Third time’s a charm?
For the Paranormal Activity franchise, yes and no. Yes, because the third installment in the series broke first-day records for horror movies in the US. And no, because it was way too Hollywood and would make fans of the first two films feel cheated. Paranormal Activity 3 had a lot of frightening scenes but most of them felt contrived. They lacked the quiet intensity of the original film—which was independently-produced and less ambitious, therefore, was able to be truer to itself and not sacrifice its artistic integrity for better chances of a big payoff.
If a formula works, why change it? That’s my question. But I guess the franchise had to evolve and try to outdo itself because the audience would get tired of the same old thing. Still, I wish they went for the ambient route, instead of the overly visual and suspenseful Hollywood template.
Third time’s a charm? For the mainstream viewer, probably. But not for obsessive fans of the genre.
Third time’s a charm? That’s also the question this blog poses for itself. As of this writing, Exclamatories is officially back from an extended hiatus. So welcome back, me! I hope this is the edition that lasts. (Follow me on Twitter: @EdBiado)
