Less Is More

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2010)

I'm sure most of us have heard the term "less is more." Alfred Hitchcock helped bring this term to fruition by keeping the forces of evil hidden from us, but obviously with us, near us, and trying desperately to get in.
First time writer/director and renaissance film-make Oren Peli took the "less is more" to heart and decided to do his own version of a Blair Witch Project, but with much greater success in my book.
I am not an easily spooked guy. And I've seen my share of horror films that did absolutely nothing for me. Although some of them I still love, they didn't give me goosebumps. One of my favorites, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956), was creepy and it made me think, but it never made me jump in my seat. The same could not be said for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. It is, without a doubt, a true minimalist horror film that strikes at the heart of our psyche. And when I say "minimalist", I mean minimal. Made for roughly $15,000, it's first week out in theaters it grossed over $9 million. I can't even imagine how many tens-of-millions its made now that its out on DVD. Peli took the minimalist approach on time, too, as the entire film runs only 86 minutes. And they filmed it all in ten days. And in Peli's own house! The best thing about the film is that it gradually builds tension, never letting us in on what it is that's stalking Katie. This unknown is frustratingly freakish, and we can really feel the stress Katie and her boyfriend Micah are under as they lose sleep, hear doors slam, see footprints appear out of nowhere, and helplessly watch as more and more "things" begin happening to them.
Those who hate the hand-held camera movements of The Blair Witch Project and CLOVERFIELD, will want to avoid this one, as it, too, uses a hand-held. But if you love to feel your heart beat faster, your breathing speed up, and to cover your eyes when you know something really bad is about to happen, then by all means please watch this.
I heard rumor that a sequel is in the making. Hmm. Let's hope they don't ruin a good thing by trying to make a big budget block-buster with M. Night.
Let the shrieking commence.