PopHorror Let's Get Scared
18 years ago, I sat in a packed movie theater. The anticipation for the much-hyped found footage movie was palpable. The feature started and the crowd settled in. No opening credits. No music to set the scene. A dedication appeared on the screen, thanking the families of the two leads and local police for their cooperation and support. 90 minutes later, the audience was emotionally exhausted. Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity was definitely something different.
The crowd didn’t immediately exit after the movie ended. There was a lot of lingering and laughing. The conversations around me validated what I thought of the film. I sat, basking in what was the greatest theater I’ve experienced since seeing the original Star Wars (yes, I’m THAT old). At that moment, Paranormal Activity became my favorite horror movie of all time.
Before you sharpen your pitchforks, please note I did not state this was the best horror movie ever made…just my favorite. It might not have even been the best of the Paranormal Activity franchise (PA3 and its oscillating fan cam might take that honor). But as someone who toyed with the idea of becoming a screenwriter, the OG Paranormal Activity sealed that decision for me. I found it to be the most efficient and best paced horror movie of all time.
‘Efficient’ is a term you want for fuel-friendly cars or energy saving appliances. I use it to describe Paranormal Activity because I believe it packs more punch with less than any horror movie I’ve experienced. It is a great example of how great it can be when a filmmaker just tells a simple story really well.
No crazy backstory or exposition. No political messaging or confusing subplots. Just a woman being followed by a demon and her boyfriend trying to film and get rid of it. That’s it.
If you gave that premise to a thousand filmmakers, then told them to shoot it as found footage in one suburban home with a handful of characters, almost no budget, and minimal effects, you’d have a ton of boring, mindless movies. It just shouldn’t work.
Peli, however, made a wise choice: he found really good actors who the audience could relate to immediately…then cranked up the scares. It might seem tame by today’s standards, but in 2007, packed theaters were riveted to night vision shots of a couple’s bedroom.
A slight movement of a door or sheet sent audiences bonkers. They just wanted this couple to be OK. Countless filmmakers have tried recreating that magic, mostly without success.
With relatable (note, I didn’t describe them both as ‘likeable’) characters in a bad situation, Peli needed a way to crank up the intensity. In a normal movie, this would involve creative mood-setting shots and dramatic music. In a found footage film, however, he needed a creative device that felt natural. The camera being placed in the corner of the bedroom became the signature shot, and one of the most iconic shots in the history of horror.
The slow, patient development of something being in their home was…perfect. A tease of danger, then the safety of daytime discussion. Then another nighttime shot. Then, the safety of daylight. Rinse, repeat.
Audience members groaning each time a night shot appears. Peli perfectly paced this movie like a roller coaster. The audience was strapped in and loved/hated every torturous moment.
We go to the movies for an escape. To feel something. To laugh or cry or be terrified. Paranormal Activity delivered a 90 minute thrill ride for every audience that experienced it.
