Paranormal Activity Alternate Ending is Here!

Paranormal Activity Movie Poster

Only a handful of New Movies have instilled a real sense of excitement and anticipation over the years.    It’s rare, but every now and then a new movie actually becomes an “Event.”   Fans get so worked up that advance tickets sell out, lines extend out the theater and people can’t stop talking about it.   Studios reap millions as these New Movies sit at #1 for weeks on end.  Movies like this that come to mind are Independence Day, Titanic, The Passion of the Christ and The Dark Knight.

New Movies come and go this one is a Keeper!

For Horror Movie fans, the big three are: The Exorcist, The Blair Witch Project and this year’s Paranormal Activity. Ironically, without the first two movies, it’s unlikely that Paranormal Activity would even exist.  The Director of Paranormal Activity, Oren Peli admitted that The Exorcist left an unforgettable impression on him as a kid.  “The Exorcist…really freaked me out when I was a kid.  It definitely…got to me more than any other movie,” he said in an interview.   What other movie inspired him?  The Blair Witch Project! The Director says the movie was pivoted because it showed how effective a low budget film could be.

What Inspired Paranormal Activity?

Movie "The Exorcist"

So what inspired Oren Peli to make his new movie?  The idea  came about when Peli moved into a house and suddenly becoming aware of all the strange noises.    Who hasn’t heard those “house settling” noises in the middle of the night, long after the TV has been shut off? Those “bumps in the night” can usually be attributed to a furnace or plumbing, but what if it wasn’t?    How would you know?   Peli then came up with the concept of the movie.  A couple moves into a new house and thinks it’s haunted.   They set up a video camera to capture any Paranormal Activity on film.   Movies goers will find that the later half of the film is similar to “The Exorcist”  in tone.   That’s because “The Exorcist” is one of Peli’s favorite films, which inspired him to make movies. Peli used $15,000 of his savings to shoot Paranormal Activity.  The box office tally after 4 weeks?  84 Million dollars and counting.

What made Paranormal Activity so successful?

Oren Peli, Director of Paranormal Activity

Peli’s new movie earned him $300,000 from Paramount Pictures.    DreamWorks executives saw the film at a film festival and  forwarded a copy to Steven Spielberg.   Many people attribute the success of the new movie to ingenious marketing at Paramount.   The film was released on a  limited basis, available only by demand.  The buzz on the internet, fueled by a trailer full of terrifying audience reactions was a recipe for success.   However, we can’t forget the movie itself, which left most with a serious case of the heebie-jeebies.  Many fans confessed to sleeping with the lights on for days after watching it, if they slept at all.    The new movie preys on childhood “fears of the dark” with a vengeance. Suddenly every sound you hear is terrifying.  Was that really the furnace?  What if it was something else?

Where is that Infamous Alternate Ending?

Many Fans were surprised when they found out the ending shown in theaters was not the original ending.    Apparently, Steven Spielberg felt the original ending didn’t pack enough punch.  The version in theaters was his idea.   It also tested better with audiences.   Clips from the original ending can be seen in the trailer.  It shows a trance-like Katie rocking back and forward on the floor after killing Micah.  In the second alternate ending, Katie commits suicide after killing Micah, by cutting her throat in front of the camera. The Demon then leaves her lifeless body. Peli says that fans have been literally begging for footage of the endings, especially the second one.  He says all the endings and extra footage will be included in the DVD.  For those of you who can’t wait, we were able to obtain one!  Enjoy!  See you at the Movies!

Alternate Ending