Paranormal Activity began its otherworldly existence as a little horror flick, made for $11,000 and shot entirely in the director’s house over the course of seven days. Now, thanks to a little help from Steven Spielberg and a savvy world-of-mouth marketing campaign by Paramount, its box office total has reached $62 million and counting. Hollywood is spellbound — and there are even plans for a sequel.
But the film has proved positively life-changing for stars Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, who were originally paid $500 each for their work (and who, like writer-director Oren Peli, will reap some of the film’s profits). “I don’t have to have a job other than acting,” says Featherston, who was until recently waiting tables. “So I bought a handbag,” she adds with a laugh. Now it’s a matter of keeping their careers in motion. “I just have to get out there and audition and use this opportunity to the best of my advantage,” she says. “I’ve been at this a long time, and I’m not gonna stop now.”
Though neither she nor Sloat have lined up their next job, they’ve both signed with agents. And they seem almost embarrassed by the VIP treatment the industry is starting to give them. “The quality of meetings we’re able to get right now are much higher. So are the scripts,” says Featherston. Sloat adds: “Just going in the room with casting directors is a lot different. It’s like, ‘Okay, I’ve seen your work, I know what you can do. Let’s just see you in this role.’” The actor has at least one idea for spending his newfound capital. “I would love to have a massive party and meet all the sweaty, geeky, awesome fans who posted on the Internet and believed in the film,” he says. “I just want to thank them.”
For more on Paranormal Activity, including why the film almost didn’t make into theaters and details of the seven-day shoot, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday, October 30.
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This movie is waaaaaay overrated
are you kidding? this has to be the scariest film i’ve ever seen, and the support it’s getting- being such a low budget indie flick- is incredible. i support this film all the way, and love every bit of attention its getting.
Nope, not scary. Overrated and overhyped.
Not the scariest film I’ve ever seen nor close to it, but it was really well done. I enjoyed it. I recommend it highly!
I’ll take PA over Saw. Gore films get repetitious after a while. But films like PA that are made a la Hitchcock never get old.
it was also shot in 7 days, with budged of 11k $ … makes it more impressive
Scary is completely different for each person. For me Saving Private Ryan was a far creepier and scary movie than Saw ever was.
Indeed – I find the tea-baggers & birthers way scarier than any movie because they are actually living in our society.
Wow I never thought anyone would share the exact same thought. I agree Saving Private Ryan was by far the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. It kept me up for about 2 weeks.
This site has become the land of douche_bags.
I agree. I’m a total wuss who scares easy and this movie really didn’t scare me at all. I honestly didn’t see what the fuss was about. I guess it’s just not my type of scary. I’d rather watch The Ring again. That freaked me out!
I was totally freaked by this movie because of how realistic-until the end-it seemed. Although I will admit that the beginning really dragged and I almost left, but I’m definitely glad I stayed.
brian is overrated.
Paranormal Activity is well made and produced for its budget, and I’m glad independent movies can still succeed in this movie era. But yeah, it wasn’t all that scary. I’ve played videogames that frightened me much more than PA ever did.
I agree it is overrated as far as the “scary” goes…However I think it is fantastic that someone could come in and make a low budget picture and it have an unprecedented turnout.GOOD for them !!!!
actually this movie is based on a true story my sister boyfriend used to live in one everyday when he came home from school the ghost made his bed and he sees a red fingernail by his bed really frighting but its not scaring me but if i see this in real life then see what happens PS dont mess with the ouija board or something may happen like the movie or worst
Well at least this cover design isn’t as terrible as most of them have been lately.
Yeah, I am so glad they are covering this movie more, but a lot of their covers have been close-up shots with a ton of negative space.
EW as a whole has been pretty bad lately, but it is always nice to see them cover something more than their usual 90210, Gossip Girl BS.
I hate all the “haters” on this movie. All the people who have grown up on torture porn say that this movie isn’t scary. Sorry, but watching someone get sliced and diced isn’t scary to me. Seeing and hearing unexplainable phenomenon is definitely scary. This movie rocked.
I can totally understand why movie-goers trained on visceral thrills have trouble getting into a more mental-horror driven movie.
It is a shame, but I can understand it.
