Paranormal Activity

Filmed to look like a documentary, Paranormal Activity’s success I believe lies in its suspense. Writer/Director Oren Peli gets lots of kudos from me. He really knows how to write a good story. I’m glad this film has become such a hit because it’s showing Hollywood that gore and jump-out-at-you cheap scares are not what drives a horror movie. Any screenwriter would benefit from looking at Oren’s ideas and interviews on how he studies the genre and writes his screenplays. His biggest influences are the “slow burn” movies, like The Others or The Sixth Sense, when a little is revealed at a time. I’m looking forward to his next piece called Area 51, and we can all expect Hollywood producers to foam at the mouth to make a sequel to this thriller.