Monday, February 1, 2010

Paranormal Activity

I just watched Paranormal Activity and for the first time in years, I was totally freaked out from watching a horror movie. It's filmed in a "Blair Witch Project" kind of approach where the audience get to have the first person (unlike the usual third person) point of view watching this movie.

Synopsis:
Micah and Katie are a couple newly moved into a house and they started to notice unusual noises - in the middle of the night they hear footsteps, knocking on doors and all kinds of sounds. Thus Micah got hold of a camera hoping to record the paranormal activities happening around the house.

Review:
There's no hideous-looking ghosts or demons that jumps out suddenly into the screen to scare you, there's no blood, no scary music to build up the tension only to hear a sudden loud noise that makes you jump out of your skin. Nothing of that sort. What really makes this movie scary is the silence. Sometimes when it's totally quiet and the camera is static, you'd just hold your breath and anticipate for something to happen. And that few seconds feels like years. And because of the lack of hideous ghosts and demons and exaggerated scary sound effects, the film was so real you'd forget that you're actually watching a movie instead of a documentary.

*Spoilers Alert*
And the climax (i.e. ending) really did freak me out, especially the part where Katie just stood beside the bed looking at Micah sleeping. The ending was neither predictable nor surprising, and the weird things that happened were never explained. But then again this is what makes it looks so real - some things can't be explained.

Conclusion:
Highly recommended. Although at the beginning it was a little boring.
Rating 7.5 out of 10.

12 comments:

David Batista said...

I've been meaning to watch this, but at first it was receiving so many bad reviews. Finally, my friends started telling me that it was really good. So maybe I'll finally watch it and see what all the fuss is about.

Great review!

MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE said...

Ewww...I delete the posting on this movie review after posting it back 2 weeks ago & here shin Loo is giving a review!!...Coincidentally, a girl colleague in my office mentioned she oso like the movie & cannot sleep after watched the movie...Looks like u gals like it (what's wrong with u females) but to us guys, it's nah nah nah only esp the ending when u expect the exorcist to make it's appearance but nothing...A guy behind my seat yells : #@^& (seriously) at the end of the movie..Your Avatar's review rocks but i beg you to differ on this :-< & @_@

MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE said...

But i agreed that there're some scary moment but will say it's nothing near Witch-blair project :D

thE gEOgrAphicAlly blind said...

david >> better don't put too high hopes on this lolz... like robinson said, guys may not like it haha... well if you (like me) enjoy cloverfield, blair witch project, and rec, you'll like this... but if you think cloverfield sucks (like most of my friends) you'll think this is crap... although i think paranormal activity is so much better than rec... i mean, when i was watching rec i knew it was fake... but this, it's just so real...

robinson>> why did you delete your review? post it back i wanna read it =) i watched blair witch project a few years back but i don't think it's that scary actually... don't know... i'm downloading it and will be watching it again... perhaps my judge will be different this time... also, glad you didn't enjoy paranormal activity... WAKAKAKKKAKKAKAKAK...

thE gEOgrAphicAlly blind said...

*judgement

MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE said...

Wah luckily i "test test water" - This girl is "elastic" ~ not marah wor though i seems "scold" her - Ichiban she's true sporting womanship :-)..No lar u r entitle to your opinion of coz!

MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE said...

My deleted posting shall never come back to menghantui me...But i read review on NST that's real low-budget movie : 3 crew & of ??(forgot) how much USD only...I think now the director / producer & the crews must be laughing away to the bank (courtesy of us 'customers")

David Batista said...

I actually liked Cloverfield. It was especially good since I live in New York City, although the scene where they walk through the subways was not very accurate.

But I watched Cloverfield more for the science fiction aspect, and not for the horror elements. I find horror movies stupid for the most part.

thE gEOgrAphicAlly blind said...

robinson>> yes it's a super low budget movie... there's just like 4 actors and i read it was filmed in some guy's house who was the producer or director or something... =.=||| LOL
and of course everyone is entitled to have your opinion... i'm not expecting everyone to be as shallow as me to like horror movies lolz...

david>> i feel cloverfield is more like a disaster movie instead of a sci-fi... and i actually quite enjoy horror movies ^_^ the best yet is M. Night Shyamalan's 6th sense, but it's so long ago... i also like the eye (though i prefer the HK original version) ^_^

thE gEOgrAphicAlly blind said...

i like a deliciously good scare... yummy...

MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE said...

Ayo this girl is a bit "out of the world" from the normal gals (if i may put it that way)- Then u should watch those Omen, The exorcist & etc klasik hantu movie- sudah tengkok belum?

thE gEOgrAphicAlly blind said...

i watched the exorcist la... quite scary la...
the omen is plain stupid la...
the night of the living dead (1990), although quite old but i quite enjoyed it lolz...
the first evil dead is quite scary... especially the ghost girl who laugh like mad...
also watched phobia 2 la... cannot scare me at all man wtf...

aiya i watch alot of ghost movies one la...