Paranormal Activity

I am so pleased to see a horror film that has been made after the year 2000 that actually genuinely scared me. This movie was made for only $35, 000 and has already grossed over $8, 000, 000. It has done very well considering it was released in around 10 cities on the first weekend it came out a few weeks ago. Ever since I saw the trailer on TV, I have been wishing it would come to Mission, knowing the day would never come. I was ecstatic when I first heard the news last Thursday. The film is about a couple who document their lives due to the girlfriend Katie's paranormal experiences throughout her entire life. As the film progresses, so does the paranormal activity in her house, which is terrifying to see on screen, especially the scenes at night.

This movie is now up in my list of scariest movies, along with The Shining and The Evil Dead. I am still scared at night ever since Monday when I saw it.

Rating: 8.9/10

Das Kabinet des Doktor Caligari

Das Kabinet des Doktor Caligari is one of those most interesting art/horror films I have ever seen. The scenery in this silent German 1920 film was incredible, eerily reminding me of any Tim Burton film; it seems that this movie is where he got all of his inspiration from. The movie starts out with the protagonist, named Francis, telling an old man how he met his fiancee. The story starts in a small town with an annual fair. At this fair, an old man named Dr. Caligari has an exhibit featuring a somnambulist named Cesare. Francis' friend asks this somnambulist when he is going to die, to which he replies "tomorrow at dawn." The prophecy is coincidentally fulfilled, ultimately unleashing the audience into an artistic nightmare.

I found this film extremely ahead of its time. I did not reveal the whole plot because of spoiler reasons, but the story as a whole was better than many horror movies made in a long time. I could have written a review on the set design; the obscurity in it is definitely out of this world. If you don't plan on watching the movie, at least look at what I'm talking about on Google images.

Rating: 8.6/10

The Others

I've heard from some people that this movie is good, and I've heard that it is bad. Because the person saying it is good is more reliable than the one saying it was bad, I decided to watch it (unfortunately already knowing the twist at the end). The story follows a family of three in a large house during the World War II era. The mother (Nicole Kidman) is very religious, and is very cautious with her children; they are very sensitive to the sun, which could cause their demise. Her carefulness results in the curtains being closed at all times, and having doors locked behind you when you enter a room: rules in which the mother demands the new servants obey. Kidman begins to hear strange noises in rooms where no one is occupying, and on one day, she experiences the others' presence in her house.

I quite enjoyed this movie, and I look back upon my friend's opinion on movies (including the bad one on this), and realize I should never take his word again. The shadows used in this movie, due to the closed curtains, really give a supernatural and dark mood to the movie, something that Hollywood horrors rarely do today (see review of Disturbia). I give this movie 7.6 out of 10 for these reasons, and because of the twist at the end that I already half knew, so luckily it wasn't completely spoiled.