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Review: Paranormal Activity

6 hours ago | The Hollywood News | See recent The Hollywood News news »

Adam Mast reviews this Halloween's box-office sensation.

Does the thrifty new ghost story Paranormal Activity really live up the hype? Is it one of the scariest movies ever made? In my humble opinion, the answer to both questions is no but this is still an extremely entertaining film and well worth seeing, especially if you have the opportunity to experience it with a big crowd. Paranormal Activity sort of plays like Poltergeist by way of Blair Witch.

The set up is simple. A woman named Katie is convinced that she's being haunted by a supernatural presence. In an effort to get to the root of the problem, Katie's significant other (a likable Micah Sloat) buys a video camera and sets it up at night hoping to catch the apparent supernatural force in action. What Katie and Micah discover is...well, you'll see. Director Oren Peli reportedly shot Paranormal Activity in less than a week, »

- Paul

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25 Most Disturbing Movies #4: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

9 November 2009 12:57 PM, PST | GreenCine | See recent GreenCine news »

Continuing Simon Augustine's countdown of the Most Disturbing Movies (Read Part 1 for the first 13). [<< #5]

4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 8/8

Tobe Hooper, a talented and innovative filmmaker who never quite got his mainstream due, even after making Poltergeist (and be embroiled in controversy with Steven Spielberg about who actually directed it), made this perennial classic on the cheap in the early seventies. Taking the baton from Wes Craven and Last House on The Left, it expresses the miasma of violent dread and disorientation that hung over an America left schizophrenic by the auto-cannibalism of Vietnam, Kent State, Attica, Watergate, etc. Hooper swings at the audience with the kind of gritty haymaker that only very hungry, very creative, and very poor directors just out of the gate can make. »

- underdog

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Wait, Now Heath Ledger Has a DirecTV Commercial?

2 November 2009 1:02 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

If you've been watching playoff baseball these past few weeks, you've probably come across the Tommy Boy DirecTV commercial about, say, 176,000 times. About a week after it began airing, the satellite television company came under fire for a second time for airing parody commercials featuring actors or actresses who died tragically at a young age. The first was a commercial featuring Poltergeist actress Heather O'Rourke, and now folks are really pissed DirecTV is using Chris Farley in a commercial that stars David Spade (who reprises his character from Tommy Boy in a parody of the "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" scene).

If you want my personal opinion, I think DirecTV does this sort of stuff on purpose -- claiming to be "celebrating" the life of a dead celebrity, though what they're really hoping for is that people like us (and several other sites) will give them a bunch of »

- Erik Davis

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Heath Ledger’s DirecTV Commercial

2 November 2009 11:48 AM, PST | Slash Film | See recent Slash Film news »

Last week the online world threw a big fuss over DirecTV's newest television advertisement, which features David Spade pimping the satellite service in an altered scene from Tommy Boy, which of course includes his dead friend, comedian Chris Farley. And you may remember, this isn't the first time DirecTV has been accused of profiting off of the dead, as they came under fire last year for the same thing, with a similar ad altering Poltergeist, featuring Heather O'Rourke, an actress who died tragically in 1988 at age 12. When is this disgusting trend going to end? LandlineTV have created a faux DirecTV commercial showing where these tasteless advertising stunts might lead if we don't put a stop to it now -- that's right... Heath Ledger plugs DirecTV in a digitally altered scene from The Dark Knight. And it doesn't end there... Landline has also produced a couple more DirecTV commercials featuring John »

- Peter Sciretta

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Boos! and Whoop-doos!: The Scariest Schizz I've Ever Seen!

30 October 2009 1:26 PM, PDT | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

One Good Scare? Whoop-doo!

Rydell the Golden Weiner (a 10 month half lab-half dachshund), has spent the better part of an hour barking at an old Doritos bag drifting in the dark, wet field behind my house. A gust of wind just blew this weird cellophane creature over the fence, giving my poor pooch a terrifying holiday fright.

