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#Post#: 81--------------------------------------------------
Peli, Paranoia, & Paranormal Activity (Mehrab Ahsan ‘13)
By: SharonShaji Date: October 26, 2012, 12:57 am
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Thud. Crash. Screech.
The things we hear, specifically at night time, become
personified into the demonic workings of our inner monsters.
But, is that harmless creaking we hear while home alone really
because of the rusty ventilation that our parents need to get
fixed? Or is there another force working in the process? For
some, the answer is yes. But for me, I’m still not entirely
sure. Though, I am certain that the doubt becomes even hazier
after every “Paranormal Activity” movie I watch.
The “Paranormal Activity” franchise, originally produced
upon a completely economical budget by director Oren Peli, goes
into a place in our minds where most movies have yet to venture:
the “could this actually happen to me” area. Peli ingenious idea
of sewing together a cheap, video-camera-style lens with an
omnipresent view of the setting makes movie goers feel like both
on-lookers and vulnerable victims. As we watch a strangely real
series of events occur at random intervals of the day, we can
help but shudder when enigmatic occurrences take place.
The real trick to the movie’s magic is the “paranormal”
activity that occurs within the homes of the protagonists that
we both cheer for and sneer at. Each movie creates a slow
progression of mystifying sequences, each outdoing the previous
one. The franchise works with this inexplicable quality to
create strange thumps in unoccupied rooms, televisions that turn
on randomly, doors that slam themselves shut, and even invisible
figures that run around the house. Utilizing the paranoia of
viewers, Peli develops another layer of fear with ouija boards
spontaneously combusting to little girls being dragged out of
beds in distorted positions. This shocks factor leads into the
final stage of fear: possession. Peli creates an air of terror
when each protagonist (Katie in the first, her sister, Kristi,
in the second, and children Katie and Kristi in the third)
becomes affiliated with demonic powers. This affiliation
climaxes the movie with the biggest fright most viewers can
imagine: monsters and demons dragging innocent victims into
secluded areas to be eaten or possessed. The rampaging,
possessed demonic hosts promptly murder all other secondary
characters through means of snapped necks and brutally crushed
lungs.
Though the movies are surprising and frightening, the
real renown of such films is for the psychological trauma
created after watching the movie. Being home alone no longer
means getting the alone time we crave, but rather it turns into
a battle to avoid all ghosts and ghouls residing within our
homes. Sleeping in the pitch black gloom of the night becomes a
suspenseful drama with potential invisible demons running around
our unattended kitchens and living rooms. Peli masterfully
creates a kick of paranoia by targeting our psyches. My guess is
that the very personal style of filming creates a level of
intimacy and familiarity among viewers that cause us to emulate
the terror felt by characters in the film. But don’t let the
potential psychological trauma scare you. These movies are a
great way to spend a boring Saturday night and are definitely
worth your buck.
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