ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 17, 2016 By Steve Newton The Blair Witch Project was a huge sleeper hit when it came out in 1999. Made on the cheap, it grossed nearly $250 million worldwide, putting the found-footage horror flick on the map and paving the way for other low-budget cash cows like the Paranormal … Continue reading Blair Witch goes all-in on freakiness, not so much on scares
Tag: Paranormal Activity
The Ghost Dimension ends the once-great Paranormal Activity franchise on a bogus note
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCTOBER 23, 2015 By Steve Newton The makers of the latest (and allegedly last) Paranormal Activity film just don't get it. The secret to the found-footage series' success comes from not showing too much, and in some cases hardly anything at all. The scariest entries in the franchise--the first three films--reeled you in … Continue reading The Ghost Dimension ends the once-great Paranormal Activity franchise on a bogus note
Horror review: The Conjuring
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 18, 2013 Aiming to impress horror freaks, the poster for The Conjuring boasts “from the director of Saw and Insidious”, which was a much wiser choice than “from the writers of The Reaping”. But the fact remains that the team of director James Wan and scripters Chad and Carey Hayes comes up short with this demonic-possession … Continue reading Horror review: The Conjuring
Horror review: Scary Movie 5
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 12, 2013 The scariest thing about Scary Movie 5 is that it actually made me chortle less than some of the silly horror flicks it's trying to spoof! Like Mama, for instance. Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex are the main actors committing career hari-kari in this poo- and penis joke-filled disaster, which also riffs lamely … Continue reading Horror review: Scary Movie 5
Horror review: Insidious
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 30, 2011 By Steve Newton I’m a sucker for horror flicks that shred perceived notions of the safety of home, that haul their terrors right through your front door and leave them sprawled and bloody on the family-room floor. A prime example of that was Paranormal Activity 2, which earned … Continue reading Horror review: Insidious