I have to disagree with the comment that the movie was filmed documentary style. It really wasn’t. It was just a couple trying to catch something happening in their house. But this is a minor point. Your vlog is very funny and your opinions are eloquently put. I agree that the sense of dread in The Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity makes them both terryfying. I saw Paranormal Activity at home and I promise you, it’s still scary. You’re alone, your ac makes noise. I’m still sleeping with the light on.
I really loved this movie as well, I saw it on my birthday for a good laugh becuase i thought it was gonna be really stupid but i was REALLY scared and into the movie. i have never seen a better horror movie than this, when you saw the girl at the end chills just went up everyones spines, and thats good acting throughout the whole movie, i loved it, even though it really scared me.
I agree with the most of this review. However I thought the parts where they argue are very effective and I’ll tell you why.
The demon feends on conflict and bad emotions, correct? Well, the power of the demon escalates with their negative emotions. So when he starts recording, its “weak” and it can’t do much, for instance: it opens a door. Not very impressive. When they continue recording and provoking (provoking in a very “shallow” manner I would say where he acts tough but really he’s scared) they get even more scared when they see how it grows in power, which feeds the demon. They turn on eachother and argues, negatve emotions which strengthens the demon. Everything negative and what might be seen as drawn out bickering is empowering the demon to the point where it has the power to “meet his goal” so to speak. I thougt it was pretty nice to see their emotions towards eachother get perverted since it was a sublte way to know that the demon is getting stronger, its getting closer to achieving its goal. For every negative emotion, every argument, every gasp it grows in strength.
To me it was very powerful to feel how the demon used their own emotions and goals against them to achieve its own. I figured it had little power at the begining and, like I said, it escalated with the fears and emotions of the characters.
Also, I watch youtube clips at home. So I actually disagree when you say you should see it in theaters. Because it feels like a series of youtube clips to me, and to go to the cinema to see it is a little like taking this movie out of its element. I would watch it where I would percieve it to be more in context. To watch an action movie at home isn’t as effective when compared to watch in awesome widescreen with brutal surround sound. Imagine the hulk in theaters and compare it to the impact of watching at home. Unless you have a home cinema system, which I don’t, it isn’t as effective.
BUT paranormal activity doesn’t need a surround system, it doesn’t need a wide screen. I would actually recommend watching it like you watch a youtube clip.
Saw this one tonight with my wife. Absolutely loved it. SECOND scariest movie of the year next to Drag Me To Hell.
Why? Same reason you mentioned- emotional investment in the characters, and the lack of an explanation as to what actually happened. The cloven footprints in the powder really sent it home for me- unholy cow !!
As per usual, you hit the nail on the head, my friend. Now I have to sleep on the couch, because I didn’t tell my wife how bad it was gonna be… sigh…
A Blair Witch style movie could probably be made to be very scary, but Blair Witch just wasn’t. I consider it really bad, and consider the sequel actually good.
Nothing scary happens in Blair Witch; and no, I do not mean the whole, “we didn’t see anything”, I mean, nothing scary happens.
Some people set up some stones around the tent. Big whoop. Apparently some dicks trying to mess with don’t even have the guts to show themselves and/or attack me while I’m asleep. And they start running away scared from the stones, and I don’t get it. Yeah, it maybe fucked up, but if they wanted to hurt you they would have done so already. If they had guns, they wouldn’t be scared to come out, since they don’t come out, they’re more scared of you, than you are of them. So nothing scary is going on here, and them getting scared if I were there, would just have me say, “Calm down, will ya.”
Going in circles with a compass; there’s a magnetic rock nearby powerful enough to become the dominant magnetic force instead of the North Pole. Big whoop.
And the so-called money shot: There’s a guy standing there. And? What?
So I got no idea whether I should watch this, I’m leaning towards no, but on the other hand it at least showed they showed and let you here something that is actually scary.
