It has been two years since Paramount Pictures started its “Demand It” viral marketing campaign that turned Oren Peli’s ultra low budget Paranormal Activity into an overnight success. And the series continues because, obvious monster profit margins aside, even after all the cleverly-manufactured hype, the movie was still particularly scary. Turns out there is something relatable and frightening about things that go bump in the night, and audiences (including me) responded to those bumps even when they were telegraphed by a slowing timestamp, an eerie stillness, a bass-y rumble, then OH NO SOMETHING JUST MOVED.
But Paranormal Activity 2 was essentially the same movie. Still scary-ish, but different only because of added camera angles and an expanded cast of potential victims. Audiences (again including me) showed up, maybe shrugging and saying “why not? I liked the first one,” and the cycle continues.
Now, with Paranormal Activity 3, I think — I hope — audiences are expecting more than just spooky door slams, demon possession and strategically-placed cameras to capture it all. Luckily, a “work in progress” cut of the sequel screened at Fantastic Fest in Austin yesterday and early reviews are pouring in with what to expect. Here are a few blurbs:
Update: Here is our review of Paranormal Activity 3. (link)
Todd Gilchrist for IndieWire’s The Playlist admitted the first two worked for him before writing PA3 was, “less effective than its predecessors, but it still works when and how it needs to.” Though he also acknowledges the general fear by adding, “the film unwittingly reveals the dwindling supply of ideas left to be injected into the franchise, both in conception and execution.” It’s a generally positive (he gives it a ‘B’), spoiler-free review.
Corey Mitchell’s review at Bloody-Disgusting is half experiential anecdotes and half review, but he addresses the sequel’s fuzzy logic, brief return of Katie Featherston at the start, and camera placement (including an oscillating “fan cam”). In the end, he wrote, “PA3 will easily satisfy fans of the first two movies in the franchise, and will, quite possibly, bring even more new converts, like me, into the fold.” 3.5 out of 5 skulls.
Germain Lussier at /Film starts his review with this promising declaration: “The second half of Paranormal Activity 3 is the most consistently intense and frightening segment so far in the popular found footage series.” That’s the good news, though. The bad being this prequel adds little to the series’ overall mythology. Overall, it seems Lussier was pleased with the way the second half redeemed the first, and Catfish directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman “do a more than admirable job.” 7 out of 10.
Lastly (but not least..ly), Drew McWeeny at Hitfix weighed in. It’s blog format, including his sleep schedule during the fest, but after the explanation of Paramount’s viral VHS tape, he gave his thoughts. “The film makes a few big moves early on, and then as it progresses, it definitely keeps turning up the intensity and the reality,” McWeeny wrote. In short, “There are certainly story threads here that have been placed so that the franchise can continue to grow, but I sort of like this as a really bleak ending to a series of films about the same characters and what’s been happening to them since childhood.”
If you’re interested, Paramount has already launched another viral campaign called “Tweet to See it First.” Click over to the official website to participate and help bring the sequel to your city first… three days early.
Here is the latest trailer which, apparently, includes footage not even in the movie:
