posted
PA just fed off the success of Blair Witch and followed pretty much the same formula. PA looked like a college student film project that was due for grading in 2 weeks (regardless if it was "meant" to look like that) and the storyline was pretty shallow and unoriginal. I pretty much slept through most of it and the ending left me asking "Is that it?".
Like much of crappy tv and film today, it doesn't have to be original and inspiring, just as long as it's entertaining, bumps up the viewer count, and makes money, that's all that counts.
By the way, PA2 stands at 65% critic approval and 69% movie go-er approval.
Some unfavorable critic reviews include (thought it would make for some funny reading);
"Clever, sure, and adding a baby and a dog certainly pushes child and pet lovers' fear buttons. But there are less transparent editorial tricks."
"Less scary than a toaster."
"Once again, somebody is being haunted by a demon, and once again the demon seems less like the Prince of Darkness than the King of the Whoopee Cushion."
"It's simultaneously a lot more expensive and a lot cheaper."
"You have to have seen the first one in order to make any sense out of this one. For those who haven't it is a muddled mess"
"A nullity of a ghost story, whose idea of creating atmosphere is preparing a blank surface for soundtrack bumps-in-the-night to resound off."
"Were Paranormal Activity 2 released direct-to-DVD, I would have felt it to be more appropriate and forgivable, because that's where it belongs."
"'This camera has your eyes,' said the illegal nanny, as she placed it in a high chair and tried to feed it cheerios."
Averaging averages is what gives the Rotten Tomatoes ratings. Saying a 60-something percent does not mean it gets a D rating. This is why anything 60 percent or above is considered a good rating for a flick.
Patrick
P.S. Did you know that Blair Witch wasn't the first film to do what it did? There is a flick that has close to the same type of lore with the missing students that takes place in the woods of New Jersey. The Blair Witch just took advantage of an amazing viral campaign/lie that made everyone talk about it.
posted
I don't know if you're talking about "Cannibal Holocaust" (but that's set in the Amazon) or "The Last Broadcast" which was a film released a year earlier than TBWP, but it almost sounds like "The Evil Dead" storyline (but that doesn't follow these types of ducumentary style filmed movies). Probably wasn't "Cabin Fever" because that doesn't follow TBWP film style and it was released afterwards, but that was a pretty creepy flick nonetheless.
Yeah the 60% rating is a favorable one for the movie, but that means 40% didn't like it.
Now if it had a fresh tomatoe it most likely would be something to see!
quote:Originally posted by nusuth: ghetto??? wtf does that mean?
quote:as an atheist and skeptic, it takes so much suspension of belief to sit and watch quietly.
isnt it requirement to suspend disbelief when you watch most movies?
not really. when something happens in a fantasy setting, or presents it's world in a fantasy way, you go where the director leads you. but this is supposed to have actually happened, or supposed to be possible, and exists in our realm with real world references and explanations, which is why there's security and handheld cameras telling the tale, not big budget cameras. there's no magic or hocus pocus; this is supposed to be the tragic story of what happened to a family in southern california, so when there's a bump in the night, the internet is referenced, and "facts" about spirit worlds and demons are brought out to rationalize the phenomena. the father, a skeptic, is proven wrong for dispelling the ladies' belief in the supernatural when confronted with evidence so compelling that it'd make even the most hardcore skeptic would turn believer. not as overtly heavy on belief as the consequences micah faced undoubtedly for burning the most holy, religious symbol, the cross, in the first film, but still pretty contrived, regardless.
and yes, the film was shot for $15,000, and is very much so supposed to look like "found footage", not some hollywood production on a lot.
Posts: 104 | Registered: Nov 2009
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It DOES NOT mean that 40% of the people didn't like it. It means when you take their averages, that average, averages to the 60%. It isn't a like/dislike vote on Rotten Tomatoes. You give it a 0-100% rating (and can only rate at scores rounded of to 0, 10, 20, 30, etc.). If 8 people gave it 100% ratings and two gave it 0%, it would average those averages to 80% that isn't would be reflective of how many people liked it because only 2 people didn't like it. So if the ones that didn't like it gave it, lets say a 20% or even a 40%, that numbers doesn't reflect how many people liked/disliked like above. It averages that scores given to it and that is how a 60% can be considered fresh.
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