It's a battle of the paranormal this week as we take a look at the two new DVD apparitions that have been released; the enormously popular Paranormal Activity and the enormously unknown Paranormal Entity.
Hey, do you like The Blair Witch Project? Now just imagine that film, but set in a house. There – you now have Paranormal Activity and Paranormal Entity. Both involve people grabbing their own cameras and recording the night time habits of pesky poltergeists.
Many looked on enviously at Paranormal Activity; with a central premise so simple, bold and darn brilliant, it turned out to be one of the best horror films in some time. Some of those green-faced auteurs clearly work for The Aslyum – the ?mockbuster? company whose illustrious back catalogue has appealed to many the ignoramus. Who can not forget such classics as The Da Vinci Treasure or Transmorphers: Fall of Man? Yet, with Paranormal Entity, this may genuinely be the first time that one of their productions cost more than the original that they are ripping-off, paying homage to, ripping-off.
Activity has couple Katie and Micah take a camera into the bedroom to see what type of night time activity seems to be keeping them awake (see the inevitable porn version, Sexual Activity here). It's a slow-burner, but the ample tension really does make you squirm in your seat, making the scares more affective.
Like the Blair Witch before it, it really does leave your imagination to do all of the scary work. When the camera lingers in the bedroom at night, you\’ll find yourself leaning forward curious as to shadows in the distance, while equally being truly terrified about what is about to occur.
Entity on the other hand has a brother, sister and their mother, set-up cameras all over their house trying to catch a glimpse at whatever is going bump in the night. It's less subtle, and by less subtle we mean they just scream very loudly a lot. A LOT. It also contains an gratuitous amount of nudity from the lead female.
It actually becomes quite an embarrassing experience, with little tension and the use of load noises relied on too much. The use of multiple cameras here is actually a detriment, proving to be far less affective than the one camera in Activity. The dialogue is pretty woeful, which is another weird result, considering this film would have had a script and a paid cast, unlike Activity. You're not sure who is more ashamed, the person who mistakenly bought this title or the actors participating.
It's hard to further delve into the story without giving too much away, but the naturalistic style from Activity is incredibly impressive for a first-time director and likewise from a cast who improvise most of the dialogue. This is a film that will keep you hooked all the way until its shock finale (a climax written by Mr. Spielberg).
Entity is an empty shell of Activity. It contains many of the same ingredients, and some of the atmosphere and scenes featured are still tense. But it feels more like an amateur attempt at replicating something that was distinct for its amateur feel in the first place.
Comparing the two films is like putting Coca-Cola up against Tesco Value. You know it's basically the same thing and it sort of tastes the same, but Value has an annoying habit of screaming all the fucking time.
?Spray Rating:
Paranormal Activity: 4/5
Paranormal Entity: 2/5
Follow hecklerspray on Twitter
Waylon says
I disagree, I feel Activity was a complete waste of time…I want my time back. It did absolutley nothing for me. However, I recently watched Entity a couple of nights ago on Netfix and I thought it was decent overall. The acting was convining, a couple of scenes startled me, and in my opinion was more realistic. I would actually buy Entity and perhaps use the Activity disc as a coaster.
Jojo says
I can not comment on Activity but I did see Entity.. also on Netflix….If this movie was supposed to come across as realistic I can say it was poorly done. There was very little conversation between the family memebers,that house did not look lived in. What teenage female doesn’t have clothes all over her room, and her closet HAD no clothes in it. Also, in the beginning the 911 call said “my Mom and my sister are dead” then in the end the caption said the mother killed herself. IN the last scene of the girl.. she was covered in blood .. then the closeup she had a scratch with very little blood. Wasn’t scary to me at all..
Marissa says
I liked Activity better. On the other hand I feel that they remade the movie based on Entity. Entity Came out FIRST! Yes, poorly done but Activity had no right to remake the movie without credit.
