After sitting in a vault for almost two years following festival screenings, Paranormal Activity was finally released in 2009 with a whole new ending, and the results were phenomenal: it made almost $200 million on a mere $15k budget. Frankly, the arrival of a new horror franchise couldn't have come at a better time, as the very next year, Saw delivered its final entry to date. Paranormal Activity took found footage to a terrifying new dimension by focusing on the things that go bump in the night. Viewers were asked to focus on static, locked-off shots of a couple's home, keeping their eyes peeled for creaking doors, footsteps and so on, and the minimalist approach proved surprisingly effective. Best Moment: When Katie (Katie Featherston) gets out of bed and starts staring at her boyfriend Micah (Micah Sloat) for hours on end: it's creepier than just about anything else in this movie. Sequels: Three sequels have been released to date, though each of them has slow-bled the plot out to the point that it's hard to care much by this point. This year's Latino-themed spin-off, The Marked Ones, however, proved to be surprisingly decent, introducing dark comedy into the franchise and a clever sci-fi twist. The fifth main movie, The Ghost Dimension, is due for release next March.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
