Paranormal Activity

When DreamWorks made a deal to acquire Paranormal Activity, it originally didn’t include a theatrical release. The studio wanted to produce a bigger budget remake of the film with director Oren Peli (his original film would be included with the remake’s DVD).
The contract required DreamWorks to hold one test screening before starting the remake. Several screenwriters were invited to the March 2008 test screening in Burbank in the hopes of finding a scribe for the new version. Moviegoers began walking out of the screening, claiming they weren’t bored but scared. After the screening it was decided to release the original in theaters.
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deckard24

New member
This flick totally flew under my radar. I've been hearing a lot about it in the last week, but I can't tell if it's just a lot of hype? The fact that it is referred to as this generation's Blair Witch Project, and that it's one of the scariest movies ever made, makes me think so.
 
I've been amped for this for awhile. Then my little sister called me last week and told me she had free tickets to see it in Boston.


She is no longer my favorite sister...
 
...some creative marketing, stories to repeat.

Steven Spielberg was so freaked out by it that he returned it to sender in a garbage bag.

Well, at least that's what a Paramount spokesperson says about the studio's underground phenom, "Paranormal Activity," when it haunted the halls at DreamWorks.

They also say he took it home and brought it back in a garbage bag...etc..

For what it's worth people are repeating it. Let's hope there's something new to say about it soon.

The Blair Witch thing, from what I can tell is a simple comparison to the hand held camera Cloverfield/home video style of footage.
 

deckard24

New member
When does it hit theaters, and is it getting a limited release first? I checked the schedule of the local art house theater near me, and they've got nothing. It's the same theater where I saw the Blair Witch, so it would be pretty cool to see this one there too.
 
deckard24 said:
When does it hit theaters, and is it getting a limited release first? I checked the schedule of the local art house theater near me, and they've got nothing. It's the same theater where I saw the Blair Witch, so it would be pretty cool to see this one there too.


It played in like 12 theaters nationwide last weekend. I believe it's getting a larger, though limited release next week... Something like that.
 

Gustav

New member
Paranormal Activity (may contain spoilers)

I saw this movie two days ago and thought it was pretty good. I just thought a few parts were a little stupid but I don't want to say what they were right away in my opening post. If you plan on seeing it DO NOT watch the trailers, especially the one at the beginning of this thread, it shows way too much. I saw that trailer before seeing the movie and it totally gave away some of the best parts.

Has anyone else seen it?
 
Gustav said:
I saw this movie two days ago and thought it was pretty good. I just thought a few parts were a little stupid but I don't want to say what they were right away in my opening post. If you plan on seeing it DO NOT watch the trailers, especially the one at the beginning of this thread, it shows way too much. I saw that trailer before seeing the movie and it totally gave away some of the best parts.

Has anyone else seen it?

Not yet, but soon...I hope. Not too many theaters showing it. What I'm wondering is how bad does it get before they have some difficulties closing their eyes, not to mention actually getting sleep!
 

Gustav

New member
It will get a wider release. I'm not sure if anyone knew this but you can "demand" it to be shown "in your city" at this website. When the number of demands reaches 1,000,000 Paranormal Activity will be released nationwide. It might have even reached 1,000,000 by the time you read this because it's been going up at least 100,000 every day since I've been watching it and it's at 991,959 right now.

What I'm wondering is how bad does it get before they have some difficulties closing their eyes, not to mention actually getting sleep!

One thing I kept wondering about was how they kept getting to sleep with seemingly no problem until near the end. I also kept thinking, "don't these people have jobs?" I'm just going to stop right there. Again, don't watch the trailers anymore. Just try to forget about it. It's best going into this film knowing as little as possible.
 

Nurhachi1991

Well-known member
Is it true that Steven Spielberg saw this movie shut it off halfway through took a poop in the bag and sent it back to dreamworks?





I know it sounds stupid but my friend swears up and down that that happened I think he is lying
 

YouNeverKnow

New member
I guess nobody knows the real story, but I thought Spielberg was so spooked by the original movie, in considering a Dreamworks remake, that he returned it to whoever he got it from in a black garbage bag, and that's the version they decided to release in theaters.

I'm probably wrong on some details, but I don't think it involved feces at any point (unless Spielberg got THAT scared...)
 

Gustav

New member
Pooping in a bag and mailing it to Dreamworks sounds like something Spielberg would do.

I don't see the correlation between being scared of a movie and sending it back in a black plastic bag. Does the black plastic keep all the scary from getting out? I don't get it.
 
Gustav said:
Pooping in a bag and mailing it to Dreamworks sounds like something Spielberg would do.

I don't see the correlation between being scared of a movie and sending it back in a black plastic bag. Does the black plastic keep all the scary from getting out? I don't get it.

You ever have to dispose of something that was dead?
 

DocWhiskey

Well-known member
Over hyped indeed.

Just got back from seeing it.

I read a TON of articles stating how viewers cried and had to take breathers outside. Even many of the article writers themselves admitted to sleeping with the lights on for a few days.

I wanted to be scared. To be totally freaked out. But I wasn't.

The first 40 minutes of the film is a door slamming for god sake. Don't get me wrong, there were one or two creepy moments, but nothing to make you cry or sleep with the lights on. I never even jumped or anything. And the ending was just...lame. I seen it already in about 1000 internet videos. The audience wasn't even scared really.

One of the most jump inducing horror films as of late had to be "Drag Me To Hell". It's not scary, it just has a lot of cheap scares. So many in fact that I kind of dislike it. But if you want to jump, I'd say go rent Drag Me To Hell and watch it in the dark. Cheaper and better.
 
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