PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2: A SILLY MOCKUMENTARY

Although I really didn't want to put that much thought into this, I guess this is a prequel to Paranormal Activity. So much time has passed since I saw the first one, I didn't even recognize the couple from the original. So basically this young couple has a baby and after a year or so their house is broken into so they install security cameras. We are lucky enough to get to watch the cameras as they focus on one room until something moves, or wiggles or the dog barks at nothing or the baby looks at nothing and so on. Then of course we have the bickering back and forth what these things mean or if they mean anything. They are are are many allusions made to a haunted past and stuff "we don't talk about". It's pretty predictable, and like in the first one all of the action pretty much happens in the last 15 minutes. Note to self, never see a movie with a dog in it. The thing that I don't like about these movies is that there is no explanation as to why this is happening. There is no conclusion, nothing that makes sense, not even blaming it on the devil. Once more, there is a Paranormal Activity 3 planned, which is not surprising after watching the ending to this one.

LAKE MUNGO: AN ODD "HORROR FILM" WORTH A MENTION

Following in the steps of Blair Witch and Paranormal, this pretend documentary takes place in Australia, following the Palmer family. We watch interviews with family, friends and other interested parties after daughter Alice is found dead in Lake Mungo. Yes, this is a ghost story of sorts. Little bits of information is revealed slowly that take us down the wrong path then back to "reality" and then into surreality. Obviously I can't go into the details, but this film makes a strong story about a family and their struggle with their loss. It is also a good thriller, with no blood or guts, just one bad face shot; nothing worse than what they show on Law and Order. It makes a mild attempt to throw us off the track in the end, but still remains solid as the story of a family in grief. Not too scary, but well done indeed.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY HAD ME UNTIL GOODBYE
Along the lines of the Blair Witch Project, we meet a lovely young couple, Katie (Katie Featherstone) and Micah (Micah Sloat) who live in a lovely home with a lovely life until really weird stuff starts happening to them, or rather, her. Micah is the overexcited boyfriend that wants to catch it all on tape for You-Tube while Katie just wants to find some peace of mind. The slow pace is forgivable, but the ending offers less than to be desired. It is Katie that gives the picture any sort of resemblance to a documentary and she does so very well. I prefer scary movies that aren't all blood and guts and this one was creepy enough to pass muster.
Bite: More thriller than horror with a misplaced ending, otherwise compelling.