Paranormal Activity had a very good weekend at the Box Office raking in $20.2 Million and beating out fellow horror film The Stepfather, which earned $12.3 Million. Paranormal Activity while having a good weekend and being universally praised and pimped by the Mainstream Horror Sites (more on that later), didn’t quite have the bite some of them predicted, finishing third behind Where the Wild Things Are (as expected) and Law Abiding Citizen (bit more surprising going by the hyped articles at some outlets) .
The Stepfather’s numbers weren’t dazzling but Sony has to be still be pleased. The remake’s reported budget was $20 Million, meaning as long as it doesn’t have a historic box office drop the film should expect to break about even in theaters and turn a decent profit on DVD. The Disturbia-like trailer didn’t exactly get much buzz for the film but Amanda By Night absolutely trashed the film in a well-written and funny review at HorrorYearBook.
Back to Paranormal Activity, the film has been a slow building, limited release that was performing better than expected. The whole bit of having people beg online for the film to be played in their area is like tricking the audience into the supply and demand game. It’s reminiscent of the South Park episode where Cartman buys an amusement park and tells people they’re not allowed to buy tickets so they only want tickets more. On top of that, the film makers have perfected “The Hatchet” playbook by utilizing mainstream horror websites which in turn use horror fans. Look at these “writers” whoring and going overboard to be on the theatrical poster, DVD cover and in TV Spots:
“Paranormal Activity is one of THE SCARIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME. You know it’s fake, and yet, you can’t shake it. Nightmares are guaranteed.” - Mr. Disgusting, Bloody-Disgusting
“It’s effective as HELL and is a prime example of how to win an audience over and keep their attention in a highly constrained, claustrophobic atmosphere in the most unpretentious way possible.” - Uncle Creepy, Dread Central
“SO SCARY! Just when you thought it was safe to close your eyes…
GOOD LUCK GOING TO SLEEP!”
- Harry Knowles AINT IT COOL NEWS
… and best yet, Dread Central is hosting a Paranormal Party. But here’s my favorite quote for Paranormal Activity.
“I’m sorry to say that the scariest thing about this film is the couple’s godawful taste in home furnishings.” - Brian Juergens, CampBlood.org
Though the lamest marketing thus far is probably a trailer that features people being scared of a movie. According to these drunks even Spielberg bought into it. Anyway here’s the “Box Office Report for October 16-18, 2009.”
1. Where the Wild Things are $32.5 Million
2. Law Abiding Citizen $21.3 Million
3. Paranormal Activity $20.2 Million ($33.7 Million)
4. Couples Retreat $17.9 Million ($63.3 Million)
5. The Stepfather $12.3 Million
6. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs $8.1 Million ($108.3 Million)
7. Zombieland $7.8 Million ($60.8 Million)
8. Toy Story / Toy Story 2 $3.0 Million ($28.6 Million)
9. Surrogates $1.9 Million ($36.3 Million)
10. The Invention of Lying $1.9 Million ($15.5 Million)
3 users commented in " Paranormal Activity Beats The Stepfather at the Box Office "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI know, coming in 3rd, raking $20 million, on so few screens is so “didn’t quite have the bite”. It’s per theatre average beat the shit out of everyone else. Plus we know the real reason you’re picking on PA, they have a quote from Bloody Disgusting on there, and lord knows if it has BD on it, it’s gotta be hated. Many of those “writers” have had a longer writing career than you and if they need to spread the word because they can’t seem to get an actual advertising budget, so fucking what? Should no news media comment on a flick to help advertise it? Apparently fucking not in your goddamn book. Apparently you’ve never opened an Entertainment Weekly, or visited any other magazine or movie website, because journalists and writers are constantly quoting for movies. This is nothing new. The only difference is that for PA, that’s all they’ve got for advertising, so it’s more spotlighted.
Perhaps he was secretly rooting for The Stepfather to be top dog of box office horror over the weekend, rather than the indie flick
Perhaps you can have this kind of rant for every other advertisement of a movie that features quotes from those that reviewed it. Of course, you’d never get sleep if you did that, because they’re everywhere. Lord help you during Oscar season! “the Best Movie of the Year!” slapped on every trailer!