It is hard to believe - Hollywood is in crisis and most creative film super productions can not cope so well this year in the cinemas as cheap independent cinema.
Evidence of this phenomenon of “Paranormal Activity” – the film’s most cash this year, and “Colin” – the cheapest film of the year. Steven Spielberg was so horrified by the film “Paranormal Activity” that after watching the DVD he packed it in a black garbage bag and took to the studio. Director believed that, plate with the film is possessed by something evil and decided as soon as possible to get rid of it from home. This story had been circulating in Hollywood for a long time and it was not invented by PR department of Spielberg’s film studios or creative journalists from the gutter press. For the first time the author of “jaw” told the story by himself. If you believe his words, just after he had watched “Paranormal Activity” at home, door to his studio shut themselves up and to go out, the director had to call a locksmith.
Was it the black magic forces, or regular draft, never know, but one thing is certain – the story Spielberg corresponds well with the cheap content, which is the independent film “Paranormal Activity”. Directed by Oren Peli rookie picture tells a struggle of some young couple with demonic presence in their home. Someone or something closes the door with a bang, a noise downstairs, leaving marks on the floor, and slowly cuts off the worst of the characters from the normal world. To discover what haunts the house (and get any evidence of possession) heroes place the camera in the bedroom. And she will be carrying a silent witness to the horror of the events.
A simple idea – the camera, whether we want it or not, recording everything that happens at night – and a good, slow assembly made up of one of the best horror movies of recent years. And one of the most controversial, because “Paranormal Activity” has as many supporters as opponents. However, neither positive nor negative feedback does not change the fact that the movie, which cost just 11 thousand U.S. dollars earned in the U.S. alone over 100 million, making the “Paranormal Activity” the most profitable independent film in movie history.
What’s more – if you compare it to the big production budgets, such as “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” (200 million) and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (250 million), it appears that a modest, ascetic Peli’s image really grossed more than the rest. None of the hits of this year’s box office did not return one hundred times its budget.
And there was little Peli’s movie would never hit the cinema. Although the “Paranormal Activity” was shot in 2007, it was kept by Spielberg (who bought the rights to him after the incident described) for two years. Indiana Jones’s father wanted Peli to make his film again with much more money – with a known cast and better special effects. Peli disagreed. The conflict between David and Goliath about the film was ended because of the audience. Peli movie hit the cinema because of the independent film festivals – where it began to collect sensational reviews. They ultimately persuaded Spielberg to let the cinema almost amateur film.
And rightly so because the success of “Paranormal Activity” shows clearly potential lies in cheap productions and only confirms the fact that 2009 is really a great year for the return of independent cinema. For a long time there was so many films in cinemas outside the big record labels realized a long time and they would not refer such spectacular successes. These are not just horror. Just to mention a fantastic „District 9” , New Zealand Blomkampa Neill’s debut (earned in the U.S. alone 120 million), romantic comedy “500 days of Summer” (46 million income) and fantastic “Moon” by Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie).
Each of these films cost pennies compared to the proceeds from the distribution. In addition, most importantly, each of them is a breath of freshness in the cinema species, Which is good when for several years sequels or old hits are rulling in this world. Even one of the most expensive and most successful directors in Hollywood, Sam Raimi, made a low-budget horror film „Drag me to Hell” – his best film in a decade.
I trully believe that modest budget forces directors to become real artist. They need to use their unseen cultural-driven power to seduce the audience not by sophisticated technical devices but just pure artistic soul. It is more difficult, however amazingly stimulating.
Tags: horror, low-budget cinema, Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity, Spielberg
