Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Popularity:

Down 20% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Tod Williams

Writers (WGA):

Michael R. Perry (screenplay) and
Christopher Landon (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 November 2010 (Germany)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Last year you demanded it. But that was just the beginning.

Plot:

After experiencing what they think are a series of "break-ins", a family sets up security cameras around their home, only to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they seem.

Plot Keywords:

Security Camera | House | Carlsbad California | Nanny | California

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

David Bierend	...	Surveillance Camera Expert
Brian Boland	...	Daniel Rey
Molly Ephraim	...	Ali Rey
Katie Featherston	...	Katie
Seth Ginsberg	...	Brad
Sprague Grayden	...	Kristi Rey
William Juan Prieto	...	Hunter Rey
Jackson Xenia Prieto	...	Hunter Rey
Micah Sloat	...	Micah
Vivis Colombetti	...	Martine (as Vivis)

Directed by
Tod Williams

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael R. Perry		(screenplay) and
Christopher Landon		(screenplay) and
Tom Pabst		(screenplay)
Michael R. Perry		(story)
Oren Peli		(film "Paranormal Activity")

Produced by
Jason Blum	....	producer
Jeanette Brill	....	line producer (as Jeanette Volturno-Brill)
Akiva Goldsman	....	executive producer
Oren Peli	....	producer
Steven Schneider	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Michael Simmonds

Film Editing by
Gregory Plotkin

Casting by
Michael Hothorn
Terri Taylor

Production Design by
Jennifer Spence

Costume Design by
Kristin M. Burke

Makeup Department
Joe Badiali	....	special makeup effects technician
Danielle Barkat	....	special makeup effects artist
Robert Hall	....	special makeup designer: Almost Human, Inc
Dalton Kutsch	....	special makeup effects technician: Almost Human Inc.
J.J. Poff	....	assistant hair stylist
Erik Porn	....	special makeup effects supervisor: Almost Human Inc.
Eleanor Sabaduquia	....	key makeup artist: additional photography
Daniele Tirinnanzi	....	makeup effects technician: Almost Human, Inc

Production Management
Ralph Bertelle	....	executive in charge of production
Rick Osako	....	unit production manager
Richard Stirling	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Moran	....	first assistant director
Marc Newland	....	second assistant director
James Moran	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gerald Donahoe	....	leadman
Niko Hovartos	....	assistant art director
Brendan Maze	....	set dresser
Elizabeth R. Rosenbaum	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Mark Binder	....	sound designer
Mark Binder	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Binder	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Brown	....	sound designer
Aleksandr Gruzdev	....	sound effects editor
Justin Herman	....	sound engineer
Matthew Iadarola	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Mark Lanza	....	sound effects editor
Tim D. Lloyd	....	boom operator
Zsolt Magyar	....	sound mixer
Jared Marshack	....	sound mix technician
Stacey Michaels	....	adr mixer
James Moriana	....	foley artist
Doug Mountain	....	dialogue editor
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Nick Shaffer	....	adr supervisor
Nick Shaffer	....	dialogue supervisor
Nick Shaffer	....	sound effects editor
Nick Shaffer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Carrie Sheldon	....	additional sound mixer
Ken Steiger	....	assistant sound editor
Brett Voss	....	foley mixer
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist
Ryan Young	....	dialogue editor (as Ryan D. Young)

Special Effects by
Joe Badiali	....	special effects technician
Gary D. Bierend	....	special effects technician
Mark Gullesserian	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Rob Blue	....	visual effects artist: Hammerhead
Mark A.Z. Dippé	....	visual effects supervisor
Michelle Eisenreich	....	visual effects producer: Hammerhead
Justin Jones	....	compositor
Michael Kennedy	....	visual effects supervisor
Shira Mandel Kluger	....	digital compositor (as Shira Mandel)
Daniel Mellitz	....	lead compositor
Jack Mullins	....	visual effects
Jason Pomerantz	....	production supervisor (IMAX Version)
Ron South	....	visual effects editor

Stunts
Steve Blalock	....	stunts
Jennifer Caputo	....	stunts
Meegan Godfrey	....	stunts
Nikki Hester	....	stunt double: Sprague Grayden
Nikki Hester	....	stunts
Craig Jensen	....	utility stunts
Michael R. King	....	stunt double
Rob King	....	stunt coordinator
Paul Lacovara	....	stunt double: Brian Boland
J.J. Perry	....	stunts
Heidi Germaine Schnappauf	....	stunt double: Katie Featherston
Dennis Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Ator Tamras	....	stunt double: Sprague Grayden
Ator Tamras	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Amy Ecklund	....	first assistant camera
Paul Farley	....	key grip
Bryan Gilbert	....	grip
Jordan C. Kadovitz	....	video playback operator
Damon Liebowitz	....	gaffer
Oliver Mancebo	....	digital imaging technician
Dino Parks	....	additional cinematographer
Robby Terry	....	electrician
Victoria Tidmarch	....	additional first assistant camera
Kevin Tiesiera	....	lighting technician
Derek Touvell	....	best boy electric

Casting Department
Jason Fedusenko	....	casting assistant
Kimberly Graham	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alejandro M. Hernandez	....	key costumer
Michelle Liu	....	key costumer
Sami Martin Sarmiento	....	costume p.a.

