Correction: Previously, the article states that this film is rated M18. The rating is now rectified to reflect the rating as NC-16.

Paranormal Activity is a mockumentary horror flick directed and written by Oren Peli. It was first premiered at the Screamfest Film Festival in the United States on 14th October, 2007.

“You watch it in your bedroom, it can look like your kid made it,” Blum told The LA Times. “You watch it with an audience, it’s an entirely different experience.”

After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban “starter” tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to. Katie (portrayed by Katie Featherson) and Micah (Micah Sloat) sets up a camcorder and leaves it on record mode before heading to bed. The recorded footage has been edited into a 99-minutes film that documents their experience with the extrasensory.

The movie was made with a micro-budget of US$11,000 and it has grossed US$61,580,588 (week 5 since theatrical release) up to date.

At the Screamfest Film Festival, Peli distributed copies of the DVD to anyone who was willing to become a distributor for the film–but it was not well received. Later in the year, Miramax picked up the film and gave it a look. They tightened and spruced the film up via editing for two other film festivals: Sundance Film Festival and the Slamdance Film Festival. The former festival did not accept Paranormal Activity as an entry and the latter saw no interested distributors who were willing to pick it up and release it globally.

In 2008, DreamWorks got hold of the DVD and not long after the movie landed on the hands of Steven Spielberg. He found Paranormal Activity to be original and scary and hence decided to produce the film despite rumors of the DVD to be haunted. (He had his hotel room locked from the inside!)

Paramount Pictures first test-drove this movie by releasing it in 13 small college towns in the States. The catch? The show only has midnight-only screenings. The response was overwhelming and for the first time ever, a major motion-picture studio has decided to use viral marketing to promote the movie. Through the hype on status-update website Twitter, the viral infection has spread throughout the US, Peli invited internet users to demand (on Eventful) where the film should be premiered next.

With all the buzz on the internet, Paranormal Activity saw a reported sold-out of a total of 33 screenings in all 20 markets in the States. Paramount Pictures then screened the film in 40 markets playing at all hours. On October 6th, 2009, Paramount and Eventful announced that if the film receives 1 million demands, Paranormal Activity would see a worldwide theatrical release. On Saturday, October 10 at around 1:35 a.m. Eastern Time, the counter hit over 1,000,000 requests.

With critically-acclaimed ratings from the critics and the average-Joe, Paranormal Activity is a story of how an indie-film rises to fame through patience, luck and viral marketing. The Internet has evolved. Digression aside, will you catch this film when it hits our shore with your friends?

“I watched Paranormal Activity for the second time and it STILL managed to scare the crap out of me.” — auncunsautobus
“Paranormal Activity is literally the most creepy movie i’ve seen in a minute 4 girls ran out the movie theater” — nicoledomonique

This NC-16 movie will hit Singapore on 12th November, 2009.