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Richard Corliss, Time: EXCELLENT "...not just a fun thrill ride, but an instructive artistic experience. A horror-movie revisionist, [writer-director Oren] Peli follows a less-is-more strategy; he knows that waiting for the big scary jolt does more damage to the nervous system than getting it." (Read the full review...) 1,082 words, 10/09/09 Bradley Jacobs, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD (cg) "The film builds with undeniable tension -- and has moments of sheer terror." (Read the full review...) 60 words, 10/15/09 Michael Phillips, A.O. Scott, At the Movies: GOOD (cg) Michael Phillips: "See it." A.O. Scott: "Skip it." (Watch the full review...) 0 seconds, 10/10/09 Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT (cg) "With its this-is-really-happening vibe, 'Paranormal Activity' scrapes away 30 years of encrusted nightmare clichés. The fear is real, all right, because the fear is really in you." (Read the full review...) 259 words, 10/02/09 Glenn Whipp, Associated Press: VERY GOOD (cg) "See it early in its run -- and late at night in a packed theater. Half the fun of the movie comes from the communal experience of sharing in something that feels like it hasn't been market-tested within an inch of its life." (Read the full review...) 614 words, 10/09/09 Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD (cg) "Think 'The Blair Witch Project' meets 'The Exorcist' and then dial it up a few notches, and you have an approximation of the subtle but terrifying atmosphere of 'Paranormal Activity.' " (Read the full review...) 403 words, 10/09/09 {Paranormal Activity has not been reviewed by People, Newsweek.}
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (cg) "Some wild moments make it all worth it." (Read the full review...) 77 words, 10/09/09 Bryant Manning, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "To sleep, perchance to scream very loudly. Viral hit 'Paranormal Activity' delivers genuine thrills." (Read the full review...) 640 words, 10/02/09 A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...it does have an ingenious, if not terribly original, formal conceit -- that everything on-screen is real-life amateur video -- that is executed with enough skill to make you jump and shriek." (Read the full review...) 736 words, 10/09/09 Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...writer-director Oren Peli... has created a psychological thriller of such small scale and yet such heightened effect that no doubt Hitchcock, wherever he may be, is smiling." (Read the full review...) 770 words, 10/03/09 Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD (cg) "...delivers more shocks and shudders than most flicks costing 10 times that." (Read the full review...) 477 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (cg) "Medium scares found in micro-budget film." (Read the full review...) 319 words, 10/02/09 Roger Moore, New York Newsday: GOOD (cg) "...this one is more fun than most studio horror films." (Read the full review...) 268 words, 10/09/09 Peter Hartlaub, Houston Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg) "[Director Oren] Peli paces the movie perfectly, with a less-is-more mentality that comes when your film isn't quite as expensive as a Honda Civic." (Read the full review...) 480 words, 10/09/09 Glenn Whipp, Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP: VERY GOOD (cg) "...owns a raw, primal potency, proving again that, to the mind, suggestion has as much power as a sledgehammer to the skull." (Read the full review...) 614 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Dallas Morning News: VERY GOOD (cg) "Some movies are a more shared experience than others, and that's certainly the case with 'Paranormal Activity'... The combination of the late hour and the horror-jazzed audience could make this minimalist chill-fest the new 'Blair Witch Project'..." (Read the full review...) 391 words, 10/09/09 Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD (cg) " 'Paranormal' is as scary as advertised. But don't let hype frighten you away from good flick." (Read the full review...) 746 words, 10/23/09 Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg) "...goes down in the ultra-low-budget horror movie hall of fame, recalling the vibe of 'The Blair Witch Project' without copying that movie outright.... succeeds in its modest goals of building tension slowly and generating a handful of legitimate scares." (Read the full review...) 461 words, 10/09/09 Tirdad Derakhshani , Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD (cg) "...has an interesting oneman-with-a-camera gimmick and it delivers some real thrills..." (Read the full review...) 880 words, 10/13/09 Justine Elias, Boston Globe: MODERATE (cg) "...finds mild unease and shocks in an underfurnished home. Even at 85 minutes, the movie contains maybe 50 minutes that scare." (Read the full review...) 339 words, 10/10/09 Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD (cg) "The low-budget 'Paranormal Activity' is diabolically effective." (Read the full review...) 505 words, 10/09/09 Ted Fry, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a thrilling series of frights that create an almost-unbearable level of tension right through to the final minutes." (Read the full review...) 472 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Detroit Free Press: MODERATE (cg) "Yes, it turns out to be more fun than most studio horror films that drop into theaters most weekends. Is it scarier? Only occasionally." (Read the full review...) 85 words, 09/25/09 Roger Moore, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD (cg) "...gather your friends, stay up past your bedtime and catch 'Paranormal Activity' as the midnight movie it is." (Read the full review...) 338 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (cg) "Something about seeing terror through the viewfinder of a video camera lends it veracity, like watching 'America's Scariest Home Videos.' " (Read the full review...) 