Paranormal Activity Directed by Oren Peli

Similar to The Blair Witch Project but Still Original and Unique

Nov 6, 2009

Paranormal Activity, written and directed by Oren Peli, has taken the world by storm. Even though it is similiar to The Blair Witch Project it is original and unique.

It’s getting harder to scare people these days. Horror movies have become either twisted blood bathes or spoof on the genre. The Blair Witch Project changed the rules by keeping things simple. For many it was more terrifying than Jason or Freddy. It was also much cheaper to make than the blockbuster slasher/horror films of today.

Paranormal Activity has taken a page from the creators of The Blair Witch Project. Paranormal Activity takes the mantra keep it simple to a new level. Using one camera, one location, and very few cast members and very little money, Oren Peli has created a phenomenon that has slowly taken the world by storm, very slowly.

Paranormal Activity is filmed from the perspective of one camera, more Reality TV style than documentary style. It starts off on September 18, 2006 where the audience meets Micah and Katie a couple that have just bought a house. Because of some strange goings on they have bought a high end video camera to catch the person. They end up getting more than they bargained for.

The movie shows glimpses of Micah and Katie’s personality and their relationship. They seem to be normal, happy, well adjusted people. As the movie goes on and they realize that there is a supernatural entity in their home, their façade starts to crack. The supernatural entity, which turns out to be a demon, becomes more active as the movie goes on. After about three weeks the movie culminates in a surprising ending.

Being that Paranormal Activity is very similar in many ways to The Blair Witch Project, the two will inevitably be compared. There are many ways that they are similar but they both stand on their own.

Like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity is supposed to be footage that was found. The footage from Paranormal Activity was acquired from the police according to the movie. It wasn’t stumbled across like The Blair Witch Project. Still, both were the result of innocently documenting things that went awry.

Because of its groundbreaking style people thought that The Blair Witch Project was real. This added an element that no other film ever had. Once it was common knowledge that this was fiction, its allure was weakened and shifted. Paranormal Activity doesn’t have the burden of misconception, but it can be scary in other ways.

What gives Paranormal Activity the potential for being scary is the location. Shot entirely at Peli’s home, the viewer can easily see this happening at their own homes. The fact that the demon is never really shown adds to the potential scare factor. Once viewed, even those that boast no fear may find themselves jumping at noise when alone in the home.

For all that it is like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity has much to offer. Like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity took a small amount of money to make but has made a substantial amount. In fact Paranormal Activity now has become the most profitable independent film ever. It’s a unique movie that deserves this distinction.

With so many remakes and rehashes, it’s nice to see an original idea. Whether it’s scary to someone or not is really not the point. Paranormal Activity deserves praise for its originality at least. That’s more than most things coming out of Hollywood lately.

The copyright of the article Paranormal Activity Directed by Oren Peli in Horror Films is owned by Shane Werlinger. Permission to republish Paranormal Activity Directed by Oren Peli in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.