An Hour Later and I'm Still Shaky

Rating: 10/10 (19 October 2009)

Honest to Pete, this has to be the most frightening film I have ever watched. Right now, an hour after leaving the theater, I still have that jiggle-y feeling in my chest, like all my organs are made of Jell-O.
The entire movie was filmed on a standard hand held digital video recorder, and the majority of the footage was shot in the master bedroom of the couple's townhouse condo.
As most of you know, one's imagination can conjure up far worse terrors than what any cinematographer can capture on film. The atmosphere of this film is heavy and foreboding from the opening scene, shot in broad daylight, as Micah (pronounced Mee cah) films Katie pulling into their driveway, showing off his video skills as well as his new toy.
We discover that Katie has been experiencing paranormal activity the past few nights, and Micah has decided that he can handle the problem himself. So, a la Ghost Hunters, Most Haunted, etc, he has purchased digital recording equipment with night vision capabilities and audio recorders to capture EVP.
Katie is skeptical, wanting to call in professional psychics to deal with the problem before it gets out of hand, but Micah is insistent that he be allowed to try his way first.
So, over a three week span, we watch Micah and Katie deteriorate; the relationship, their emotional well being from the nightly terrors, as well as lack of sleep. As the strife and discord increases, so does the activity the couple experiences.
Katie reveals that this is not the first time she has encountered this sort of phenomena, that she has had several episodes throughout her life, starting at age eight. That particular event ended with the family house burning down.
Micah, becomes more aggressive, claiming his house and craving something tangible that he can fight. If possible, he makes matters worse, by bringing in an Ouija board, assuming that if he can communicate with his adversary, they might reach a more level playing field.
The most terrifying scene in the entire film consists of thirty seconds of things happening out of camera range. You can hear. Something, you know, I mean you positively know in your heart, that it is bad. I'm getting a little short of breath again, just remembering what I 'didn't' see.
I heartily recommend this film to anyone who is fond of suspense and psychological terror. However, go to the theater for the full experience. Con and I got there just after the Sprint blitz of commercials had started. The crowd was talkative and excited throughout the previews of coming attractions. Once the lights dropped completely and the film started, you could have heard a pin drop.
No one spoke aloud, no one laughed inappropriately. Not a single person left the auditorium for snacks or to visit the restrooms. It was almost like we were held in thrall. I kid you not, we sat there like crash test dummies, cringing and covering our faces, peeking through our spread fingers at people sleeping.
When the film ended, the very second the screen went blank, we stood as one and started walking toward the aisles. No one spoke, no one stood and watched the credits roll, we just left.
Not since the Blair Witch Project, have I felt a film to be worth all the hype being generated to sell tickets. Paranormal Activity exceeds the hype. It scared the crap out of me and I do not think I will buy the DVD nor rent it, simply so I won't be bringing any of that sort of activity into my home.