"Paranormal (In)Activity" = "Blair Witch" + "The Amityville Horror"

So I’m always suspicious (being at heart a Smartass Skeptic) of movie blurbs and call-out quotes, but several people had told me how “scary” Paranormal Activity was, and I was home late, wanting a movie to escape into a scary world of monsters and ghosts and clammy hands that grab in the dark . . . and somewhere I saw that quote “One of the scariest horror movies ever made.” Yeah right. There are a couple good & scary moments in the film, such as when the gal gets yanked out of bed and dragged down the hallway, but for the most part it’s like The Blair Witch Project meets The Amityville Horror, with less scenery-chewing than Blair Witch, and less old-fashioned goofy fun than Amityville. (Note: I’m a sucker for The Amityville Horror as a cautionary real estate nightmare. The 1979 version, not that putrid remake. Right before we closed on buying a house in Colorado, I asked my wife, “What if it’s haunted?” And I know The Amityville Horror was to blame for my second-thoughts. I like when James Brolin gets all freaky chopping the wood. I’m just like that at my Colorado house, and it turns out it’s not even haunted!)
Don’t believe the hype.
Now all I hear is how “great” Avatar is. I’m sure to be amazed.