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.
It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family witness strange events in their neighborhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in.
Directors:
Henry Joost,
Ariel Schulman
Stars:
Stephen Dunham,
Katie Featherston,
Matt Shively
Three film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.
Directors:
Daniel Myrick,
Eduardo Sánchez
Stars:
Heather Donahue,
Michael C. Williams,
Joshua Leonard
For their ghost hunting reality show, a production crew locks themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that's supposedly haunted - and it might prove to be all too true.
Washed-up true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt finds a box of super 8 home movies that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose work dates back to the 1960s.
Two strangers, who awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.
After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.Written by
Paramount Pictures
During the weekend of October 9-11, 2009 it reached #4 at the US box office while playing in only 160 theaters, the fewest number of theaters for a top five film since box office data was regularly tracked in the 1980s. See more »
Goofs
(at around 1h 14 mins) Katie's weight fluctuates noticeably from scene to scene. This is especially noticeable when she is looking at the computer about the other possessed woman. From one shot to the next, she is much heavier. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Katie:
Is that what I think it is?
Micah:
Depends on what you think it is.
Katie:
I think it's a big-ass camera! Whatever happened to one of those little hand held cameras?
See more »
Crazy Credits
Fans who submitted their name on the official website during the film's theatrical run were treated with having their name listed in the film's ending credits on the DVD/Blu-ray release of the film as thanks from Paramount for making the film such a success. See more »
Alternate Versions
The version that was released in theaters is the cut supervised by Steven Spielberg. The Director's Cut, comprised of the unedited film with three possible endings, has several differences:
1. There is a scene in the Theatrical Cut not present in the Director's Cut that takes place early on, where Katie and Micah wake up and find her keys thrown from the kitchen counter to the floor.
2. The low frequency tone that occurs when the demon is present is not quite as loud in the Director's cut. There is only one instance of the demon whispering in the Theatrical Cut; there are at least three in the Director's Cut, all of which are heard in the bedroom at night.
3. A lot of the demon noises - the loud growl followed by the bang, the footsteps, even the shadows that appear on the bedroom doors - were completely re-dubbed and retouched. All of these scenes are much, much louder/noticeable in theaters for jump scares. There seem to be at least two added "shadow" effects - another on the bedroom door, and a silhouette in the hallway - in the Director's Cut, whereas the Theatrical Cut only has one shadow used.
4. The night when the demon plays the door games with Katie and Micah (opening and slamming it shut, knocking furiously) has been re-dubbed, as well. The knocking is much faster and louder in the Theatrical Cut.
5. There's some added dialogue between Katie and Micah where they discuss how the stress is negatively affecting their lives. She says she's failing her university course and won't pass unless she "does something drastic" on her midterm. He says he lost a large sum of money playing the stock market earlier, and that he'll be taking a break for awhile.
6. The demon's daytime attack is completely absent. The only time we get a good look at the picture that is smashed and clawed is when the two run up and down the hallway during the night to get away from the demon.
7. There's an extra video attached to the "Goodbye Dianne" explanation at the computer. There is at least two minutes of added footage of the woman's ordeal, which has been heavily used in the TV commercials. Micah shows Katie footage of Dianne's demonic possession and subsequent exorcism as she is tied to a bed. Her appearance transforms from healthy to disheveled and dark, with large cuts on her face and body. Eventually, the footage shows that the exorcism was unsuccessful, and the possessed Dianne becomes so destructive that she chews her own arm off to the elbow.
8. The double-layered voice Katie projects in bed when she says, "Everything will be fine from now on" (and later screaming downstairs) uses a different effect to achieve this. Unlike the Theatrical Cut, the two voices are very distinct.
9. The ending is completely changed. Katie awakes shortly after midnight on the final night, gets out of bed and stares at Micah for roughly three hours. Unlike the Theatrical Cut, she does not move to his side of the bed to continue watching him, and the sheets do not fly off of his body. Instead, she goes straight downstairs. After Micah is awakened by the scream, he runs downstairs and we hear the ensuing scuffle. Like before, Katie slowly climbs the stairs, except the footstep effect is slightly altered and when she enters the room, she is holding a knife and covered in blood. Micah's body is not thrown at the camera; he remains downstairs. Katie sits down on the floor against the bed and proceeds to rock back and forth, knife in hand, for several days. We hear her ignore phone calls and the door bell. Eventually, one of her friends comes in to check on her and finds Micah's body, which momentarily interrupts Katie's rocking. The friend lets out a scream and runs out of the house. Twenty minutes later, we hear the police knock and enter, warning anyone in the house to "make themselves known" because they have their weapons drawn. As they search the first floor, it appears as if the demon has left Katie's body: we see the light to the attic turn on, then off, as if the demon went back into hiding. The police come upstairs, find Katie and warn her to drop the weapon. She's dazed, running toward them yelling, "Where's Micah!? Where's Micah?!". The door to the attic slams shut, startling the police so much that one accidentally shoots Katie dead. The final sixty seconds of the film shows the confused policemen, asking "Where did that [noise] come from?" and ultimately declaring the house "clear". The film fades to black, and a text appears that dedicates the film to Katie and Micah.
Katie (Katie Featherston) and her boyfriend Micah (Micah Sloat) have been living together for three years and out of the blue, they are haunted by an entity while they are sleeping. Katie discloses to Micah that she has been haunted since she was eight year-old and the skeptical Micah buys a camera to videotape the paranormal activity in their home during the night. Katie calls the psychic Fredrichs (Marc Fredrichs) to help them, and he explains that he is specialist in ghosts; however he feels the presence of a fiend and advises the couple to call a friend of him and do not try to contact the demon. However, Micah borrows an Ouija board endangering their lives.
After the original "The Blair Witch Project", many low-budget movies made with hand-held camera have been released and the only exception that really worked is the Spanish "(REC)". "Paranormal Activity" is ridiculously overrated and I cannot understand the hype around this flick. The acting is reasonable, but the screenplay is ridiculous, with Micah filming their daily routine even in the most bizarre and unusual moments. I cannot understand how a viewer can startle or fear with the awful scenes and noises, unless those that are easily influenced by the marketing of smart producers that releases a cheap crap wrapped in advertisements and fake reviews promoting the movie. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "Atividade Paranormal" ("Paranormal Activity")
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Katie (Katie Featherston) and her boyfriend Micah (Micah Sloat) have been living together for three years and out of the blue, they are haunted by an entity while they are sleeping. Katie discloses to Micah that she has been haunted since she was eight year-old and the skeptical Micah buys a camera to videotape the paranormal activity in their home during the night. Katie calls the psychic Fredrichs (Marc Fredrichs) to help them, and he explains that he is specialist in ghosts; however he feels the presence of a fiend and advises the couple to call a friend of him and do not try to contact the demon. However, Micah borrows an Ouija board endangering their lives.
After the original "The Blair Witch Project", many low-budget movies made with hand-held camera have been released and the only exception that really worked is the Spanish "(REC)". "Paranormal Activity" is ridiculously overrated and I cannot understand the hype around this flick. The acting is reasonable, but the screenplay is ridiculous, with Micah filming their daily routine even in the most bizarre and unusual moments. I cannot understand how a viewer can startle or fear with the awful scenes and noises, unless those that are easily influenced by the marketing of smart producers that releases a cheap crap wrapped in advertisements and fake reviews promoting the movie. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "Atividade Paranormal" ("Paranormal Activity")