It’s time to look at the Paranormal Activity series of movies. I have seen 1-3 before today and this afternoon lay back in bed to watch the 4th one. Written & directed by Oren Peli Paranormal Activity is a 2007 movie that was only released in 2009. The movie stars Katie Featherstone & Micah Sloat as a young couple who setup cameras in their home to capture & document a supernatural presence that seems to haunting them.

It’s September 2006 and Katie & Micah have just  moved into a new house in San Diego. Katie claims that an “evil” presence has haunted her periodically since childhood and believes it is still following her. Micah sets up a video camera in their bedroom on a tripod to capture any activity that occurs while they sleep. They hear keys being dropped and running footsteps in the night and wake up the next morning to find their keys on the floor. They consult a psychic who informs Katie that she is being haunted by a demon and not a ghost. Each night the camera records some movements like the door moving on it’s own and they hear low rumbles and demonic noises. Katie wakes up in the middle of night to hear a loud thump. On the thirteenth night, Katie is awakened by movement in the hallway; the demon loudly screeches and there is a loud bang. Micah tries to taunt the demon and ask it many questions. During the 15th night, the hallway light flickers on and off and demonic noises are heard by Katie’s side of the bed. Katie gets up in an apparent trance and stares at Micah sleeping for two hours before going outside to sit on the backyard swing. Micah tries to convince Katie to come inside, but she refuses. Micah returns inside and finds the TV on and is randomly flicking through channels. She remembers none of this the next morning.

Micah breaks his promise to Katie and brings home an Ouija board. After the two leave the house that evening, leaving the board in the living room. Curtains open and shut by an invisible force and plants are blown around. A howling wind is then heard and the Ouija board’s planchette moves on its own and a small fire erupts on it and extinguishes itself. They next day they find non-human footrints in the talcum powder that Micah left on the floor and he finda a burnt photo of a young Katie. They then contact the demonologist but he is unavailable. On the 18th night the demon slams the bedroom door loudly and Micah hears loud angry growls from behind the door. The next day while they eat their lunch, they hear a glass shattering and find their photo frame broken and Micah’s face scratched in the photo. During the 19th night, the bed covers move, a light turns on and off, a non human shadow is seen on the door before Katie awakes from a blow in her face. A low demonic snarl is then heard downstairs. On the 20th night Katie is pulled out of their bed and they hear hisses from the demon. Micah rescues her back and they find bite marks on her back. They pack to go to a motel but Katie says they will be ok, her voice changing slightly inhuman. Katie is possessed and the following night, after starring at a sleeping Micah for 2 hours, she goes down and screams for him. Micah is thrown aside by Katie who smiles into the camera before lunging at it, her face looking demonic. The next day the police find Micah’s dead body and Katie is reported missing.

Paranormal Actvity 2 was released in 2010 as a parallel running prequel to the movie. Peli co-produced the film which was directed by Tod Williams and written by Michael R. Perry. The events of the movie begins 2 months before the events of the first film and the ending is after the ending of the 1st movie.

It’s August 2006 and a burglary attempt happens at the home of Kristi & Dan Rey, leaving the entire house trashed except for their baby Hunter’s room. All that was stolen was a necklace that Kristi’s sister Katie had given her. However Dan setups security cameras around the house and that’s when they notice a few supernatural occurances in the house. The housekeeper Martine attempts to cleanse the house of evil spirits but is fired by Dan for burning incense. Kristi tells Dan that the house is haunted but he dismissed it. Katie, who is visiting, and Kristi talk about being tormented by a demon when they were children. Ali, Dan’s older daughter by his first wife, researches the mysterious happenings; she discovers that humans can make deals with demons for wealth or power by forfeiting the soul of their first-born son–Hunter was the first male to be born on Kristi’s side since the 1930s. Soon the family dog is attacked and it suffers seizures and Dan & Ali take it to the vet. Kristi, alone at home with Hunter, is attacked by the demon and she is dragged to the basement where she stays for an hour and walks out possessed. The next day Ali finds the Latin word for “Mine” etched on the basement door and finds a bite mark on Kristi’s leg. Ali begs Daniel to come home; after he arrives, she shows him the footage of Kristi’s attack. He immediately calls Martine, who prepares a cross to exorcise the demon; Kristi will have no memory of having been possessed. Dan tells Ali he is going to pass the demon onto Katie so that Kristi and Hunter will be saved. Ali begs him not to because it is unfair to Katie, but Dan sees no other way to save his wife and son.

In the night Dan touches Kristi with a cross and attacks him as the house lights go out all at once. He finds Kristi and Hunter have disappeared. Furniture begins toppling over, and the chandeliers shake. Dan chases Kristi into the basement, where she attacks him. He touches her with the cross, causing her to collapse. Dan hears demonic growls and finally, the shaking stops. Dan puts Kristi to bed and burns a photo of a young Katie (the same photo Micah later finds in the attic of his and Katie’s house in the first film). 3 weeks later Katie speaks to Kristi about strange occurrences in her house and then we see the begining of the first film. On Octoer 9th a blood stained Katie enter Dan and Kristi’s home and kills Dan by breaking his neck while he’s watching TV. She then kills Kristi in Hunter’s room, violently hurling her against the camera, and takes the baby. She leaves the room, cradling Hunter. The screen fades to black as Hunter’s crying turns into laughter. Ali was on a school trip when this happens and as she returns she finds the dead bodies of her father & stepmom. Katie & Hunter are missing.

Good and scary eh? 8 outta 10 for the first movie and a 7 outta 10 for the second!