What got me most about this movie…was the sound. I don’t know about most people, but I’ve got sensitive ears (I think it comes with being a trained musician), and when that heavy, low, bass sound came on in the theater…I tensed up, got freaked out, and it totally made the experience for me. The overtone in the sound system, too, which my friend next to me didn’t pick up on, but which was as clear as day to me, totally made my ears buzz, and added to that sense of dread. So, in that way, I totally agree with you – this movie wouldn’t be 1/10th as frightening, if seen at home, on your laptop, with the lights on, while someone’s making cookies in the kitchen. The atmosphere just isn’t right. : ) Very good review.
P.S.: I don’t feel bad for Micah…at all. Common sense says if the thing wants to burn a Ouiji board to send you a “message”…you don’t wanna know what it has to say.
@Bumbo, what I thought of the demon, was that it was sorta “jealous”, “obsessed” with that poor girl, stalking it and doing weird shit. But when she finally had a guy, amongst many other provocations, it started to become angry.
SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!
For example, the ouija board showing that demon’s last victim’s name, hinting that it didnt like that they would bring any magicians or anything in there. And when the guy got more cocky and angry, the demon got more angry, and showed that in different ways, like scratching only the guys face in an image. And the last straw, which triggered the last night, was when the guy burnt that picture.
Thats an interesting interpetation. Although I’d say the characters negative emotions has an impact on what the demon can actually do. It begins by moving doors. And had they not recorded that they would never know. Right? So then, by recording and by watchin they actually see it and get afraid. That fear “feeds” into the demons strength, which in turn enables it to do more complex things.
I don’t think it has it in for the boyfriend, I just think it wasn’t strong enough before the boyfriend started recording.
The one thing I disagree with is that the demon gets “angry”. I hate to sound like a “know it all” on something that is 100% personal interpetation. but I don’t think demons have emotions such as we do. And because of that it doesn’t get “provoked” it doesn’t get “angry” it simply uses that anger and fear that the characters feel to grow. Its nothing personal. But hey, we all have our different perspectives and its an interesting thought even if I happen to disagree. Maybe you’re right, maybe its vengeful and sees this as a personal matter, but that would be understandable and relatable. To me a demon is otherwordly and we would never understand its reasoning.
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I have to disagree with the comment that the movie was filmed documentary style. It really wasn’t. It was just a couple trying to catch something happening in their house. But this is a minor point. Your vlog is very funny and your opinions are eloquently put. I agree that the sense of dread in The Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity makes them both terryfying. I saw Paranormal Activity at home and I promise you, it’s still scary. You’re alone, your ac makes noise. I’m still sleeping with the light on.
I really loved this movie as well, I saw it on my birthday for a good laugh becuase i thought it was gonna be really stupid but i was REALLY scared and into the movie. i have never seen a better horror movie than this, when you saw the girl at the end chills just went up everyones spines, and thats good acting throughout the whole movie, i loved it, even though it really scared me.
I agree with the most of this review. However I thought the parts where they argue are very effective and I’ll tell you why.
The demon feends on conflict and bad emotions, correct? Well, the power of the demon escalates with their negative emotions. So when he starts recording, its “weak” and it can’t do much, for instance: it opens a door. Not very impressive. When they continue recording and provoking (provoking in a very “shallow” manner I would say where he acts tough but really he’s scared) they get even more scared when they see how it grows in power, which feeds the demon. They turn on eachother and argues, negatve emotions which strengthens the demon. Everything negative and what might be seen as drawn out bickering is empowering the demon to the point where it has the power to “meet his goal” so to speak. I thougt it was pretty nice to see their emotions towards eachother get perverted since it was a sublte way to know that the demon is getting stronger, its getting closer to achieving its goal. For every negative emotion, every argument, every gasp it grows in strength.
To me it was very powerful to feel how the demon used their own emotions and goals against them to achieve its own. I figured it had little power at the begining and, like I said, it escalated with the fears and emotions of the characters.
Also, I watch youtube clips at home. So I actually disagree when you say you should see it in theaters. Because it feels like a series of youtube clips to me, and to go to the cinema to see it is a little like taking this movie out of its element. I would watch it where I would percieve it to be more in context. To watch an action movie at home isn’t as effective when compared to watch in awesome widescreen with brutal surround sound. Imagine the hulk in theaters and compare it to the impact of watching at home. Unless you have a home cinema system, which I don’t, it isn’t as effective.
BUT paranormal activity doesn’t need a surround system, it doesn’t need a wide screen. I would actually recommend watching it like you watch a youtube clip.
Saw this one tonight with my wife. Absolutely loved it. SECOND scariest movie of the year next to Drag Me To Hell.
Why? Same reason you mentioned- emotional investment in the characters, and the lack of an explanation as to what actually happened. The cloven footprints in the powder really sent it home for me- unholy cow !!
As per usual, you hit the nail on the head, my friend. Now I have to sleep on the couch, because I didn’t tell my wife how bad it was gonna be… sigh…
I don’t think the show is ghost hunters, since thats a kid show.
A Blair Witch style movie could probably be made to be very scary, but Blair Witch just wasn’t. I consider it really bad, and consider the sequel actually good.
Nothing scary happens in Blair Witch; and no, I do not mean the whole, “we didn’t see anything”, I mean, nothing scary happens.
Some people set up some stones around the tent. Big whoop. Apparently some dicks trying to mess with don’t even have the guts to show themselves and/or attack me while I’m asleep. And they start running away scared from the stones, and I don’t get it. Yeah, it maybe fucked up, but if they wanted to hurt you they would have done so already. If they had guns, they wouldn’t be scared to come out, since they don’t come out, they’re more scared of you, than you are of them. So nothing scary is going on here, and them getting scared if I were there, would just have me say, “Calm down, will ya.”
Going in circles with a compass; there’s a magnetic rock nearby powerful enough to become the dominant magnetic force instead of the North Pole. Big whoop.
And the so-called money shot: There’s a guy standing there. And? What?
So I got no idea whether I should watch this, I’m leaning towards no, but on the other hand it at least showed they showed and let you here something that is actually scary.
What got me most about this movie…was the sound. I don’t know about most people, but I’ve got sensitive ears (I think it comes with being a trained musician), and when that heavy, low, bass sound came on in the theater…I tensed up, got freaked out, and it totally made the experience for me. The overtone in the sound system, too, which my friend next to me didn’t pick up on, but which was as clear as day to me, totally made my ears buzz, and added to that sense of dread. So, in that way, I totally agree with you – this movie wouldn’t be 1/10th as frightening, if seen at home, on your laptop, with the lights on, while someone’s making cookies in the kitchen. The atmosphere just isn’t right. : ) Very good review.
P.S.: I don’t feel bad for Micah…at all. Common sense says if the thing wants to burn a Ouiji board to send you a “message”…you don’t wanna know what it has to say.
@Bumbo, what I thought of the demon, was that it was sorta “jealous”, “obsessed” with that poor girl, stalking it and doing weird shit. But when she finally had a guy, amongst many other provocations, it started to become angry.
SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!
For example, the ouija board showing that demon’s last victim’s name, hinting that it didnt like that they would bring any magicians or anything in there. And when the guy got more cocky and angry, the demon got more angry, and showed that in different ways, like scratching only the guys face in an image. And the last straw, which triggered the last night, was when the guy burnt that picture.
@MEITTI
Thats an interesting interpetation. Although I’d say the characters negative emotions has an impact on what the demon can actually do. It begins by moving doors. And had they not recorded that they would never know. Right? So then, by recording and by watchin they actually see it and get afraid. That fear “feeds” into the demons strength, which in turn enables it to do more complex things.
I don’t think it has it in for the boyfriend, I just think it wasn’t strong enough before the boyfriend started recording.
The one thing I disagree with is that the demon gets “angry”. I hate to sound like a “know it all” on something that is 100% personal interpetation. but I don’t think demons have emotions such as we do. And because of that it doesn’t get “provoked” it doesn’t get “angry” it simply uses that anger and fear that the characters feel to grow. Its nothing personal. But hey, we all have our different perspectives and its an interesting thought even if I happen to disagree. Maybe you’re right, maybe its vengeful and sees this as a personal matter, but that would be understandable and relatable. To me a demon is otherwordly and we would never understand its reasoning.
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