Paranormal Activity reviewed by Mark Kermode

[Transformers2themax]

I still believe Psycho, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, and the monolith sequences in 2001: A Space Odyssey are more chilling any modern horror flick.

[gunsmithbasic]

minor spoiler: I found the scene with the photo in the attic quite chilling. Too bad PA2 ruined it

[yakedup]

mayo looks well bored

[frogtastic1000]

more american crap

[eddywards84]

'you have got big hands havent you'

[artikel]

Hmm... the problem with judging horror films, IMO, is that fear is pretty subjective. Neither Exorcist or Blair Witch scares me in the slightest, which is not to say that it makes them poor horror films. There are horror films that have terrified me, which I´ve heard as dismissed as laughable by others.

Point is, while you can still judge them as being more or less well made cinematically, the scare factor varies too much per individual.

[ChristopherDone]

Feel sad for Kermode, I really got into the horror of Paranormal Activity. The low building bass and such was good for me. I know Mark loves a bit of horror so it's a shame he couldn't by scared by this one.

[mariano26788]

@ChristopherDone yes coz is pretty scary see a chair moving 2 cm... or a woman stand up in front of his bed for 4 hours

[ChristopherDone]

@mariano26788 Yeah, 'cause it's pretty scary looking at moving pixels on a little rectangle in a warm safe room with comfy seats. *Rolls eyes*

[jamiewindsor]

I'm a big horror fan in much the same way Mark is. The majority of my DVDs are horror (not the crappy money-making franchises like Saw etc, good stuff — a lot of seminal 70s stuff) and I'm also a hard-core rationalist and don't believe in anything supernatural at all. But I found Paranormal Activity very creepy (if not wholly original).

[chanceie12]

i agree with him on blair witch , everyone thinks its not scary , but watch it with a clear mind and think its a real video found , scared the shite out of me hearing the kids laugh outside the tent.

[MrVinushka]

@chanceie12 Agreed, it really bugs me when people piss all over the Blair Witch Project. Not only is it a solidly entertaining horror film which actually manages to creep me out (a tough feat), but it's also one of the most important films in the horror genre.

Whether the results of its influence are good or bad is another matter, though.

[GavSalkeld]

@MrVinushka Me too. BWP is a great movie.

[2011TREADSTONE]

I found the movie to be slow and boring. Insidious is a far better film as far as haunted house movies go

[heavenseek]

To the Right.

That's the direction you turn the volume dial on your speaker.

[ciaracustard]

Personally, I don't think I can control what makes me scared or makes me laugh and I really wanted to be scared by Paranormal Activity but I really wasn't. It seemed so tedious for me.

[Tmartin1438]

this movie dissapointed me in so many ways, the movie trailer showed people screaming, leaving the theater, etc. I almost fell asleep during this piece of crap

[MTCEFC]

@Tmartin1438 There were genuinely people screaming and running out of the screening before me and a date went in to see it.

Including one hysterical woman who recognised someone she knew in the queue and spoiled the ending for everyone ffs.

[Tmartin1438]

this movie dissapointed me in so many ways, the movie showed people screaming, leaving the theater, etc. I almost fell asleep during this piece of crap

[cocorocks88]

Just watched this for the first time, not a horror fan and as mark says if your not a horror fan you'll be scared, it managed to get my heart beating at well above 100 a minute i suspect, found the ending slightly anti climatic thou, but it was a very effective film.

[TheSleathable]

Spot on Mark

[ellbo2]

I thought this film, after second time of watching, is better in memory.

[102202gus]

what does everyone think of paranormal activity 2?

[clemarochies]

Nothing happened in Blair witch lol at least in Paranormal Activity something happened!! Fair dos tho it's his opinion :)

[Homer20065305111]

@clemarochies Nothing happened in Blair Witch? Did you even watch the film?!

[clemarochies]

@Homer20065305111 Of course i watched Blair Witch why else would i comment about it?

[SandBarAndYou]

@clemarochies What? LOL. No, lots happened in the Blair Witch. I agree with Mark except where he explains that PA did things well(even though he wasn't scared by it all). I would say I wasn't scared by it all BECAUSE it did nothing well. The acting was atrocious. Seeing objects in a movie move by themselves cannot scare by itself. There's got to be an air of believability to back it up. And when the acting sucks, believability is down to zero.

[clemarochies]

@SandBarAndYou Well the fact is u don't know everything about everything. I have my opinion. I thought PA was a good movie and Blair Witch was boring. Just accept that other peoples opinions differ from your own.

[SandBarAndYou]

@clemarochies I do accept that. I was giving my opinion. Not all opinions are stated as subjective even though all ARE subjective. In fact many opinions are stated as objective facts. You said "nothing happened in Blair Witch"(objective) where you could have said "nothing happened in BW that impressed me"(subjective). So we're both guilty of stating opinions like facts(which is what makes them sound belligerent to the overly-sensitive).

[clemarochies]

@SandBarAndYou No what i said is fact in my opinion. Someone snotted over a camera lens and the characters did some running around. It made no sense and it was boring. I was really looking forward to the movie when i first heard about it but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. Was the second one any good?

[SandBarAndYou]

@clemarochies Right, but "characters did some running around"? You could say that about any movie. What part did not make sense in Blair Witch? The second Blair Witch is way different so maybe you should give it a shot. I actually kinda liked it. It had some creepy images. Yeah you actually see things in that one.

[BRm2008]

the bluray audio track was in 2.0.. how is that ever gonna get u in the mood if there's no surround track included in the mix.. jesus. no atmosphere with just stereo

[BRm2008]

this one movie that is boring on repeat viewing like Blair witch.. the scares can't work more than once.

[robaquarian]

i dont watch horror movies cause they mostly suck. i thought this was scary.

[SuperRennoc]

suprise suprise commode wasant scared by paranormal activity, I admit he knows his stuff but hes such a negative critic and it annoys me, every single person claims theyre were petraffied by the film, so in his normal fashion he has to be different,

[switchbuckle]

@SuperRennoc I liked Kermode for a while until the Nightmare on Elm Street remake came out. I wasn't a big fan of that remake, and I understood his negative review, but...I couldn't respect that the ONLY reason he seemed to give for said negative review was that it was a remake, which is a bs reason. On top of that he sited things both about the remake and about ORIGINAL that simply were not true. He even attributed meaning and subtext to the original that simply is not there to be seen.

[Tbass17]

Has anyone seen the version of this film where they go online and see the exorcism video? That was pretty creepy...

[Homer20065305111]

@Tbass17 I thought that was in all the versions?

[BigBoss7777777]

'My hair was wafting in the breeze of your giant hands' LOL

[etocadet]

the truth is horror films are like gory films once you've seenit, youve seen it

my scariest experience was when playing silent hill 1, 2 and 3

.

1 had the best soundtrack when the world turned to darkness in an instant by god that music made it 100 times worse, 2 had a guy who dragged a massive knife really slowly but was invincible so it was like hearing death slowly chase you and knowing you couldnt stop it.

after playing these games nothing has scared me since bar event horizon

[lmen1990]

@etocadet agree, nothing has scared me more than playing Silent hill 2 for the first time, on a big flatscreen tv with surround sound stereo in the middle of the night.

[ShortestFuse]

it made me jump a bit and hide behind my shirt sleeve at times but it wasn't exactly playing on my mind afterwards, a good horror makes you think about it after the movie. After this I just went to bed....pretty forgettable

[dirtymint]

Does anyone else feel that the Mark is speaking too, just really isnt interested? Maybe just me.

[MichaelLeroi]

i saw the original online version. never saw the theatrical version but i did see the stupid ending they tagged onto it with the fucking adobe after effects demon face

[roloug95]

i saw both and i agree with you that the ending was totally stupid and unecisary but i think that the theatrical version beats the online version because of just that its theatrical and much more of a movie experience then say just watching a crappyhome video put up online, for example in theatrical version the night where you hear a demonic roar followed by a loud bang is much more frightning and cool that the online version see them both and you'll know ehat im talking about

[sislacs]

i agree with what he says here

[ChanceEncounters]

... Really i should of known by just seeing one person in the audience coil in fear (probably hadn't seen anything scary before) and pretty much nothing of the film. I would honestly say i have seen better eps. of 'Ghost Hunters' and generally more creeped out.

[ChanceEncounters]

I wanted to *wink* at a fellow indie filmmaker that made it, good on you! So you go in shut out whatever everyone else is saying and draw your own conclusion. 'Time' Magazine did we see the same film? Anyone could have done this, they used the hype engine and really it could of been anyone that did this...

[coffycup75]

I fell asleep twice trying to watch PA.

