Scary MOVIE

It's a spooky tagline theyve got there - home is where the horror isand home is where the film is on too.

January 8, 2010 11:29 PM IST

3 min read

Paranormal Activity promises nightmares

It’s a spooky tagline theyve got there – home is where the horror isand home is where the film is on too. In theatres this week,Oren Pelis Paranormal Activity is all set to give you nightmares. And no,these are not tall claims. This is for real. Just like The Blair Witch Project. Being sold as one of the scariest films ever,Paranormal Activity stars Katie Featherston,Micah Sloat,Mark Fredrichs,Amber Armstrong and Ashley Palmer. One of the most profitable ever made,it has earned over $100 million at the U.S. box office alone,on a claimed production budget of mere $15,000! The film has been directed,written and edited by first time director Oren Peli and produced by Jason Blum and Oren Peli. Its being brought to theatres by Mirah Entertainment in association with Rupali Aum Entertainment and Blumhouse Production.

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Now,about the story: the movie centers on a young middle class couple Katie and Micah,who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. Katie claims that a ghostly entity has haunted her since her youth and believes that it has followed her to this house too. Micah buys a video camera in the hopes of capturing paranormal activity on film. A self-professed psychic,Dr. Fredrichs assesses that they are being plagued by a demon which feeds off negative energy and is intent on haunting Katie. Each night,Micah leaves the video camera on in their bedroom to record whatever might be occurring while they sleep. He manages to document several phenomena such as objects moving on their own,lights and televisions switching on and off,and sounds ranging from voices and growls to footsteps and loud thuds. The strange occurrences in the middle of the night soon become frequent with no explanations.

Similar to the real time horrors like The Blair Witch Project and The Last Broadcast,this film was photographed at Pelis home during a seven-day sprint in 2006 with a crew of three that included co-producers Toni Taylor,Pelis then-girlfriend,and Amir Zbeda,one of the Orens best friends.

Scared of ghosts his entire life,Oren cites his reason for making this film. The reason for making the ghost in the story a demon was a result of research pointing to the most malevolent and violent entities being demons. If something is lurking in your home theres not much you can do about it. I didnt want bloodshed,or go over the top. The fact that we have a lot of scenes in the movie that are totally quiet forces the audience to be quiet and really pay attention to every little thing. Silence only emphasizes that little tap on the wall you know is not supposed to be there.