Shot of the Day #267: Boo, dude!

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

This was a looooong time coming...

It's 11:50pm at the Arclight Hollywood, where a special midnight screening of Oren Peli's PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is about to begin. I've been a staunch supporter of the film for almost 2 YEARS now, since seeing it at a CAA screening back in january 08 where it left me with a severe case of heebie jeebies (having to leave the light on both in the car driving home and in the bedroom), as well as claw marks from some unnamed assistant who sat next to me while we screamed and gasped every time they would cut to the shot of the bedroom for another night of "spectral motion". Simple yet effective, PA was a film that blew away Slamdance audiences and quickly got bought up by Dreamworks and & Paramount for both a small release of the original and a spiffy new remake (which was a bad idea thankfully dropped by the studio when the original film supposedly tested through the roof). But then....nothing. Green and I had copies of the early screener, with some early versions of the endings (supposedly Oren had been working on multiple climaxes, each one better than the next) that we would show friends to spook them out, but other than some small screenings here and there, little was said about PA...

...until now.

Seems Paramount decided to go Full Tilt Boogie with PA, marketing it in a unique, "word-of-mouth meets the Twitter age" method that might just prove both innovative and profitable, god willing. By showing the film regionally, near college campuses and other "buzz worthy" areas, the hopes that word will spread that the film is no joke (it's not) and more folks will "demand" it to be played in their area will allow the studio to intelligently roll out the release in markets it knows there is a demand, not just dump it on 1000 screens and hope for the best. Very SMRT Paramount, i hope it pays off.

But we're here, ready to be scared (and see the new "Spielberg Ending"), and look! Free Popcorn? Another plus! This is gonna be a fun night getting a good ole' case of the willies. Can't wait.

So, do your part, DEMAND to see PARANORMAL ACTIVITY in theaters near you! You owe yourself a good scare, no?



Congrats Oren, and my condolences to the families involved....wooo haahahahaha.

BOO!
Joe