Trailer Tuesday: Paranormal Activity

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Given that Cloverfield has just resurrected The Blair Witch Project's gimmicky use of handheld camera work / unknown actors with improvisational abilities / "this footage was found" approach, I thought it a good idea to point out another upcoming movie filmed in the same style: horror-thriller Paranormal Activity.

Paranormal Activity centres on a young couple who set up video surveillance to capture evidence of a malevolent entity they suspect is haunting their home. This home video video footage is edited together to form the entire 99-minute running time of the film.

Now Paranormal Activity is still cruising around the international film festival circuit while haggling goes on for a distributor and wide release rights. I'm hoping this changes however because early reviews of the film have been outstanding. Here are some quotes off the film's official site:

"Best in fest is Paranormal Activity ... it's the scariest movie of the year."
- Luke Thompson, LA Weekly

"Paranormal Activity is great: calculated, subtle, authentically scary
without being overtly manipulative. Better than Blair Witch."
- Eric Kohn, New York Press

"it sufficiently freaked out those of us who watched [it].... that I ended
up asking a coworker to crash in my room for the night because I was afraid I
wouldn' t be able to get to sleep alone. It's surprising how creepy and realistic the film is"
- Kim Voynar, Cinematical

"The entire auditorium was freaked out of their minds...people were actually physically shaking..."
- Dread Central podcast (Minute 18)

I personally have a soft spot for movies that tackle the haunted house phenomenon. It's just a pity that so many films in this horror sub-genre are just so unquestionably crap, falling back on special effects and the "scary little girl" cliche instead of offering the audience well-researched, realistic scares.

I'm always up for a good frightfest that gets under your skin and stays there. Hopefully Paranormal Activity will be able to provide that...

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