Paranormal Activity 4 Review

3/5

Paranormal Activity 4 is, as you can tell the fourth installment in what has become a very successful horror series. For a movie of its kind, considering its only been out for less then a week has already brought in over $8 million at the box office. Now of course money isn't everything in terms of whether a movie is good or not, but this series has become quite popular over the last couple of years and has developed a very distinct fanbase.

To bring you up to speed, this movie takes place 5 years after the events from the second film. Which saw a young little boy by the name of Hunter disappear. This one focuses on a new family from Nevada, who are now subject to the terrifying paranormal events after a little boy who lives across the street, stays with them after his mother was taken to the hospital...... For reasons unknown.....

This series has prided itself on it's use of tension building with it's slow starts that eventually lead to intense climaxes. This one is no different, however unlike the first three films before, this one does start to pick up its tempo relatively quickly.  If you are one of those viewers who does get jumpy during horror movies, or maybe simply likes to point and laugh at others who do, in particular with this series, then this film is totally for you.

 I could feel how tense the film was based on the individual next to me who looked like he was going to hit ceiling like a cat. If you were a fan of the first two films, but maybe not quite as much into the third like I was, then let me give you the good news in saying that this one is definitely back on the upswing. For such a simple film it does a really good job of both building tension and also teasing you into thinking that maaaaaaaaybe something is going to happen..........Then it doesn't! For those of you who also maybe thought the first 3 didn't have as many intense moments as you were hoping for, then again this one does add more to the freakometer with noticeably more "scary" parts.  If you have been a fan of the ones before it, then you should remain a fan with the fourth installment as well.

Now because this series relies heavily on its plot, I do not recommend starting the series with this film. Some horror series' you can start and stop wherever you want, without needing to really know what's going on. This one is not really like that. If you aren't familiar with the first three I do recommend you catch up first. There are a few other negative things about this film which I will mention as well. First and foremost being the filming style. Within the first 10 minutes of the film the camera does move around quite a bit and for those who may be squeamish, or get motion sickness you might want to either take a gravol before seeing this film, or reconsider it all together.

The second thing that made me roll my eyes a little was the use of comedy in this film. Now don't get me wrong, its not a funny movie...... Well maybe if you laugh at horror it is, but its not meant to be funny, however there are some moments with some "comic relief" which is used to make light of some of the tense situations. These may make you grin or perhaps giggle slightly, but at some points I found were a little annoying.

Thirdly like a lot of movies like this, some of the most tense scenes are fairly predictable. Now as I said earlier the film does tease you a fair bit, but when you're "spider sense" starts going, more often then not something does follow. Now when you're in a movie theater because of the loud sound and larger picture, this magic is still pretty effective. Although if you were to stream it online, or watch it at home, you might be a little less spooked. Lastly there's the characters. This family is a little tough to get interested in. The mother and father are pretty flat and aren't very relatable. You'd like to think that if you were experiencing a paranormal event, or something just unnerved you, your parents would actually try and reassure you and or protect you. These parents don't really care and don't start showing signs of interest until its too late. The main character Alex is about the only person, you actually hope makes it through, but even then, she's a typical teenager and there are times where you want to backhand her. Finally there is the male character Ben... He's that predictable character in every horror movie where you're thinking" This guy is a douche bag, he's totally dead."

So to summarize, Paranormal Activity 4 is a good movie. It does stay true to the series, although with a few chinks in its armor here and there. This definitely is a theater movie, if you wait till its on netflix or video then it may not have the desired effect. If you're a fan of  the "Blair Witch" or "Marble Hornets" this is up your alley. Take what I said under advisement, but ultimately the choice is yours. Enjoy!

Here is the trailer for the fourth installment. 

For more information also visit http://www.paranormalmovie.com/

Marble Hornets Review

 4.5/5

Do you like scary? Do you like realism? Do you like horror that is done so well, it just leaves your jaw dropped?
Then Marble Hornets might be just for you. Marble Hornets is a series of webisodes that are based on the Slender man mythos. Now I know what
you're thinking. "Isn't Slender man just a stupid internet meme?" Slender man mostly became popular as an internet meme yes, but this variation of the mythos
may terrify you into taking it more seriously...

The story starts off about this film maker named Alex who is making a movie for a college project. As he progresses with the film, a series of events happen where he is being followed by a mysterious character
known as the "operator". After several encounters and his sanity slipping, Alex quickly calls it quits on the project and wants nothing more then to leave town and have no more involvement.
 

