Message To Paranormal Activity: Step Your Game Up

Stats courtesy of Box Office Mojo.com

So this year we've seen four major mainstream horror films have success by grabbing the number one spots on their respective opening weekends:

Texas Chainsaw 3D- http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=texaschainsaw3d.htm
Mama- http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mama.htm
The Conjuring- http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=conjuring.htm
Evil Dead (2013)- http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evildead2013.htm

Out of those four, The Conjuring has received the most positive overall feedback and critical acclaim. Evil Dead was gory fun, and gave fans of the franchise new hope for the future, and the same thing can be said about Texas Chainsaw 3D.

AND it's not over yet this year. Remember, we still have Insidious Chapter 2 coming next month. The anticipation is already building, and if James Wan can knock it out the park with TWO hits this year, then that's just amazing. Plus, there's a good amount of hype surrounding You're Next, which opens this week. Also, I'm not crazy about the trailers, but the second Carrie remake could make a splash this year.

What does all this have to do with Paranormal Activity you ask? As the Saw franchise was winding down, Paranormal Activity slowly emerged as the most popular modern day horror franchise. Personally, I've made no secret in labeling the entire franchise as a whole overrated as overrated can be, but I'm a stats guy, and numbers don't lie.

Stats for PA and PA 2:

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranormalactivity.htm

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranormalactivity2.htm

BUT Paranormal Activity 4 saw a drop off in the opening weekend profits, and the film received loads and loads of negative feedback from critics and fans alike.

Stats for the drop off in profits and differences for the box office hauls for PA 3 and PA 4:

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranormalactivity3.htm

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranormalactivity4.htm

Now you have to ask yourself, how much time does the Paranormal franchise have left? They're prepping a spin-off film that's linked to the creepy post credits scene we all saw at the end of four, and PA 5 is due out next October.

Although, it's safe to say the Paranormal franchise has lost a lot of its luster. Plus, sticking to the same lazy formula doesn't help anything. You guys know what I'm talking about: 30-40 minutes of boring security camera footage, where nothing happen, sporadic attacks from Toby the invisible demon, and a suspense filled ending that might last fifteen or twenty minutes, with a cliffhanger at the end. Sorry, but I don't need to know what's going on in your empty pool or kitchen at three o'clock in the morning. It's a tried, tired formula, and switching things up for the next film wouldn't hurt.

See the thing is, the Paranormal franchise can't be lazy anymore. There's competition on the horizon now. The Conjuring is going to have a sequel, and who knows, we might see another sequel for Insidious. Think about this, 2013 was a big year for mainstream horror, and Paranormal Activity wasn't apart of that. As a die hard movie buff and horror fan, I never wish for any franchise to die or go out of business. But PA 5 or the spin-off film need to deliver a significant shake up to remind their fanbase, Paranormal is still a force to deal with, or they might not make it to a seventh film like Saw did.