Well I can say this much I am a horror movie nut! I have the biggest collection of horror movies out there some really bad! As in they sucked. Yep it is hard to scare me! BUT NO I do not like slasher films to me those aren’t real horror movies they shold have their own category! Psycholigical horror are the best! thats being said I thought PA sucked! There was nothing scary about it! NOW if it were real! if that was actually footage fo REAL events yes it would be scary! I think people who were scared of this movie have a hard time seperate fantasy from reality. Now as far as me not scaring easily. My mother said she wanted to see this. and I said no cause she scares very easily but she insisted so I brought her to thinking she is going to have to leave she will be so scared! she was more scared by the previews of 2012 that came on the screen and she says this movie was NOT scary at all! So there ya go someone who is 63 years old and is NOT a regular horror movie goer and gets scared very easily was not scared one bit!
Jeff, I think that’s a bit of an over-simplification. I’m well into my 30s, despise torture porn, and I didn’t think this movie was all that scary. It was creepy for sure. But a door opening and closing just doesn’t scare me. Every time something genuinely scary was about to happen, the camera faded to black and then it was the next day. To me, this movie was all about the anticipation of being scared, which is where I think it succeeded.
I agree Crispy – I don’t find torture porn scary and I didn’t find Paranormal Activity scary. Don’t get me wrong, I loved PA and am recommending it to all my friends because it’s a breath of fresh air. But no to scary. Actually, what IS a scary movie? Last time I was scared was when I was like 12 & watched Event Horizon. Then I Netflixed it again a few months back & found it to be a comedy. Sigh
I agree with both of you. I can’t stand torture porn (where’s the enjoyment in that?), and I didn’t find PA particularly SCARY scary. Sure it was creepy, and really well done and I really enjoyed it. But there weren’t really any make-me-jump-in-my-seat moments.
I don’t think SCARY is the right word to use to describe PA. I would use the word SUSPENSE–like the Hitchcock films. That’s why I liked PA.
I hate all the haters of the haters on this movie
I agree, I loved it. If you really put yourself in their place, you would be freaked out too. Just her staring at him overnight still gives me chills.
Unexplained phenomena is what makes this movie so scary? That’s silly. I could come up with a completely non-sequitor storyline and that would be unexplained. I’ll make a movie about a talking bagel that changes the weather with its poppy seeds. Oh, what a fresh idea! Then you can downplay everyone’s criticisms but saying that the new generation is too jaded to understand how scary it would be if a bagel took over the weather! Kids these days just aren’t as sophisticated as you, with your grandiose taste in horror films where an invisible demon terrorizes a bickering couple by shutting doors and moving bed sheets. SCARY STUFF!
Ok… When you compare a demon haunting a girl throughout her life to a bagel changing weather with its poppy seeds you end up sounding like a moron. Really think about what you are saying and think about movies and their purpose… Movies are made to entertain and like a lot of horror and suspense movies in the last 15-20 years… There are handfull of them that can be actually called suspenseful and scary. Paranormal Activity is one of them because it has unexplainable mythical things(Demons, exorcisms) that terrorize them in their most vulnerable position (Sleep). For only being made from a $11,000 budget, it is probably the best breath of fresh air any horror/suspense fan has had in recent memory. Don’t try to bring the movie down by comparing it to something idiotic like you creating a story of bagels changing the weather. If you didn’t like the movie… So be it… You are not so “sophisticated” yourself considering it seems you can’t understand that there are many forms of “Scary” and not just one.
Ha! He could have come up with this movie and yet he didn’t… Too bad because it’s cleaning up at the box-office. Oh, my sister and brother-in-law made the mistake of watching this online and, no surprise, they didn’t like it. The theater is where this should be seen, with good surround sound and a full audience. The audience is the best part.
Those are big words coming from someone named Billy.
Not into torture porn. Haven’t seen the movie. But I must say that the dude on the cover looks like a douche.
Um, I hate all the torture porn films and won’t go see them. Haven’t seen Saw or Hostel or Friday the 13th part 28. I’ll take original Psycho or Silence of the Lambs, hell, even Speilberg’s Poltergeist over PA for chills that stay with you.
I’m with you. I will never watch a torture porn movie, it’s clearly for the weak minded.
