The Un-Terrifying Truth About Paranormal Activity - Movie Review

Dusti Sparks-Myers
Dusti Sparks-Myers, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Oct 26, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
From watching the movie trailers for Paranormal Activity on television, reading about it in newspapers and magazines, I was as hyped to see the movie as the media hype put out about it. Alleged to be a true account documented by Micah Sloat, every article I read included the fact that the story was pure fiction and never actually happened. Nevertheless, movie reviews, statements made by viewers, and comments on Facebook and Twitter promised a great horror movie.

The basic story premise is that when a young couple, Micah Sloat and Katie Featherstone, move into a new place, they begin to notice that things are happening that appear to be 'paranormal activity', typically after they are asleep. The couple decides to video tape their bedroom in order to obtain some proof that it is a paranormal event.

In fact, during the course of the movie, we find out that it is possibly a demon that is haunting Katie and the same one that had been doing so since she was eight years old. The movie is shot in such a way that most of the activity is not even seen, but heard or assumed to have occurred in the absence of any activity at all.

The movie ends with a distant scream from Micah and a return to the bedroom by a blood covered Katie who is holding an equally bloody knife. Perhaps, it was nothing more than a case of domestic violence after all the arguments between the couple during the preceding week?

The only thing freaky about the movie was Micah Sloat's determination to figure out what was going on and without any professional help and doing precisely what Katie and the psychic (played by Mark Fredrich) said not to do.

Katie, knowing that she is the target of the haunting, does nothing other than complaining about Micah's camera with an almost continuous argument throughout the move and whining about the demon following her if she moves out of the house. By doing so, she proves she is a willing victim whereas most normal people would have run screaming from the house.

After viewing the movie this weekend, I can say it does have a few scary parts. That said, I anxiously (and at first, fearfully) waited throughout the movie for the advertised terrifying, nightmare-inducing, keep the lights on all night scares with a level 10 freakiness - which proved to be "non-existent".

In my opinion, people are going to see the movie only because of the hype surrounding it and pressure from both the media and their peers. The movie, better named "Media Horror Hyperbole" did not deliver and most of the footage was as bland as eating plain unsalted oatmeal for breakfast.

Published by Dusti Sparks-Myers

I enjoy writing articles about everything from legal (and sometimes controversial) issues, opinions, short stories, and making slideshows.  View profile

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  • EchoFiveFox2/22/2011

    >"By doing so, she proves she is a willing victim whereas most normal people would have run screaming from the house."

    I suppose you missed the part where she concedes that relocating herself would have no benefit? It's not a "Haunted House" story, it's a "Demonic Infestation" situation. Ghosts haunt places, Demons stick to people. Whether you believe that as a fact or not, the movie does take the position of that rational assumption. Like the psychic said, she needs a demonologist on her case, not a real estate agent. In that respect she's rather "normal", she knew she was the target and it didn't matter in which place she was. The latter part of her "wanting to stay" was not her fault. That's to be expected in these cases. That late in the game (supposed to be months after the camera first started rolling), she's already been psychologically and psychically influenced into staying home to be cut-off from

  • Tina2/14/2011

    It was just like Blair Witch,except Blair Witch was better.They need to do one based on truth then they would have a smash hit.Everyone is looking for real truth these days.

  • Beckie Wyatt11/11/2009

    After wasting 90 minutes of my life, 90 minutes of which I will never get back, I feel as though I've been lobotomized by this movie.

    I agree that the most horrifying part of this disaster, was that I actually kept watching it waiting for the "good parts" that were non-existent.

    The 2nd most horrifying part is that millions of people were scammed out of money to see a movie that pulled them in using hype from previews of the movie, that weren't even IN the movie. No wonder so many people got up and walked out before it was over.

    I'd suggest a civil suit and demand reimbursement. Fortunately, I watched a hijacked copy, so I'm not out of anything but an hour and a half of my life, and a few pain killers.

  • Marla11/10/2009

    I love a scary movie that stimulates my senses and imagination and doesn't require blood squirting, knife wielding, deranged pschyos butchering some bimbo. It was slow in parts(reality tv) and the boyfriend was an overkill antagonist. Yet it wasn't common or predictable. I squeeled out loud at parts and not because something jumped out at me. Eerie is harder to accomplish than Gory... I'll be 46 this Friday the 13th and I saw the first Friday the 13th when I was 18. (1982) so I consider my opinion experienced, not old.

  • Bored by Katie & Micha11/8/2009

    OMG the most boring movie ever... horrifying!!.. in that I actually wasted 90 minutes watching it. Like the blair witch, without the scary, or storyline... I needa nap after watching paranormal activity :(

  • Amanda11/8/2009

    Couldn't have said it better myself. Totally over-rated for nothing.

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