Is Paranormal Activity the Next Blair Witch Project?
That certainly is what a studio named Paramount is hoping. After Cloverfield, Paramount does have a certain amount of viral cred, and it’s setting up Paranormal Activity as the next Blair Witch Project. The case for, Paranormal Activity is slowly being released at a few theaters, and unlike some of its counterparts, its per theater averages are impressive as hell. These are the kind of numbers the Weinsteins were hoping to see for Capitalism A Love Story, but instead they’re going to a little known movie. And that’s the case con, the numbers are there but the hype isn’t. Blair Witch Project had a lot of buzz going in, but Paranormal Activity isn’t getting that vibe yet except among a small set. On release Paranormal Activity might do Quarantine numbers, even though Quarantine had a better viral marketing machine going for it, but Paramount is after bigger fish than that. Like the Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity was cheaply made and it has connected to college audiences. But the problem with trying to make a second Blair Witch Project is that audience gullibility isn’t likely to reassert itself a second time. At least one factor in the initial buzz for the Blair Witch Project were audiences who believed it was real. Nobody believes Paranormal Activity is real. Nobody.
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