Two Films Creep Into 'Witch' Territory

By Tricia Romano Posted Oct 17th 2009 02:00PM

Ever since the 'Blair Witch Project' -- the super minimalist horror flick (made for $100,000) with the maximum amount of scary (and profit -- it grossed $248 million worldwide) -- appeared on the scene 10 years ago, people have been searching for something that will give them the willies as effectively as the freaked-out-in-the-woods flick did. The movie industry, of course, is looking to duplicate the low-budget film's wildly successful box office and this Fall, there's not one, but two, new pictures vying for 'Blair Witch''s title of Most Realistically Creepy Scary Movie.

'Paranormal'

'Fourth'

The 'Blair Witch' terrified everyone by not showing too much; the filmmakers kept you in the dark, and let you listen to the sounds, the rustling of the trees, and then you'd get a glimpse of something moving just enough to send a chill down your spine. The first movie that taps into the 'Blair' juju, 'Paranormal Activity,' gives you the creeps far more effectively than the other movie ('Fourth Kind' ... keep reading). The 'Paranormal' plot is very simple: a new couple move into their new suburban house, and the boyfriend, in an attempt to nullify his girlfriend's claims that ghosts follow her wherever she goes, sets up a video camera in their bedroom to film what doesn't happen when they are sleeping. Except he's proven very wrong.

In the trailer, which is a clever combo of footage of audiences viewing it for the first time and losing their minds with snippets of some of the more chilling scenes from the movie, you see a sheet rustling, you hear a whistling sound, you see a door swing open, you see faint outlines of footsteps, and bruises on the girl. Though realistic, the filmmaker, Oren Peli, doesn't make any real overtures into convincing you that it's based on a true story; just a "what if?" scenario, which is far more effective.

Like 'Blair Witch,' Peli's budget is low: $15,000, and in this age of Twitter and Facebook and blogging, the audience takes care of much of the marketing, for free. By using Twitter and the website, fans are supposed to request screenings to get the movie to their town; once it's reached a certain number, the movie is shown at a theatre near you (and once they reach a million requests it's going nationwide). Typically, Paranormal Activity is shown at midnight, which is a perfect way to send you home to bed, absolutely terrified. Scary Grade: 9 out of 10. Realistically Real Grade: 8 out 10.

Then, there's 'The Fourth Kind,' an alien abduction movie; the title is a reference to the different kinds of alien encounters -- abduction being the fourth. It purports to be based on real events in Nome, Alaska, and mixes old documentary footage shot in the seventies when the events took place, with the real psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler's, face digitally erased. The filmmaker, Olatunde Osunsanmi, combines fictionalized footage, with Milla Jovovich in the title role, who tells us, "that everything in this movie is supported by archive footage; some of what you are about to see is extremely disturbing."

As for the footage: the people are supposed abductees relating their encounters to Tyler. They tell us about seeing owls, which are really aliens, by their window. She hypnotizes them and they freak out and scream and reveal that it wasn't really an owl. One person levitates ... sufficiently disturbing. However, it appears that the marketing campaign to convince everyone that this is the real deal wasn't given a thick enough layer. An Alaskan newspaper has already poked holes in the "based on real events" premise, stating that there's no record of an Abigail Tyler in the state board or in any profession in the state of Alaska. So much for that. http://community.adn.com/adn/node/143292 Scary Grade: 7 out of 10. Realistically Real Grade: 4 out 10.

Tags: Blair Witch Project, BlairWitchProject, horror, horror movie, horror movies, HorrorMovie, HorrorMovies, paranormal activity, ParanormalActivity, the fourth kind, TheFourthKind

Comments

(17)

Saturday 17 October

By Bruce

Vote down Vote up Report this

Arghh! This phony "Fourth Kind" in this phony Nome, Alaska, (it looks like Hope, British Columbia)looks like total garbage. "Origional footage?" Not quite! Nome is on a flat treeless arctic tundra by the Bering Sea without quaint cute homes and NO big trees!

Sunday 18 October

By ioffer852

http://ta.gg/3mu

New to Hong Kong : Winter Dress

FREE SHIPPING

---**** JORDAN SHOES $ 32 ---**** HANDBAGS $ 35

---**** NIKE SHOX $ 34 ---**** AIR MAX $ 34
---**** NHL Jersey Woman $ 40 ---**** NFL Jersey $ 35
---**** Jordan Six Ring_m $36 ---**** Air Yeezy_m $ 45
---**** T-Shirt_m $ 25 ---**** Jacket_m $ 36
---**** Hoody_m $ 50 ---**** Manicure Set $ 20 ... ...

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

By mintrubble71

I'm REALLY sick of AOL pimping the Paranormal Activity movie. It's been on the front page for over a week now. How much is AOL being paid to do this I wonder? Or does their parent company have money invested in the film? If it's anything like the Blair Witch Project then it's nothing more than an over hyped POS.

By Yankee109

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Actually, Paranormal Activity isn't overhyped POS. I saw it last night with a friend and we walked out of the theater scared beyond belief. It both took us a lot longer that night to fall asleep than usual. So, in short, don't diss a movie if you haven't seen it yet.

By helas

Heard the PA is very scary from everyone I know who's actually seen it.

By gamay9

'Blair Witch Project' put me to sleep and I'm sure 'Paranormal Activity' would also but I won't watch it.

How do these bad movies get so much hype? It's like reality TV. Yuk!!!!!

By nureye

You haven't seen it, and your saying its a bad movie. You're an idiot.

By Fred

Saw Paranormal last night......yawn! Just whe it started to get good it ended. Definitely a bunch of hype about nothing!

By coprogirl

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I'm not easily scared..but I loved Paranormal Activity...The suspense is built slowly, bit by bit, with old time scares instead of special effects. Held my attention well. Probably slow for you CGI freaks, IMO very scary.

By thanx

Goodd horro film. comannnn

http://celebstar.org

By Chappy

This was one of the worst movies i have ever seen. My wife and i went and were both trying to stay awake as this movie was so BORING! I'm thinking of boycotting any movie distributed by Paramount until i get my money back! Save your money. Don't even wait for it to come on HBO.

By dean

paranormal activity is scarey if you are a fifteen year old girl.. Watch "A Haunting" on the Discovery Channel-much more scarier and its free!

By Sadie

I admit it...I bought into the hype of Paranormal Activity. The movie wasn't the least bit scary. There wasn't a big audience (I went in the afternoon, just in case it was scary) and they were all laughing through out the entire movie.

nureye: You are the idiot. That's about the third time in my life I have been called an idiot, so that makes you unique.

I know the movie is bad because that's my opinion. I don't have to see it. I am busy marketing my award-winning chili recipe, getting my screenplay made into a movie and a famous country singer recording a song I wrote.

Still, I make time to respond to illiterates.

That's what I thought, Sadie, but dumbass 'nureye' had to call me an idiot. Read my other blog. Today's world is all about marketing. My screenplay, chili and song won't do piddlysquat unless they are well-marketed. That's what they did with 'Paranormal Activity.' Girl, is this society easy.......'(Abe Lincoln: 'You can fool some of the people.......').

By Moondog

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! These "witch" movies
are proof that American elementary schools failed to teach logic and deductive thinking to the present
generation of college age morons that watch this
psycho babble BS. If you ids want to know fear go to
Afghanistan and try to work there for one year while
trying to help the poor, then you will know Fear and
then at that team we grown ups over the age 50 will stop laughing at your moronic behavior.

By Lucinda

AOL: What are you doing about the spam being reported to you on these sites? Why have a place to report--nothing changes--they keep popping up. I suggest we ditch AOL if this is the best they are willing to do for us!

Page 1 of 1