Thursday, November 12, 2009

Para-Normal

Here's a (questionable) reading of Paranormal Activity, seeing it as a parable for domestic abuse. Let me warn everyone the essay gives away major plot points.

But what caught my eye was this: "A psychic is invited into their home on two occasions. He is characterized as being ridiculously ineffective though."

Funny, I thought he was portrayed as assured, rational, completely with it. Yes, he recognizes his limits--he understands ghosts, demons, etc., but is not qualified to remove them--and recommends another paranormal expert for further aid, but he also fully senses what's going on, in ways the main couple does not.

I guess I reacted that way because in real life such psychics are nutcases and frauds, and to see, in a "realistic" horror film, such a character being completely correct struck me as absurd. But I suppose in a world where you do, in fact, have supernatural events openly occurring, people like the psychic wouldn't be creeps and crackpots.

(This reminds me of the problem I had with The X-Files. I real life, Scully the skeptic would be right every time, while Mulder would be a kook who shouldn't be allowed to hold any position of responsibility. But in the world of the show, the only thing that makes no sense is how Scully can remain a skeptic.)

2 Comments:

Anonymous Denver Guy said...

This was one problem with doing a too many Indiana Jones flicks, too. The first film, in my opinion, really worked because in the very end, the man of science who cared for nothing but archaeology 1) realized his love for the girl was more important than archaeology, and 2) fell back on blind "superstition" when he believed the Ark would do something that shouldn't be watched.

In the second film, he was still sort of skeptical, but readily believed in the power of Shiva once it was used on him. In the third, he hardly seemed surprised to find a 1000 year old templar Knight guarding the holy grail.

So in the fourth sequel, there was no where for Indy to go. Heck, after surviving a nuclear blast in a refrigerator, he must have assumed aliens would be behind the legend of the crystal skull.

8:47 AM, November 12, 2009  
Blogger LAGuy said...

The ending of the first film was interesting, since the general rule for movies is the hero has to be proactive, solving his own problems. Indy's only action at the end was to close his eyes. (Okay, he makes a moral choice, but doesn't do anything physical.)

By the way, perhaps you've heard that some people want to use the phrase "nuke the fridge" like "jump the shark." Hasn't quite caught on yet.

10:15 AM, November 12, 2009  

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