Paranormal Activity

A home style movie that gives new meaning to the words “I hear something,” I’m not sure what’s simpler….the plot or the budget.  Filmed for a mere few thousand dollars and breaking six figures in its opening week, this film could be every Hollywood film makers’ biggest nightmare. Not to mention what it can do to the demise of the already anemic world of professional screenwriters.  Apparently Steven Spielberg saw it and loved it, but even with his powers he couldn’t get the film to the big screen for quite awhile.  Long story short, when it did end up in release, the studio decided to keep it in its original format – unknown actors, small budget. A smart test on their part?  A test that paid off.  Enter unknown writer/director Oren Peli with his hand-held camera and the skills of a rambunctious nephew who’s managed to get hold of the camcorder on Christmas morning. The story centers around two people, Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat (who play Katie and Micah). They’ve been dating three years and the house that they live in has something in it. When a psychic visits their San Diego home, he tells them it’s a demon not a dead human spirit that’s living in the house.  Micah decides to run a video camera in their bedroom every night in hopes of seeing something. The movies ongoing waiting game makes the plot feel very real, maybe because it is.  Just two simple people…Micah is the prankish husband wanting to capture ghosts on film, and Katie’s just the typical “yes, dear” girlfriend that could be anybody’s typical suburban neighbor.  Their home is simply decorated right down to the refrigerator magnets and the noisy ice maker and on night thirteen, things begin to happen.  Three tiaras for outsmarting the blockbusters that need one hundred million dollars and an A list star to get rolling.  But for me, I prefer a really quality film for the price of a ticket, so let’s hope this “Blair Witch” will R.I.P. peace for another decade.