One of Alex's fellow classmates Jay, who was also part of the project, decides he wants to pick up where Alex left off. He contacts Alex asking for the footage he had filmed and also why he no longer wanted to take part in it.
Alex gives Jay the footage and tells him about the "troubles" he had while filming and why he couldn't take it anymore. From then on Jay picks up the reins and over time discovers the true secrets behind the scenes of Marble
Hornets and danger that ensues.......

This series is everything that a horror enthusiast could ask for. Psychological terror and a sense of realism that really brings you as the viewer into the film. Not only are the video entries amazing, but if you follow the series on Twitter you can see
every one of Jay's entries about his encounters and the critical plot points that guide you through every step of the way. The pictures, the replies and additional clips from "totheark" All of these draw you in and keep you on the edge of your seat.
 

The filming style is done very well. It is all free hand camera filming, but its not like the "blair witch project", where you might develop motion sickness from watching too much. A lot of it is done very much in the vein of "Paranormal Activity" There are
some scenes where the camera is being held and moving around and others where it is stationary. The thing I like most about movies like this is that it almost seems like there is barely any budget involved and that anyone with a handheld camera could pull it off.
Now of course you have to have a know how of filming and knowing how scenes work and great story telling skills, but really it does give you a sense of " Wow I could do something like this." Also there are many scenes without sound, these really help build the intensity
of the atmosphere. For fans of movies such as "Paranormal Activity" and The "Blair Witch Project", this is definitely up your alley.

Now there are some of you out there, that maybe this won't be your cup of tea and if so then that's ok. I do have to say there are a couple of supporting characters involved that you don't quite get attached to and they do have a bit of a filler feel to them.
 

It's really tough to notice though when 3 quarters of the time your eyes are glued open, watching everything. Now if you like blood, guts and gore and slasher films, this may not be for you. This film is done in a very thriller like way and is very "clean."
This film also does not have as strong an effect, if you are watching it with a group of people and or in the daytime. It's a little corny, yes I know, but really this series has the most intense effect when watched alone and without lights. The fear effect is really driven when
the imagination starts running wild. If you find that you aren't into that, or that it's lame, then you may not be interested.

To conclude Marble Hornets is definitely worth checking out, I highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates the horror genre and independent films.

To see the series from the beginning start here.

Continue along with entry #1 and so on.

You can also visit http://www.marblehornetsdvd.com/  and follow Marble Hornets on Twitter.

Silent Hill Revelation 3D Review

Silent Hill Revelation 3D

4/5

Review:

As a fan of the first Silent Hill movie, I was completely in favour of a return to the big screen for one of the better horror survival franchises. I will say, I was somewhat dismayed by the fact it was going to be in 3D (although admittedly not surprised). What surprised me more though is how effectively it was used and how good the overall picture was.

This story caries on from the first one where Christopher De Silva (now Harry) is trying to live life after escaping the first time from Silent Hill with his daughter. Luckily, you won’t need to know much more past that to at least enjoy what this movie is trying to do. The best way I can describe this was like watching a haunted house when the action was on, and like a slow burn when it wasn't. What little plot there is gets explained fairly well and at no point did I find myself confused.

In order to enjoy something like this however, one would have to definitely suspend some disbelief and just let this movie take you on the ride it attempts to be. The 3D is used for immersion, and from the ash appearing to fall right in front of you, to creatures popping out extra appendages right at you, it seems to be all done in the name of fun and keeping you engaged.

This movie is not for horror purists in the sense that there isn't much that could be considered scary here and it shouldn't be giving anyone nightmares any time soon. The visuals are well constructed though and represent the video game universe well; one scene in particular with the infamous nurses provides a good nod to the video games.

I’d recommend this for fans of any of the horror remakes that have come out in 3D, possibly for fans of the original and those who just want to have some fun and not worry about leaving the theatre scared and checking your closets at night etc.

One word of caution though: If you are going to see this, make sure it’s in 3D!

-Marcell

Under Construction

Hello,

This blog is currently under construction. In the mean time allow me to explain what this is.

This blog is going to be focusing on horror movie reviews and general horror topics. It will be written by me and hopefully a host of contributors in the near future who will each add a different spin and discuss different things about the genre that they enjoy.

For movies, a lot of the reviews will focus on the old classics, but we will also have some newer reviews as well.

Stay tuned!