Editorial Department
Phillip Dawe	....	post-production coordinator
Joel Griffen	....	assistant editor
Mark Griffith	....	digital intermediate artist
George Koran	....	digital intermediate colorist assist
Matt Maddox	....	first assistant editor
Kenneth Marsten	....	first assistant editor (as Kenny Marsten)
Harry Muller	....	color timer
Ken O'Keefe	....	assistant editor
Bill Schultz	....	digital intermediate executive
Daniel Sessoms	....	data operator

Transportation Department
James G. Brill	....	transportation coordinator
Henry Canon	....	transportation
Bob Cope	....	transportation
William Cope	....	transportation
Jason Messersmith	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Laura Altmann	....	production coordinator
Steve Berens	....	animal wrangler
Laura Caulfield	....	Production Legal
Nicki Cortese	....	assistant: Mr. Goldsman
Bryant Duncan	....	key office assistant
Danny Giles	....	key set production assistant
Lynn Johnson	....	set medic
Jessica Kivnik	....	production assistant
Jennifer Levine	....	set medic
Megan Lurty	....	set production assistant
Jessica Malanaphy	....	assistant: Mr. Blum (as Jessica Hall)
Kate McCarthy	....	assistant: Mr. Williams
Brittany Poulton	....	second assistant to Mr Blum
Carlo Pratto	....	production accountant
Hannah Rabkin	....	assistant: Mr. Schneider
Tim Rogers	....	set production assistant: additional photography
Nancy Solomon	....	script supervisor
Babette Stith	....	script supervisor
David Thornsberry	....	location manager
Erin Vitali	....	set production assistant
Diane Weiss	....	script supervisor (as Diane Lea Weiss)
Kendra Rasmussen	....	assistant to executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Thanks
Todd Adrian	....	acknowledgment

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Blumhouse Productions (as Blumhouse)
• Solana Films
• Room 101 (as Room 101, Inc.)

Distributors

• Finnkino (2010) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures Entertainment (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures Japan (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2010) (Ireland) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2010) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Solar Entertainment (2010) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2010) (Greece) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2010) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• Paramount Home Entertainment Finland (2011) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (extended cut)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (extended cut)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (unrated director's cut)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (unrated director's cut)
• ProSieben Television (2012) (Germany) (TV)
• RTL Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL5)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Almost Human (prosthetic makeup effects)
• Hammerhead Productions (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Digital Media Services (DMS)  digital marketing asset management
• Digital Vortechs  HD Avid equipment rental
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• FotoKem  digital intermediate
• FotoKem  production dailies (nextLAB)
• Happy Feet Foley  post-production sound services (Foley Services)
• IMN Creative  sound post-production
• Soundtrack New York  ADR Facility

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and brief violent material

Runtime:

91 min | 98 min (unrated director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-15/13 | Finland:K-16/13 (2012 reform re-rating) | France:U (with warning) | Germany:16 | Ireland:15A | Italy:T | Japan:G | Malaysia:PG-13 | New Zealand:R16 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #46420)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Upon release, this broke the record for the biggest midnight gross of an R-rated movie with $6.3 million, and the biggest opening for a horror movie of all time, earning a total of $41,500,000 in its opening weekend.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the time viewing the basement door after Kristi is pulled down, you can see the curtains by the window moving. The next morning there are no curtains on the window.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Kristi Rey:Welcome home, Hunter, this is your house. Gonna look out that window. There's your front door.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Bum Reviews: Paranormal Activity 2 (#3.16)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

My Last Breath

You need an imagination to make this movie work

As with the first Paranormal Activity, this movie is largely suggestive instead of implicit with its creepiness. The performances given by the actors are genuine and the characters are more relatable than in the first movie. This movie both expands on the Paranormal Activity mythos and provides a genuinely scary experience, so it comes highly recommended. So many horror movies these days either mistake gross for scary (Drag Me to Hell) or are uneventful/predictable with characters no one could care about (The Strangers, White Noise 1/2, The Eye, Shutter, etc.). The Paranormal Activity movies stand out as the best horror films since the superb El Orphanato, you just have to be willing to fill in some of the blanks yourself to truly appreciate the terror.

Many people "pooh-pooh" the Paranormal Activity films, but I think it's likely because they've become desensitized to good horror by all the tripe that constantly comes out undeservedly under the "horror" name these days. Do yourself a favour and see this movie if you are a horror buff. It won't disappoint as long as you're smart enough to understand the movie and what makes it scary.