“Paranormal Activity”
In just two short weeks, and absent a mass marketing campaign, Paranormal Activity the ultra-low-budget horror film has become a viral sensation.
The film, produced for $11,000, seems to be developing an almost fanatical following among fright-junkies and college students in spite of the shaky footage and unknown actors.
Paranormal Activity opened two weeks ago for midnight screenings in 13 college towns, including Columbus, where Studio 35 has shown it; State College, Pa.; and Austin, Texas.
Last weekend, it was expanded to 20 other markets — including New York and Los Angeles — based on a popular audience vote via the film’s Web site.
The limited showings in the 33 cities grossed nearly $1 million combined — success that prompted a greater nationwide release beginning early this morning.
“It has a whole different effect than one of those in-your-face slasher films,” said Juliet Cook, 36, of Olde Towne East.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Gitesh Pandya, who runs the Web site boxofficeguru.com. “This is a movie where a conventional release would have flopped. They had to do something different.”
Paranormal Activity was written, directed and edited in 2006 by Oren Peli, an Israeli-born video-game designer and is distributed by Paramount Pictures.
The plot centers on a young couple named Katie and Micah (played by Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat), who attempt to videotape an unseen demon terrorizing their suburban San Diego home.
View trailer below:
