Visual Vengeance has really uncovered a lost gem this time. I know I’ve said it before, multiple times, but there’s something really special about 1995’s The Paranormal. It’s a sparsely distributed SOV (shot on video) horror film from director Todd Norris. What he’s able to accomplish on a low budget of around $3000 is nothing short of a miracle.
It just goes to prove that money isn’t everything. With hard work, imagination, a good crew, and a tight story, you can move mountains, as Norris does here. Shot over the course of several years, The Paranormal is finally ready for a chance in the spotlight, and it’s long overdue.
Something haunts the Englewood Theater: ghosts that awaken after dark, turning a place of escape into a sealed chamber of terror. Paranormal investigator Kyle Jennings (Todd Norris) is called in, but the moment he steps inside, reality begins to fracture.
The screen splits open like a gateway, unleashing the flesh-eating horrors of a low-budget zombie film into the aisles. As the dead close in, Kyle must trace the source of the disturbance, hidden within the film itself, for answers before the theater becomes a slaughterhouse. He will have to step inside the celluloid in order to save the day.
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This is an incredibly cool and unique concept. The story is written with care, and each moment is plotted precisely so there’s absolutely no filler. Most of the time, when you’re watching a SOV horror film, you kind of laugh along with it, or love it because it’s bad. That isn’t the case with The Paranormal. It’s genuinely a well-constructed film that manages to be gripping in a way they’re usually not.
Todd takes on the lead role of Kyle, and, believe it or not, he’s excellent. The same can be said for the rest of the cast, including Audrey Crabtree, Nenita Gumangan, and others. It has a runtime of 70 minutes, so it flies by in an instant, taking you on a wild ride. The new transfer gives it some definition, but there are still several dark scenes that I struggled with.
The disc itself wouldn’t be a Visual Vengeance release if it weren’t packed with bonus features. You get two commentary tracks, new cast and crew interviews, ‘The Two Todds’ Interview, The Paranormal Channel 5 TV Airing Bumpers, a blooper reel, deleted scenes, original script excerpts, a storyboard gallery, four shorts, trailers, reversible sleeve featuring the original VHS artwork, sticker set, and more.
The Paranormal is on another plane of existence in the world of SOV horror. It’s a tense film with a rock-solid story that never fails to satisfy.
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