Frances Ruiz
Staff Writer

Unable to ignore the frightening and eerie television trailers capable of sending chills down their spine and igniting an inexorable fear of being alone in their own home, movie goers flocked to nearby theaters in hopes of experiencing Paranormal Activity on the big screen.

Utilizing and developing a new method in promotional advertisement, the low-budget film provides audiences with a fresh take on the marketing of horror flicks and generating widespread interest among potential viewers. While conventional use of a film trailer was employed and broadcasted on cable television, the Paranormal Activity web site allowed viewers to “demand” movie showings within their city. Used as a means to attract attention to the film, this technique proved to be a successful measure, as over nine cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Dallas and Chicago, were granted exclusive midnight showings.

Promising a different approach and fresh outlook on what seemed to be just another version of the Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity captured a terrifying story through the disturbing and unsettling use of a hand held camera.

As the film begins, viewers are introduced to Katie and Micah, a couple living in San Diego who have recently experienced several hauntings and unexplainable encounters in their home. Hoping to discover the source of their troubles, the couple sets up a video camera in their bedroom to record what takes place each night as they sleep. 

While the film advances, conditions within the household continue to grow worse as doors begin closing on their own and loud, mysterious thumps on the staircase turn into acts of violence and aggression. Ultimately, Katie and Micah remain in their house and undergo a shocking confrontation with the forces which have been plaguing them all along.

With an incredibly small cast and extremely low budget, Paranormal Activity exceeded the expectations of its viewers in how frightening and truly creepy the film is. Creating a sense of dread and anxiety with the arrival of each night, Paranormal Activity delivered the usual jumps and startling images accompanied with most traditional horror movies while providing the audience with unexpected twists.

Although the film showcased excellent visual effects and made exceptional use of terrifying situational occurrences possible in any home, the story could have progressed at a quicker pace and not devoted as much time to character development. Along with the very slow start, the movie was a bit of a disappointment once the scares were delivered. It was only after the suspense and thrills were given did the audience realize they were experiencing the same scenes that were shown in the original trailer.  Despite its minor faults and areas of improvement, Paranormal Activity was a worthwhile film leaving its audience scared of returning home. 

With an ending sure to shock and astound even the harshest of critics, overall, Paranormal Activity proved to be a satisfactory low budget film full of nonstop scares and terror.