Starring: Andrew Jacobs
Director: Christopher Landon
Rated: R / Unrated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: April 8, 2014
Run Time: 84 / 100 minutes
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
By this time you are either a hardcore fan of the “Paranormal Activity” series or you are absolutely tired of it. There is no middle ground. “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” is the fifth film in the series and the first spin-off (even though it does touch quite a bit on the first four films). Personally, I thought that “The Marked Ones” was one of my favorites in the series. It was very clever how it weaves into the story of the other films in the series without directly being involved. There are some good jumps in the film as well and it is quite creepy. With “Paranormal Activity 5” coming out this October, I can’t wait to see where they are going to go next with the series now.
Official Premise: Another instalment of the widely successful ‘found footage’ horror franchise. This time, we follow a young Latin American, Jessie (Andrew Jacobs), who begins experiencing a number of disturbing and unexplainable things after the death of his neighbor. Quick to investigate, it isn’t long before Jessie finds he’s been marked for possession by a malevolent demonic entity, and it’s only a matter of time before he is completely under its control…
“Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” is being released as a combo pack including Blu-ray + DVD + HD Digital UltraViolet copy. There are two different cuts of the film included on the Blu-ray, the theatrical version of the film, as well as an extended, unrated cut. Personally, I was very impressed with the unrated cut because it incorporates over 15 minutes of new footage. Usually “unrated cuts” come with like a minute or two of scenes but this one has some solid content. The 1080p transfer works for the most part since the film is very dark and shot with that found footage feel. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works for the scares. There is not a lot in the special features department besides some more additional found footage not seen in theaters.