To Ian:
And yet stereotyping torture porn viewers makes you any brighter? Maybe people should start trashing you for enjoying something, and only because of a ridiculous phrase to make detractors feel better. Now THAT’S weak minded.
If you don’t like the films, fine. But don’t dare call the fanbase stupid because you hate what they watch.
And fyi, while I did enjoy the Saw series for a while, once the storyline got stale, I tuned out (and I thought Hostel was boring as well).
How insulting.
I’m a huge fan of scary movies and i have never once had a movie that scared the crap out of me like PA. best movie i’ve seen in years! and its even better how they did this in such short time and on a low budget…awesome movie
This movie’s obviously for people with active imaginations. The haters keep pointing out, “oh geee, a door opening and closing.. not scary”. but it IS scary if you can imagine that its a demon thats doing it.. and then go home and google ‘demon possession’ and find all sorts of ‘experts’ that say demons are real. THAT will keep you up at night!
If you have some sort of ADD disorder than you won’t like this show since it demands your attention. You be better off watching a Saw movie where you can text message between kills. Wonder how these people due in school and am scared that they occupy our roads with their horrible driving.
I agree that gore isn’t scary. But neither is two people sitting in bed listening to loud thuds and having their sheets billowing.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Paranormal Activity was a complete let down. And yes Jeff it wasn’t scary at all. At least torture porn movie don’t pretend to be scary they know they are just about the gore. This movie thinks its scary and fails miserably.
Skip this crap. You’ll be thankful
But if you want to lose brain cells while being at the theatre go watch Saw VI or any other of the torture movies out there that are clearly targeted for morons to watch.
1 good scene does not make a good movie.
I couldn’t believe all the girls screaming in the theatre – and yes only the little girls were scared……
Please don’t try and tell me the “good scene” was the horrible ending… Please don’t try and tell me the “good scene” was the horrible ending…
Haha so true for me… my opinion on the “good” scene was the night BEFORE the ending. That was cool.
“Only the little girls were scared”…?
Ummm..false. When I saw it, the 4 burly men in the row in front of me were jumping and shrieking just as much as the girls. I find your comment to be very immature and sexist.
Get over yourself, PC-Nazi.
You ever stop to think maybe the 4 burley men in front of you were sleeping and a scream startled them awake? Just saying ya know cause I myself was ready to go to sleep. if the seats were more comfortable I would have been out like a light! Maybe then i would have had a scary dream and thought the movie was scary.
The acting in this movie was incredible. It really sold it. So it’s nice to see these two reaping the benefits.
When I saw PA, I thought it wasn’t as scary as the trailer made it out to be. The only part that really scared me was the last 5 minutes. It really set my heart pumping. But throughout the following week after I saw the movie, it really didn’t hit me how scary other scenes actually were, until I was trying to fall asleep.
Dominic, I agree. My wife and I enjoyed the movie and it had a few moments that made us jump in our seats but the real scare came later that night when we “tried” to go to sleep. Our bedroom is set up similar to the bedroom in the movie which didn’t help the situation. We ended up having to fall asleep with the TV on the next 2 nights. We laughed about it during the day but it definitely spooked us at night. Also, we’re very devote Catholics and the premise of the movie definitely plays into our faith. Very proud of this little movie and have recomneded it to all our friends.
Just because someone thought this movie was scary doesn’t mean they are stupid (which is the impression I get from people who didn’t like the movie or didn’t find it scary). People are scared by different things. I found it scary because in real life I get a little creeped out when I hear a weird sound in my house. If I heard footsteps on the stairs when no one else was home, I would be terrified.
For me, a lot of the scares came from being in the theater with my wife and thinking about how helpless I would feel if the same thing was happening to her/us.
I can see how someone just wanting a big scare and not thinking about how things are escalating might come away disappointed.
Katie Featherston looks chubby now.
That’s what you find to comment about?? First of all….no. Second of all…..oh forget it.
Jeff W.: sad. Get a life.
Mmmm, and if she were stick-thin, you’d want her boobs to get bigger, right? Sad.
…these two go the way of the Blair Witch cast?
Paranormal Activity has a strong Spielberg connection. And Spielberg has an uncanny knack for breaking actors into Hollywood. I suspect they’ll go far. Plus, that Micah guy is super hot.
