Sometimes personal experiences add to the effect of a film. Why certain things happen the way they do, when they do, is beyond reason at times; it is almost as if destiny is involved. So were my own experiences in seeing Paranormal Activity, a tiny independent that has taken the industry by storm. This little film, with an ingenious marketing campaign, and a very small budget, even by independent standards, has blasted into theaters, taking number one at the boxoffice last week. This Blair Witch type of film, not only in marketing but style, has things going for it that had at least this one viewer in wonder today.

Two things had recently happened to cause me to reflect more than usual after seeing this film. The first is coming right of the tails of my attendance at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita where Independent Film was celebrated, and where I heard how independent filmmakers have desires and wishes that are demonstrated in the success of films like Paranormal Activity. I couldn't help but wonder, in the success of a film like this, how much is hard work or destiny, and how much is a combination of both.

The second thing that caused me to think today was my own desire, my own search this morning for a quality video camera, playing with the idea of doing some of my own documentary and film work. You have to see Paranormal Activity to understand the irony.

Paranormal Activity is at the very least a strange film that will suck some audience members in, while at the same time have some techniques that will have students of film learning. While many will see two primary characters' lives portrayed over the period of a few weeks, we should never lose sight of the fact that in many ways, the camera the couple is using to document their own paranormal experiences is also one of the characters of the film.

The premise of the film is simple. Micah, played by Micah Sloat, is the live-in boyfriend of Katie, played by Katie Featherston. Katie has had some paranormal activities bother her through a series of events in her life. The activity has resurfaced and Micah, a day trader, decides to spend some bucks and purchase an elaborate video camera and set up to follow the events. Paranormal Activity follows these two around the house as recorded on the video camera. As events unfold, Micah decides to try and control and ultimately challenge the entity tormenting Katie.

While there are benefits to having largely unknown actors play their respective parts, the real compliment we see on screen fall under the direction of the film. The camera has a way of drawing the viewer into the story, and the intensity develops until the conclusion of the film that has as a semblance the closing scene in Quarantine.

There are challenges to Paranormal Activity. Following the traditions of films like The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Quarantine and others, we see the camera here largely on stable platforms such as tables and tripods. While we still have some hand-held footage, it is not as likely to cause as much physical sickness due to the style as other films like this. There are enough such sequences, though, that those impacted by footage like this may get physically sick. The story flows nicely, and outside of a few scenes, the characters stay in character, a credit to the direction provided by Orin Peli, who also wrote the screenplay. It does appear as if much of the screenplay was actually ad-libbed.

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