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by Rick Wirt

The film Paranormal Activity plunges its viewers into a plethora of emotional activity. The audience will be filled with hostility, disappointment, regret, illness and fatigue.

Paranormal Activity was written and directed by Oren Peli, first time director with a production budget of only $15,000. The acting is noticeably bad, even for a horror flick. Needless to say, no self-respecting actor would appear in a Hollywood movie for less than $15,000. The movie was filmed in 2006 over a one week period and first released in 2007 at the Screamdance Film Festival.

The film has been compared relentlessly with The Blair Witch Project by reviewers and critics for its documentary style. One clear similarity between the two is the constant, vomit-inducing camera shaking. Even the most durable stomachs will be overturned. The threat of being puked upon by a stranger dashing down the aisle is much more frightening than the movie itself.

Novice acting and agonizing camerawork matched with a predictable plot and tiresome attempts at spooking the audience make this movie difficult to endure. Adrenaline reserves will not be tapped into, supposing that the viewers of this film aren’t frightened by thunderstorms.

Stay home, save time, save money.