Movie Chicks on Horror Flicks: Paranormal Activity (plus an even scarier nerd in the night)

Buzz has gone wild for the low-low-low-itsy-bitsy-teensy-weensy budget ($15,000) fright film Paranormal Activity from DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. Steven Spielberg bought the rights, intending to remake the scary thing as a regular Hollywood flick, then decided that the original already packs punch a’plenty. After making over $12 million dollars in very limited release, it has earned its wide release today. On 160 screens for the past week (after previously showing on only 13), it has ranked #3 at the box office right after Couples Retreat and Zombieland (see our Zombieland content, we have a lot) and ahead of many wide release films like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The Invention of Lying.

Theaters all over are reporting people leaving the theater in higher than usual numbers because they are just too scared to stay to see the whole thing. Heck, we’ve talked to people who got too scared to stick around and watch this trailer. Yeah, the trailer!

If you’re going, “Pshaw,” because that didn’t disturb you, check out this alternate version from the Action Flick Chick’s friend Andre Meadows, a.k.a. BlackNerd on the Reelz Channel series Movie Mob and BlackNerdComedy.com. Those of you who saw the version that aired on Movie Mob, beware: This might be more than you’re expecting.

Read up on it through these fangirl reviews.

Site: Action Flick Chick
Post: Paranormal Activity (2009): Did You Hear That?
by Action Flick Chick: “Paranormal Activity should be called ‘Did You Hear That?’ because it’s what the characters say to each other and what you’ll be saying to your friends during 90% of the movie.”

Site: Examiner.com
Post: Double Feature Date Movie Review: Paranormal Activity & Law Abiding Citizen
by Michelle Gwynn: “Now, for the good parts.  I give it an A for originality of story.  This film didn’t rely on some old folk tale of a witch who lived in the woods.”

Site: Film Gurl
Post: Paranormal Activity
by Rachel: “I have to admit, when I first saw the trailer I thought this movie would be about aliens – I was wrong. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it’s more about the “paranormal” in the realm of films such as this one. Enough said.”

Site: Final Girl
Post: Paranormal Activity
by Stacie Ponder: “There’s so much effing hype surrounding this movie that over 4,000 people lined up for a free midnight screening in Los Angeles. Trailers and teasers don’t need to show much beyond audience members jumping out of their skin.”

Site: In It for the Kills
Post: Paranormal Activity and the Found Footage Genre and Finally! I Got to See Paranormal Activity
by MsInItForDaKill: “While nobody ( I hope) will believe that Paranormal Activity is a true story, when thinking back on the found footage films that worked such as Cannibal Holocaust, the British TV special Ghostwatch and Blair Witch it begs the question: why did anyone ever believe these films were documentaries?”

Site: Movie Moxie
Post: Paranormal Activity
by Shannon the Movie Moxie: “And it is scary. Freaking scary. It’s an amazing film, and proof that it can be done and it doesn’t even need a huge budget. Bravo.”

Site: Your Geek News
Post: Paranormal Activity Review: Most Terrifying Movie Ever?
by Matt + Nat: “When a $15,000 indie film rakes in $7.1-million by being called the most terrifying film in years – without even being widely released – it definitely gets our attention… We review it spoiler free at first, so take an advanced look at what might be the scariest thing you’ll ever see!”

Related posts:
* Paranormal Activity (2009): Did You Hear That?
* Movie Chicks on Horror Flicks: Paranormal Activity (plus an even scarier nerd in the night)
* Action Heroine vs. Horror Heroine – What’s the Diff?
* Movies That Gave You Childhood Nightmares
* Coming Attraction: Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)