Paranormal Activity: Stage and Screen
Paranormal Activity is running until the end of March in London but there is also a nomadic parallel paranormal play.
After seeing Stranger Things: The First Shadow and being incredibly impressed with what is possible in the Tardis-esq space within pretty much any of London’s 19th and early 20th Century theatres (with a Hollywood budget), I was very interested to see what Paranormal Activity could do, using the name of a well known film as its USP to hook a broader crowd in.
I had not seen a horror on stage before, which as a fan of horror isn’t something I’ve not tried to do. My friends had all seen 22:22 A Ghost Story, and it left the West End. I did review the film, though. Inside No. 9 is still on my list but when I saw Paranormal Activity, which for some reason was blasted at me on all my social media I began to wonder if I’m being profiled somehow or my phone is always listening, I immediately clicked the link and asked my girlfriend to join me.
My girlfriend immediately said no chance, you’re on your own. Even with my agreeing to see The Lion King, this was a scare too far. So my very good friend joined me, phew.
The Ambassadors Theatre is cosy. We were in the stalls which felt small but effective for the story, it is an intimate play. Paranormal Activity’s impressive set is a two story house, and we could see the upper floor, but any further back than our row (L) and I think it would have been hard or not possible, which is a huge shame. They have screens which flick on when the action moves up there, but it’s not the same.
What I wanted from this Paranormal Activity apparition was wow factor. I wanted to see some stage craft I hadn’t before and also be scared, obviously. I’m staunchly spoiler free so I’ll keep this brief but boy did it deliver. A couple have moved to London from Chicago because the wife has a few issues and we all know it isn’t seasonal affective disorder, it’s a motherfuckin demon yo!
The script keeps itself going with some well placed humour and is a believable portrayal of a couple suffering a hardship which is undefined. For the most part the two actors are the only ones on stage so the strength of performance is pivotal. When things start to unravel, the dread is amped up and while I wasn’t ever truly terrified I think I was in the minority and I’d be lying if I said there aren’t parts when I thought, “yep, yep, ok, that’s creepy” with the hairs on my neck tingling.
Paranormal Activity’s spectral setpiece special effect scares are wonderful and drew gasps. Each break, with the lights in the theatre fully off for set change, there were claps; it was a real treat. I loved it and am avowed to attend more horror theatre as soon as possible. 8/10
The tsunami of found footage an cinema verite dogshit which flooded the market and direct to DVD shelves of Blockbuster in the wake of The Blair WItch Project’s success made me incredibly sceptical of anything suggesting a rip off. 2007, when Paranormal Activity was released was eight years later, but if you can make a film for $100,000 and roll those dice then it is understandable why the trend didn’t die.
Paranormal Activity made $100,000,000 at the box office. That it even made it to the cinema was an achievement, its return of investment explains why it has spawned sequels and spin offs and the stage adaptation. All the money the world can cough up does not make a film great, though, merely successful. Zootopia 2 is now one of the biggest grossing films of all time and while I haven’t seen it, I highly doubt it holds a creative candle to underperforming films now hailed as classics such as The Shawshank Redemption or one of my favourites, The Thing.
Fun fact, the highest grossing film of all time adjusted for inflation? Gone With the Wind, by $400,000,000- over Avatar.
When you spend hundreds of millions making a film, you’re just increasing the likelihood of people seeing it, then relying on the skill of filmmaking. Like playing the lottery, you’re a lot more likely to win with a million tickets than with one, but it’s still far from a sure thing. With a story and style like Paranormal Activity it’s entirely down to having a good product at the right time.
In 2007 people filming every aspect of their lives was not the norm. The iPhone came out that year and sharing every meal you had, or the back of someone’s head at a concert didn’t catch on for a while. Dick pics were a thing, even in SMS messaging- a girl I know received a facsimile of a boner made out of symbols from a noncy neighbour as a 16 year old, which for some reason never went any further.
People (men) are creeps, but so are demons! Fortunately Paranormal Activity is about the latter, even if said Demon does seem to like pulling the bedsheets off a sleeping woman which is itself troublingly sexual. The clunky camera setup to track any ghostly goingon places Paranormal Activity in a perfect period for believability. Micah, the sufferer of said spectre’s malice, is a bit of a dick, with more money for tech than love for his afflicted partner Katie, but then every film needs its Mike like Blair Witch.
Paranormal Activity retains a dread which is hard to replicate, and the stage version really does it justice. Both are worthy of your time if you’re into ghost stories and a not gory scare. 8/10
Comments
Post a Comment