logan j. fowler and sue look at the third installment of the horror series …
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? No Thanks.
As someone who hasn’t even bothered to watch the first two films in the trilogy, Paranormal Activity 3 doesn’t give me any reason to check them out in order to catch up with the series to see this installment. I know the big draw behind these films is the realism of the home video footage, and the lack of celebrities in the film to make it seem more authentic in the scary department. However, what I viewed in the trailer looks semi-cheesy, and if I was supposed to feel chills down my spine, then the footage failed to do anything of that nature. I don’t hesitate to say I’m not a huge fan of the horror genre, but I’d rather watch a classic film in the same category than a movie that relies on cheap thrills and jumpy moments.
— LJF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90r3CnPI0AM&ob=av3e
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided: Rent.
I am a big fan of the horror genre. Suffice to say, I’d be seeing this one in theaters if my husband shared my enthusiasm for the scary. Alas no, so I will be watching this one alone via Netflix while he [Pop-Break editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin] is working late. The Paranormal Activity franchise, however, has captured my attention. The first one broke ground the way that, in my opinion, The Blair Witch Project failed to. The concept, of capturing the haunting of an everyday couple on their self-installed surveillance cameras, had the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the tiniest something to show itself onscreen. And the notion of a person, not a house being haunted seemed that much scarier. You can’t get away from yourself, after all. The prequel, Paranormal Activity 2, took the concept further by evolving the plot into a possible “deal with the devil” scenario. And now it seems that PA3 is developing the story of Katie and Kristi even further, showing how and when the haunting began. For those of my generation who actually played “Bloody-Mary” at sleepovers, this one could get especially creepy. Combined with the already tense, what’s gonna happen next style of storytelling that seems to follow these films, and you’ve got a perfect Halloween scary-movie recipe.
— SARB