348 words, 10/23/09 Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "...found terror traction in its second half. I'd been ready to leave after an hour but was glad to have stuck around." (Read the full review...) 492 words, 10/08/09 Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (cg) " 'Paranormal Activity' is more fun than your average horror thriller, but not necessarily scarier." (Read the full review...) 350 words, 09/25/09 Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: GOOD (cg) "See it in a crowded theater -- and soon." (Read the full review...) 966 words, 10/09/09 Colin Covert, Sacramento Bee: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a diabolically effective essay in irrational horror." (Read the full review...) 510 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Denver Post: GOOD (cg) "...at the right moments, it is genuinely hair-raising." (Read the full review...) 311 words, 10/02/09 {Paranormal Activity has not been reviewed by Washington Post, Toronto Globe & Mail, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Orange County Register, Baltimore Sun, La Opinion.}
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD (cg) "...this potent frightfest will fry your nerves and creep you out big time without spending a dime on obvious special effects.... If ghost stories have your number, this one will get you good." (Read the full review...) 275 words, 10/30/09 Chuck Wilson, Ruxton Alternative Weeklies: VERY GOOD "For his debut feature, reportedly shot in seven days at a cost of 15 grand, writer-director Oren Peli works wonders with stationary camera footage of the sleeping couple..." (Read the full review...) 199 words, 10/08/09 Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (cg) "[Director] Oren Peli in his feature debut has a few jolts in store, and the natural performances of the cast and the aura of reality provided by the video format keep the tension high." (Read the full review...) 160 words, 10/15/09 Chuck Wilson, Village Voice: VERY GOOD "...refreshingly blood-free--the fact that its old-school scares caused seemingly jaded twentysomethings at a recent midnight screening to squirm in their seats suggests that there's hope for the world after all." (Read the full review...) 199 words, 10/02/09 Chuck Wilson, LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Grounded by strong performances by newcomers [Katie] Featherston and [Micah] Sloat, who pretty much have the movie to themselves..." (Read the full review...) 203 words, 10/08/09 Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: VERY GOOD (cg) "By the time the really bad stuff starts - when suffocating dread snaps into sudden, shocking terror - we're invested in these people. That's what makes Paranormal Activity so effec tive, and so merciless. And, yes, scary." (Read the full review...) 523 words, 10/08/09 Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: EXCELLENT "It teases, it terrorizes, and it will burn images in your brain that will freak you..." (Read the full review...) 575 words, 10/16/09 {Paranormal Activity has been reviewed by all Alternative/Indie.}
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...it does have an ingenious, if not terribly original, formal conceit -- that everything on-screen is real-life amateur video -- that is executed with enough skill to make you jump and shriek." (Read the full review...) 736 words, 10/09/09 David Edelstein, NPR Fresh Air: EXCELLENT "Throughout this movie, something sure as hell is holding us." (Listen to the full review...) 0 seconds, 10/09/09 Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...writer-director Oren Peli... has created a psychological thriller of such small scale and yet such heightened effect that no doubt Hitchcock, wherever he may be, is smiling." (Read the full review...) 770 words, 10/03/09 {Paranormal Activity has not been reviewed by NPR Morning Edition, NPR All Things Considered, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker.}
Dennis Harvey, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...one of the best genre spins on the pseudo-nonfiction 1st-person-cam since 'The Blair Witch Project,' with which it shares improvised performances, no explicit violence or 'solution,' and a gradual escalation of chills." (Read the full review...) 259 words, 01/19/08 Kevin Lally, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD " 'Paranormal' ultimately does deliver in a way that 'Blair Witch' never did, but its achingly slow buildup is a test not just of an audience's patience but the power of hype surrounding the latest alternative scary movie." (Read the full review...) 456 words, 09/25/09 Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...writer-director Oren Peli... has created a psychological thriller of such small scale and yet such heightened effect that no doubt Hitchcock, wherever he may be, is smiling." (Read the full review...) 770 words, 10/03/09 A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...it does have an ingenious, if not terribly original, formal conceit -- that everything on-screen is real-life amateur video -- that is executed with enough skill to make you jump and shriek." (Read the full review...) 736 words, 10/09/09 {Paranormal Activity has not been reviewed by Wall Street Journal.}
