Movie Review: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3: 1988

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

Movie Review: FOOTLOOSE: A fresh, new, fun, take with the soul of the original.

Craig Brewer is testing us.

I went into Footloose skeptical. A remake. A dance movie. Not the best descriptions to go in with. But as a big fan of the Craig Brewer directed Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan, I had to see what it was that drew him into this world.

The trailer for the movie is fairly simple; a terrible accident takes the lives of five seniors and thus leads to the banning of public dancing in the town of Bomont, Georgia. Three years later Ren MacCormick comes to town and shakes thing sup a bit.

Dancing is a very famous part of the history of this movie, however it does not hijack it. So many movies that incorporate dancing into their narrative tend to let the dancing take over; leaving characters and story lines in the dust. Although the trailers will primarily advertise this as a hollow dance movie, I assure you there is a heart and respect that jumps out at you from the screen like those shitty 3D movies. The way the opening credits are set up and how the court decides to ban public dancing made me see every dance sequence as an expression of each character and how they are being tied down by the ban. Rather than a cheap excuse to see girls shake their hips and have some new song by Lady GAGA or Rhianna in there or something. Every sequence really did have a purpose and that feeling hasn't happened in a long time for me.

Ren MacCormick is played by actor Kenny Wormald, who subtlety reminds us of Kevin Bacon, but with his signature Boston accent, adds a swagger to the role that makes the character his own. Ren is not just a handsome guy with some moves, he's got something to say and he's got morals. Those features are prominent in interactions he has with Ariel Moore, played by Julianna Hough.

As the preachers daughter Ariel has an identity problem. The constant going back and forth of who she wants to be and who people see her as was a little difficult to handle sometimes cause it made her seem like that cliche character. And maybe that was the point, because an emotional argument between Ariel and her father, Dennis Quaid, really made her character worth being in the movie for me. The scene was well acted and over the top in all the right ways. On a sidetone I saw some interesting similarities in Ariel's character with Christina Ricci's role in Black Snake Moan, its crazy obvious!

In addition to the main characters, its in the supporting cast and their dialogue that I really saw Brewers style shine. A sequence at a drive in parking lot where an elderly black man who owns the drive-in, allows the kids to dance, reminded me of Issac Hayes character in Hustle and Flow, even down to the old school radio/receiver that he flips on for the music to be heard through the sound system. You can tell that Brewer spent the same amount of time developing his main cast as well as his supporting. In addition to successfully giving everyone their moment to shine when it was needed.

Footloose takes place in what I like to call Craig Brewer's South! Brewers films have been primarily shot in and highlight the south. While this version is a bit of a cleaner one, its still HIS SOUTH! Also I was very glad to see the themes of religion, acceptance, and the betterment of an individual or community that have been so universal in his two previous films, come to fruition in Footloose.

When the end credits rolled I was surprised at how much I honestly enjoyed this movie, it was one of the few times where I let myself get taken away and not sit there and nit pick.The addition of the original music solidifies Footloose as not a remake but a re-imagining; A fresh, new, fun, take with the soul of the original.

CutLoose on October 14th, 2011 when Footloose opens in theaters.

Deuces!
StuntmanBob