Paranormal Activity (2009)

Paranormal Activity is a stylistic horror film, not one where the horror looms over you, but one where you loom over the horror, albeit unconsciously at times it seems. The film is without a script, conventional cast, location or even a director, although amateur want-to-be Oren Peli will no doubt take much credit for this. The film follows Katie who is a graduate student of English, and her boyfriend Micah who is a day trader. They've been together three years, and have now moved into a house in San Diego that doesn't seem much lived in at all. The house itself is empty and notoriously tidy, which always leaves this sense of this ‘other’ that is only existent to fill in this space, a space that the couple have left open for someone else to fill. Even if we can’t see them, we can surely feel them.

The film plays on the idea of the camera always ‘catching’ the evidence, even more accurately then the human eye itself. This can be compared to the Blair Witch Project to an extent, but Paranormal Activity plays on the idea that waiting and silence are much more prominent in the horror genre then straight-up shock. It seems we have become immune to pure shock in recent years, so now we create our own shock though the fragments of ‘nothingness’ that the film allows us to reflect upon. In-between the moments of shock in the film, we fill the gap in-between with predictions, anxiety and suspense. There is simply no room to be bored in Paranormal activity.

After the couple suspect that it is in fact ghosts acting upon them, they call in a "psychic expert" (Mark Fredrichs) but he's no help. What he does know, however, by walking in the door that what's haunting them isn't a ghost but some sort of demonic presence. Fredrich’s ability to ‘sense’ a more demonic presence in the house clearly plays on the psychology of the audience, as we begin to create our own visions of the unknown, and what its true intentions are for Katie and Micah. Micha’s manly obsession with the camera further the idea of the unknown, as every shot, every moment, adds some meaning into the ‘nothingness’ that fills the screen throughout most of the film. The ‘nothingness’ is what creates the fright in the film, the idea that something else must be filling in the moments of solidarity and unity, something that we cannot put our finger on.

Yes, the house is clearly haunted, but we don’t need to see this. The expressionistic acting from both parties does this for us. The horror in the film isn’t created though what we see with our own eye, but what the characters see though theirs, and this is what gives this film its credibility. The film also plays on the idea that the horrors documented are shown after the event itself, which adds yet another dimension to the fate of the characters, and whether true evil can really be defeated or not. The script is not existent, but the characters emotion and energy fill in the dialogue for us. Who needs speech anyway when your asleep at night, and a demonic monster is standing there watching you lifeless?

Halloween II (2009)

Halloween II, written and directed by Rob Zombie tries to explore a psychological relationship between Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) and her psychopathic brother Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) who once again has the intention of killing every human that crosses his path in the infamous town of Haddonfield. The film primarily focuses on Laurie, and her hallucinations that mirror Michael's, which involve a ghostly image of Deborah (Sheri Moon Zombie) and a young Michael Myers. The psychology of the film stretches to the point where Laurie acts out Michael's murders, like a psychopathic envisioning that links her mental state to that of Michael’s himself.

While Laurie struggles with her dreams, Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) has been going on tour to promote his new book, only to be greeted with outrage from the public who blame him for Michael's actions and exploiting the deaths of Michael's victims. Loomis is once again victim to the citizens of Haddonfield, as well as Michael himself. Credit goes to Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) once again for living up to this incredible character created by John Carpenter who this time plays a rather comical and annoying Loomis, which sheds new light on his persona.

While the film deserves some credit for expanding the generic pattern of the slasher film by exploring a psychological depth, it is this very depth that discarded the true meaning of the Halloween series and the grit that the viewer would have expected in the first place. Halloween celebrates itself as a simplistic slasher film that knows what it is, and this was somehow lost in translation in this remake, partly through the script by Rob Zombie, and partly though his directing. The generic framework of the slasher film did not allow such a psychological depth as Zombie tried to explore, and this depth somehow got lost within itself. While Michael’s envisioning of Deborah’s ghost does further the sense of unease and unpredictability for the character of Michael himself, it did not enhance the plot, nor the nature of the slasher film itself.

