Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Director:

Tod Williams

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

22 October 2010 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Demand it!

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 | California | Nanny | Carlsbad California

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

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
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
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
Niko Hovartos	....	assistant art director
Brendan Maze	....	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
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

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
Isaac Lipstadt	....	visual effects
Shira Mandel	....	digital compositor
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
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
Kenny Marsten	....	first assistant editor
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
Laura Caulfield	....	production paralegal
Nicki Cortese	....	assistant to mr. goldsman
Bryant Duncan	....	key office assistant
Danny Giles	....	key set production assistant
Jessica L. Hall	....	assistant to Mr. Blum
Lynn Johnson	....	set medic
Jessica Kivnik	....	production assistant
Jennifer Levine	....	set medic
Megan Lurty	....	set production assistant
Brittany Poulton	....	second assistant to Mr Blum
Carlo Pratto	....	production accountant
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)

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 Japan (2011) (Japan) (theatrical) (as Paramount Pictures Japan)
• Paramount Pictures Entertainment (2010) (Canada) (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) (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)
• RTL Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL5)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Hammerhead Productions

Other Companies

• Digital Media Services (DMS)  digital marketing asset management
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Happy Feet Foley  post-production sound services (Foley Services)

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:

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

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This film was announced shortly after Paranormal Activity (2007) was released into theaters.

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:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Despicable Me/The Kids Are All Right (#2.24)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

The Downfall of Us All

Could have been SO much better

I love a good horror story, and the premise behind this is a good one- that the sins of the "Father" may be paid for by the "Son." There are strange occurrences in the household, including the house being trashed during a supposed break in. This prompts the installation of video cameras with recorders to record events in and outside of the house. The daughter stumbles across something on the internet suggesting that there may be a demon in the house. This is seconded by the nanny, who senses an evil presence. Sounds like a kind of scary premise, right? Well, that's about it- the premise is never developed. While We learn that the mother and her sister experienced "Disturbances" when they were growing up- we never learn what was the nature of them, only that they do not talk about them. We never learn if there was an ancestor that made a "Deal with the devil," it is brought up and suggested and the movie fleshed out with that premise just accepted. However, it is never explored in any way- and that really makes the plot WEAK.

I know it will seem a cheap shot but I will make it anyway- on the cast listing on IMDD the camera installer man is listed at the top. He gave perhaps the most solid performance of any of the actors and actresses, so perhaps it was meant that way.

Three stars is my rating- a good premise developed with a weak plot and mediocre acting only goes so far. The sad part is that this could have been so good, and so frightening. My gut tells me, like other reviewers have mentioned, that this was a rush job to capitalize on the first movie, and not an attempt at a good, memorable movie- as it is not.