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For my moviegoing public: Paranormal Activity
Brilliant marketing strategy: Make a low-budget horror movie, put it out in extremely (like, ridiculously) limited release, let word of mouth create buzz for you.
Not-so-brilliant marketing strategy: Let some idiot call it "The scariest movie of all time" and stick that all over the commercials. How quickly we forget The Exorcist. How quickly we forget The Shining. (Or Jaws. Or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Or Alien. Or Poltergeist. Or....) Nothing ruins a movie faster for me than that kind of overselling.
Simple plot (all the best ones are): Katie is convinced something's going on at night while they sleep. Micah thinks her fears are adorable, but jumps at the chance to buy expensive video equipment to try to get some answers.
He sets the camera up at the foot of their bed, and consequently this is our view through most of the film:
At first not a whole lot happens. Her keys are found in the middle of the floor in their meticulously neat and tastefully furnished house. Some ominous, heavy-sounding footsteps on the stairs (note to self: never ever get hardwood floors) which sometimes wake them, most of the time don't. That's about it.
But Katie insists there's definitely something wrong and they bring in a psychic, over Micah's protests: He's the man of the house and he's got the problem totally under control. The psychic determines from Katie's history of strange nocturnal goings-on, even after her childhood home has burned down and she moves, that the entity is connected to her, not the house, so there's no point in running. This conveniently provides a solution to the illogic that plagues most "haunted house" movies, namely why the hell don't they just LEAVE. He also is the first to mention the word "demon."
After he leaves the activity steps up a notch. More footsteps, and one night a single, house-shaking crash that leaves the downstairs chandelier swinging wildly in its wake. Micah becomes obsessed with getting a ouija board and asking the spirit what it wants. Katie thinks this is a terrible idea, and I had to agree. (A/N: True ouija board story. We had one growing up, a Parker Bros model, because summoning otherworldly creatures is fun! Anyway, one afternoon we were fooling around with it, and got into a fairly intense conversation with....something. I don't remember most of what was said, but I'll never forget how it ended. The...something....said it didn't live in Heaven any more. When we asked it why, it answered, "No hate." We put it away and never touched it again.)
Of course you can see where this is going -- Micah DOES get a board (just like a man, tries to use the loophole "You said I couldn't buy one. This one is borrowed"). He never gets to use it because Katie storms out of the house. He follows. In their absence the board is set on fire by unseen hands. Pretty creepy.
From here the attacks escalate rapidly. The couple finally breaks down (after days of Katie weeping and Micah insisting he's still got it under control) and call the demonologist recommended by the psychic, who (in)conveniently is out of the country. They bring the psychic back who, in an unwittingly hilarious scene, steps into the house (supposedly after driving hours out of his way), says, "Oh, this is very bad. It doesn't want me here. I HAVE TO GO" and runs out again (I missed it, but our friend Kristin claims Katie almost broke out laughing just before the scene ends).
After that the movie rockets to its (extremely abrupt and I felt just a touch disappointing) conclusion. There weren't even any end credits, leaving me with the certainty that it would pop back on at any moment to give us SOMETHING else. But no, the lack of credits was only to keep up the premise of it being police evidence (Cloverfield, anyone?)
If the movie does nothing else, at least it gives us a crystal clear view into male/female relationships: He becomes increasingly alpha male the worse the situation gets, and she just wants him to pull over and get some damn directions. And stop playing with his high-tech toys for one minute.
For what it is, a movie made in a week on $11,000-$15,000 (depending what you read), it is EXTREMELY effective in scaring you. Like one review said, it would have been even more remarkable if Blair Witch Project hadn't already happened. There are one or two scenes that seem to have something invisible in the room, but all the other "effects" were literally just lots of noise and things happening off-camera, simple but scared the crap out of me. Like Blair Witch, I found myself straining to peer into the dark to try to see something. I jumped in my seat, I grabbed at Tery's knee. It was my very favorite kind of horror, psychological, not a drop of blood anywhere.
Will it hold up to repeat (and DVD) viewings? I'm not so sure. Although looking around online I learned there were about seven alternate endings (all of which sound better than the one they went with), which might warrant a purchase if they're included and the price is right. If you do watch it at home, make sure that subwoofer is cranked up. And throw out any ouija boards you've got lying around.
Not-so-brilliant marketing strategy: Let some idiot call it "The scariest movie of all time" and stick that all over the commercials. How quickly we forget The Exorcist. How quickly we forget The Shining. (Or Jaws. Or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Or Alien. Or Poltergeist. Or....) Nothing ruins a movie faster for me than that kind of overselling.
Simple plot (all the best ones are): Katie is convinced something's going on at night while they sleep. Micah thinks her fears are adorable, but jumps at the chance to buy expensive video equipment to try to get some answers.
He sets the camera up at the foot of their bed, and consequently this is our view through most of the film:
At first not a whole lot happens. Her keys are found in the middle of the floor in their meticulously neat and tastefully furnished house. Some ominous, heavy-sounding footsteps on the stairs (note to self: never ever get hardwood floors) which sometimes wake them, most of the time don't. That's about it.
But Katie insists there's definitely something wrong and they bring in a psychic, over Micah's protests: He's the man of the house and he's got the problem totally under control. The psychic determines from Katie's history of strange nocturnal goings-on, even after her childhood home has burned down and she moves, that the entity is connected to her, not the house, so there's no point in running. This conveniently provides a solution to the illogic that plagues most "haunted house" movies, namely why the hell don't they just LEAVE. He also is the first to mention the word "demon."
After he leaves the activity steps up a notch. More footsteps, and one night a single, house-shaking crash that leaves the downstairs chandelier swinging wildly in its wake. Micah becomes obsessed with getting a ouija board and asking the spirit what it wants. Katie thinks this is a terrible idea, and I had to agree. (A/N: True ouija board story. We had one growing up, a Parker Bros model, because summoning otherworldly creatures is fun! Anyway, one afternoon we were fooling around with it, and got into a fairly intense conversation with....something. I don't remember most of what was said, but I'll never forget how it ended. The...something....said it didn't live in Heaven any more. When we asked it why, it answered, "No hate." We put it away and never touched it again.)
Of course you can see where this is going -- Micah DOES get a board (just like a man, tries to use the loophole "You said I couldn't buy one. This one is borrowed"). He never gets to use it because Katie storms out of the house. He follows. In their absence the board is set on fire by unseen hands. Pretty creepy.
From here the attacks escalate rapidly. The couple finally breaks down (after days of Katie weeping and Micah insisting he's still got it under control) and call the demonologist recommended by the psychic, who (in)conveniently is out of the country. They bring the psychic back who, in an unwittingly hilarious scene, steps into the house (supposedly after driving hours out of his way), says, "Oh, this is very bad. It doesn't want me here. I HAVE TO GO" and runs out again (I missed it, but our friend Kristin claims Katie almost broke out laughing just before the scene ends).
After that the movie rockets to its (extremely abrupt and I felt just a touch disappointing) conclusion. There weren't even any end credits, leaving me with the certainty that it would pop back on at any moment to give us SOMETHING else. But no, the lack of credits was only to keep up the premise of it being police evidence (Cloverfield, anyone?)
If the movie does nothing else, at least it gives us a crystal clear view into male/female relationships: He becomes increasingly alpha male the worse the situation gets, and she just wants him to pull over and get some damn directions. And stop playing with his high-tech toys for one minute.
For what it is, a movie made in a week on $11,000-$15,000 (depending what you read), it is EXTREMELY effective in scaring you. Like one review said, it would have been even more remarkable if Blair Witch Project hadn't already happened. There are one or two scenes that seem to have something invisible in the room, but all the other "effects" were literally just lots of noise and things happening off-camera, simple but scared the crap out of me. Like Blair Witch, I found myself straining to peer into the dark to try to see something. I jumped in my seat, I grabbed at Tery's knee. It was my very favorite kind of horror, psychological, not a drop of blood anywhere.
Will it hold up to repeat (and DVD) viewings? I'm not so sure. Although looking around online I learned there were about seven alternate endings (all of which sound better than the one they went with), which might warrant a purchase if they're included and the price is right. If you do watch it at home, make sure that subwoofer is cranked up. And throw out any ouija boards you've got lying around.
Because you don't want comments, I won't tell you I'm very sorry about your cat. But I am.
While in the theater, I was wholly unimpressed by the movie. Of course that might've been helped by the fact that I had to keep ducking out to be ill. 24-hour-bug? Sudden inability to handle shaky films? You decide. The staff very helpfully decided that I might be drunk and maybe I should leave 8 minutes before the ending. Thanks, MJR.
