Paranormal Activity & Its Better Clone, Paranormal Entity: Movie Comparison Review

After watching both Paranormal Activity followed by a viewing of Paranormal Entity, I find both are quite definitely "campy" and exceedingly non-scary. Media exaggerated as "the real thing", both films produced via "shaky cam home video" purporting to prove a haunting, were almost disturbingly non-terrifying yet perhaps a paranormal activity in itself to watch.

In Paranormal Activity, actors Micah Sloat and Katie Featherstone, who portrayed a young couple who has moved into a new place, spent far too much time arguing with each other than in actually discussing the haunting of Katie and the demon that had haunted her throughout her life. Most of the sounds and happenings occurred off screen, with no view of the demon, or any real proof other than a few powdered footsteps in the bedroom doorway. By the end of the movie, when Katie appeared covered in blood while holding a bloody knife and Micah missing, it seemed more likely a case of domestic violence had occurred than any supernatural incident.

Whereas Paranormal Activity seemed to want everyone to assume what was going on, Paranormal Entity at least showed some visible signs that would not normally appear to have been orchestrated by a living human. Such things as footprints on the walls and ceilings, making bells ring, and even the connection between the recently deceased father, David Finley by showing the cremation urn and his ashes scattered about after apparently being walked through by an unknown entity, at least tied the plot to a paranormal event.

Nevertheless, both films pretend to be actual events that were allegedly filmed in real time by real people, although both movies specifically state they are fictionalized accounts with no connection to any person, place or event. Incredibly, quite a few people continue to insist that the events shown in both movies did indeed occur in spite of the disclaimers to the contrary.

Another startling observation is that Paranormal did exceedingly well on the big screen, mostly due to the media hype concerning the movie and the peer pressure exerted on movie goers in general. After all, who wanted to be the only person who had not seen the movie or the lone standout in the crowd who thought it was a poorly made production that not only did not prove a haunting, but also left out parts of the movie that were shown in the trailers? Instead, most people flocked to the theatres and made Paranormal Activity one of the most popular films at this time.

This mindset is reminiscent of the people in the fable called "The Emperor's New Clothes", by Hans Christian Andersen. In the story, the Emperor, who was concerned more with his appearance than with his kingdom, had two shyster weavers make him new clothes that they said could only be seen by those worthy of the office or position they held. He then paraded himself in public with no visible clothes on his body. Not a single person wanted to admit the Emperor was naked except for a single child who innocently pointed that fact out to all the adults.

Surprisingly, Paranormal Entity actually had a somewhat better and more believable plot, with decent actors who portrayed themselves as real people compared with the on and on again domestic arguments that existed in Paranormal Activity, almost to the exclusionary downplay of any haunting of a roaming spiritual demon or negative spirit.

The acting of Ellen Finley as the mother (Fia Perera), daughter Samantha "Sam" Finley (Erin Marie Hogan), and Thomas Finley (Shane Van Dyke, Director and who shot most of the actual video) as the son who did the filming within the movie, was much more realistic and believable, even with a host of missing details and blank spots. Fia Perera is an actress and comedian and who has performed solos at both the Improv and The Comedy Store. Erin Marie Hogan is a video production major who has been in a variety of films.

Every so often, it happens that a weird cloning of a movie actually turns out better than the original, even if only marginally so. In this case, the clone Paranormal Entity is infinitely a better choice.

Sources:
Actual Viewing, Paranormal Activity, by Blumhouse Productions
Actual Viewing, Paranormal Entity, by Global Asylum
Fia Perera Website
Erin Marie Hogan Website