Horror fans and collectors are in for a treat this October. Paramount Pictures and Amazon are offering buyers a chance to own the entireParanormal Activityfranchise on Blu-ray. Compiled into one massive box-set,Paranormal Activity: The Ultimate Chills Collectionis available for pre-order now ahead of its October release, and comes with exclusive content.
In horror, there are defining moments of ingenuity. With the genre-pushing limits that Oscar-nominees dare not go, every so often there are real nuggets of zeitgeist gold. Consider whatTobe Hooper’sThe Texas Chain Saw Massacrebirthed from the mid-seventies, gracing 2022 theaters with thecertified freshTi WestfilmX, which took creative inspiration fromMassacre. In a round-about way, because of Hooper’s bold vision in ‘74 we’re gettingX’s prequel,Pearl, only months after its theatrical release. Likewise, 1999’sThe Blair Witch Projectis, to this day, a masterpiece of creativity, as are so many other horror films that defined an era (The Night of the Living Dead,The Exorcist, etc.). In 2009, directorOren Pelichanged the game once again with his low-budget demon-possession sub-genre filmParanormal Activity. The film’s production cost a mere $15 thousand and went on to gross $193.4 million across the globe, supplantingBlair Witchfor the most profitable horror movie in history.
What madeParanormal Activitysuch a success was its slow-burn dread, playing on the audience’s fear of the unknown, and the original script. The marketing for Peli’s film was an excellent tease, showing night-vision snippets from theaters of people reacting with blood-curdling screams, and jumping from their seats. There was even legend surrounding the movie. Hearkening to its predecessor,The Blair Witch Project,Paranormal Activitysuggested this found-footage was completely real, and that the characters Katie and Micah, played by, as listed in IMDB,Katie FeatherstonandMicah Sloat, really did experience this ‘activity.’ With suspended belief, this was petrifying, considering how the movie ends, and this mystery filled the theaters.
RELATED:The ‘Paranormal Activity’ Franchise’s Timeline Explained
In the years following, all the way up to 2021,the franchise has bulked up, spawning prequels, sequels, and time travel. Yep. It’s a wild ride, for sure, and withThe Ultimate Chills Collectionfans can ownthe entire franchise, with bonus discs exclusive only to this box set. The box set featuresParanormal Activity1, 2, 3, and 4,The Marked Ones,The Ghost Dimension,and for the first time on physical media,Next of Kinas well as a feature-length documentaryUnknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity. The documentary, first released on Paramount+ in October 2021, dives into the making of the franchise, featuring interviews with cast members and crew, as well as studio executives.
Paranormal Activity: The Ultimate Chills Collectionisavailable now on Amazon for pre-order, and will be available to purchase in time for Halloween on October 11 for $67.99. Check out the original trailer from theParanormal Activitythat started it all:
