Paranormal Activity movie (2009)

I saw this movie on the weekend.

To me the doco drama type movie or movies work really well. A simple structure, meaning that filming is done by a hand held camera (home movie), or illusion that it is hand held. As previously discussed in morbius glass, the movie Gloverfield is to me what Basic Instinct was to Camellia Pagalia ("what? please explain"...refer to this site and subtitle under 'Extras'). As Cloverfield looked into how generation Y would cope with stress after living on the gravy train (and it ends). Paranormal Activity kinda runs from a similar angle and you look at it the movie as an observation of young, urban couples . No, it's not 80's or even 90's yuppies. It is more the financially leveraged unmarried 20+ somethings living the urban dream. The film bases it's self around a couple by the names of Micah and Katie, actually an endearing couple and so similar to so many people. In other words it feels real and the character aspects are very contemporary.

Yes this a scary flick and I have seen (in the name of horror) all that have thrown onto celluloid (celluloid? Ok, digital, but celluloid sounds cooler). The fear that is generated with Paranoia Activity is the fact that you share the lives of a young and somewhat naive but likable (Micah pushes it though) couple as they try and film/sound record whats been causing them anxiety. Of course it starts off mild and goes very 'south' towards the end.

Is Paranormal Activity a look at urban isolation? Maybe, I mean the couple seem very content and settled in their house but with virtually no social scene. We see that the support they get is very non existent, except for a psychic who can't wait to get the fuck out of there (Micah and Katie's house).

So you witness their attempts at rationalizing the situation and then their collapse as they cannot salvage or find a solution, whilst self documented by the couple.

So check it out. As a side note I remember seeing a documentary of the making of Apocalypse Now when Francis Ford Coppola professed that one day someone will make a successful movie with a hand held video camera. Well his forecast was correct as the Blair Witch Project sent forth a precedence of doco/drama's and so far most film makers running with this medium (hand held camera/doco drama) have been successful.

Word of warning after watching this flick. You will start too think about those little noises (that maybe you didn't notice before) in your house/unit. Sans that usual knocking in the walls somewhere at 11:00pm - 3:00am in the morning (if you live in a block of flats). Actually include all noises you hear that you didn't hear before, including wall knocking.