Any film that makes me think that I can make the same film myself can't be that great. Punishment Park is older and even more frightening than today's faux-docs without any gimmicks.

[ChanceEncounters]

Amen. There was only 12 secs of cool footage (still anyone could do) and the whole film was almost word for word 'Blair Witch' impersonation. Honestly if you give a camera to someone (else) and they run around and you occasionally scare them is that person 'really' directing the film..or merely editing the footage made by someone else. A good idea and experiment - that was never closed to being realised.

[scartillery]

I hardly thought it was dissapointed because it was a budget title £9000 ($15000)

Impressive for what it was

[fredericg54]

Blair Witch Project was the 1st, [Rec] got it right, PA was a disappointing mess

I'd rather watch a great film like The Exorcist or [Rec]

[psynno1]

I agree. Horror/ghost fans have seen better, particularly from the Japanese etc. Most people haven't seen these, or the BBC MR James ghost stories, or Ghostwatch, which is much better, apart from the "acting", which gave it away. Paranormal was good, but definitely not as scary as people are saying. Showing the footprints and Ouija board bit was a let down, and the final CGI shot. It doesn't have the power of Blair Witch. Nowhere near The Exorcist experience in the cinema...

[John27346]

What's the point in making a video webcast of a radio show?

[cpmkw]

My impression from this clip is not of anything to do with the movie, but rather with Kermode, the reviewer... Jesus, what an unbearable personality! This is 7 minutes of incessant repetitive babble. Does he ever take a breath? Does he ever think to vary the cadence of his speech? And how many times in this clip does he say "I wish I had been scared, but I was not?" An incredibly annoying person.

[Guedingen]

@ cpmkw: I know what you mean. Yet I think there is a genuine love and knowledge of cinema which shines over the silliness. 9 times out of ten (apart from his admiration for Terry Gilliam) I agree with him.

[ThingOfDoom]

If you don't agree with his views and dislike his assessments of films, why listen to his reviews?

[cpmkw]

I do not listen to his reviews regularly: This is the first I'd ever heard of him. I checked out one other by him to to confirm my initial reaction before writing anything.

[kevycanavan]

I'm a horror fan and it worked for me. I was freaked out by it for sure.

Bought Let The Right One In before I went into the screen by your recommendation Dr. K. Can't wait to freak myself out again later on tonight!

[pilgrim069]

the film is better watched alone at home late at night. I did, and i felt quite disturbed. watched only fools and horses afterwards just to recalibrate my brain. It'll be a top dvd.

[seedofbilly]

I'd like to violate Simon Mayo with a Macuahuitl

[nathanstewart42]

Haha. Kermode's big hands. Gotta love the Thick of It.

[creebefu]

Does anyone else find the audio in this video unusually quiet??

[davyjames]

@creebefu ... how creepy... who could have interfered with it... there were no humans in the edit suite at the time of upload.... DO DO DO DO

[MrVinushka]

@creebefu Oh good! I thought it was my computer causing the quietude ... quietness? Lack of volume.

[patrick2976]

I understand what they were trying to do and in parts it nearly worked for me. However, overall I found the film boring and ponderous. Rule number one is that you've got to buy into the characters and I didn't. I had no real interest in what happened to them. As a result I watched the film with a mild sense of interest and nothing more. I did like the idea of the girl standing next to the bed just looking at her boyfriend asleep whilst the clock did a fastforward.

[Muskateering]

Lmao 4:47

[dcproductionsTV]

i havnt been able to sleep for the last two nights now it was the one point where the sheets lift up and it looks like its crawling in the bed

[PurushaDesa]

Be grateful you got off lightly Mark. They could have accused you of a lot worse than having big hands.

It could have been a more damaging accusation, like, oh I don't know, that PALESTINE LOBBY making HUGE DEPOSITS in THE CULTURE SHOW'S accounts, after your scathing attacks on Steven Spielberg's Munich.

Don't bother issuing a statement Mark. I think you'll find the process I've just described is exactly how the BBC works.

XD

[excrutiated]

@PurushaDesa

i dont think anybody really cares who gives the culture show money.....and munich WAS crap, the history channel docs are better

[PurushaDesa]

Agreed and agreed, excrutiated.

[DirectorToby]

Simon Mayo really could not give a fuck about his reviews, haha. Mayo is an A star douche tho.

[ZAMPAROAD]

spot on review.

