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Paranormal Activity 3 Trailer: More of the Same, But That's Not Such a Bad Thing

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (26)

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For all the ragging that the Paranormal Activity franchise has received, the two films so far have done a number on me. More than most films, I think that the success of the Paranormal Activity experience relies on the audience you’re with. A few cackles or cell phone rings can completely take you out of the experience and ruin the movie. Others who aren’t as quick to give in to the movies are also met with boredom. I understand, and in the right context, maybe I wouldn’t have fallen for the found-footage films, either. But I did. Both times. In fact, the second — despite recycling many of the ideas from the original — may have been even more effective, as it brought in a slightly deeper mythology and, once again, meticulously built toward its frightful climax with a slow, eerie pace that lulls you into an almost catatonic boredom before jerking you out of your seat.

The Film Stage has unearthed the trailer for the third film, which arrives this October having supplanted the Saw franchise as the yearly Halloween tradition. The third film comes with new directors, Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman, who are the guys behind the phenomenal-or-boring documentary, Catfish, depending on your perspective (I really liked it).

It does once again mine the found-footage angle, and it appears that Katie Featherston will return, as the third movie looks to explore the childhood of Katie and her sister and look more into the origin of the supernatural force. So far, the franchise has cleverly avoided providing too much detail, focusing on atmospherics and often very effective jump scares. The trailer, I might add, also provides one fantastically chilling shot, too.










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Comments

I dunno ... it seems like they are painting themselves into a corner by sticking with the same characters. Also, I'm not sure I want to watch a whole movie that looks like shitty home movies from the 1980s.

Posted by: Will at July 21, 2011 12:51 PM

Lemme just remove my testicles from my lower abdomen and I'll comment on that trailer . . .

Posted by: Kballs at July 21, 2011 12:53 PM

Well, I'm in. My only fear is that they're going to give away too much of the entity's identity/background/whatever, but this series is going to have to get a lot worse before it stops being entertaining enough for my taste. Fingers crossed that it doesn't, at least for a while.

Posted by: Nat Kittyface at July 21, 2011 12:55 PM

I might be one of the few who admit to liking the first. And you're right, it's all about the audience. A midnight crowd desperate to get scared out of their minds is quite different from a Sunday afternoon crowd who wants it to end so they can hit Hooters before the game starts.

That said, I'd be mad if this all ends up being a play on the old "bloody Mary" myth. I do like the idea of taking it back to the 80s though.

Posted by: Fredo at July 21, 2011 12:55 PM

It's doing the same nothing again for a third time. I just can't. When does Ashton Kutcher pop out and reveal the whole series was a practical joke on America?

Posted by: Robert at July 21, 2011 12:58 PM

I loved the first one and enjoyed the second to an extent, so I'm apprehensive but totally psyched to rent it.

Posted by: Julie at July 21, 2011 12:59 PM

Dustin, are you sure that's a real trailer? All of the b&W footage looks like it came from the other films, & someone could have easily made the home-video shots of the young girls. The Film Stage also said it was submitted by a reader, so I'm a bit suspicious...

(Actually, I didn't really investigate it much. I didn't even think to. It may in fact be fan-made, in which case it's a really well made fan trailer. -- DR)

Posted by: onewing at July 21, 2011 1:00 PM

i, too, enjoyed the first two movies. i was expecting a 3rd movie, but not another prequel. while the 2nd movie set up one particular prequel question (what deal was made with the demon that created the obligation of giving up the child), i was more looking forward to how the sister (who was away from the house at the end of pt 2) was going to track down her baby brother.

Posted by: mike at July 21, 2011 1:02 PM

And the shots of Katie saying "I don't know what it was, but it thrived on fear" was definitely in one of the other films.

Posted by: onewing at July 21, 2011 1:04 PM

The second one scared the FUCK out of me, and the first one (which I saw after the second) freaked me out good too. I want to see this one, but I am just now getting over the idea that a possessed sibling is standing right behind me, and I'm an ONLY CHILD!

Posted by: J at July 21, 2011 1:08 PM

Does anyone know/remeber a seperate version that was being made in japan? I vaguly remeber some rumors of a seprate sequal based in japan.

Posted by: Nunzio910 at July 21, 2011 1:12 PM

I liked the first one and it, frankly, terrified the crap out of me. I believe people can be possessed and have a friend who is a minister that has assisted in exorcisms so it isn't something I can just laugh off as "just a movie". Based on that, I couldn't bring myself to watch the second installation after watching the trailer and seeing that a baby/toddler was involved. It's too much for me as the mother of two girls under the age of five. Perhaps once they are older I'll be able to stomach it.