It's Halloween weekend and I want to be that scared. It's been far too long since something jumped out from behind the closet door, filling me with night terrors. I thought Paranormal Activity would do the trick. But seriously? I saw scarier shit in the shoebox apartment I used to rent out in Burbank. The film gets a Boo! from The Whoop-Doo Nation elite. It's well made for what it is. Sure. But its four good (tiny) scares are all given away in the trailer. There is nothing in the film that makes »

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31 Days of Horror: Poltergeist

30 October 2009 5:00 AM, PDT | FilmSchoolRejects.com | See recent FilmSchoolRejects news »

Poltergeist (1982) Synopsis: A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before they "kidnap" the youngest daughter. Left with no other options, the family invites various experts to their home to try and retrieve their daughter and get away from their not-so-safe abode. Killer Scene: As I observed upon watching this film for the first time in a long time (see below for the rest of the story), it is one of the few truly great and terrifying horror films in which no one actually dies. At least, not during the runtime of the film. It involves plenty of dead people, all of whom died a long time ago, but no one actually dies (spoiler alert, straight from the early 80s). However, there is one badass scene in which the »

- Neil Miller

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'Paranormal Activity' Director Oren Peli Calls Steven Spielberg's Praise 'Amazing'

28 October 2009 10:12 PM, PDT | MTV Movie News | See recent MTV Movie News news »

'Even if he watched it and hated it I would have been stoked,' Peli says.

By Christopher Campbell, with additional reporting by Adam Rosenberg

Oren Peli

Photo: MTV News

"Paranormal Activity" wouldn't have been shown in mainstream theaters if not for movie fans demanding it. But we can also thank one particular movie lover for getting it distributed: Steven Spielberg. A widely circulated part of the film's backstory involves Spielberg viewing — and being terrified by — the low-budget horror flick.

And "Paranormal Activity" writer/director Oren Peli couldn't be happier about his idol's reaction.

"It was amazing," he told MTV News of Spielberg's interest in the film. "One of the most shocking moments of my life was to hear that not only he saw the movie, but he loved it and was frightened by it."

Peli admitted Spielberg has been a major influence on him from the beginning, not just »

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Chris Farley Resurrected In DirecTV Commercial

26 October 2009 6:11 PM, PDT | Slash Film | See recent Slash Film news »

What are the ethical boundaries when it comes to a celebrity or movie star after the person in question is dead? Obviously, Sony has no problem releasing an unfinished concert film for the recently departed king of pop Michael Jackson. And judging from the projected box office tracking, people are interested in paying for the chance to see Jackson dance and sing on the big screen, for one last time. But what about commercials? There is certainly a difference between releasing an unfinished performance of a dead star and altering a dead actor's performance for use in a television commercial. FilmJunk points us towards this new DirecTV advertisement which features the late comedian Chris Farley's performance from Tommy Boy, with David Spade's performance digitally altered to promote satellite television. Some might recall that DirecTV went under fire last year for a similar ad altering Poltergeist, featuring Heather O'Rourke, »

- Peter Sciretta

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MattFini's Halloween Top 10 Lists: Ghost Stories!

26 October 2009 4:47 PM, PDT | DreadCentral.com | See recent Dread Central news »

Editor's Note: We're always on the lookout for good new writers here at Dread Central, and with the addition of MattFini we hit pay dirt! Matt's not only one of our best and brightest, but he's also as opinionated as they come. You're almost always guaranteed to be either infuriated or amused at his musings. Each day this week he'll be posting his own Halloween Top 10 lists. Agree? Disagree? Laugh! Cry! Sound off inside!

Without further ado ... the man, the myth, the lunatic, our very own Masked Slasher, MattFini!

This past weekend saw the upset of the ages as sleeper hit Paranormal Activity bested the reigning champion that is the Saw franchise at the box office. So, in honor of one of the scariest films to come along in a while, we thought it’d be fun to offer a countdown of the 10 greatest ghost films ever made.