I'm slightly more appreciative of the film now that I've realized that the utter lack of activity was the point, and now that I've seen some of the alternate endings. Also, while I wasn't afraid during the film, I am now utterly terrified of the dark. I see it, or what I imagine it to be, every time I turn of the lights. I keep remembering when I was a kid and I used to wake up and think I saw someone, the same guy, at the foot of my bed or on the roof outside my window. So creepy.
Honestly, I'm surprised your Ouija Board something was ever allowed into Heaven at all, with that attitude.
Ah, the old comment sneak-around. That's how you know an LJ pro. And thank you.
Tery? Of course not. She just smiled at me indulgently. Frankly I don't know why she came at all. She's unable to suspend disbelief enough to feel any fear. I feel a little sorry for her.
They thought you were drunk? Did you smell like alcohol? That sucks, though as I said the ending was a little weak. I'd be happy to describe it to you, though I'm sure you went with other people who could as well. Am I supposed to know who MJR is? And where can I go to see these alternate endings?
I'm going to attribute your reaction (or lack of) to your constant ducking out. The movie had a feeling of slowly building dread that added to the atmosphere that was probably interrupted if you couldn't sit still for more than ten minutes.
Holy crap, was the movie based on you? Because that's what happened to Katie (seeing someone standing at the foot of her bed every night) That's pretty damn creepy.
You're funny!
You know how you tell know an early adapter? They've got an ICON that says "sorry about your cat".
It must be comforting having her around at night. She must make your fears of demonic stalking seem silly.
I most definitely did not. What I smelled like was vomit, I'm sure. What happened was I went into the bathroom for the third or fourth time and after throwing up decided to sit on the floor with my back against the wall next to the sinks. This is a comfort thing for me when I'm sick, because I get very dizzy and hot and the cold floor helps. Some slag who was washing her hands asked me if I was ok, and I said yeah, I just might have the flu. She said "Are you drunk?" I said, "No, I'm sick." She said, "You should go home," and I said, "I can't, I'm driving." (Keep reading, I do more stupid things in this story.) She walked out and, because of the acoustics in places like that, I could very clearly hear her telling some guy "There's a girl in there who just threw up, she says she hasn't been drinking but well you know". So I waited for them to find a female employee, and when she walked in and asked how I was I said, "Fine, I'm not drunk". Then I stood up, all shaky because I wore heels and I'm not used to them, and they suggested I leave. I can't ever go back there.
MJR is a movie chain, I thought it was national. I hope you Google-searched the "police shoot Katie" ending already, because it's been taken down everywhere. There was also another ending where she cut her throat in the end. According to EW, there was an idea for an ending that wasn't shot, wherein Katie bludgeons Micah to death with his own camera. Would've liked to see that!
Yeah, that's freaky as hell. Also, yesterday I went downstairs at 3 AM to take my clothes out of the dryer, and the DOOR WAS OPEN. Even though our washer and dryer both have automatic locks on them that have to be released manually. Clearly this is the devil's work.
Srsly. I'm thinking of having tag-specific icons, but that might require too much thought
No, not comforting at all. The demons could just head straight for my bedroom (Tery sleeps on the couch, better for her back).
Thanks for the whole story. Those people are idiots. Anyone drunk enough to be vomiting in a public restroom would reek of liquor. There'd be no mistaking the smell. Though I have to say, serves you right wearing heels to a movie theater. It's not a theeatah (say it out loud), for heaven's sake.
It so happens I found the movie on Graboid because Laura the Slutty Devil said at the end when Katie comes back into the bedroom she's walking all wrong, like she's not controlling her own body, and I missed that the first time. The version I downloaded had the alternate Katie gets shot ending...don't know that I liked it any better. Also had a different extended scene when they find the possessed girl online that was a LOT scarier, and I have no idea why that was changed. I still think the throat slitting ending sounds like the best. But overall, I found myself feeling very bored during the parts where I knew nothing happened. I don't think this would hold up to a DVD purchase.
(Edit: Katie gets shot ending can be seen here)
GAH. I can't tolerate possessed major appliances. You should move immediately. OR IS IT CONNECTED TO YOU?
Surely you can just add only AR icons and be careful to mention him in every post?
Haha, I'd just come from a non-costumed (on my part) Halloween party! The movie trip was impromptu.
I hope they put that extended scene in the DVD, though I'll probably rent it instead of buying it. Don't want to give my personal demon any ideas, in case it wasn't watching the first time. I dunno if it follows me all the time, or just when I am moving house.