Movies That Scare Me to Death: Paranormal Activity

     You've probably heard of this one, but I still think it deserves to be talked about.  The Blair Witch Project wasn't very frightening to me except for about ten minutes out of the whole thing, but Paranormal Activity makes my pulse race no matter how many times I watch it.  It's another one of those that I can't even attempt to watch with the lights off.  Shot in home movie style and featuring unknown actors, this movie made it seem like this could happen to anyone, even your next door neighbors.
     Who among us hasn't scared ourselves by imagining that every noise in our house is caused by something like an intruder or a ghost only to realize it's the faucet dripping or the house settling?  This isn't the case for poor Katie and Micah.  They set up a camera to see if they can find any video evidence of the supernatural thing Katie believes is bothering them.  Of course Micah thinks it's all funny, something he can defeat once he faces it head on.  Katie, however, has dealt with this before, and she becomes scared to death of it.  From Ouija boards to swinging chandaliers, footprints left in powder to shadows on the wall, Paranormal Activity keeps the frights coming.
     Director  Oren Peli knows how to give just enough scares without making the viewer numb to each new terror that comes along.  As you watch the clock on the camera speed up and then slow down you know you better pay close attention...or close your eyes depending on how easily scared you may be.  If you want to be truly scared and haven't seen Paranormal Activity yet, I definitely recommend it.  After viewing, you may want to set up a camera in your bedroom as well...just to make sure your loved ones aren't watching you sleep.