Paranormal Activity: Was it Worth the Money?
Jonathan Cohen
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Scene
The movie that has been called the scariest of all time was recently released nation wide after its limited release. Last week "Paranormal Activity" had so much hype from television and internet ads, but with all the build up, the movie ended up being a let down.
From the beginning of the film, to the last few minutes, there was nothing but suspense. If anything, the movie was slow and dragged on after considering how much publicity the movie got for being one of the scariest of all time.
This could also be because it only cost around 15 thousand dollars to make. Since the movie had such a small budget, it also lacked in much needed special effects. The effects used in the film were small and seemed amateur, like something made on a Mac. At times it was boring and very repetitive; there were only two main characters that shared over 90 percent of the screen time.
However, there were some interesting elements in the film. There was a real-life, hand-held documentary feel to the film and if you are a fan of that genre, then you will enjoy the movie. But, if you are a fan of the documentary genre, then my recommendation would be "Quarantine" over "Paranormal Activity."
As far as the actors went, they both had strong performances. During the movie, the two main characters Katie and Micah were believable as a young married couple. As the film progresses the characters do make the viewer believe that they do have problems and that something "paranormal" is haunting them within their home.
"Paranormal Activity" would be rated as a three out of five. The film was very original and the director created a good build-up, for the audience. Spending 10 dollars at the theater would not be worth it, but I would recommend renting it when it comes out on DVD.
From the beginning of the film, to the last few minutes, there was nothing but suspense. If anything, the movie was slow and dragged on after considering how much publicity the movie got for being one of the scariest of all time.
This could also be because it only cost around 15 thousand dollars to make. Since the movie had such a small budget, it also lacked in much needed special effects. The effects used in the film were small and seemed amateur, like something made on a Mac. At times it was boring and very repetitive; there were only two main characters that shared over 90 percent of the screen time.
However, there were some interesting elements in the film. There was a real-life, hand-held documentary feel to the film and if you are a fan of that genre, then you will enjoy the movie. But, if you are a fan of the documentary genre, then my recommendation would be "Quarantine" over "Paranormal Activity."
As far as the actors went, they both had strong performances. During the movie, the two main characters Katie and Micah were believable as a young married couple. As the film progresses the characters do make the viewer believe that they do have problems and that something "paranormal" is haunting them within their home.
"Paranormal Activity" would be rated as a three out of five. The film was very original and the director created a good build-up, for the audience. Spending 10 dollars at the theater would not be worth it, but I would recommend renting it when it comes out on DVD.
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