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It's amazing what a good story and a bit of talent can do. Overcoming what seems the biggest hurdle in Hollywood today -- money -- and delivering a movie that was not only a surprise and justifiable smash hit but a worthwhile project and a solid entry into the annals of Horror filmmaking, Paranormal Activity proves two things: that story comes first, and audiences will still spend their hard-earned money on a good movie, regardless of its budget, cast, crew, special effects, or in this case, lack thereof. Certainly, there are big-budget, large-scale effects films that do take the time to weave a strong story, but Paranormal Activity recalls a time when a movie had to rely almost absolutely on its own merits and not the technical expertise of a detached team of computer graphic specialists to dazzle audiences. No doubt there's bound to be a rash of copycat films that likely won't be as good as this in an effort to cash in on the low-risk, high-reward potential, but maybe one of them will be yet another diamond in the rough. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Paranormal Activity offers technical presentations that aren't impressive but are reflective of the movie's built-in limitations. Where this release truly stumbles is in the absence of special features. Once seemed to be enough for a movie like this. Paranormal Activity 2 feels completely redundant, even if it does play in conjunction with the story and characters of the first movie. What was then a novel idea seems tired and uninspired now, primarily because there's just almost nothing new about this entry. Same premise, same style, new and old characters, and only a "prequel" continuation of the story is all that's here. Somehow, the film redeems itself in the final few minutes, at least in terms of setting up a third movie and piquing the curiosity, but fulfilling that curiosity just might not be worth the effort if Paranormal Activity 3 is going to follow the same formula so exactly. Maybe in the third one the doorbell can ring a few times -- only there won't be anyone at the door! Aaaaahhhh!!! Paramount's Blu-ray release of Paranormal Activity 2 seems to replicate the film's visual and aural scheme perfectly. Flaws are readily evident, but they're part of the experience; no need to trash the technical merits if they're faithfully replicating the source. The real shame is the lack of extra content Paranormal Activity 3 might shed some more light on the running story, but it still favors the same dark nighttime static shots that define the series. Kudos for advancing a real plot in a Horror franchise, but thumbs down to a lack of stylistic vision. The movie suffers because audiences know exactly the kind of thing that's coming, which indeed holds true for many Horror pictures, but this series doesn't even try to shake things up, instead content to stay with the same exact format that's quickly grown stale. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Paranormal Activity 3features video that's as good as the style allows, a quality lossless soundtrack, and no extras of value
Posted by JOHNNYANGEL2010
These first 3 Paranormal Activity films are great. Creepy, suspenseful and disturbing. They are fun to watch with a scare-able crowd too and you can appreciate the fine details better in Blu-Ray. Collectors will love this
Posted by Dooknaut
The first 3 movies are great because they pretty much mainstreamed documentary style scare movies. Also it's the fear of seeing it as home video footage throughout that give it the creepy vibe that keeps you awake at night. Great series!
Posted by MultimediaSam
Rating 3 out of 5 stars with 1 reviewfalse
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