It’s not Twilight or Megan Fox. I like EW’s new obsession. This is progress.
+1
+2
+3,
Or the god-awful TV show Glee.
This movie is entertaining and VERY creepy. People will be disappointed by EVERY movie that gets good reviews because it gets built up to levels that cannot be achieved. This was a solid film that played well in theaters. I doubt it will play as well on DVD expect maybe at a slumber party for 14 year old girls. I avoided everything about the movie until seeing it and I am glad I did. Once you know what happens, it will play differently. This was some of the most fun I have had in a theater in a LONG time. The audience reaction was as entertaining as the film. Kudos for them releasing this film. It was purchased by the studio to be remade with bigger names and a bigger budget. Thank goodness we got to see this little gem in theaters where it belonged.
Would have preferred a Modern Family cover…
Modern Family sucks. I’m already tired of the stupid confessionals. Very overrated.
I agree with Sydney. I’m tired of the confessionals too. Why is it that scripted shows have to become like reality shows? This is the same reason why I didn’t like The Office either.
Modern Family is brilliant. Unfortunately, we just have to accept some people have bad taste, so you can’t ever please everyone.
This movie was NOT scary in the least and any acting was minimal and got less convincing the longer the movie went on.
the last 10 minutes were the scariest. the rest was just so so.
$11,000? Why did it cost that much?
Baby powder ain’t cheap.
Well to start, the article says both actors were paid $500. Then you have to take into account any other people that may have been working on the film: lighting, sound, post-production, etc. You have to pay for the film itself, unless they shot digital…
movie was good. it was only scary because it messes with your mind. you’d definitely have to believe in ghosts/demonic spirits in order to be scared by this movie.
i was scared and i love the movie! i totally support it.
I don’t believe in that stuff and it still creeped me out. I think the actors sold it. When I try to explain the story to people (who won’t see it), it sounds pretty stupid. But my heart was pounding when I left the theater. So it clearly has something going for it. I don’t understand either why people who didn’t feel that way have to be insulting, though. I guess some folks just have to be jerks to feel good.
I’m not sure whether or not I believe in demons or ghosts, but the film definitely creeped me out quite a bit. I think the fact that no one knows for sure if things like demons or ghosts exist, and so being put in that situation that Katie and Micah were in is terrifying. To me at least.
It’s true! I didn’t find Jaws scary because I don’t believe in Sharks.
wait a minute now. I most certainly believe in ghosts and demons I have seen a ghost twice! Talk about strange noises and things that go bump in the night? Everything that happened in that movie with the exception of being pulled out of bed by the ankles has happened IN MY HOUSE on a weekly basis! Extreme cold spots, footsteps heavy footsteps walking all through the house. In the hallway where we can look into the hallway at the time and there is nothing there but the footsteps are there EVERYONE HEARS THEM! you can hear someone walking in and out of every room upstairs in my house run up there and nothing nobody there and the footsteps stop when you get there! Lights turning on by themselves! I was sitting looking right out the window at the front door and the doorbell rings but nobody is there! Doors openeing and closing by themselves not wind cause you actually heard the door handle turn you heard the click of the latch opening and then the door slammed shut! And the actual time I was sitting in my chair watching TV and looked out into the hallway and seen a figure of a man walk thorugh the hall and into the bathroom and i jumped up and ran to the bathroom and nothing there! one week later sitting in the same chair watching TV again and the same hallway this time a mist flaoting through the hallway to the bathroom again and again I jumped up and ran to the bathroom and nothing! So do I believe in all that I have no choice I SEEN IT and PA did not scare me at all. Didn’t even flinch once! I know you all are thinking well with me seeing all this stuff for real of course I wouldn’t be scared. Yea but I have been scared by other movies to the point of waking up in the middle of the night looking around the room! The problem with this movie was without showing you anything it showed you too much! The guy whenever something happened ran for the camera instead of just running to his girlfriend and brought the camera with for you to see there is nothing there. Kinda like you kid being scared of the monster in the closet and yo uopen the closet to show him there is nothing there! Which is something HITCHCOCK would have known NOT to do so quit comparing this movie to Hitchcock please it isn’t even close to hitchcock. Why was the last 5 minutes the scariest part or best? Not cause of the action of her being dragged out of bed. It was because the camera stayed in the room when he ran to his screaming grilfriend and now the noises you’re hearing your mind has to create whats going on there and anyone who reads horror novels like myself know your mind is the best thing to scare the living daylights out of you! Every book I have ever read was leaps and bounds scarier than any movie made from that book! No exceptions. they got one scene right and then ended the movie! same reason blair witch sucked.
