Just saw Paranormal Activity

WARNING: SPOILERS

If you don't want to know about this movie, stop reading right now!

This movie was shot on HDV most likely, for an $11k budget.

It's a reminder of Blair Witch but much better.

It's a story of a girl and her boyfriend, in their 20s, and she is feeling "haunted". He gets a camera to record them while they're sleeping. Some creepy things happen and it all looks reasonably realistic. A lot of people in the audience jumped at the appropriate times and no one seemed to walk out early.

The story is what sells the movie and the quality was just right for a home movie camera look. The girl is average looking and the boyfriend is a typical goofball type.

I saw a huge mistake, or should I say series of mistakes in that each nite, when they hit the sack (no sex life at all, not that he didn't ask) a graphic comes up telling us which night is was, 1 through 18 maybe and then the date of the night. These are OK but till they get to October 17 and then the dates start to get screwy and the last night is Oct 6, 2006 when we already saw October 16.

There are a few visual effects of footprints and a few other things but nothing tricky. The ending is a bit weird in that the girl is actually hurt and looses her mind. The boyfriend gets busted up, too.

I doubt that hardly anyone with an actual brain would watch this a second time because it's not worth it, but, it is making more money than anyone ever imagined. $7m the first weekend.

While you're all looking for the answer to selling your film. The answer is to create a need for it by getting people excited and asking for it. Google "Paranormal Activity" and get ready for an education in marketing.

My Rating: I usually rate movies by how many times my wife has to wake me up due to my snoring and bothering others. I did not fall asleep during this movie.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It's a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

Ask me how to Market Yourself using Send Out Cards

[Noah Kadner] "The trick is for every breakthrough like Paranormal Activity there are thousands of indies trying to be the next Blair Witch that never see the light of day..."

Exactly. And I'm sittin on 6 of em.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It's a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

Ask me how to Market Yourself using Send Out Cards

Do you think part of the success comes from the timing of the release, since everybody looks for something spooky to watch in October?

[grinner hester] "I'm including Out of Africa when I say this was the most boring flick I've ever almost sat through."

Wow. How 'bout "The English Patient"?

Didn't catch this one at the theatre... think I'll skip it at home, too.


T2

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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com