The new Paramount flick centers around a couple who recently moved in together and are beset by a mysterious demon. Filmed in the style of the "Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield," the spook story is a one-camera (though high quality), home-video production.

     Along with the tag lines "What happens when you sleep?" and "Don’t see it alone," the movie is certainly unabashed over claiming that it’s the scariest horror film in years. The question is, did the movie succeed in doing so?

     Well, let’s see if the movie adheres to the ten commandments of horror films:

     1. When it comes to killers, ghosts, rabid animals, monsters, aliens, and so on, take the situation seriously – Fail.
     2. Ask for Help – Fail.
     3. Don’t keep the problem a secret – Fail.

     With the help of some research, Katie and her boyfriend come to the conclusion that the intruder must be a demon, since it is certainly not human. Micah continues to disobey his girlfriend by refusing to take the situation seriously, and even wants to get a Ouija (pronounced wee-jee) Board to communicate with the demon, instead of seeking the outside help Katie implores of him.

     If you are being attacked by a demon, swallow your pride and seek all the help you can. Don’t provoke it. Otherwise, you will lose. While Katie does call in a doctor to help them with their problem, he leaves the minute he gets inside the house because he is scared. Even worse, the expert who can help them is out of the country. Can you spell cliché?

     Also, you might want to mention the fact that you’re often terrorized by a demon before you move in with your significant other, just to be considerate of their personal space.

     Let’s move on, shall we?

     4. Be suspicious – Pass
     5. Power in numbers – Pass.
     6. Don’t Panic – Pass.

     It’s always beneficial to suspect everyone. If they are your grandparents, a little suspicion could end up saving your life. As stupid as Micah is to antagonize the demon, he believes Katie from the start, and they both research how to solve their problem. Katie, the wiser of the two, is more often careful to offend the demon or make it angrier.

     Furthermore, they always manage to stay by each other’s side and keep as cool head as they can over the situation, while playing their roles quite well. This is key to survival. Someone always dies when they go off alone or start to panic. Our couple does a great job of staying together to logically solve their problem, even if it is above (or in this case below) their heads.

     7. Don’t look behind you, just run – Pass.
     8. Avoid any and all dark places – Fail.

     The two love birds are smart enough to split whenever trouble rears its ugly head and avoid an inexorable demon as best they can. Unfortunately, Micah makes a rookie mistake when he sticks his head into the attic and moves throughout an unlit house, even though nothing bad happens to him as a result of his naivety.

      9. Close the ending – Fail.
     10.Make sure the demon is dead – Incomplete.

     If all else can be forgiven, the next aspect surely cannot. If there’s one thing I hate about scary movies and hauntings, it’s leaving the ending up to the audience. If you’re going to make a monster, have the chutzpah to actually create one. "Paranormal Activity" was no better than television’s "A Haunting" when they decided to create so much build up, only to offer no explanation or resolution.

     I understand that it’s scary to think that a demon can stalk someone for no particular reason and that Katie’s disappearance is quite eerie, but it’s just not enough. At least let us know what type of demon. Even "Quarantine" made us fear something as simple as rabies by following a logical progression of events.

     Because the demon wins by K.O., I cannot judge number 10.

     All this considered, I feel confident in saying that "Paranormal Activity" frightens its audience, but ultimately fails because they do not know what they are to fear or why. The movie relies on hype from its audience to spread the word that it’s based off a true story (it’s not) and that there’s a killer ending (despite the 100 minutes of build up). After finally seeing the movie, there are no new monsters to haunt my closet.

      Grade: C