are all classic films and I have seen each one without any major ill effects. The Evil Dead trilogy may not be classic, but they're definitely cult favorites and favorites of mine as well. Most of the time I just find movies and shows like that entertaining, maybe creepy, sometimes even thought provoking, as occasionally a deeper message can be hidden in the blood and gore.
So what makes Paranormal Activity an exception? A number of reasons I think. First, it's a documentary style film. The audience is made to believe that what we're seeing is "lost" footage, a la The Blair Witch Project (another low budget, fan driven horror hit), something we maybe even weren't meant to see. Whereas most horror movies are staged and special fx'd to the point that it's almost comical, PA hits closer to home; literally, as every single frightening event takes place in this average couple's middle class house. What we're seeing is made more believable as it almost works within the realm of possibility, that this could happen to you.
Secondly, I'm not a fan of things that all of a sudden pop out at you in the dark. That's a big reason why I don't do haunted houses at theme parks (The Haunted Mansion and the Tower of Terror at Disney World being obvious exceptions). As the camera moved through the house in PA late at night, or even as it sat stationary in the bedroom at like 3 in the morning, you never knew what was coming. That freaks me out.
Thirdly, the whole movie builds up steam as you go. The activity starts off slow, and in the middle of the film I was even beginning to wonder if this was really as scary as everyone says it is. My concerns were very much allayed, as gradually the events become more frequent and more menacing, leading up to a pretty darn frightening ending. That building of suspense just made it all the more horrifying.
I put off watching the alternate ending until today, just because after all that I wanted to tackle it in broad daylight. After seeing both (kind of; I had to turn my eyes away a few times), I just have to say that the original ending was way better. It was a lot more startling and left a sense of mystery.
So a good movie overall, and a unique experience for me. It's a unique movie in general, as it took a whole lot of people "Demanding It" on the film's web page to give it a wide release. It's an example of how the Internet is affecting the film industry in this day and age.
As I lay in bed last night, trying to keep my back to the door, I remembered two of my favorite acronyms; WWBD? and WWAWD? Longer versions are What Would Buffy Do? and What Would a Winchester Do? They'd kick the scary thing's rear end, that's what. Keep that in mind as you watch PA or any movie that really freaks you out. It worked for me.
Anytime you've been scared by a movie? Post away.
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