In the end, »

- Masked Slasher

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CreepyFest 2009: Chris Farley in David Spade's DirecTV commercial

26 October 2009 11:00 AM, PDT | EW.com - PopWatch | See recent EW.com - PopWatch news »

The new DirecTV commercial, in which David Spade watches Chris Farley's "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" scene from Tommy Boy while appearing to exist in the same room as Farley, is freaking me out. I loved that movie, but can't decide if this a sweet homage to a sexy moment or semi-disrespectful exploitation of the dead. Anyone remember last October's Poltergeist-spoofing ad featuring child star Heather O'Rourke, who passed away in 1988? You stay classy, DirecTV! »

- Annie Barrett

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Halloween Beasts of Horror: The Animals That Scare Us

22 October 2009 6:11 PM, PDT | ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news »

As the spookiest day of the year (Halloween) approaches, people start talking about what actually scares them the most. We’ve run several articles this month discussing horror films from multiple genres (Comedy, Sci-Fi, Thriller) and then we covered a list of “fun for everyone” Halloween films.

In too many instances people focus on the alien, zombie, ghost and slasher films to represent the horror genre - and while those are all truly frightening topics for films, I think that ultimately one of the scariest horror sub-genres often gets overlooked: Animals gone crazy!

 

Whether it’s by land, sea or air, creatures of every imaginable size and shape have terrorized us for decades. Some are exotic animals, others are extinct beasts brought back to life by the magic of Hollywood, while still others hit closer to home and make us question if we should even own a pet. Come join »

- Paul Young

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'Poltergeist' Remake Held Up ... Again

16 October 2009 9:18 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

By Brad McHargue

Remakes of classic horror films are a divisive subject among horror fans. While some consider them nothing more than a harmless nuisance, others are far more passionate in their vitriol for what some claim to be the desecration of classic films. While I personally don't like the idea of a remakes -- only because the time and money could be better spent making original films -- their existence is merely a blip on my radar.

Those with the opposing viewpoint, however, might be happy to learn that Arrow in the Head reported that MGM has delayed the remake of the classic Tobe Hooper-directed Poltergeist until the less-than-specific date of 2011. This changes the original November 24th, 2010 date reported in August. The cause for the delay is unknown.

Read more at Horror Squad!

Filed under: Horror

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- Cinematical staff

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'Poltergeist' Remake Delayed Until 2011

16 October 2009 3:49 AM, PDT | GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news »

Ok...so just a couple days ago we said that MGM was still planning to shoot Poltergeist next year, and no, the title is not a coincidence: This is absolutely a remake of the classic PG horror flick. We wondered, though, what the release date would be. Last we'd heard, it was November 2010.

Now Bloody Disgusting has an update straight from the studio, and not surprisingly, MGM is putting off Poltergeist until sometime in 2011. The reason given: Because of the early 2010 start, "the film just couldn't have been done in time for the November release." Only that's garbage.

See, movies don't take as long in post-production these days, which is why Steven Spielberg - who produced the original Poltergeist - could start shooting War of the Worlds in November and have in theaters less than eight months later. Closer to home, Rob Zombie wasn't even hired for Halloween II until »

- Colin Boyd

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'Poltergeist' update release 'on hold'

15 October 2009 10:24 AM, PDT | Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news »

The release date for the forthcoming update of Poltergeist has been put on hold by MGM. House Of Sand And Fog director Vadim Perelman was confirmed to remake the 1982 Tobe Hooper-helmed horror in August. Boogeyman scribes Stiles White and Juliet Snowden later signed on to pen the screenplay for the studio. The proposed project was to debut in cinemas on November 24, 2010. However, Bloody Disgusting reports that the picture will now be filmed in early 2010, but not in time for (more) »

- By Tim Parks

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Why 'Poltergeist' Remake Put On Hold

15 October 2009 2:09 AM, PDT | Aceshowbiz | See recent Aceshowbiz news »

What may be the ground behind the delay of "Poltergeist" release date has been laid bare. MGM, the studio producing the remake to Tobe Hooper's classic '80s haunted house, has provided clarification on the matter to Bloody-Disgusting (Bd), revealing that this remake movie will start the production in early 2010, which makes it impossible for the film to be "done in time for the November release."

Prior to the contact made by the studio, Bd reported that MGM may have put the production of "Poltergeist" remake on hold. It claimed that the studio has pulled the project out of its original Thanksgiving 2010 release on November 24, and bumped it to an undetermined 2011. The report sparked speculation that the delay may be caused by financial woes the studio is experiencing.