However, I must agree Fredo on the whole "bloody mary" thing. That makes it a bit more hokey to me, personally.

Posted by: prairiegirl at July 21, 2011 1:16 PM

Posted by: Marie at July 21, 2011 1:21 PM

I startle so easily that even when the scare is obvious from miles out I will still flinch.

But no movies have ever made me actually leave my seat like PAs 1 and 2. The second movie had one scene that startled me so badly that I'm sure my blood pressure actually went up.

But it was a lot of fun so I would be cool with another movie.

Posted by: Shonda at July 21, 2011 1:26 PM

I wish I'd found the first one scary. But a) I saw it at home, so I didn't have that audience experience, and b) the biggest scare of the film (IMO) was totally spoiled in the trailer, so when it came I didn't jump.

I do agree that the film does a great job of establishing a mood. I found it hard to sleep that night, imagining things jumping out at me in the darkness, despite not being creeped out during the movie itself.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at July 21, 2011 1:31 PM

I am incredibly, dorkily excited for this movie. The first two were some of the most enjoyable movie-going experiences I've ever had (partially due to a good audience in the theater), and I'm excited for the third installment.

Posted by: Marie at July 21, 2011 1:31 PM

My gripe with things like this trailer is the overuse of the video jumping / going static-y. I hope the movie doesn't contain a lot of it. I don't recall the first one having much of it.

Posted by: Paul at July 21, 2011 2:31 PM

I saw the first one at home and it scared the bejeezus out of me (for several nights). I could not get anyone to go see the second one, so I guess I'll have to the Netflix thing again before the third one comes out.

Posted by: James S at July 21, 2011 3:32 PM

I actually watched the first one at home and I didn't sleep well for days...and hello...I'm the one whose parents took her to see the Exorcist at a drive-in when she was 4. I saw the second one in a theater and I wasn't nearly as scared in the theater...but then it conjured up memories of the fears I had for the first one, so again, I had a few restless nights. I just watched the trailer for the third one today and it took me a few viewings and some slowing down of the footage to see what was so scary. I found it! Yikes!

Posted by: LaFemmeMonkita at July 21, 2011 6:22 PM

i think i love the first one bcoz it is still the scariest movie i've ever seen. i watched it alone at home with all the lights turned off and dats how i ended up not sleeping later dat night.

also, i feel bad for the people who watched PA and PA2 without allowing themselves to believe dat this cud happen in real life bcoz dats where the fun comes from.

Posted by: haplo at July 21, 2011 7:28 PM

Yay! I'll admit it, I totally got into the movies. I let myself get carried away and they scared the shit out of me, specially the second one. I'll watch this one, with the hope that it won't suck. It might harm it that we know both of them love through this, but I'm hoping they still make it work.

Posted by: Figgy at July 21, 2011 9:32 PM

Er, live, not love.

Posted by: Figgy at July 21, 2011 9:40 PM

Neither PA 1 & 2 got me, but I don't begrudge anyone who gets caught up in them. I don't mind the found footage style- the last shot in Blair Witch still lives with me and I happily gave in to [REC], but for whatever reason PA didn't resonate. The Exorcist (which I loved) didn't really scare me either, so maybe it's just haunting & possession that I don't buy into.

Posted by: Dave Shepherd at July 21, 2011 11:30 PM

As nicely effective, though painfully telegraphed little moment at the end was, all I can now think is, that shape is, to me, feminine, so this whole fucking time it actually WAS Bloody Mary? I call motherfucking shenanigans.

Posted by: Nadine at July 22, 2011 4:59 AM

I loved both of these movies, and my friend and I will undoubtedly head to the theater opening weekend of this one as well. I agree with the comments above though - if after all this it turns out this is related to that stupid Blood Mary game (which of course I played as a kid, like many people) I will be pissed. If, however, it's just that the demon we already know about is using that particular game as another way to fuck with the girls, then that might be pretty badass. Also? Totally hoping this one ends with the fire the first one told us about. I've got a feeling there's some serious scare potential in that situation...

Posted by: KatSings at July 22, 2011 8:45 AM

Jesus fucking Christ why the fuck do I insist on watching these fucking movies that frighten the fuck out of me? I just moved to a two story house and going downstairs at night is very stressful. Very.

Posted by: Az at July 23, 2011 4:23 PM