Dezhyn says
Today i watched entity on dvd…. Couple of the scene really scared me but overall it was poorly done espescially the mom from the very first scene i could tell she was acting and igotta say she is not that much of anactress…! her scenes didnt make sense at all… And sam what was up with her even i could act better than her thts the first time i see ateenagers room so cleen and empty no pictures no cds no nothing…. And that final scene when shes allegedly being raped or attaked by the entity just ruined the whole thing … All that screaming for one scratch what happened to all that blood that was covering here…. And the doctor he was adoctor not someone who could feel the presence of entities or things like that why wasnt he acting like adoctor…!!!wit that said paranormal activity was by far the scarest movie i have ever seen it was great in every aspect u coold really believe the whole thing i think we shouldnt even relate entity to activity..
seth says
Paranormal Activity SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the biggest waste of my time. I watched it in a hotel and paid 12 dollars for it and after it i wanted to find the person that made the film and beat the shit out of him/her and get my money back. To the jackass that wrote this review, how in the hell can you compare this shitty film to the Blair Witch Project, WOW you must be some film school drop-out! ACTIVITY was by fare the WORST film i have ever seen and i have watched some crappy horror flicks in my life, buy Paranormal Activity was the worst EVER!!!!!!!!!!! I would really like to find the creator of that shit pile of a movie and kick his ass(or hers, and i’m not violent towards women, but if a woman mad this film i would kick her ass just as much as i would a man)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON”T WASTE YOUR TIME ON PARANORMAL ACTIVITY IT SUCKED BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ben says
You clearly don’t know the difference between a good movie and a bad one. Acting was not convincing in Entity, the guy with the camera was a complete douche, and the mum….well,……just fail. Activity was definitely better.
Ben says
Obviously at some point or another the movie idea was leaked so two separate groups started making it. Hardly enough time for the producers of Activity to see Entity get released and then make an entire movie and release that very shortly after lol
Ben says
Hahaha…… “how in the hell can you compare this shitty film to the Blair Witch Project”. You say that as in the Blair Witch Project was a fantastic production? Lol… I admit, I quite liked the BWP, but Paranormal Activity was much better. Much more tension. It does not surprise me that Activity is so popular and Entity is just another fail production that will soon be in the discount bin at your local video store.
Michelle says
I completely agree, I thought Entity was really well done, I just didnt like the ending how it didnt show what happened other than that it was creepy and held my attention more than Activity did.
Shakira says
I watched paranormal activity when it first came out. I thought it was alright it drug out too long for the amount of action in it. I just TRIED to watch paranormal entity and I just couldn’t stop laughing. It was the worst movie I have ever seen. I think I made a better movie in my high school film studies class.
Kailee says
actually paranormal activity was first made by director oren peli in 2007 and went on to several movie festivals to gain all of its prospective fame. paranormal entity came out in late 2009. you can check wikipedia and see all that for your self.
kailee says
also in an interview with erin marie hogan, the actress in paranormal enitity, she states that she had just seen paranormal activity in theaters before they started shooting entity.
angry joe says
Please tell us how you really feel Seth, no holding back now. Remember, this is for posterity’s sake, so please . . . do be honest.
april says
Check out the top 10 Haunted House Horror movies here: http://bit.ly/bLSy6d
Rambo says
Very nice point out with the kid screaming that his mom and sister are dead.. Completely debunks the film.
PanMan says
Actually Activity Was Filmed First Considering It Was First Released In 2007
Ren says
Paranormal entity draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaags along the story. It doesn’t show much excitement or unbelievable situations. Like in Activity it looked like a ghost was under the covers and freaked me out and made me wonder how they did that or if it really was a ghost. For entity a bang would happen and that stuuupid scene where the sister was yelling out for her brother but didn’t seem to be there. It was so fake. Not to mention the footprints on the ceiling or the static noises on the answering machine. Pointless and was not scary at all. I was freaked out with Activity and give Activity 5/5 for their brilliant marketing, originality, and performance. I give entity 1/5, I never heard of entity until I saw it on netflix, it’s not original, and the acting and the scenes were poor.
Dan says
I thought Entity was the better film – despite that it was riddled with inconsistencies; poor sound overdubs, (like that cordless house phone ring and answer tone on the guy’s PDA? – and the answering machine having the best sound quality I’ve ever heard from one – JoJo, good call on your observations). Also, I thought both films had mediocre acting – especially with the mother in Entity, who was the weakest link. In Entity, the sis and brother also had some weak, quite unbelievable moments, as others here have indicated… Let’s see – to draw on about Entity – I like how you don’t see the demon-anything – ever. That made it more frightening than Activity. (The demon faced girl at the end of that one ruined things for me – like the first time you see the infected dude’s face, when it screams after Smith and his dog, in ‘I am Legend’) – its like.. really??! I wish the paranormal investigator could’ve been brought into Entity a little sooner, and survived a little longer. He was the best actor in the film… Great ideas overall… (if only the best parts of both films could be combined into yet a third body of work). Also – despite the disappointment that seems to have come to some from not very convincing camera work, or action sequences – the handycam approach works well with this genre/type of film I think – we just haven’t seen a knockout film that utilizes it, yet.
