A couple of weeks ago, Steven debuted the trailer for Paranormal Activity here on Pajiba. It’s being described as Blair Witch for a new generation ($11,000 movie filmed with home video cameras) but the trailer suggests something quite possibly even better. As Steven wrote, of the first trailer, “Haunted house movies tend to fall apart once the special effects get involved, but they tend to stay scary as long as they never show you more than the shark’s fin. This one looks like it might keep the shark underwater where it belongs.”
A new trailer has debuted in advance of its release on September 25th, and the trailer included the cities it will premiere at, which are mostly college towns. Presumably, if it’s well received (and the buzz on the movie suggests that it will be) it will eventually roll out to the rest of the country.
I actually dig the new trailer. Paramount has taken a novel approach: Much of it is what you saw in the first trailer (plus a few new images), but it’s spliced together with reaction shots from an audience during an earlier screening. They look terrified. That’d never work for a major studio picture, but it really helps to sell this one. I, for one, will be queued up when it arrives in my town.
holy crap, this looks cool. the last horror movie that even halfway scared me was blair witch, which i watched at home during broad daylight and still had to call my boyfriend during every nighttime scene. something about the creepy noises...i can't understand how some of my friends weren't equally creeped when we watched it.
i'm psyched for this.
Posted by: caroline at September 16, 2009 9:07 AM
I can't watch horror movies in theaters unless there's someone to escort me home and stay with me that night, because without any outside influence I am more than capable of imagining that the sound of rustling tree branches is covering up the noise made by some kind of awful person and/or thing sneaking into our backyard to climb through my window and kill me. Shit like this would have me sitting straight up in bed with all my lights on until dawn.
Saw, Hostel, Blood, Gore, Guts, Gristle, Exploding Heads, Flailing Entrails Sailing Across The Silver Screen OR Flying At Me In 3D.
No, no, no, no, no, No, NO!
THIS is the kind of movie that I love/scares the bejeebers out of me.
Looking forward to it.
I hear you Rusty, I haven't seen a horror in a movie theatre in years. No one will go with me because they basically have to emotionally support me all through the movie, for the journey home, and all night.
My boyfriend refuse & I suspect it would be inappropriate if I asked anyone else...
Posted by: missh at September 16, 2009 9:42 AM
Awwwwww hells yeah! This looks to be what horror is supposed to be. Somebody please hold me.
I LOVE being scared shitless by horror movies, especially larger-than-life on the silver screen. The last horror movies that freaked the living shit out of me and stuck with me were The Haunting (1963 version) and The Exorcist. I watched both of those when I was 13 and they still scare me. Because of The Haunting I never sleep with my hand hanging out off the bed. Blair Witch scared me too, but it only stuck with me for a couple months. I am really looking forward to this one. Maybe it will join the ranks of The Haunting and The Exorcist.
I don't think I've ever been part of an audience that was quite *that* scared by a movie. Hope this makes it over here at some stage!
Posted by: Shay at September 16, 2009 10:13 AM
i a movie theater there are always enough emotionally challenged people that get terrified over nothing. I mean I went to watch 1408 with some friends and the one sitting next to me would jump on the chair, and that movie is YAWN, god my monthly period is scarier. so I don't hold high expectation for the movie just cause someone looked scared. I kinda miss the time when I would get terrified on the dark, I can watch the exorcist at night, lights out, in a empty house and sleep like a freaking baby. it's depressing.
Posted by: rio at September 16, 2009 10:17 AM
Blair Witch was brilliant for two reasons: first for its viral marketing campaign, and second that it managed to keep the scary stuff entirely off-screen throughout the movie.
Granted, it's not a movie you'd watch twice except if you are a film student aching to dive into the shaky-cam "reality" film genre, and the dialogue could have used an actual script instead of continual improvisation. But it will forever be a groundbreaking movie.
That being said, I hated Blair Witch. The reality thing works occasionally (Cloverfield), but more often than not I hate the characters and meandering dialogue, so much that I can't wait for them to die, miserably and painfully, so I can go watch an "unreal" movie with a decent scriptwriter.
Posted by: Neodiogenes at September 16, 2009 10:38 AM
I'll hold you, admin, if you do the same. Chills, baby, I got chills! Whee hee! And it's even showing in Ann Arbor, MI, so I can actually see it in the theater! Any Pajibans nearby who'd like to see it with me? My friends are wusses and not into horror.
Damn, the sheet billowing was so simple, yet absolutely terrifying.
The Exorcist scared the piss out of me too. I had to watch it in stages at home--I couldn't go much longer than ten minutes before I'd have to stop the tape and call somebody so I wouldn't feel so alone.
Posted by: DeadBessie at September 16, 2009 10:43 AM
I thought Blair Witch was excellent. I bought into it when I was at the theater and had a terrific experience. I think I've seen it once or twice since and have still enjoyed it. (Many years passed between each viewing). That last scene still works exceptionally well.
Like most horror films, if you don't buy into it or aren't immersed in the film, for whatever reason, the dialogue annoys you, the actors annoy you, some totally illogical even annoys you, or you're just simply too chool for school, you're not going to like the film at all because there are many pretty easy targest to take shots at.
Personally, I was glad I was able to get immersed in it. It was a great experience. I'd much rather go see something and enjoy it then go see something and hate it.
This film looks great. I may try to get some friends together and go see it. The last horror movie I saw in the theater alone was The Ring and that was enough.
Posted by: Forbiddendonut at September 16, 2009 10:46 AM
I'll hold you, admin, if you do the same. Chills, baby, I got chills! Whee hee! And it's even showing in Ann Arbor, MI, so I can actually see it in the theater!
Posted by: DeadBessie at September 16, 2009 10:43 AM
Where's it showing in Ann Arbor? Michigan Theater or the State Theater?
(Is the State Theater even around anymore? It's been a while since I've been in that part of town).
Posted by: Forbiddendonut at September 16, 2009 10:50 AM
I might have told this story here before.....When I watched The Exorcist as a 13-year-old, I was at home with my mother. My brother and father were away on a Boy Scout camping trip, I think. Anyway, through the entire movie I sat huddled up next to my mother, curled into a tiny ball. After it was over, I refused to sleep in my own room. I slept in my mother's bed, with her, with the lights on. That movie scared the living fuck out of me.
Really? hard to believe.
I heard this news times from many friends playing on a ta ll da ting site ___T allMingle Com___,i did not believe, i think that they are know nothing but da ting and love.
i am wrong.
Posted by: Pattyly at September 16, 2009 10:58 AM
DAMN!!! Have to watch when I get home!
Posted by: dammitjanet at September 16, 2009 11:05 AM
I hereby propose the Pajiba Horror Film Escort Service, whereby the manly men of Pajiba go on a call list offering to escort the lovely ladies of Paheeba to and from movies like this so the ladies might enjoy high art without the threat of dismemberment and/or being sewn together in centipedes on the way home.
The possibility that there might be clinging, whimpering and incidental boob-to-man contact plus "please please please don't go just stay with me tonight and NOT OUT ON THE FUCKIN' COUCH I MEAN RIGHT IN HERE WHERE THE BOOGEYMAN IS OH GODTOPUS IT'S RIGHT UNDER MY BED ISN'T IT? NO NO NO SLEEP WITH ME SLEEP WITH ME PLEEEEEEASE" really never entered into my thoughts at all.
Posted by: , (TCFKAB) at September 16, 2009 11:18 AM
DAMMMMNNNNNNNN.
Eh, looks kinda scary. I might blink, once or twice.
last time that i was "scared" in a theater was for The Ring. 5 dudes. we all got freaked out.
notable mention: went to a matinee of Ju-On, no one else in theater. was scared.
Posted by: gunnertec at September 16, 2009 11:37 AM
last time that i was "scared" in a theater was for The Ring. 5 dudes. we all got freaked out.
notable mention: went to a matinee of Ju-On, no one else in theater. was scared.
Posted by: gunnertec at September 16, 2009 11:37 AM
Actually, I would rather watch this alone. If I went with the boyfriend then I'd have to worry about him crushing my hand into a pulp and jumping five feet in the air every time something scary happens onscreen or if he thinks he sees something out of the corner of his eye. And there's no way he would make it through the whole movie without letting out one of his high-pitched shrieks that tend to put dolphins in a ravenous frenzy and set off car alarms.
Posted by: jM at September 16, 2009 11:41 AM
Dammit! It's playing in Ann Arbor, a mere 45 minutes away from where I USED to live, and nowhere near where I CURRENTLY live.
NOT FAIR.
Posted by: Nat at September 16, 2009 11:43 AM
Diversion here, I suppose.
And I'm not trying to bait the Pajiblet hordes. I'm sincerely curious.
Why are horror or gore and/or scary movies such a draw to some people?
Where's the charm in getting the buhjeebus scared out of you?
There's *nothing* about being startled or freaked out that makes me feel
warm, fuzzy or yippy-skip-that-was-delightful.
Explainage please??
Posted by: Ms MoMo at September 16, 2009 11:49 AM
You've heard that love is "biochemically no different from eating large amounts of chocolate." (And anything Pacino playing the devil says must be true.)
The shock and awe of scary movies (but not, you know Scary Movie) triggers a fight or flight response biochemically not much different from culminating one's love in a vat of chocolate with whatever combination of Al, Keanu, Charliz, Connie Nelson (Mmmmmm.), the man or men of steel, Lois, Loises, Jamie Lee Curtis, Pinhead, Julia, Kristie, Freddie & the Cenobites most floats your boat. In chocolate.
BTW,I heard Freddie & the C's have a new album coming out: "Chocolaty Goodness"
Posted by: BierceAmbrose at September 16, 2009 12:30 PM
Forbiddendonut--not sure where it's playing but I will find out. State Theater's still here! Although since I got a new job on North Campus I haven't been to that part of town in a while either.
Ms MoMo--think of it as a roller coaster ride; some screams, some scary moments, then giggles and relief when you realize you're safe. I find it fun, but you just might have to be wired that way. Everyone I know looks at me funny when I try to discuss horror movies, so you're definitely not alone. I'm sure I look the same way when people try to discuss romantic comedies with me. Either it appeals to you or it doesn't.
And then just because I like horror in general doesn't mean I like all horror movies. Plenty of them suck. Gore by itself is not a draw for me; I want a good story, and characters I care about at least a little, along with the spooky stuff.
Posted by: DeadBessie at September 16, 2009 12:34 PM
Oh, The Ring. I saw that with my high school boyfriend and he was FAR more freaked out than me. I teased him that I was going to call him one day, get my little sister (who at the time bore a striking resemblance to Samara) to whisper "7 days!" into the phone and hang up. He flipped his shit and told me that if I did that he'd dump me on the spot.
I should've done it. It would've been hysterical and he was a humorless douche anyway. Could've saved me a lot of shitty relationship time.
I suspect people like horror movies because they distract from the really scary things in life. The truth is that things that go bump in the night are rarely what you need to worry about. The real dangerous fuckers make no noise. They give no warning. You never hear the proverbial shot that kills you, there is no fin above the water. It grows quietly, patiently, under the skin, undetected, until finally, often far too late:
The lump is felt.
The headaches get unbearable.
The growth looks too weird to be a mole.
The symptoms make sense.
The penny drops.
Then you get to make some choices about rather you would rather bankrupt yourself and torture your family for a year trying to beat the odds, or face the remaining time you have left with equanimity.
And then there's the pain. When the pain meds are maxed out, and they won't give anymore because 'it might kill you' what then? How long. How bad. What might you be willing to do, or who might be willing to help hasten the inevitable?
What is this going to do to your family?
And who's going to take care of your kids?
What if it happens to your kid?
/roll credits
Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 16, 2009 12:37 PM
@ Lindsey w/ E
Please tell me that you're just accomplished at spinning a yarn.
Cuz literally, I just teared up there (right here at work) [literally]
Posted by: Ms MoMo at September 16, 2009 12:44 PM
Well put, Lindsey with an 'e'.
My understanding of why I like horror movies as much as I do is that it distracts me from the real horror going on the REAL WORLD.
So I can watch a million stupid-ass Friday the 13ths and Hellraisers and Blair Witch Projects, but I won't watch movies like Schindler's List or Munich. Because that shit actually happened. And thinking about that twists me up in knots.
That said, horror movies & scary movies (which are not always the same thing, exactly) aren't for everyone. Some people are just wired different. For instance, I just can't eat spicy food. I just can't do it. But some people love spicy food. For them it releases endorphins or something. I don't know. All I know is, different strokes for different folks! That's what makes the world go 'round.
Posted by: MM at September 16, 2009 1:33 PM
Well, Ms Momo, maybe I have a small flair for the dramatic but it isn't fiction.
Most recently:
Brandon M. Died 7-08, age 32. My dear Friend of 20 years. Heart attack: Prescription drug interaction. He was beautiful.
Kelly H Died 4-09 age 37. My friend and client. Lung cancer. Non-smoker. Went to the doctor this time last year about a persistent cough. Stage 3, 6 months to live. Survived by now bankrupt husband and 3 small boys.
Ethan W. Diagnosed 6-09 life threatening rare genetic disorder. Age 2. My nephew. His parents are the bravest people I know.
Warren P. Died 9-08, age 92, My Grandfather. slowly drowned in his own fluids because his old body just couldn't cope anymore. Doctors cut his pain meds because 'they might kill him.' Umm yeah. He's 92, he isn't going to bounce back assholes.
Joyce K. Died 11-05, age 57. My friend, and mother of one of my students. Massive coronary in her sleep. Otherwise perfectly healthy.
Lest we forget Pink? Her death hit many of us very hard.
Life is a dark and scary ride. The real monsters rarely announce themselves with scary music and foreshadowing.
Want some scary dialog? How bout 'The movements are not purposeful' 'Not responding to painful stimuli' 'brain went without oxygen' (grandmother, anuerism 03. She recovered fully,against ALL odds.) You know your criteria for GOOD news is low when "Only things that are still living bleed." is a sign of hope.
On the bright side, my best friend's husband looks like he is going to survive the brain tumor he had removed on Monday. It went Un and Mis diagnosed for 10 years.
Yea John! Kick cancers ass! WooHoo!
Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 16, 2009 2:29 PM
DeadBessie and ForbiddenDonut - it's playing at the State. I work at the Michigan. I can give you the inside scoop (and maybe hook you up with tickets?).
Posted by: naivehelga at September 16, 2009 2:31 PM
Hell, YES, naivehelga! Who would have thought so many Pajibans live around here?
Posted by: DeadBessie at September 16, 2009 3:18 PM
Hey, Lindsey - you're spot on. You know things are REALLY scary when you don't even know what good news IS anymore. My husband got diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and then we got a miraculous phone call: "It's not cancer - it's multiple sclerosis!" Imagine grown people dancing around the room, cheering "yay, it's MS!"
I watched a lot of horror movies when I was going through chemo - they were a fun distraction.
Posted by: Treena at September 16, 2009 3:26 PM
Wow. Sweaty palms. Did anyone see The Descent in theaters? Yeah, that was scary.
Posted by: commanderfunky at September 16, 2009 5:33 PM
Momo, mine is a simple physical reason, I like the adrenaline rush and I'm too lazy and cheap to go throw myself from a plane.
Posted by: rio at September 16, 2009 5:47 PM
Don't watch this trailer on your own in the house at 1am!
Gotta see the movie when it gets here though...
Posted by: frank at September 16, 2009 8:03 PM
I guess I'm the only one who got nothin' from that trailer. No chills, no excitement, no anticipation. I think I'm broken.
Posted by: MelBivDevoe at September 16, 2009 8:51 PM
I might actually see this in the theater, something I rarely do.
I agree that Blair Witch wasn't really all that bad. What I'd do with it is cut down the scenes in which they are wandering in the woods, screaming and cussing at each other. I'd KEEP that footage, don't get me wrong, but I'd slash it down to a fraction of its current length. It's important for the sense of being lost, it's important to balance out day and anger with night and fear, but it's just too damn drawn-out.
(I'd also take out the snotty nose issue. That just made me wipe my nose constantly. I do love that in that scene, we get a total sense of resignation. She's alone. She knows it. She's terrified out of her goddamned mind. But take out the snot.)
What they did with the sense of claustrophobia was GREAT. When they're in the tent and hearing the noises all around them and can't decide whether to get out of the tent or stay in, you feel like you can't breathe, either.
The final scene haunted me for a long long time. I couldn't even figure it out at first, then my DAD of all people explained it to me. When he explained it, I was creeped out all over again. Holy hell, he was STANDING IN THE CORNER.
Gah. And I didn't even see it until everyone and their kitty knew it wasn't a documentary.
Posted by: Snuggiepants the Deathbringer at September 16, 2009 11:09 PM
Oh God, Snuggie, you just made me remember that scene and now I AM ALL CREEPED OUT AGAIN. And it's DARK and my mom is asleep and waaaaaaaah, mommeeeeeeeeeeee!
all too true, sadly. The longer you live, the more casualties you see. It's not pretty, and no-one here gets out alive.
As Stephen King said about why people like horror: we're all fascinated by the shape under the sheet - because we know that one day, the shape under the sheet will be us.
Posted by: Tarn at September 17, 2009 4:59 AM
I'm so excited this is actually opening up in State College!
Posted by: maria at September 17, 2009 8:43 AM
what the fuck is with trailers being taken down? is copyright more valuable than free advertising? i might have watched the trailer, and, gasp, wanted to pay to see the movie.
advertisers from a generation ago are rolling in their graves.
Posted by: idleprimate at September 20, 2009 12:52 PM
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holy crap, this looks cool. the last horror movie that even halfway scared me was blair witch, which i watched at home during broad daylight and still had to call my boyfriend during every nighttime scene. something about the creepy noises...i can't understand how some of my friends weren't equally creeped when we watched it.
i'm psyched for this.