If Zombie wanted to further engage in the psychology between Laurie and Michael, than why did he still insist on the film being “realistic and violent” as well? The psychological relationship between these two characters does add an interesting element to the series, but when combined with the gore, violence and realism, it conveys the film to be confusing and very un-generic for the genre that Zombie was trying to locate the film within. Audiences watching this remake will be disappointed for the reason that they are buying into a genre that is not being conformed to here, nor being expanded.

Zombie has merely experimented with the limits of the Halloween series, and has taken it too far on this occasion. The ending of the film, however, was satisfying, when Michael is shot twice by Sheriff Brackett and falls onto the spikes of the farming equipment. Laurie walks over and tells Michael she loves him, then she stabs him repeatedly in the chest and finally in the face. The shed door opens and Laurie walks out, wearing Michael's mask. This ending provides an interesting closure to the type of film that Zombie was trying to create, especially the idea of Laurie and Michael occupying the same mind. Overall Rob Zombie has made his intentions clear for this Halloween addition, but somehow his ideas were lost within the plot, making the film unconvincing and often confusing.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Drag Me to Hell, written and directed by Sam Raimi is an authentic twist to a genre that is suffering with generic exhaustion as of late, it seems. The film follows loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) who denies gypsy Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver) an extension on her mortgage. This action stimulates a chain of scares, laughs and exciting moments that most certainly hybrids the film, creating a fresh and exciting outtake on situations that we feel we have all experienced at one time or another.

Upon leaving the bank, Christine is attacked in her car by Ganush. After a violent struggle, Ganush removes a button from Christine's jacket and uses it to place a curse on Christine. Christine's boyfriend, Clay Dalton (Justin Long), tries to comfort her, ensuring her the situation will amend itself. As a result of the curse, Christine is entrapped in a world of fright and terror, as a result of the spirits that haunt her at every moment.

Drag Me to Hell encodes a rather simple plot that at first seems predictable and worthless. A quarter of the way into the film, however, the film places its own unique personality on the horror genre, creating a comical outtake that enhances the experience that the audience could have wished for, even before entering the theatre. This experience is enhanced by fortune teller Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) who smothers the film in the humor that makes it so unique. Rao’s personality again separates this film from its desired ‘teen’ audience, allowing a wider audience to enjoy the humor from the film, even if the horror undertones are too unbearable.

Whilst the tone of the film was satisfying, Alison Lohman’s performance was not. The nature of the film requires a flexible approach, an aspiring actress that can atune to the many different undertones that the film contains. Whilst Lohman was expressive with the horror elements, her ability was stretched too far from the nature of the film, a disappointment for her. Supporting actor Justin Long, however, was satisfying, even though his role was less demanding than Lohman’s.

Drag Me to Hell knows what it wants to be, and that’s exactly what is provided. Audiences may be confused by the films ambition, but it is more obvious than can be imagined. It is at once a formulaic horror film, whilst at once a startling comedy, aimed at audiences of all types and ages. The mix of the two is what makes the film so enjoyable and understated. Whilst the film is cheesy indeed, director Sam Raimi has proven once again that his films can deliver, all the way to hell…

The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

The Haunting in Connecticut is directed by Peter Cornwell, based on the ‘true story’ of events paranormal activities experienced by the Snedeker family in the 1980’s. The film follows cancer struck Matt Campbell and his family who move into a new home, which they learn was previously a funeral house where the bodies of several victims were laid to rest. The family start to experience supernatural events which they blame on the side-effects of Matt’s treatment, later to discover that their existence is within the presence of several sprits who inflict fright and violence on the family members.

The film, although relying on the firm foundations of the horror genre, does perpetuate the viewer into a sense of history, showing us the past events (of the house) that has caused the haunting to occur. This historical element of the film, however, doesn’t serve to enrich the viewers understanding of the present events, but rather makes the film come across as too ambitious and self indulgent for the foundations that the script would allow. The script merely conformed to rather formulaic conventions of the genre, which when combined with elements of history makes certain parts of the film come across as unnecessary, perplexed and convoluted.