Kadi002 says
They are both fake and stupid. A wasted of money and time. Paranormal Activity and Paranormal Entity ARE THE EXACT SAME MOVIE!!! Get a life.
joey malola says
Dispute what many of the comments were saying, this movie was terrifying. It really got to me when they screamed, and when the demon got violent. My real concern is why the people are criticizing the movie. Surely you realize that Paranormal Activity is NO better than Paranormal Entity. While the ending was a little sketchy, it does not take away the fact that this movie successfully delivered my cousins and I a scare. In no way should this movie be debunked via comparison to Paranormal Activity.
Acting: 9/10
Story line: 10/10
Effects and quality: 8/10
Climax: 10/10 (terrifying!)
Ending: 7/10
DICK FREUD says
I agree with the review. Although I dont think its for everybody. Personally I did enjoy Activity. I liked the slow build. One thing that surprises me though was how people prefer the characters of Entity.
As I remember the characters in that movie were whiny and melodramatic. Its been a while since I saw the movie but I remember really finding the sister annoying. Anyway very decent movie good innovative addition to the horror genre.
Pay says
paranormal activity 1 and 2 boreds me alots. i dont know bout the third one. havent watched it yet. from the trailer, bloody mary was shown or some scenes and in the actual movie, sucks alot coz the best scenes was deleted. tskk.
In paranormal entity. i like it though lots of questions where hanged still gave me chills. havent watch the part 2 of it.
P.A. – 3/5
P.E. – 4/5
chava says
I just watched Paranormal Activity 1 &2, and today watched Paranormal Entity. I agree they are both the same. I don’t think one is better than the other. I do wish they would have showed more with the “dr.” that finally came to investigate the house in Entity. It just went from them talking on the couch to him being dead on the floor and the sister screaming her head off.
I did, however, find inconsistencies to Entity. Like mentioned above, all the blood while she is being raped and then her being all clean and just having a scratch. Also, like someone eles pointed out, the beginning of the movie where he calls 911 and says they killed his mom and sister. But the mom supposedly kills herself later. I noticed that right away. And how it says that when the mom got word of the death of her children, she took her own life. I don’t understand that….Wasn’t it just the sister who was killed? And the brother takes his own life, LATER while imprisoned?
One more thing, if you look closely at the rape scene, she has her underwear on. How is she being raped with her panties on?
Pauly says
I’m surprised no one criticized the horrible, terrible acting by the sister in Entity?! She had a banging body and I would have F*CKed her nine ways til Sunday but she wasn’t believable at all. Did I mention I would have boinked her? Oh I did. Okay moving right along. Paranormal Activity was killer and the best ending was actually the 3rd unseen ending where Katie kills Micah off-camera and then sits on the floor in the bedroom and rocks all day and night while holding the knife, finally getting shot at the end by the cops after the demon slams the bathroom door and startles the cop. I’m guessing what these haters consider a good horror film?? Could it be The Grudge? Scream?..Because the reality based Paranormals trilogy kick ass.
Kelly says
Paranormal Activity terrified me to the point where I was in tears. I couldn’t even watch the end I had my eyes covered like child. Very good movie though. Paranormal Entity was just as scary although I was able to sit through the whole thing. Both movies are great horror movies especially for those who believe in such things. I would recommend both movies. Actually I did and my mom couldn’t watch them both she was too scared.
P.A 5/5
P.E 4.5/5
kelly says
Its demon raping her so I’m pretty sure panties aren’t in the way.. .
mykel armory says
Ben is a moron. His opinions are invalidated by his embarassing over-misuse of the word “fail.” I realize morons think that is hip, but it could get you killed in my house.
Jonny-York says
I’m writing this while watching paranormal activity sorry paranormal entity strange I keep getting them mixed up! Wow I’m a big horror fan and really like the first 2 Para activity films (3rd sucks!) but this film is embracing! I can’t decide what I hate more the acting, the story, the shit effects or the fact that they live in a house with only a cross to call a personal possession! Please avoid this film it’s so bad I think its given me cancer!