[dhlfh]

I thought it was ok....,cant believe Stephen Spielberg had to leave the cinema because he was so scared..its not scary at all....

[moeezS]

You've gotta admit, sounds of a ghost running up the stairs of your house would be goddamn scary, right? Or running across your bedroom door, and slamming it shut?

That's the best scares in the movie, when there's amazing work with the sound. And how they did the effects, like dragging the girl outside the room?

[kface001]

hmm I both agree and disagree.

I havent actually been, what you would call 'scared' by a film before other than when i was very young. this however did genuinely frighten me in parts, i cant explain why. I do agree with the comment that this is disposable. I don't think a new 'scary' film will ever not be.

[moeezS]

"disposable", hmm, I don't quite think so. This movie is catching wildfire around friend circles, especially around students. Showing it to your roommates is always great ;)

[kface001]

maybe disposable was not the right word.

I just believe recent horror/scary films in general will never be remembered as great films and be remembered for years to come, as there is only so far you can push the genre. Well they tried 3D, and that failed.

[moeezS]

There aren't that many old great scary films too. There's only John Carpenter stuff, Exorcist, and Wicker Man. Rosemary's Baby.

Recently, you have Ringu and many other Asian horror films that are very memorable. The Mist was really good (shitty ending). Mum and Dad. 28 Days Later.

[TheDensley7]

Slugs?

[moeezS]

Never heard of it.

[markhillary]

Have to say I agree entirely with Mark on this. I sat there and watched it almost yawning, waiting for something remarkable as I had seen the hype. I'd predicted the end from early on in the film, probably from the multiple references to other movies. Not scary. Not well acted. Not impressive - money back please!

[moeezS]

The acting was great, what movie did you watch? The chemistry was unmistakable.

You've gotta to be an elitist if you demand for money back after watching a movie. It's not the theatre's fault, it's your fault.

[YouKnowWhereThisEnds]

TURN IT UP!

I can't hear a fucking thing.

[SpongeBobKinkyPants]

I thought this film was brilliant. I don't even know why its budget is being brought up because if anything it gives the film more credibility by being low budget but also being an innotive, great film. How the hauntings slowly progress I thought was really well done and I was on edge throughout. Will be buying the DVD when it comes out.

[YouKnowWhereThisEnds]

Why watch it again?

There's no great plot or acting to draw you in. and you know when the scares are coming.

Horror films like this are disposible.

[kalsolarUK]

I agree..it was fine until the "actors" turned up in it who were so clearly acting it was painful.

[salibubba7]

Could not agree more. I found what bothered me the most was how low budget it was. I could have made the film myself

[Konve]

"Unremarkability" Is that even a word?

[TheFandango19]

Yes.

[Konve]

Damn, I would never have guessed.

As for the movie - there is One scene that sort of freaked me out. I was waiting for something like that to happen and when it did, I was a bit unprepared for it. I mean the whole leg-thing (without giving anything away.)

The ending was too obvious and left Much to be desired. I hope there's a sequel.

[lydz25]

I'm playing Scrabble and I have the letters QIFF in wait ..

Thanks Mark! I might not have thought of it otherwise!

[martynm]

Saw this at the Celluloid Screams festival in Sheffield and I thought it was very effective, creeped me out, so I think it's very dependent on the person and also how you watch it

[giantlawnmower]

Agree. Could see things I knew should be scaring me but weren't. Ending was a bit shocking but still did not gasp. Thought it was very clever... maybe too much? This response is not from being a horror film fan - can honestly say I have never paid to see another horror film except Cloverfield (if that counts). Only thing I felt was a bit motion sick form the camera work (which I thought was very good).

[moeezS]

It scared the crap out of me, so clearly it works for certain people who live in creaky apartments or houses.

The Exorcist is very un-scary, but I love it as a movie more.

The only movie to scare me was the Ring. And [Rec] recently.

[hiiimatthew]

mayo seems disintereted, Kermode, that trophy should of been exclusivley for you

[DannyBoy777]

He always seems disinterested to me, shame. Little bit unprofessional.

[hiiimatthew]

agreed

[cuntscab555]

turn the volume up

[Dante1Savage]

i'm off to see it in a couple of hours, i don't expect to be impressed. One of the only films which gives me chills is don't look now, which is also set to be remade apparently which will be bad. Also whistle and i'll come to you, is very good.

[curbyourwife]

It's no Exorcist.