Paranormal Activity

Ain't Afraid of No Ghost

By Steven Lloyd Wilson | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (9)

So if support welling up from below is “grassroots” and when companies fake it we call it “artificial turf,” what should we call it when a company takes a genuine indie film, puts an artificial turf campaign behind it (“ooh it’s only showing in ten cities, and people are totally talking about it!”) that suddenly blossoms into real grassroots support because the film is actually good? Chia?

In any case, Paranormal Activity, the little $11,000 haunted house engine that could, expanded to 33 cities last weekend and sold them all out at midnight shows. This coming weekend, the film will expand to seven more cities and start showing at different times of the day. It’s amazing that Paramount can get the film out to so many more cities so quickly, it’s almost as if they anticipated this as part of some sort of organized campaign. Just weird, bizarre really.

I’d go see it again, but since after two weeks I’m still sleeping in the closet with a flashlight and a baseball bat, it might be too soon just yet.

You can get a full listing of theaters where the film is playing here and read our review here.

Follow @pajiba

← Dave Letterman's Affairs Monologue | K9 - The Series Trailer →

Comments

I had to do some searching and the picture confirmed it. I definitely went to college with that dude. The weird thing is, besides being a dick, he wasn't that good an actor... I guess he's improved over time. Still, that's really weird

Posted by: Jon at October 6, 2009 9:26 AM

lookie here, SLW, stop lording the fact that you've seen it over my head! you're not allowed to watch it again until it gets released in tulsa and me, spender, laredo and agent bedhead have all gotten to see it!

you stuck-up meanie!

Posted by: gp at October 6, 2009 9:49 AM

Ch-ch-ch-chiamovie!

Posted by: admin at October 6, 2009 9:50 AM

Considering the two major multiplexes in my area routinely pick up tiny little indie films for short runs when they start to expand beyond NY/LA, it's perplexing that Paranormal Activity is not playing anywhere closer to me than NYC. Add on the fact that the Demand Competition held my next-door region as separate from NYC until this expansion and it was routinely at the top of the list, it's even stranger that the largest theater complex in that region did not receive the film. So, the gigantic indie-friendly multiplex in the now-removed region from the Demand competition doesn't get the film at all yet.

I believe there's only one appropriate response to this: Fuck off.

Posted by: Robert at October 6, 2009 10:29 AM

I'm torn. My kid will be gone all weekend, which gives me Total Movie Freedom.

What do I see? Zombieland or Paranormal Activity? They're both playing in Atlanta.

Posted by: Wednesday at October 6, 2009 10:40 AM

Wednesday, see both! You've got the entire weekend, plenty of time.

I doubt that this movie will ever come to the Jacksonville Metro Area. This whole grassroots Demand campaign has gotten old for me.

Posted by: stardust savant at October 6, 2009 10:48 AM

God, this movie fucking rocked my world.

Posted by: MyJenCouldPaintThat at October 6, 2009 3:09 PM

This movie scared the bejeebus out of me.

Posted by: TL at October 6, 2009 3:45 PM

I know a few folks that hate Paranormal Activity, because they think of these kinds of films as "cheat" movies. Personally, I liked it, even if it's flawed for sure, it's still impressive to pull off a movie for $15k in a week. I wrote about this in my own Paranormal Activity review, if you care to share it. I'll definitely check out his next film, but I'm hoping he's improved his storytelling.

Posted by: Eric at October 6, 2009 6:02 PM

Pajiba

Pajiba: Reviews, Commentary, Angst

Ain't Afraid of No Ghost

Comments