Paranormal Activity

Spooky stuff happens in Paranormal Activity.

As Printed in The Lumberjack on October 29, 2009

by Gary Sundt

Paranormal Activity is rated R, though there isn’t entirely any real reason why. Yes, there is a certain expletive uttered once — perhaps twice — during the film’s entire running time. But other than that, there is no excessive blood or gore, no nudity of any kind, no reason for the movie to have an R rating. Nothing, of course, except that the movie is scarier than hell.
Yeah, that could be why Paranormal Activity gets an R rating.
In the same vein as The Blair Witch Project, the film has no opening or closing credits, instead simply offering the viewer a small note at the start thanking the families of those on screen. The footage begins to roll home movie-style, and we learn that the main characters, Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston), are a young couple who have recently been experiencing strange paranormal activity while they sleep. Micah is the one who decides to videotape all the events and is the cameraman most of the time. Whether this footage is for proof, monetary gains or sheer posterity is never fully explained, but it’s a reason for us to see what is happening to these rather unfortunate people.
Most of the “action” occurs while the couple is in bed and asleep. The camera sits on a tripod for long stretches of time while the audience observes what happens at night. These events are hinted at in the film’s advertisements, and I certainly won’t be spoiling them here. In most reviews, it is appropraite to go into some detail as to what a viewer has in store for themselves, but doing so in this case would rob potential viewers of an opportunity to actually be surprised and engrossed by the brilliance of the moviemaking at work here. The implication is that I’m not merely recommending Paranormal Activity; I’m insisting you go see it if you are interested in actually being scared. If you simply want to know what happens, go to Wikipedia and be that guy (you know who you are).
Paranormal Activity is written and directed by Oren Peli and was made on a budget of $15,000. The development of the characters and the simplicity of their plight is what makes the movie scary. This is the type of flick that is designed to look like a home-movie, carrying with it a certain degree of realism because the special effects simply don’t look like special effects — this stuff looks real.
Last year’s Cloverfield and Quarantine were two other examples of the home-horror movie phenomenon. They are good, but not great; they can be spooky, but never downright terrifying. Those who think they are haven’t seen movies like this. There is a certain perfection in the simplicity of movies like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, in which atmosphere, performances and sound effects are used to their utmost effect to shake audiences to their very core.
There are people who will disagree with me, saying Paranormal Activity isn’t scary in the least. Maybe what scares people is entirely arbitrary, or maybe these folks need blood and gore to feel real fear. In that case, go see Saw XXVII.
All I can say is I was freaked, and my girlfriend balled her eyes out. Ours was a midnight showing, and we didn’t get to bed until around 3:30 a.m. because she was completely wigged. If that isn’t an endorsement for a horror film, I don’t quite know what is.

Written and directed by Oren Peli. Starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat and Mark Fredrichs. Running time: 86 minutes. Rated R.

Where the Wild Things Are

Max (Max Records) and KW (Lauren Ambrose) look at each other in Where the Wild Things Are.

Where the Wild Things Are is nothing short of a visual and narrative masterpiece. The film is ostensibly designed for children, but the central story — when mined just beneath the surface — is a rich and complex tale better suited for adults. And why shouldn’t there be a children’s movie for grown-ups? Most people can admit they have a lot of lessons still to learn, and even some basic teachings that could use a refresher.

The film is directed and co-written by Spike Jonze and is based on the nine-sentence children’s book by Maurice Sendak. The story is about young Max, who, after being sent to bed without supper by his mother, uses his elaborate imagination to travel by sea to the island where the Wild Things are. The creatures are giant furry beasts (with features similar to bears, goats, birds and whatever else a child’s mind would choose to throw in), and they quickly declare Max their king.

Stating the source is only nine sentences long is to also suggest with some certainty that the story is very short, and hardly warrants a feature length film treatment. But the script by Jonze and Dave Eggers digs deeper than the original premise and unearths a wonderfully sweet, yet utterly heartbreaking film.

Consider Max (Max Records), who has been developed into a fully realized depiction of childhood: the irrational anger toward adults and their mistakes; the robust talk in the face of adversity; to be laughing one moment over something small, and in tears the next over something just as minute; etc. He finds little solace in his single mother (Catherine Keener), who is too busy with work, and his teenage sister (Pepita Emmerichs), who is too busy with being a teenager.

And what about the Wild Things themselves? Sendack’s art made them monstrous indeed, too scary for kids in some cases, and the live action delineations are not far from the original source. These creatures were and are drawn as mere extensions of Max’s conflicted personality. While the characterization in the book is mostly limited to a “monster walk,” the film develops the Wild Things into fully-fledged representations of Max’s complex cinematic identity, and they individually present the boy with unique challenges as their leader.

The Wild Things are as follows: Carol (James Gandolfini), Max’s favorite and the self-proclaimed leader; Judith (Catherine O’Hara), the know-it-all; Alexander (Paul Dano), the short and ignored Wild Thing; the pleasant Ira (Forest Whitaker); the obedient Douglas (Chris Cooper); and the loving and reasonable KW (Lauren Ambrose). Jonze and Co. have utilized a perfect combination of practical and computer-generated special effects, and the monsters and their environment feel as tangible as any creation in cinema history.

There is a tremendous amount of symbolism in Where the Wild Things Are, and there might be a deeper understanding of basic human nature than general audiences are used to from a “children’s film.” One of the film’s strengths is the careful detail taken to analyze simple events in the human experience. While this focus on simplicity may polarize and confuse audiences, I think it injects into the piece one of the more honest stories ever in a big-budget Hollywood release.

I said at the start this was a film better suited for adults, and perhaps that’s true. But speaking as an adult, Where the Wild Things Are brought out the kid in me, and by that I mean all the joys, sorrows, triumphs and defeats that go with that mindset. I rarely become completely immersed in a film the way I was absorbed by Max and his Wild Things, and I think anybody willing to go the distance for a little adventure might feel the same way.

Rating: 5 stars

Directed by Spike Jonze. Written by Jonze and Dave Eggers. Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener and James Gandolfini. Running time: 101 minutes. Rated PG.