It was a well spend 90 minutes.Loved every bit of it.
haters.
I don’t like horror films of any kind because I think the people that make them are disturbed. No disrespect but it’s creepy. I saw PA because it wasn’t an over the top, hollywood production. I had no expectations; it just wasn’t scary in any way, shape, or form. It was funnier than I thought it would be and couldn’t help commenting on how many lights the ‘demon’ kept turning on. Their Edison bill is gonna be through the roof.
So for the people that haven’t seen this movie, what would you say is the scariest movie in recent years (and please don’t say Saw or those stupid torture movies)
Mamma Mia
I’ve seen this movie and absolutely loved it. It was a different kind of “scary” and I thought it was very well done. However, I have to say the scariest movie I’ve ever seen was The Strangers. But PA and The Strangers are terrifying in very different ways and each in their own right.
Lol, no one is that stupid rkd. The exorcist is still the scariest for since I watched when I was about 10 or 11, the first time. But PA gets your heart pumping. It’s the anticipation for something to happen that gets to you. It’s totally a movie to be watched in theatres with hundreds of others since the tension in the air is so thick that everyone that can feel will sense it. Don’t listen to the haters, they’re idiotic punks that are probably too scared to see this movie.
punks! everyone you call haters has seen the movie so they weren’t scared to see it and hmm weren’t even scared by it! I am certainly no idiot and I am not a punk and I apparently I don’t scare as easily as you do! So who here is the punk?
I’ll actually mention Saw (the original), because the entire movie screwed with your head. And unlike the sequels, the original effectively used the viewers’ imaginations. The creepiest parts were the ones you DIDN’T see. I’m serious. Don’t assume it’s trash because of the overused torture porn label.
If it wasn’t for the never-ending sequels, Saw would be a respectable cult hit instead of the figurehead of torture porn it is now. It’s so bothersome how widely misunderstood the novel original has become because of it.
This may not have been the scariest film but it sure was the funniest movie I’ve seen in a long time. The whole audience was laughing and yelling at the characters which actually made for a fun movie experience.
Did you watch the movie in an insane asylum or a hipster’s van?
This movie was pretty creepy, I really liked it
So I did not like this movie. Here are the reasons. I believed the movie was over-hyped. I’m the kind of person that believes a movie is good/scary based on what others say so I was expecting a lot when I went to see it. Another reason I did not like it is because it was just soooooo sloooooow. I was getting bored for something big to happen. Nothing big happened until the very end. The last reason is because I’m not a big fan of the “home footage” type of movies. Yes most people like these types of movies but I don’t apparently. The entire time that this movie was playing I kept thinking, turn off the camera. It’s only going to irritate whatever is haunting her. So in the end I was actually kind of happy with the ending b/c in my mind he got what he deserved from irritating whatever was haunting her.
I agree that he got what he deserved and that was pretty satisfying. I don’t understand how people get bored so easily though. It wasn’t a long movie by any means. Do you really need that much shiny stimulus to stay interested. Do you read books, cause they are REALLY slow compared to PA.
“I’m the kind of person that believes a movie is good/scary based on what others say so I was expecting a lot when I went to see it.”
You might want to stop doing that.
Maybe you should see your doctor for a Ritulin presciption. Because you clearly have an attention disorder.
When I said “I’m the kind of person that believes a movie is good/scary based on what others say so I was expecting a lot when I went to see it.” I meant it got a lot of good reviews and I heard it was supposed to be descent scary movie. So that’s why I was expecting a lot from it.
Also the movie kept my attention, what I meant was it took so long for anything paranormal to happen. I felt like the movie was about the bickering of the couple rather than the actual paranormal activity.
