![]() oh, I'm gonna guess exactly one year from now. We’ll have to see next year October if the already confirmed fifth episode can jumpstart the found footage series, but just like the specters that cause all the trouble, it may have overstayed its welcome.Īndy Bockelman is a Craig resident, freelance writer and Denver Film Critics Society accredited film fanatic who occasionally reviews movies playing in Steamboat Springs.SPOILER ALERT! There will be a "Paranormal Activity 5" in. This fourth entry has the feel of a placeholder for the ongoing ghost story, primarily created for the sake of fans who want to see at least six or seven of these films and to extend the narrative even further. “Paranormal Activity 4” offers the same kind of shocks its predecessors have for the willing viewers who flock to the theaters in the days leading up to Halloween, but that release date seems more like a sneaky strategy than sensible marketing this year. It’s the same old battle against malevolent spirits we’ve seen three times now, and the only difference is what’s used to record these nighttime disturbances.įor one thing, how many laptops does this family need, and why do those unaware they’re being filmed not notice when a computer is permanently on Skype? The process has become all but set in stone by now - cameras capture baffling motions and rumbling sounds that get harder to ignore day after day, in this instance a collapsing chandelier, a floating butcher knife and a bathtub that will make every little kid in the audience refuse to bathe ever again. In every installment of “Paranormal Activity,” the fright comes not in tremendous bursts but in little bits and pieces as characters go from reasonably happy and normal to mildly distressed to a perpetual state of being ready to wet themselves. The actress, who made her mark on the world several years ago with the shoestring budget movie that surpassed everyone’s expectations, finally returns in a role of decent size, her on-camera moments more terrifying than ever. However, it’s when Featherston comes into the picture that the whole situation gets freaky. It’s a tad disturbing just to see how much Wyatt changes when he’s around Robbie, and Lovekamp starts to catch his creepiness the further the story goes along. At least when Haley Joel Osment said he saw dead people, we got the sense he didn’t enjoy it. ![]() ![]() Then again, you don’t have to be a child psychologist to see there’s something off about a kid like Robbie, whose behavior goes beyond weird and into the realm of downright sinister with stone-faced novice Allen looking like he belongs in the Addams Family. Newton functions well enough as the typical techno-addicted teen, though it’s a wonder Alex manages to notice what’s happening in her house because every minute of her day is spent video-chatting with her main squeeze on her computer or phone or hauling around a camcorder. It’s an indisputable imperative in any horror film to have at least one cute young boy or girl who immediately knows when something is amiss only to be ignored by everyone around them. ![]() In the days and nights that follow, the household is beset by unexplainable noises and eerie occurrences, and while Alex is convinced Robbie’s presence is the cause of all these issues, no one else believes their safety is in danger the longer the boy stays with them. Alex instantly is unnerved by Robbie’s unfriendly attitude, his insistence in talking to an imaginary friend and the odd influence he has over Wyatt, leading her to set up cameras around the house to see if their new visitor is up to something when no one else is looking. The Nelson family’s temporary houseguest is Robbie (Brady Allen), a little boy who just moved in across the street and needs a place to stay while his mother (Katie Featherston) is in the hospital. Her usual filming subjects are limited to her parents (Alexondra Lee, Stephen Dunham), her adopted brother Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp) and her boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively), but when someone new finds his way into the frame, she doesn’t like it one bit. Viewing the people around her through a camera lens is a hobby that has become almost a way of life for 15-year-old Alex Nelson (Kathryn Newton). In that respect, “Paranormal Activity 4” goes right along with the standard, though it is still better than the majority of scare franchises that make it to quadrilogy status. Steamboat Springs - In most horror movie series, the higher the number of sequels, the lower the quality of each entry.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |