PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (BLU-RAY)

Directed by Oren Peli
Written by Oren Peli
Stars: Micah Sloat, Katie Featherstone, Mark Fredrichs


Like most horror films that pull monumental numbers at the box office, their huge appeal is usually with audiences who wouldn’t normally watch a horror film. Utilising a faux documentary, ‘found footage’ style much like The Blair Witch Project and The Last Broadcast, the story begins as San Diego couple Micah Sloat and Katie Featherstone (the actor’s real names) discuss the nightly activities of a ghostly entity that has apparently been stalking Katie, on-and-off, for most of her life. After a brief home consultation by a psychic (Mark Fredrichs) Micah decides to set up a video camera to record their room each night as they sleep and it’s in the daily reviewing of this footage that they witness the shifting of objects, the house lights flickering and bed sheets fluttering. Soon the attacks become more violent, as the demon in their home becomes angrier. Writer/Director Oren Peli uses his tiny budget (purportedly $11,000) to great effect, utilising atmospheric sound effects and editing to create a spooky mood with the requisite jumps and scares. Whether it’s “the scariest film ever made” is debatable and it’s far from original but thanks to the heavy reliance on audience’s imaginations, it doubtlessly offers the scares many viewers will be after. This Blu Ray release features an alternate ending and a fan photo tribute and the strange lack of a director’s commentary.