my very brief thoughts on.... 'Death of a Ghost Hunter'

how many movies are they going to make about ghosts and film them from the first person perspective....? i can't say that i'm 100% sick of seeing them, but only the good ones.... this was an independent take on those movies, so the budget was lower and the actors are unknown.... the story is somewhat original.... so that's good.... but by the end of it, i kind of wondered if it was worth the time to have watched it.... the picture on the DVD cover above was very very effective and creepy.... however, most of the other 'scares' weren't qutie up to that standard.... it was, all put together and added up, only a 2 out of 5 star movie.... possibly worth the time to watch OnDemand on Netflix, but probably not worth the time to rent the DVD....

here's what i remember about the story.... a woman is hired to go to a home that's supposedly haunted and document what she finds.... she's required to have a camera person, a reporter, and a spiritual guide.... normally she works alone, but she creates an unsteady friendship with her companions for the duration of her stay.... things start out slow, but quickly begin to unravel as they're terrorized by an unseen force.... they eventually get proof of the existance of spirits.... however, they don't learn the truth behind the hauntings until much later and by then, is it too late....?
this ended up being better than the reviews would lead you to believe.... i've seen better, but i didn't feel like it was really a waste of time.... since i can't speak to each one of your individual tastes, read some other reviews and watch the trailer.... for all i know you may really enjoy this or you might not even want to spend the time to bother watching it.... this movie is by no means going to re-write the manual on making a scary ghost movie.... but it's above par for an indie horror movie and for that i gave the filmmaker's credit.... and i look forward to seeing what they have to offer in the future.

for a similar type of movie, check out: 'Paranormal Activity', 'Paranormal Activity 2', or 'The Blair Witch Project'

my brief thoughts on.... 'Paranormal Entity'

i've stayed away from the ripoffs of popular films, ever since i saw some of 'Tranmorphers'.... blech.... this appeared to be one of those "mockbusters".... however, i thought that i'd give it a shot.... i mean, how bad could it be....? well, i stand corrected.... this was actually pretty well done and although it felt a lot like 'Paranormal Activity', it was still its own movie.... and a pretty good one at that.... the story is pretty different.... a bit more violent.... and creepy.... the acting was above par for your average straight to DVD release.... the effects were well done, what few there were.... i honestly felt chills a few times.... this is available OnDemand right now.... and i would ask that you consider watching it.... it just proves that not all of these types of films are bad....

here's the plot.... footage is found in the attic of a home where multiple murders occured and only one man survived, who was accused of the crimes.... these videos are put together to make the movie.... as evidence of what happened....
i gave it 3 out of 5 stars.... i think it was a nice bookend to 'Paranormal Activity' and something that if you like that type of faux-real-footage type of movie, this may be for you.... i don't know if i'd need to own this or ever watch it again.... however, i don't regret watching it.... it was good enough, that i would almost believe that this and 'Paranormal Activity' was shot at the same time and just happened to have similar plots.... and that one wasn't trying to copy the other.... but i really doubt that.... anyway.... check it out while you can.... you may be pleasently surprised....!

if you like this, watch: 'Paranormal Activity', 'Paranormal Acticity 2' and 'The Blair Witch Project'

my thoughts on.... 'Paranormal Activity'

i rented this movie with no other knowledge about it other than it was similar to 'The Blair Witch Project'.... and that's the way i wanted it.... i wanted to come in fresh and with no expectations.... i usually enjoy a movie more the less i know about it.... i'd heard good things about this movie.... and had even heard some people say that it really scared them quite a bit.... and it's been a while since i've been scared of a movie, so this peaked my interest even more to rent it....

a couple buy a video camera to document strange goings on in their home which they think may be paranormal.... they soon find proof to back up their gut instincts.... but this just leads to more questions as we find out that the main girl in the movie has been followed from house to house by an entity since she was a little girl.... they then call in outside help to get more information about the spirit and how to get rid of it and that's when things get really dark.... i don't want to give the entire plot away.... but it's interesting enough to be worth your time to rent this one and watch it alone in the dark....

with the comparisons to 'Blair Witch', i'd say some of them are grounded.... but overall the only real relation is that it's all very 'reality show-ish'.... it seems like it's all unscripted and that you're watching footage from a police file or something.... there's not a huge amount going on in the movie.... and the plot is sparse at best.... but the atmosphere makes up for all of that....

all in all.... a clever twist on an old theme.... very effective scares.... and some of the tactics are based in reality.... i found myself getting swept up in the storyline and got a little bit of a jump at the end of the movie.... but this vs. 'Blair Witch'....? i'd take the witch anytime over this.... 'Paranormal Activity' is worth a watch and possibly a second viewing.... but i don't know how much staying power it has.... i'd give it a good 4 out of 5 stars.... most certainly not crap....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: 'The Blair Witch Project', 'Suicide' and any of the paranormal shows on basic cable