This remake is set to relive the horror of the classic 1982 scary movie from producer Steven Spielberg. MGM has signed a pair of "Boogeyman" screenwriters, »

- AceShowbiz.com

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South Park Mocks Dead Celebrities

8 October 2009 9:53 AM, PDT | TVGuide - Breaking News | See recent TVGuide - Breaking News news »

Leave it to Comedy Central's South Park to kick off their 13th season by lampooning the dead.

Watch full episodes of South Park

In "I See Dead Celebrities," little Ike, in the Haley Joel Osment role, can commune with recently deceased celebrities. A psychic, who bears a striking resemblance to Zelda Rubinstein of Poltergeist fame, explains to the boys that the dead celebs are stuck in purgatory (aka an airplane waiting on a runway) and are unable to cross over.

See other celebrities who have died this year

Things get complicated when Michael Jackson shows up, possesses Ike and enters him in a beauty pageant.

Watch the video after the jump.

Read More > »

- Gina DiNunno

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Top 10 Classic Horror Movies for Halloween

7 October 2009 11:53 PM, PDT | ScreenStar | See recent ScreenStar news »

In celebration of this ghoulish time of year, we've put together a list of our Top 10 horror movies to watch on Halloween. Forget about things that go bump in the night, these creatures are the night. So, sit back, grab your popcorn, curl up in that comfy blanket (you'll need it), and get ready for your blood to curdle and your hair to stand on end. In other words - watch at your own risk... Halloween Ah, Halloween - John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic. Just hearing the name Michael Myers can send chills up your spine, and his character has become synonymous with this witchy holiday. Having escaped the sanitarium he was locked up in for fifteen years for the murder of his older sister, Myers (Nick Castle and Tony Moran) unleash hell on the small town of Haddonfield, Ilinois on Halloween night. Among his prey is Jamie Lee Curtis, »

- jschiecke@corp.popstar.com (Janelle Schiecke)

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"Paranormal Activity" Succeeds in Giving Audiences Sleepless Nights

28 September 2009 4:18 PM, PDT | JustPressPlay.net | See recent JustPressPlay news »

This past weekend, the new horror movie sensation Paranormal Activity did its best to scare the wits out of people (read our review here). In an unusual release strategy, the film only played in 13 college towns, where the film only showed in late-night screenings on Friday and Saturday. The hope is for the college students in these areas to build a hype that would create a demand in other cities later on. It worked splendidly, leading to an expansion.

Paramount reports that all showings of the film were sold out, save for the Saturday night one in State College, Pa which was at 75% capacity—and that's due to a football game going on the same night. With such a positive buzz, Paranormal Activity plans on hitting 20 more cities later this week. Get ready if you're in one of these cities:

Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, DC/Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, Houston, La, Las Vegas, »

- Arya Ponto

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Haunted 'Paranormal Activity' Screener Left Steven Spielberg Terrified

22 September 2009 8:00 AM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »

I'm no tough guy, but honestly I don't get scared easily by horror films. However, one movie from my childhood still creeps me out to this day: "Poltergeist." Between the hungry oak tree and the demonic clown doll, I blame Steven Spielberg, who produced, co-wrote and partly co-directed the film, for many of the nightmares and fears I've had throughout my life.

Now that I'm hearing that Spielberg had the crap scared out of him by "Paranormal Activity," I'm both afraid and anxious to see the $15,000 indie sensation, opening in select cities this weekend. According to a story from the Los Angeles Times on the history of the film, after his company, DreamWorks, acquired "Paranormal Activity," Spielberg took a DVD home and was given quite a fright.

After watching the spooky movie, a "Blair Witch"-style haunted-house tale, the door to Spielberg's bedroom locked itself from the inside and the »

- Christopher Campbell

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Dominick Dunne Dead at 83

26 August 2009 4:50 PM, PDT | Movieline | See recent Movieline news »

Though he'd become best known in recent years for his juicy articles in Vanity Fair, Dominick Dunne offered a lot more to Hollywood than his powers of observation. In the 1970s, Dunne produced classic films like The Boys in the Band and The Panic in Needle Park, and he fathered director Griffin Dunne and actress Dominique Dunne (Poltergeist), whose murder made him a passionate advocate of victims' rights. Dunne passed away today of liver cancer at his home in Manhattan. [Vanity Fair] »

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