Paranormal Activity - Thoughts

I recall watching the trailer for Paranormal Activity late in 2009. Online research indicates that there was a limited release of this movie in 2007, but the regular worldwide release was only in 2009. The trailer had a very real, almost documentary sorta feel to it. More than being scary, it seemed different and thus interesting. Post its release I remember reading and hearing some mixed feelings; some spoke of it being intense, while others had very lackluster things to say about it. In Paranormal Activity the audience experience a demonic presence in the home of a couple by means of a home video.


After a relatively quick 86 minutes, I will have to admit that Paranormal Activity was different as expected and had its fair share of chills. The amateur camera work and home video sorta presentation gave a very real and everyday look and feel to the movie. This coupled with the seemingly plain cast members and their extremely believable performances contributed fittingly to the script. Without giving away too much, Paranormal Activity is more about perceived and smartly indicated horror, than implicitly obvious visuals or effects. Be warned though that to enjoy the director’s brilliant creation it is important to watch the movie on suitably well-endowed audio and video equipment. Also key is to remain focused and pay attention to the narrative process as it slowly unfolds and picks up pace. If you’re distracted or multitasking while watching Paranormal Activity, you’ll find it to be slow, draggy, and unimpressive. If you plan to watch it on a small screen, with the lights on and the volume turned down, you’re probably better of skipping this flick all together. Watch it seriously, the way it was meant to be watched, and rest assured you will remember its scares for some time to come.

Katie Featherston plays Katie, the lead character in Paranormal Activity. Micah Sloat plays Micah, her boyfriend whom she is living with. Both of them perform very convincingly in what is perhaps their everyday normal life. So realistic are their portrayals that’s its questionable as to whether they were acting at all, or letting their normal routines just unfold and be caught on camera. Though there were some stereotypes, such as Micah’s limited faith in the paranormal psychic, his feeling that being the man in the relationship he was capable of handling the situation on his own, and Katie’s fear mixed with expected female emotion, it was never to a point of being questionable. Needless to say the success of Paranormal Activity rests largely on their 2 performances as it does on the shrewd narrative process of the director.

The DVD that I sampled was a Region 1 US release. Video was good, especially considering it was mostly shot on home video format. Paramount probably worked with the content during post processing to ensure the best possible quality while guaranteeing realism. I expected for more blacks and dark scenes with poor visibility, but was happy to notice that it was kept to a minimum if at all present. The video aspect ratio was a perfect fit on a widescreen home television with no letterboxing. Sound was presented by means of a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that was very fitting in this case. The 3D positional audio was key in the competence of the movie, adding an additional level of depth to the realism.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Watch it the right way and you will be scared!)

Bangkok Dangerous - Thoughts

I came across Bangkok Dangerous first while checking out HD trailers off the Apple website. The movie looked like a pretty straight forward international assassin sorta flick starring Nicholas Cage. It didn’t figure in my ‘must watch as soon as possible list’, and thus I only got around to checking out the DVD recently. In Bangkok Dangerous, Nicholas Cage plays a low profile, under the radar assassin, who while in Bangkok experiences a change; though he has spent the bulk of his life alone, he feels driven to build relationships. He begins to re-question some of his life rules, and things start getting complicated.


Directed by the Pang brothers, Bangkok Dangerous is an interesting blend of East Asian style movie making with a touch of Hollywood. Camera angles, lighting, and other technical movie making elements were noticeably different from what I’d grown used to. That said, most techniques were used well to complement the narrative process; exposing the story very efficiently. The most basic and simple human emotions were captured and presented strikingly. The characters feelings came across as real and intense. Though the plot was pretty straight forward, it was executed very well. The pace is decent, and even with the romantic element, and the friendship element, it doesn’t take away too much from the action theme, and never loses focus. Set in Bangkok, the movie showcased the sights and sounds of Bangkok reasonably well. If viewer expectations are very high, Bangkok Dangerous may disappoint, but otherwise I’d say that its quite an impressive movie. Keep in mind that the plot is direct and simple; don’t expect to have to put too much thought into it.

Nicholas Cage played the role of Joe, the assassin for hire, who had been successful thus far in staying out of the laws wanted list. Cage’s portrayal of the character Joe was pretty good, coming across as focused, very methodical, serious and unattached. As the story progressed, the change that he was experiencing was again portrayed significantly; a sense of an internal conflict, and feelings that were new to him, being very evident. Shahkrit Yamnarm played Kong, his local hired help in Bangkok, who later grew to become his student. While I haven’t seen any of his past work, his efforts in Bangkok Dangerous were pretty good. He came across as a kid with a good heart, out to make a quick buck and survive in a city. Charlie Yeung played the role of Fon, a deaf mute who worked in a pharmacy and made an impact on Joe during their first meeting. She performed admirably, as the pleasant, sweet girl; that coupled with her disabilities made it hard to not like her character. Her ability to win the hearts of the audience being testimony to her fine performance.

As in most cases, the DVD I was watching was a Region 1 US release. Video was good for most part, and scene lighting was reminiscent of a Hong Kong movie. Picture dimensions were formatted to fit a widescreen home theatre television set perfectly, with no letterboxing. Sound was good, and surround stage usage was noticeable from the opening sequences. While the transitions of ambient sounds between environments was not as smooth as expected with most Hollywood movies, it wasn’t necessarily a concern, and would probably go unnoticed by most people watching this movie. Sound was presented my means of a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack

My Recommendation: Watch It (A simple yet well-made action movie from the Pang brothers)