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (cg) "Some wild moments make it all worth it." (Read the full review...) 77 words, 10/09/09 Bryant Manning, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "To sleep, perchance to scream very loudly. Viral hit 'Paranormal Activity' delivers genuine thrills." (Read the full review...) 640 words, 10/02/09 A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...it does have an ingenious, if not terribly original, formal conceit -- that everything on-screen is real-life amateur video -- that is executed with enough skill to make you jump and shriek." (Read the full review...) 736 words, 10/09/09 Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...writer-director Oren Peli... has created a psychological thriller of such small scale and yet such heightened effect that no doubt Hitchcock, wherever he may be, is smiling." (Read the full review...) 770 words, 10/03/09 Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD (cg) "...delivers more shocks and shudders than most flicks costing 10 times that." (Read the full review...) 477 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (cg) "Medium scares found in micro-budget film." (Read the full review...) 319 words, 10/02/09 Roger Moore, New York Newsday: GOOD (cg) "...this one is more fun than most studio horror films." (Read the full review...) 268 words, 10/09/09 David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "I've never seen a movie that so cunningly exploits our anticipation." (Read the full review...) 337 words, 10/12/09 Chuck Wilson, Village Voice: VERY GOOD "...refreshingly blood-free--the fact that its old-school scares caused seemingly jaded twentysomethings at a recent midnight screening to squirm in their seats suggests that there's hope for the world after all." (Read the full review...) 199 words, 10/02/09 Chuck Wilson, LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Grounded by strong performances by newcomers [Katie] Featherston and [Micah] Sloat, who pretty much have the movie to themselves..." (Read the full review...) 203 words, 10/08/09 Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: VERY GOOD (cg) "By the time the really bad stuff starts - when suffocating dread snaps into sudden, shocking terror - we're invested in these people. That's what makes Paranormal Activity so effec tive, and so merciless. And, yes, scary." (Read the full review...) 523 words, 10/08/09 {Paranormal Activity has not been reviewed by Toronto Globe & Mail, Orange County Register, La Opinion.}
Peter Hartlaub, Houston Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg) "[Director Oren] Peli paces the movie perfectly, with a less-is-more mentality that comes when your film isn't quite as expensive as a Honda Civic." (Read the full review...) 480 words, 10/09/09 Glenn Whipp, Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP: VERY GOOD (cg) "...owns a raw, primal potency, proving again that, to the mind, suggestion has as much power as a sledgehammer to the skull." (Read the full review...) 614 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Dallas Morning News: VERY GOOD (cg) "Some movies are a more shared experience than others, and that's certainly the case with 'Paranormal Activity'... The combination of the late hour and the horror-jazzed audience could make this minimalist chill-fest the new 'Blair Witch Project'..." (Read the full review...) 391 words, 10/09/09 Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg) "...goes down in the ultra-low-budget horror movie hall of fame, recalling the vibe of 'The Blair Witch Project' without copying that movie outright.... succeeds in its modest goals of building tension slowly and generating a handful of legitimate scares." (Read the full review...) 461 words, 10/09/09 Tirdad Derakhshani , Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD (cg) "...has an interesting oneman-with-a-camera gimmick and it delivers some real thrills..." (Read the full review...) 880 words, 10/13/09 Justine Elias, Boston Globe: MODERATE (cg) "...finds mild unease and shocks in an underfurnished home. Even at 85 minutes, the movie contains maybe 50 minutes that scare." (Read the full review...) 339 words, 10/10/09 Roger Moore, Detroit Free Press: MODERATE (cg) "Yes, it turns out to be more fun than most studio horror films that drop into theaters most weekends. Is it scarier? Only occasionally." (Read the full review...) 85 words, 09/25/09 {Paranormal Activity has not been reviewed by Washington Post.}
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD (cg) " 'Paranormal' is as scary as advertised. But don't let hype frighten you away from good flick." (Read the full review...) 746 words, 10/23/09 Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD (cg) "The low-budget 'Paranormal Activity' is diabolically effective." (Read the full review...) 505 words, 10/09/09 Ted Fry, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a thrilling series of frights that create an almost-unbearable level of tension right through to the final minutes." (Read the full review...) 472 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD (cg) "...gather your friends, stay up past your bedtime and catch 'Paranormal Activity' as the midnight movie it is." (Read the full review...) 338 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (cg) "Something about seeing terror through the viewfinder of a video camera lends it veracity, like watching 'America's Scariest Home Videos.' " (Read the full review...) 348 words, 10/23/09 Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "...found terror traction in its second half. I'd been ready to leave after an hour but was glad to have stuck around." (Read the full review...) 492 words, 10/08/09 Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (cg) " 'Paranormal Activity' is more fun than your average horror thriller, but not necessarily scarier." (Read the full review...) 350 words, 09/25/09 Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: GOOD (cg) "See it in a crowded theater -- and soon." (Read the full review...) 966 words, 10/09/09 Colin Covert, Sacramento Bee: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a diabolically effective essay in irrational horror." (Read the full review...) 510 words, 10/09/09 Roger Moore, Denver Post: GOOD (cg) "...at the right moments, it is genuinely hair-raising." (Read the full review...) 311 words, 10/02/09 {Paranormal Activity has not been reviewed by St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Baltimore Sun.}
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