The 'Paranormal Activity' Series: Part 2

[wiegeabo]

Check out trailer 2

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/paranormalactivity3/

 

[Wolfwood]

Check out trailer 2

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/paranormalactivity3/

Only one or two of those scenes show up in the movie lol

Spoiler

the biggest one being when Katie and the guy are in the bathroom

The rest of that is definitely deleted/extended scenes.

 

[Kane52630]

Rotten Tomatoes consensus:

While the jolts and thrills are undeniably subject to the diminishing returns that plague most horror sequels, Paranormal Activity 3 is a surprisingly spine-tingling treat.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/paranormal_activity_3/

 

[wiegeabo]

Good. I'm sorely under my horror quota for Halloween. Other than Walking Dead, I haven't watched much of anything scary

 

[Marx]

The "rate the movie" poll for the PA3 is now up!

 

[SuperSoldier985]

Only one or two of those scenes show up in the movie lol.

I get the feeling that after just one viewing, you might be exaggerating between what you saw in the movie and what was shown in the trailer....

Either way, IMO.... t:

 

[Wolfwood]

Haha, alright, I guess after you see it we'll compare notes and come to a consensus.

 

[RaZaTrOn]

I just got back from seeing it and yes only the bathroom scene is in the film. Which is a shame because i would've loved to see more.

The film left me with more questions than answers. Bring on the next one i say!!

 

[Rocketman]

Everyone I know is too afraid to see this with me tonight... So I might be going to the midnight screening by myself. Do I have balls or what?

 

[Kane52630]

Everyone I know is too afraid to see this with me tonight... So I might be going to the midnight screening by myself. Do I have balls or what?

Same thing happen to me when I saw the first Paranormal Activity film. I watched the film by myself with a great full crowd. It was one of the best theater experience I had in a long time.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Same thing happen to me when I saw the first Paranormal Activity film. I watched the film by myself with a great full crowd. It was one of the best theater experience I had in a long time.

Same here. I saw both films opening night with a sold out crowd and it was some of the most fun experiences I ever had at the movies. I am looking forward to seeing this one Friday night with a sold out crowd again!

 

[kickass]

I get the feeling that after just one viewing, you might be exaggerating between what you saw in the movie and what was shown in the trailer....

Either way, IMO.... t:

Nope, he's right. Most of the footage in the trailers and tv spots are not in the movie. Which was a great marketing ploy to keep any of the major scares from being spoiled. Brilliant I say.

 

[Rocketman]

Just got back. There was a special screening at 9pm.
First thoughts: 10/10
Easily the best movie of the series.
It might even be the scariest movie ever made. I'm trying to think of a scarier movie off the top of my head, and I'm sincerely drawing a blank. This is probably the first time I've ever watched a movie where I almost needed to cover my eyes with my hands. I've NEVER felt the need to do that before.

The directing was spectacular. Whoever's planning these movies, they're hitting the nail on the head. That "fan-cam" is one of the most brilliant, creative ideas in horror movie history. In general, these movies are just filled with genuine creativity, focusing on PURE horror.

- No blood.
- No gore.
- No sex (and even the sexuality was tastefully and realistically done).
- No music.
- No boobs.
- No all-star MTV cast featuring a cameo by Paris Hilton, starring Jessica Biel.
- No exclusive Wal-Mart soundtrack featuring Jay-Z and Slipknot.

Just bare-bones, in-your-face, old-fashioned HORROR. Stripped down, naked, with no B.S. That's exactly what the genre needs. Old school movie-making.

And Jesus, that sheet in the kitchen.

 

[Matt]

My problem with the prequel:

In the original, Katie talks about her childhood ghost as if it is just a tiny memory from her childhood (save her vague suspicion that it started the fire, which is confirmed when she finds the picture). It's like something you see on Unsolved Mysteries, little things get moved here and there but nothing major. She definitely doesn't seem afraid of it and doesn't even really mind it until Micah starts using the Ouija Board.

This seems like it is turning it into the most hands-on haunting in the series, with the ghost brutally beating the psychic, dragging Katie's mom across rooms, etc.

I suppose it is a rather minor inconsistency. Oh well.

 

[Wolfwood]

Well there's a sort of explanation for that in the film. It's a thin explanation, but it's there. lol

 

[Matt]

Really? Can you elaborate? Also, is there are any action in the "present?"

 

[Rocketman]

My problem with the prequel:

In the original, Katie talks about her childhood ghost as if it is just a tiny memory from her childhood (save her vague suspicion that it started the fire, which is confirmed when she finds the picture). It's like something you see on Unsolved Mysteries, little things get moved here and there but nothing major. She definitely doesn't seem afraid of it and doesn't even really mind it until Micah starts using the Ouija Board.

This seems like it is turning it into the most hands-on haunting in the series, with the ghost brutally beating the psychic, dragging Katie's mom across rooms, etc.

I suppose it is a rather minor inconsistency. Oh well.

I have a feeling that this series is going to go in a crazy direction:

Spoiler

We never see the house burn down in PA3, although it's talked about consistently in the first two films. In my opinion, the house hasn't burned down yet. The grandmother is going to burn it down, put the bodies of the girls' mother and father in the house, and then "set it up" to make it look like the girls got out in time, but not their parents.

Then:

Spoiler

That cult is going to brainwash/hypnotize Katie and Kristi into not remembering specifics about the hauntings, only tiny, insignificant fragments.

Also:

Spoiler

Paranormal Activity 4 still needs to come back to the present with Katie and Hunter. If they decide to focus on the cult instead, and stick to the prequel format, that sets up a Paranormal Activity 5.

In other words, this series is brilliantly set up for at least TWO more sequels, maybe even three. There's so much more STORY that hasn't been explored yet. We've barely scratched the surface.

 

[Matt]

Spoiler

There are cults involved now? I really hope that works a lot better than it sounds.

 

[Wolfwood]

Really? Can you elaborate? Also, is there are any action in the "present?"

Well...it involves a HUGE spoiler about the ending...not sure you want to read that lol, but I'll post it anyways.

Spoiler

Essentially there's some witchcraft involved in the film and there's a part that mentions how the son will be indoctrinated and pretty much brainwashed into being a tool for the demon. Then...lets just say that the girls come in contact with a witch later on and I believe they perform some sort of ritual on them to tie them to the demon, which probably messes with their memories as well.

There's some more to my theory, but I don't want to give away too many spoilers lol.

About the present aspect

Spoiler

The film opens up in the present with Katie dropping off the 80s videotapes in Kristie's basement. There's a bit more there, but that's about it. The rest of the film is all 80s.

 

[Matt]

I see. Interesting. Thanks.

To be honest, it seems like the filmmakers are getting better at scaring the audience (which is why I see these movies anyway) but from a story perspective...yikes. All this talk of [blackout]cults and witches[/blackout] sounds awful.

I personally think a running mythology was a mistake. This series just didn't lend itself to it. I think anthology films about various hauntings with no connection to one another would've been the way to go. Oh well, like I said, I go for the scares, not the story.

 

[Wolfwood]

I have a feeling that this series is going to go in a crazy direction:

Spoiler

We never see the house burn down in PA3, although it's talked about consistently in the first two films. In my opinion, the house hasn't burned down yet. The grandmother is going to burn it down, put the bodies of the girls' mother and father in the house, and then "set it up" to make it look like the girls got out in time, but not their parents.

Spoiler

That's my theory as well, burning the house with the bodies in it would be the perfect way of covering things up. By the way, did they ever mention that the girls' biological father was still alive? Maybe they'll go live with him and that'll take us into the sequel.

 

[Wolfwood]

I see. Interesting. Thanks.

To be honest, it seems like the filmmakers are getting better at scaring the audience (which is why I see these movies anyway) but from a story perspective...yikes. All this talk of [blackout]cults and witches[/blackout] sounds awful.

I personally think a running mythology was a mistake. This series just didn't lend itself to it. I think anthology films about various hauntings with no connection to one another would've been the way to go. Oh well, like I said, I go for the scares, not the story.

Honestly, for now I think it works perfectly with the story. However, like all horror films that go on for too long, eventually the mythology becomes a giant cluster **** lol. Hopefully they have an exit plan that will cap off the movies nicely. I doubt it though.

 

[Matt]

Hmm, so it works better than it sounds on paper, eh?

 

[Wolfwood]

I think so. In this case it makes sense, it's not as crazy as in

Spoiler

Halloween when Micheal is suddenly a cult experiment

 

[Matt]

That is definitely a relief. Halloween is the worst offender of overly-crowded horror mythology. That nonsense with the Blackthorn and staged deaths just got ridiculous. Jason movies may have gotten more gimmicky (with the transferable heart, outer space and Manhattan) but he never got an insane back story, same with Freddy. Their situations changed more than their mythologies.