Customer Reviews

Paranormal Entity

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Renting this rip-off riding on the coat tails of the success of Paranormal Activity, I wasn't expecting much. Maybe a laugh or two. I ended up fast forwarding through most of this mess. Don't waste your time. The dialogue was ridiculous (not that I could hear half of what the actors said since the audio was so poor), the acting was no better, and the "scares" felt forced and were so badly timed it was painful. I shouldn't even waste more of my time reviewing this movie, but I should at least warn the hapless suckers who might be fooled into thinking this is a quality film.

With budget no more than $1000 (for the camera(s) cost plus the laptop) everybody can make a movie like this. Bad sound effects, bad actors, even a "typo" on ending text, almost identical "scenario" with Paranormal Activity. If you've seen Paranormal Activity and movies like it, then you don't need this at all. The only thing that you might like is the house and it's decoration, nothing more to add.

As is the case with any of the other Asylum releases, PARANORMAL ENTITY is a virtual remake of the smash hit PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, retaining all of the same structure with only minor character and plot changes. Ironically, this cheap cash-in both proves and disproves the effectiveness of the original film. The rapid-fire scares in ENTITY make it far more skeptical than the subtle haunts in ACTIVITY, but the cleverly implied scares that are created in both show that almost anyone can pick up a camera and generate the same level of terror with hardly any effort. Van Dyke asks very little of his actors, and receives little in return besides the expectantly bland performances and the obligatory nude scene. As a matter of budgetary convenience, the cameras placed in the rooms that are experiencing activity just happen to either get pushed aside or knocked over during pivotal moments. This leaves the viewer staring at a blank screen for much of the film. Regardless of the fact that it is nothing more than a clone, there are still enough realistic touches that are further emphasized by the lack of music in order to make PARANORMAL ENTITY a genuinely unnerving watch.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Very derivative work made two years after Paranormal Activity, which is a far better flick, Paranormal Entity is a weak mocumentary about a haunting that arises out a wife's grief. In all fairness (kindness?), making a mockumentary based solely on purported home video would be very difficult. It's hard to develop a plot without using some artifice to introduce exposition. But when all you have is one scene after another of breaking glass, drawing letters on a table, and the covers being dragged off a teenage girl, some artifice, please!

The actors do a good job of making credible home movie footage, though the camera used to film them wouldn't be found in any home except, perhaps, Steven Spielberg's. But the plot can be stated in one sentence: There is an entity in the house that is either the dead father or a dark force. You can guess which one it is. Then imagine some scenes like those described above, and that it. For 90 minutes. Sorry, guys, but this has been done, and its not even worth doing.

I myself am a fan of ghost stories and it doesn't usually take a whole lot to keep my attention since I'm often willing to look past the faults of simpler stories. That said, this one has many, many problems.

First, not all of the performances are believable. A lot of it is contrived and poorly written and acted. Particularly the mother of the story. The sister is reasonable, and the main role is believable only until the dramatic moments. Then he loses me.

Second, so much of the plot is directly lifted from Paranormal Activity. No brownie points for not even trying to make it seem a little different. Many elements are straight from it to the point where you could probably watch the two side by side and they would be nearly identical save for just a few minor elements.

Third, the sets are completely disingenuous. It looks like a cheap display home in a cookie cutter neighborhood with a little cheap furniture for staging. It just isn't believable as someone's actual home so it serves as a constant reminder causing the movie to lose some of its realism and voyeuristic quality that the whole home camera thing is supposed to give. It defeats the purpose.

Lastly, its completely predictable. Not only because so much of it is lifted from Paranormal Activity, but even the changed/added elements are easy to see coming from a mile away.

Basically, if you are fairly easily amused and find it easy to look past some bad movie making and forgive some lack of imagination, you could find worse movies. But you could also find much better. I was reasonably amused, but I'm glad I didn't spend money on it.

Ghost tries to rape young woman - how sickening and unoriginal.

Samantha usually sleeps in some type of p.j. but the night the ghost is going to attack her, she's in her Victoria Secret undies? Give me a break. And listening to Tom's winded breathing all through this movie was annoying. In one scene, she's screaming topless in a bathtub - while wearing jeans? THEN, we finally see the real subject of the movie.........HER BOOBS! Actually, the movie was MERCILESSLY boring until the end so, I gave it two stars for the end.

A while back a little indie movie titled "Blair Witch Project" made millions. There were rip offs by the dozen. Some people recognized Blair Wirch Project is super similar to another little indie called "Last Broadcast" made a couple of years before Blair Witch. Sometimes, ideas are just plain cyclical in the universe of intellectual property...not necessarily deliberate rip offs. In this case, in my opinion, Last Broadcast was better than Blair Witch. In the case of the Asylum release "Paranormal Entity", I have the same comment. Asylum deliberately releases similar themes/takes on A list release films. It offers (much like Roger Corman) an opportunity to enjoy small films and for the small film makers to get experience for dozens of new or neglected talent in the industry to obtain at least a credited release. Most Asylum releases, in my opinion, usually are bad. In the case of Paranormal Entity, it is one of those Asylum releases that is significantly better than the A list release. In this case, I saw Paranormal Activity with a full theatre audience. We were all bored. Paranormal Entity had some excitment, at least a script that switched up the action, and had a great sudden ending for horror fans that was real not stupid. If Paranormal Entity had the same force of film festival play, promotion money backing, and internet buzz that Paranormal Activity had behind it, I would like to have seen the audience response polls when putting them back-to-back. I, for one, would have voted Paranormal Entity (while not on my list of greats - or even close), would definately win out over Paranormal Activity.

I was one of those people that actually enjoyed "Paranormal Activity".

Of course, I never believed it was a true story, and never claimed it was a "good" film...in fact, all I said was that I enjoyed the "less is more" feeling, and that it found that place in me where the small child is, and squeezed on that nerve held back in my subconscious 10 year-old mind wondering what the hell those sounds were in the middle of the night.

That being said, I think I'm now feeling what all of you out there that DIDN'T like "Paranormal Activity" felt...this movie, besides being an absolutely shameless rip-off, didn't even deliver the goods that "Activity" did. At least in "Activity", you SAW some scary things...the footprints were otherworldly...the sounds were ungodly...and the camera didn't get pushed into the closet during important scenes...I guess we're supposed to believe that this particular demonic entity KNEW it was being filmed, and decided itself (in approved parental/MPAA fashion) that what it was about to do would be something that didn't need to be committed to posterity.

Demons with a conscience...how refreshing.

I would like to say something redeeming about this one, but I already pulled out everything good about this movie and said it about the superior "Paranormal Activity"...being this is a cheap and unapologetic copy, I won't even attempt to justify it's values (or lack thereof).

OK I guess if you liked "Activity" and have extra cash for the rental...otherwise, a total waste of time...you've seen it, and a better version to boot.

This is an ultra low-budget version of Paranormal Activity...if there could be such a thing (PA cost $15k to make). The premise is very familiar: obsessed filmmaker follows his mother and sister around with camera equipment as he attempts to record the existence of an evil, dangerous force which happens to be plaguing their lives. The entity is particularly fond of the filmmaker's sister, who is often the victim of the attacks.
This is a fun, low-budget film in the vein of (say) Night of the Demons where the acting is pitiful and the story is full holes...but entertaining nonetheless. I don't think the film is worth the $20 pricetag currently attached to it, but for a lower price one could do a lot worse than spending an evening with the lights turned low and this film in the spinner.

As with "Paranormal Activity", the 'Demon' targets a large breasted, young woman, that sulks about in tight fitting tank tops,
and displays his affection, by removing the bed-sheets as she sleeps (so much for subtlety).
"Paranormal Entity" also shares the aggressive male character, hell-bent on capturing every minute detail on film.
A third person is added, in the form of the grieving mother, who'm unwillingly opens a portal, whilst trying to communicate with her deceased husband.
There is a Demonologist, though his appearance comes within the final chapter of the film (he's not much help).

"Entity" is enjoyable when it veers off the "Paranormal Activity" script.
The "footprints" segment is brilliant, as is the "bells", to lesser effect.
This one feels a bit more atmospheric & creepy, and the back-story, regarding the dead father, is a nice touch.
Unlike "Activity", there is some nudity, which is an added bonus, considering the 'wow' factor of the female lead.

All in all, this one succeeds, in all it's low-budget, hand-held glory!