The film is also rather pretentious. It seems that every action that Matt undertakes from making lunch, sleeping, looking through windows etc has a consequence. While this may offer a fright in many horror films, the fact the film is based on true events doesn’t allow for this constant scare, which should have been more subtle and attuned to the story the film was based on. This is a similar mistake films such as The Amityville Horror (2005) made. When a film is based on ‘true’ stories like this, the suspense should stay true to the story and not to the conventions of the horror genre; as these films tried to conform to. Films based on true stories like this have a huge advantage over others and unfortunately this film did not use it to its advantage.

Despite these flaws in the film, it does offer some scares, emotion, suspense and enjoyment that we would expect anyway. The film, therefore offers exactly what you will expect, but nothing more. The concept the film based on: a ‘normal’ family moving into a new haunted home, made it impossible for this film to be original from the outset purely because of the type of film it had to conform to. This is proved though the heavy use of referencing to The Shining, Number 23 and The Amityville Horror which confirms the real ambition The Haunting in Connecticut was trying to achieve. Overall, the film does offer a good experience, but when watching it, just remember all the films you have seen like this before, making this seem strangely familiar.

The Uninvited (2009)

The Uninvited will most certainly divide the audience that the film is aimed towards. At once it is a rather clichéd contemporary horror film, until it references its background as a 2003 South Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters to create a rather inimitable and fresh horror film, one bound with thematic purpose and stylistic integrity. Directed by the Guard Brothers, the film follows Anna who has been bound to a mental hospital since the death of her mother ten months earlier, who is now ready to return back home. Her psychiatrist tells her to "finish what she started" which ironically forms the enigma which underlines the entire narrative. Anna's father takes her home, where she is reunited with her sister, Alex who also introduces Rachel (Elizabeth Banks), her mother's former nurse who is now dating Anna's father.

The Uninvited is not what it seems at the surface both literally and metaphorically speaking. The film is bound with enigmas which never quite add up even if you put together the fragments of the film that the Guard Brothers represent on screen. The film is shot in a way that allows us to piece the images together and form our own interpretation on a fairly basic and linear plotline. The shots are usually very fast-pace and even the location is never completely static, swapping between reality and dream, house and lake, rural and urban etc. While the film may appear to be a conventional horror film aimed at a mindless teenage audience, the film contains quite a depth beneath the screen that actually takes a lot to piece together to fully understand the sensation the film is trying to convey.

Anna is convinced that Rachel is evil and induces her sister in the process. The two of them together scheme against her to try to prove to their father that she is evil. This is where I will end with the plot synopsis. The film, noticeably, has some interesting characters, even if they are supporting actors driven into the mind-set of the film. Having said that, the film integrates so many different personalities and emotions from each of the characters that it seems as if there really isn’t a lead role, even if we believe that Anna is so. This is where we begin to question who the “uninvited” are? Perhaps some of the characters do have too many lines to speak that they almost become intrusive on the sisters lives? Or is Rachel an “uninvited” guest into the families home?

The Uninvited will most certainly please horror fans, but perhaps not so much those outsiders to the genre. The film uses horror conventions but twists and manipulates them, something that the horror audience will most certainly appreciate. The film has a unique twist on familiar situations and events that they feel they are somehow attuned to. Overall The Uninvited is a well done, stylistically effective horror film that will most certainly satisfy many. You are therefore invited!

The Unborn (2009)

The Unborn, written and directed by David S. Goyer follows the life of Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) who is beset by merciless dreams, and a grotesque child who she suspects is her dead twin who died in her mothers womb and now wants to be born. What is unique and so engaging about The Unborn is it steps away from horrors conventional notions of murder and afterlife and focuses on life before it even exits. In this way, the film tries to separate itself from the traditional horror narrative, but with very little success. There are repetitive shots of windows and mirrors in the film which doesn’t show the horror to be in the mirror reflection that we so often expect, but in the bathroom cabinet itself which suggests the films rejection of traditional horror conventions when it really didn’t have the authority or ingenuity to do so. Beldon discovers at the end of the film that she, herself, is also having twins, which is fairly predictable and rather ironic considering how different the film always strived to be.