Its probably no surprise to most of you that I'm a big fan of the Paranormal Activity series. The first movie I was a fan simply as a filmmaker; the story of how 11,000 dollars made such huge impact in the world of movies and cult horror was truly inspiring. I DEMANDED the movie come to Chicago and was there in line at the Music Box theater for the only midnight screening. The sound design was amazing and I think brought us (horror fans) back to the days of Carpenter, where he proved that its not some big guy wielding a sharp object that scary, it's what we can't see.
When news spread that a second movie was in the works I think we all thought the same thing; MONEY GRAB. The SAW series was in full effect by this point and it was no surprise that studios might have just wanted to capitalize. Yet, we were scared wrong again. The sequel wasn't really a sequel, it was more of an origin/sequel/prequel of sorts, that expanded on this demon and its relationship to Kate and her sister Kristi and their family. It amped up the scares but kept the simplicity of the effects going on to create those scares intact. Then end of the movie leading into the beginning of the first one was a great "ah-ha" moment. Even though the marketing reeled people in with scares and that "found footage feeling" there was an intricate history woven into this story, which with all its victims, the naive speculation or kids playing Quija, became far more scary than some of the set ups. Paranormal Activity 2 to me is like the Back to the Future II of found footage/horror films.
After being alluded to events in their childhood in number 2, it was no surprise that Paranormal Activity 3 went back to show "how all the activity began". Paranormal Activity 3 opens with some events of number 2, a pregnant Kristi is painting her unborn baby boys' room as the husband video records. Kate, from the first film, makes an appearance to drop off some boxes, one including a slew of video tapes that neither sister remembers being taken. We then see Kristi's house a mess, as if they've been robbed. The husband goes downstairs to find that the only thing missing was the box of videotapes. Flashback to 1988.
1988 opens with a Kate's birthday party, fun times and all. Her sister Kristi sits in the backyard talking with her imaginary friend...Toby. Toby apparently lives in the crawl space in the girls room and has sworn Kristi to secrecy on certain topics. If Kristi does not obey, she is in danger. Their mother's boyfriend is naturally a wedding videographer, who after hearing odd noises in the house decides to place cameras through out the house to hopefully catch what is making those noises. One camera that sits on a modified electric fan adds the most tension in the movie. My only critique is that I wish there was a smarter way to have introduced the cameras in the room other than the boyfriend being a wedding videographer.
If you remember in P.A. 2, we actually discover that Kristi's husband decision to place cameras in the house is actually the reason why Micah, from the first P.A. ultimately decides to purchase a camera to capture the activity going on with him and Kate.
There are some good original scares in this installment one in particular that involves a bed sheet, but sadly most of the scares are modified versions of past scares from the originals. They are modified well, but still remind me of old scares. Even though there are paranormal events going on, the human interaction is what really scared me. Simple conversations that Kristi has with Toby or her reluctance to speak about him really got my squirming. I know by this point you might be asking "how can you be still be scared?", but the truth is this movie spends a good amount of time, taking its time. Building tension and sometimes just because it knows it can, no just for a jump-scare.
On the other side of things, you can tell that unlike the other movies we are not painfully put through just seeing doors move for twenty mins or anything like that. The directors, who also directed the movie Catfish, have a bunch a fun with the activity which, again, in its simplicity is fun to see. Another encounter in particular when the girls are playing around and Kate actually runs into Toby; it will ultimately make you think twice about having your hair in a ponytail.
More of the history of the family is explored in this installment as well. We get to find out the origin of the paranormal activity and who is actually behind the sisters demonic woes as adults. This is an element I think that this series does well, there is always a moment in each of these movies where we get to a point where we could learn more about the reasons behind certain actions that are happening from an actual history stand point. But when a character attempts to explains these things a few moments later, the activity amplifies and we are in the full ride of the film. Thus we never know but it doesn't matter because that information is futile. I feel like if the series was to ever fully give us that information, the series would have given us the upper hand on it and I know they don't want to let that go.
Paranormal Activity 3 is good at what it does, its a smart, well paced found footage movie. The set ups are clean, the effects are woven in well and the final piece of history of this family tree was great to see. If your a fan of the series you'll definitely like this movie.
Paranormal Activity 3 opens nationwide on October 21, 2011
Deuces!
StuntmanBob
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