Just so you know, I am a hard core believer in spirits and demons. Normally the thought of being possessed by demons terrifies the crap out of me. Unfortunately this movie didn’t do enough for me. I have no idea why.
I haven’t really decided if I should go see this movie or not . I think I will just pass on this and go to the classic scary movies like Carrie and Rosemary’s baby that after all these years still scares me !!!
Give it a try, it’s worth it.
Ok…I’ve seen this movie and I DO NOT believe it is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. It was creepy in a few spots, but not scary. I agree with Nat, it was SOOOOO SLOOOOOOWWWW! It took forever to get to anything creepy. I like all kinds of scary movies (gore & all), but I was kinda disappointed with this one… All the hype and for me, it wasn’t even all that…
(
I absolutely loved it. Even my husband who doesn’t really care for these kinds of movies loved it. Great job Micah and Katie. You’ve created a great opportunity for your careers and I wish the best to both of you.
Whatever lame o’s.. This movie was BAD A** !! You just have to understand the movie and be open minded about it. Negativity means your are not open to things like that even though THEY CAN HAPPEN. This movie scared the life out of me, WHY, cause spirits and demons do exist. Just anticipating what was going to happen next made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I give it 2 thumbs up. Awesome movie.
There’s not really much TO understand, it’s not like the movie was a thought piece.
I am completely open to spirits existing, have even had some weird stuff happen to me in my life, but STILL found this movie to be boring and have no real payoff. I was looking forward to seeing it and hoping it would give me a good scare…but overall it didn’t. I spent most of the time waiting for it to be over or for something to just happen already. The only part that even slightly got to me was when they had found footage of the other girl who was in the same situation.
That said though, I didn’t think it was a horrible film, the boring parts played in to the “reality” it was trying to be based off of and I thought it was done well. I think it’s a case where the hype killed the movie.
This is one of the best and scariest movies i’ve ever seen!! I waited so long for this movie to come out, i read about it when it was coming out at all the festivals and i waited and waited to hear anything on it’s release main stream!! We went and saw it the first night it opened at midnight, in limited release, the place was packed not one open seat..you could hear a pin drop in the the place!!! Guys and girls alike were scared just the same, i feel that if you did not or do not like this movie then you are not a believer in paranormal activity!!! Everyone should see this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I find it hilarious that the blind supporters of this gimmick marketing scam are labeling all haters of this movie as non sophisticated movie viewers! LOL! Further this is not an indie film. its an indie gimmick!! Jesus tell me whats so mental about a fake documentary?
Or maybe it is because you have no emotions to feel the sense of tension and dread that this movie creates while watching it. If the movie creates a lot of jumps then this movie’s got my vote for being scary. Unless you are one of those freaks that would salivated with enjoyment while watching victims being slaughtered in torture filled movies. In that case you need to check yourself.
It was absolutely an indie film. Just because it used a marketing “gimmick” doesn’t take away from that. I have no problem with people who didn’t “get” the movie. What I have a problem with is the way some of the people who didn’t like it have been hostile to the people who did. Look through these comments…most of the ugliness is started by people who didn’t like PA. Why is this? I’m going with the Penny Arcade GIFT theory. That’s right…google it.
I wasn’t hostile to anybody who liked the movie until they started calling me names and calling me a hater and somehow I have ADD cause I didn’t find this movie to be even scarier MUCH LESS the scariest movie ever! you really should read through the posts and you will fidn out everu “HATER” here was PROVOEKD into that role by someone calling THEM NAMES first! I said it before and I’ll say it again. I love horror movies especially of the paranormal kind and mind twisting variety I went to this movie expecting to see the scariest movie I ever seen I had no preconceved notions that it sucked at all. And it disapponted not only in the fact that it didn’t live up to the hype but it didn’t even live up to being scary AT ALL! It was a young couple fighting who happen to be having paranormal activity happening in their home! Period.
I went and saw this movie twice. once in NJ and once in PA. I thought the second time was alot scarier because i knew what to look for. both times the movie had the same settings. everyone would talk in the theatre during the day scenes and at when it got to night everyone was quiet until something happened then people would start cursing and screaming. both times people ran out of the theatre during the last two nights but at PA a kid literally jump down the aisles from the top row fell on his face and got up screaming and running. The audience really made this movie that good.