By Chauncey Telese

Every year at about this time, a movie comes out that generates a lot of buzz and has internet geeks selling their souls to get the masses into theatres. If said movie actually ends up becoming a big hit, the geeks immediately turn on the movie, call it overrated, and claim to have never liked it, all because they don’t want to agree with the masses. We’ve seen it with the likes of “Juno”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, and others.

This year’s “little movie that could” is the horror film “Paranormal Activity.” Ignore the comparisons to the “Blair Witch Project” because while they both were shot for next to nothing and implore the same documentary-style filmmaking, “Paranormal Activity” is actually a good movie.

Here’s the plot; a guy named Micah (Micah Scott) buys a camera after his live-in girlfriend Katie (Katie Featherstone) insists they have a ghost in the house. He sets the camera up in their bedroom and we watch what it tracks allthe way through the aftermath of these encounters.

While the story may seem thin, that’s not why you’re seeing it. You go to see this because of all of the freaky things that happen during the night, i.e. the light turning on downstairs, footsteps, doors slamming shut, and other neat stuff I won’t ruin. This movie is ten times better then any of the “Saw” films because it actually provides scares not just senseless gore. “Paranormal Activity” is the first true horror movie in a long time and is best seen with a crowd because you will get one of two experiences at the same time.

• Everyone laughs because they know everyone else in the theater is tensing up for something to happen and when it does they scream.
• People will immediately comment on what’s just happened. I can’t type those comments because well, they contain a lot of f-bombs.

That shouldn’t dissuade you though, as this is the first time in a long time where the theater experience will completely outweigh just renting it.

This movie was made for $15,000 and has already made about $30 million so I don’t need to hype it up anymore for you. Obviously this is not for kids as they may never sleep again. Oddly enough I do recommend it for date night, because based on what I saw in the theater, if a guy takes a girl out to see this she’s going cling to you big time.

Thank you for reading and remember you can see this and other fine films at your local Edwards Cinemas. Click here for showtimes.