I’ve spent a lot of time this month talking about the invasion of Japanese ghost movies in the 1990s and 2000s. Though most of these led to underwhelming U.S. remakes, The Ring being the exception, and at the time the future of American horror films looked bleak. Then, in 2009 Paranormal Activity introduced the world to a new breed of horror film. Found footage had already been popularized by films like The Blair Witch Project, but never had the fear felt this close to home. I’m talking about the fear of an unknown entity in the very place we believe to be safe, at home. Whether or not its ghosts, we’ve all felt this uncertainty in the late hours of the night. In fact, this fear is so universal Paranormal Activity received the same treatment as so many of the Japanese ghost stories proceeding it. A remake.
