By Sam Bauman

I missed the first two iterations of “Paranormal Activity,” so I was a little lost looking at No. 3, now playing at the Fandango Galaxy in Carson City. I also missed the first five minutes so I was a little baffled by the repetitious scenes of nothing happening as a video camera scanned two rooms.

This is a prequel to the first two go-arounds and while it has its share of things that go bang in the night, it is more confusing than amusing or scary.
The plot is a little complex, involving a coven-heading mother, kids who are easily scared (more so than the audience) an all kinds of hex stuff going back to Katie (Katie Featherston) as a child.

A little bit of a video tape of empty rooms with the time inscribed on the screen corner goes a long way, and here it is interminable.

Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith) is a tech wonk and ends up in death-causing convulsions on the floor as the mother-in law takes over the family of wife and two daughters. Lauren Bittner as Julie is pretty and does a nice non-sex sex scene.

I’m afraid that I can’t really expelling much of this movie — not seeing the first two and missing the five minutes, but most critics rated it as the best of the franchise so who am I to cavil.

No big special effects, things get broken and pushed around but no blood and no explosions or car chases so it can’t be all bad.

Give it a 5 on a 1-10 scale. Too bad if this is the best that Hollywood can come up with before Halloween.
—Sam Bauman

Cast
• Katie Featherston as Katie
◦ Chloe Csengery as young Katie
• Sprague Grayden as Kristi Rey
◦ Jessica Tyler Brown as young Kristi
• Brian Boland as Daniel Rey
• Lauren Bittner as Julie
• Christopher Nicholas Smith as Dennis
• Mark Fredrichs as Dr. Fredrichs

Directed by Ariel Schulman
Henry Joost
Produced by Oren Peli
Jason Blum
Steven Schneider
Akiva Goldsman Written by Christopher B. Landon Cinematography Magdalena Gorka Bonacorso Editing by Gregory Plotkin Studio Blumhouse Productions Distributed by Paramount Pictures Release date(s) October 21, 2011 Running time 84 minutes[1] Country United States Language English Budget $5 million[2] Box office $78,568,183