OldPangYau
10-11-2009, 08:04 AM
It's been a decade since a horror film left me shaken. That film was Cannibal Holocaust, and in retrospect, I believe it was the first-person perspective (in the second half) that had the strong effect on me. Across 10 more years, and hundreds more horror films, none had that same effect... until tonight...
Paranormal Activity finally showed up in my area after "demanding" it, and my gf and I checked it out after all of the hype. I tried to keep my expectations low thinking "well, I'm sure it'll be good... the trailer alone was better than Blair Witch." My expectations were met, and finally surpassed:
1. Never been in a theater where EVERYONE screamed in fear... men, women, young and old... they all freaked out.
2. Never has a reoccuring "low rumble" made my heart race (see it, you'll know what I mean...)
3. Never have I left a movie theater shaken AND with a goofy grin on my face... because it was then that I felt a small sliver of hope for horror films.
Overall, this was intense. I hate to sound like a movie review cliche, but it really was "raw, intense and heart-pounding". EVERY show was sold out too, including the one we went to. Apparently, despite only being on about 125 screens this weekend, it's already around 4th place on the top ten box office list for this weekend. In short, in its first-person guerilla style shooting, it amazingly succeeds where Blair Witch miserably failed. With a one week shooting schedule and a $15,000 budget, I'm actually impressed. And they actually get the "it's what you don't see that scares you" theory done right... but in this case, it's more like "it's what you don't see that scares you... it's what you HEAR that does..." Sound plays a big-ass factor in this movie, and the sound design crew deserves major thumbs up for their work on this.
Overall, I'm rambling, and it's four in the morning... between how excited I am about this movie... and how shaken it left me feeling... I can't exactly get to sleep :neutral:
Paranormal Activity finally showed up in my area after "demanding" it, and my gf and I checked it out after all of the hype. I tried to keep my expectations low thinking "well, I'm sure it'll be good... the trailer alone was better than Blair Witch." My expectations were met, and finally surpassed:
1. Never been in a theater where EVERYONE screamed in fear... men, women, young and old... they all freaked out.
2. Never has a reoccuring "low rumble" made my heart race (see it, you'll know what I mean...)
3. Never have I left a movie theater shaken AND with a goofy grin on my face... because it was then that I felt a small sliver of hope for horror films.
Overall, this was intense. I hate to sound like a movie review cliche, but it really was "raw, intense and heart-pounding". EVERY show was sold out too, including the one we went to. Apparently, despite only being on about 125 screens this weekend, it's already around 4th place on the top ten box office list for this weekend. In short, in its first-person guerilla style shooting, it amazingly succeeds where Blair Witch miserably failed. With a one week shooting schedule and a $15,000 budget, I'm actually impressed. And they actually get the "it's what you don't see that scares you" theory done right... but in this case, it's more like "it's what you don't see that scares you... it's what you HEAR that does..." Sound plays a big-ass factor in this movie, and the sound design crew deserves major thumbs up for their work on this.
Overall, I'm rambling, and it's four in the morning... between how excited I am about this movie... and how shaken it left me feeling... I can't exactly get to sleep :neutral: