Well. Here we are again. I was challenged to watch a movie by a guy named Tim Law. He writes stuff and talks about stuff and is just way too cheery for my liking. Anyway, the movie he challenged me to watch was The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I've seen it before, a long, long time ago, and to be frank, I don't remember enjoying it. But I was willing to tear it up in my column for a fan. More than willing, until I looked it up on my streaming services, my legal ones, and found I have to pay to watch it. I don't pay for movies I know are going to be bad. Now, I love me a good British comedy, Monty Python all the way! I would even marginally consider paying to watch The Life of Brian, or The Holy Grail, but not the Baron. Not now, not ever. You can't make me. I could look it up on the less-than-reputable streaming services, but I won't break the law for a bad movie. I do have Wuthering Heights on my radar, though…
So, I turned my critical eye and sardonic sense of criticism to the phenomenon that was the found footage era.
Now, one could argue that the found footage fad started in 1961 with the movie The Connection. Then you have Cannibal Holocaust, which, if you've listened to Grindhouse Sleaze, you've heard those poor sods dissecting that monstrosity. Then The McPherson Tapes and The Last Broadcast followed. The biggest one of those was Cannibal Holocaust, but it didn't have the mainstream impact that the franchise that I reviewed had. It was the longest run of movies that put found footage on the map. The Blair Witch was the first to go viral in the found footage genre, but its attempt to capitalize on its original fame fell short in the movies that followed. I'm referring to another group of movies.
I'm referring to the Paranormal Activity universe. You can watch these in release order or chronological order.
For those interested, chronological order is as follows:
Paranormal Activity 3 – a prequel which starts in 1988, showing the childhood of the main characters and the start of the haunting.
Paranormal Activity 2 – Set in 2006, this acts as a prequel to the first movie, leading up to the events in 1.
Paranormal Activity 1 – which starts at the end of PA 2 and is the original film in the franchise.
Paranormal Activity 4 - set in 2011, continuing the story after the events of 2 and 1.
Paranormal Activity 5 – This one is called The Marked Ones, and it is set in 2012. This is a spin-off with direct (so they say) connections to the main storyline.
Paranormal Activity 6 – This is set in 2013 and called The Ghost Dimension. It provides the conclusion to the main Katie and Kristie storyline.
Paranormal Activity 7 – Next of Kin. This is a reboot/standalone film that is not directly tied to the original storyline.
So, I spent two days watching all 7. Thankfully, each one is only about an hour and a half long, and I mean thankfully! The PA 1 is the best by far, and they keep the theme fairly well in 2, 3, and 4. The story stays consistent, which you all know I am a stickler for. The acting could be better, but, like most found footage, there really isn't any written dialogue. More of a 'here's the scene, here is what we are looking for, and…. go'.
Then you get to The Marked Ones, which has loose connections to the first one, even bringing in past characters, and tying it all to the firstborn son, but it starts to add elements of the unbelievable. None of the people involved in this haunting up to this point had exhibited supernatural powers. Not even Katie. Unless you consider the tossing of Micah supernatural. Now, all of a sudden, you have evil Superman. *yawn*. The special effects are cheesy, the jump scares lack jump, and the overall storyline is a stretch to try to capitalize on the fame of the first movies. They do redeem themselves with The Ghost Dimension, but just barely. They go back to the original story and try to recapture some of the original sparkle, but fall a little flat. There is never really an explanation, or not that I caught, of how the camera was modified, when it was modified, and why. In PA 3, when you see Katie and Kristie as kids, the camera is just that, a camera. The stepdad's buddy does rig up a rotating platform from a table fan, but you don't see him modifying the camera to see the ghost dimension, so having it in the box with the tapes that Katie drops off at her sisters in PA 2 is a bit confusing.
Overall, the collection does offer a good spooky group to watch when sick in bed or having nothing better to do. I do enjoy found footage, and I credit these movies with fueling the fire of that enjoyment. The Blair Witch sparked it, and this was the fuel that firmly entrenched me in the genre.
If you like anything paranormal, if you want a movie you can watch in the dark and still be able to sleep at night, in the dark, and if you want to kill an hour and a half, you can choose any of the 7 that the collection has to offer. Although personally, you can skip The Marked Ones and Next of Kin. They don't really belong in the direct timeline. But what do I know, I just watch bad movies, so you don't have to.
Do what you want.
Now go forth. Watch movies. If you come across one you feel I need to see, tell me.
I'm out.
Sarcastically Cynical Sally.