Why So Blu?

Gregg Experiences Paranormal Activity

Before October 8^th, 2009, I had no idea there was a movie out there called Paranormal Activity.  On October 9^th, I saw the film and you can bet that I will never forget it.  In a year filled with a lot of garbage as far as movies go, I stress to you, I urge you to go see this film.  I’d say it was a breath of fresh air, but the movie was so overpowering at times that it literally took my breath away. 

With a cast of four and a production budget hovering in the realm of $15,000, Paranormal Activity has been jettisoned into the halls of profitability, thanks to fan demand.  Paramount had different intentions originally, only showing the film in select theaters across the country.  Today, it’s at 159 locations and that number is likely to grow.  So what exactly is this film about beside the obvious title?  Enter Katie and Micah, a boyfriend-girlfriend couple residing in Micah’s San Diego home where unexplained noises have been going ‘bump in the night’ more than once.  Micah invests in a high-tech camera that’s capable of capturing footage at night with the hopes of getting some idea of what it is. 

What you will experience from there is one white-knuckling ride, but I have to throw out a warning…you must bear with this film.  It is slow going early on, but the film’s deliberate progression is necessary.  Once it gets going, put your seatbelt on and look out.  There was one scene in particular I encountered where I have never experienced such a feeling of helplessness.  The terror level was absolutely through the roof to the point where it felt like I forgot how to breathe.  The screams that filled the theater from my fellow movie-goers were proof enough of the movie’s ghastly content, let alone the fact that one woman darted down the stadium-seating stairs and out the door. 

If you think I’m kidding when I say you’ll be scared, don’t let the miniscule budget fool you.  Whatever the big-budget horror remakes try to accomplish pale in comparison to the uncanny realism you’ll find in Paranormal Activity.  I shall say no more about this film other than it’s actually a product of 2007, not released until 2009 and has an official runtime of 99 minutes.  Go see it in the theater now.  If it’s not at a theater near you, visit the film’s official website at http://www.paranormalactivity-movie.com/ and demand it! 

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