Editorials
[31 Days of Halloween] Day Twenty-Five: ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Delivers Fun Scares in the ’80s
This is it; the final Franchise Friday in our 31 Days of Halloween. That final spot goes to Paranormal Activity 3, one of the best entries in the popular found-footage series. Like the Saw franchise, you could count on a new entry to release in October, perfect for the Halloween season. All, except spinoff The Marked Ones, anyway. Aside from being one of the more entertaining and creative sequels, or prequel rather, Paranormal Activity 3 is also neck and neck with the original in terms of most profitable of the franchise. Fitting, considering it’s chronologically the first installment of the overarching saga of Toby the demon.
Synopsis: In 1988, wedding videographer Dennis has begun to notice strange things happening around the house ever since his girlfriend Julia’s daughters Katie and Kristi have befriended an imaginary friend. In an effort to figure out what’s going on, Dennis sets up cameras all over the house to capture any activity at night while everyone is asleep. To his horror, he discovers there really might be an entity haunting their home, and it’s only getting warmed up.
Key Players: Chris Smith plays Dennis. Lauren Bittner is Julie, Dennis’ girlfriend and mom of Katie and Kristi. Chloe Csengery and Jessica Tyler Brown play young Katie and Kristi, respectively, while Katie Featherston and Sprague Grayden reprise their roles as the adult version of the characters. Dustin Ingram plays Dennis’ friend Randy.
Why It’s on the List: By going the prequel route, it allows the story to expand the mythology behind the demon plaguing this family in a very interesting way. Written by Happy Death Day’s Christopher Landon, this prequel gives us characters we actively root for, too. Unlike the first film’s Micah, who antagonized to the point of deserving his fate, Dennis is genuinely likable. Then there’s Randy, one of horror’s smartest characters; the first real sign of demonic activity and he gets the hell out of there so fast, never to return. Good move, Randy. Above all, though, is the scares. If you thought the ‘80s camcorder era would diminish the scares, you’d be wrong. It turns out that an oscillating camera is a pretty clever way to build tension and craft new scares.
Bloody Mary: Poor Randy is stuck on babysitting duty. He’s watching over Katie while the rest of the family is away, and she’s determined to play Bloody Mary. Playing that game in horror never goes well, and it gets creepy fast. Props to Randy for trying to hold it together, though.
Where You Can Watch: Paranormal Activity 3 is available to stream on demand through internet TV app Fubo TV, to rent on digital, and of course, Blu-ray.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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