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Now showing at the Fargo, Paraormal Activity, is a low budget(I’ve heard/read $11k and $15k) horror in the same genre as The Blair Witch Project.  The only thing is that, stepping out of character, in my opinion, the former is at least 10 times better than the latter.

As a general rule, I don’t like “scary” movies for the very simple reason that I don’t generally get emotionally involved with the movies.  It is,. after all, “only a movie.”  Supernatural activity also does not in general interest me for the very simple reason, explained by one of the cast of four in the movie who specializes in paranormal activity, most, if not all, paranormal activity isn’t.

However I was passing the Fargo Theatre last week at 4:45 and noticed gther was a 5 O’clock showing, so given all the media discussion of this movie, I thought I’d give it a try.

The movie, produced by Jason Blum and Oren Pei, directed by Pei and distributed by Paramount, is a hand held video pseudo documentary of a young couple, not married, that move into a new house.  Now, it is important to the story that it is not the house that is haunted, but the female half of the couple, played by Katie Fetherston.  I don’t need to tell you that strange things start happening, particularly at night when the couple has a video cam running in their bedroom.  Realism is enhanced by the lack of a music score.

Much of the film is just film of the couples day to day activities, and is somewhat boring.  But maybe that’s intentional.  The strange things that happen are achieved without CGI, but by the old fashioned method of moving things when the camera is off.  I found this refreshing, and if I was prepared to believe any of this, would have made the film more believable.

Thee actually is a plot, which I had figured out about half way through.  But that isn’t the point of the movie.  As I said, I’m not usually scared by movies, but I was startled on at least one occasion(I won’t say when), and that’s saying something.

For a “scary” movie, this is the best I’ve seen in quite some time.  The genre was perfect, if the couple(Micah Sloat is the male half of the partnership) is acting, it wasn’t apparent.  If you liked the Blair Witch Project, I think you’ll like this a lot more.  If you like drama, you might just enjoy this for how well done it is.  If you like CGI, chase scenes or things blowing up, there’s none of that here.

Entertainment:    B+
CGI                    N/A
Susoense:          B
Acting:              A-