Tag Archives: ariel-schulman

WATCH: Paranormal Activity 4 Directors WANT You To Talk During The Movie

Paranormal Activity 4 directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman say that the ideal horror movie is like a party at the theater, and the one movie where you want the audience to talk back. That shared communal excitement is indeed one of the highlights of the Paranormal Activity experience, though Hitchcock and Co. might violently disagree . At last night’s NYC screening Joost and Schulman (who also directed Paranormal Activity 3 and the controversial documentary Catfish ) talked about the changes they’ve made to update the Paranormal Activity franchise — including the addition of Xbox Kinect-vision — and what it’s like to make their name in the horror genre. Paranormal Activity 4 is out this Friday; read more here ! Follow Movieline on  Twitter .  Follow Grace on  Twitter .

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WATCH: Paranormal Activity 4 Directors WANT You To Talk During The Movie

Charlize Theron, Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman, Patton Oswalt at Young Adult premiere

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Charlize Theron, Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Ariel Schulman, Brian McElhaney, Collette Wolfe, Elizabeth Reaser, and Louisa Krause attended the New York movie premiere of “Young Adult” at Ziegfeld Theatre. Hollywood.TV was live on the red carpet to capture all of the action and interview the celebrities. Follow Hollywood.TV on Facebook @ facebook.com

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Charlize Theron, Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman, Patton Oswalt at Young Adult premiere

‘Paranormal Activity 3’: The Reviews Are In!

Critics are generally positive, although most point out similarities between latest entry and its predecessors. By Kevin P. Sullivan Paranormal Activity 3 Photo: Paramount This Halloween is the third in a row that the shaky-cam, faux-documentary series “Paranormal Activity” has released an entry into theaters, and critics agree that “Paranormal Activity 3” shares more than just a filming style with its predecessors. While the critical consensus is generally positive, most reviews note how similar the new “Paranormal” is to the two that came before it. This could be seen as a good or bad thing depending on how you feel about the first two films. There are new scares filling out a quiet, homespun frame, but not much else. Check out our roundup of the reviews, and be sure to read MTV News’ five reasons to check out “Paranormal Activity 3.” As a Sequel 
” ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ is a prequel, revealing that the characters in ‘PA1’ and ‘PA2’ had already been through the all-night video surveillance ordeal. At least in this film they are undergoing it for the first time, which is less than can be said for us. The formula for the films involves pallid characters, perfunctory dialogue and very long waits for something to happen.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times The Director 
”Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost have fun with the archetypal image of a white-sheeted costume ghost, but mostly what they’re aces at is timing. They know just how to thread a handheld camera up the stairs, down a hallway, and into the scattered bric-a-brac of a middle-class children’s bedroom, settling at just the right moment upon a talking teddy bear that plays as a joke, even as a part of you momentarily thinks: Is that bear possessed?” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly The References 
”Having been handed the entirely uninspiring challenge of fattening up the ‘Paranormal’ origin story (pop culture mythology in the making, or not), directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (the doofuses behind the 2010 is-it-or-isn’t-it-a-sham-doc-about-an-Internet-sham, ‘Catfish’) reach into their kit bag of plot elements from, and references to, a whole bunch of older horror movies that most of their target demographic likely hasn’t seen. A bit of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ here, ‘The Shining’ there, ‘Poltergeist’ there, not to mention some Japanese stuff, and, of course, ‘Blair Witch’ itself, particularly at the end.” — Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies The End 
”As usual, the climax, in which the family makes the mistake of retreating to the sweet grandmother’s (Hallie Foote) house, replaces the air of mystery with an all too explicit explication for what’s been going on. But it does effectively fulfill its requirement of setting things up for the inevitable next installment. One doesn’t need a Ouija board to discern that it will probably arrive sometime around next Halloween.” — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter Bottom Line 
”Like its predecessors, the movie is more clever than good, and if you feel as if you’re being manipulated by the filmmakers, it’s because you are. That’s the fun of these movies, something you know going in. The point is to manipulate you in the scariest way possible, and ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ does a good job of that.” — Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic Check out everything we’ve got on “Paranormal Activity 3.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Is ‘Beyond Scary’

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‘Paranormal Activity 3’: The Reviews Are In!

‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Terrifies Fans At New York Screening

Co-director Ariel Schulman warned audience that nobody would be able to sleep after seeing film. By Kevin P. Sullivan Lauren Bittner in Paranormal Activity 3 Photo: Paramount Pictures It’s not often that you see people standing for hours in a line that wraps around the block just for the chance to get scared out of their minds, but that’s exactly what happened Tuesday night in New York at an advance fan screening of “Paranormal Activity 3.” Fans tweeted for a chance to check out the third entry in the found-footage horror series and to learn how the haunting started. Some of the hopeful audience members showed up as early as the morning before the 10 p.m. screening. Once inside the theater, the lucky crowd competed for prizes like iPods, only heightening the excitement in the room. When it was finally time to screen the movie, directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost showed up, appropriately decked out for Halloween with fake knives and syringes lodged in each of their heads. Schulman warned people that they weren’t ready for the scares in “Paranormal Activity 3,” promising that nobody in the theater was going to sleep that night. Among chants of “P-A-3,” the lights dimmed and the screams started, and they didn’t stop for 84 minutes. As soon as the screening ended, the fan reaction was clear. “I thought ‘Paranormal Activity’ was tuck-your-feet-under-the-blanket horrifying,” said Jeffrey Caban, who claimed his heart was still racing. Nelson Rosa said he understood “the saying ‘my heart skipped a beat’ [for the] first time ever.” “It was intense. It had me screaming, jumping up and down, covering my eyes, everything,” Maria Huighes said. Are you excited for “Paranormal Activity 3”? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter ! Check out everything we’ve got on “Paranormal Activity 3.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Is ‘Beyond Scary’

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‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Terrifies Fans At New York Screening

Exclusive: Consider! Behind the Scenes with Melissa Leo on the Set of Red State

Kevin Smith was tickled when his Red State star Melissa Leo won the Oscar last year, as he tells it in Movieline’s exclusive behind the scenes featurette from this week’s DVD and Blu-ray release of the provocative horror film. In the clip, meet Leo’s Sarah Cooper, the steely and devoted daughter of Red State ‘s fire and brimstone villain Pastor Abin Cooper, as described in Leo’s own words.

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Exclusive: Consider! Behind the Scenes with Melissa Leo on the Set of Red State

REVIEW: Paranormal Activity 3 Good for a Few Jumps and Giggles, But Evaporates Almost Immediately

My complicated muddle of feelings toward the Paranormal Activity franchise are directly related to my acute personal susceptibility to jump scares. They work on me embarrassingly well. A film that’s as reliant on them on Paranormal Activity 3 , the series’ latest episode, can have me as twitchy as an meth addict out of agonized anticipation of the inevitable “boo.”

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REVIEW: Paranormal Activity 3 Good for a Few Jumps and Giggles, But Evaporates Almost Immediately

Bad Movies We Love: New York Minute

You’ve never seen an Olsen twins movie, have you? Have you ? You’ve never twisted your hair into braids like Hailee Steinfeld and discovered How the West was Fun or booked a trip to the UK for Winning London . You’ve never personally discovered that, indeed, It Takes Two . God. Now that you’ve admitted you have nothing in common with true cinéastes, allow me to educate you: Today we’re visiting the quaint Manhattan of New York Minute , the Olsens’ 2004 big-screen bomb costarring more than a few people you respect. Since their sister Elizabeth is defying cult order in Martha Marcy May Marlene this week, the least we can do is honor the original Olsens for their enslaved followers. These zealots prefer their Kool-Aid straight-up.

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Bad Movies We Love: New York Minute

Paramount Wanted Catfish-y Vibe For Paranormal Activity 3, Obviously

I wouldn’t take anything Catfish and Paranormal Activity 3 co-director Ariel Schulman says at face value , but for the record: “When we first interviewed with the president of Paramount, he actually said, ‘If you tell me right now that Catfish is fake, you’ve got the job.’ And we just went real silent. And then I said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that.’ Because it was real. I think he figured that if we could create that authenticity dramatically, then we could do it again for this. Ultimately, we convinced them of exactly that. Catfish is completely real, but I think we have a knack for identifying the authentic moments in home video, and it plays like a narrative.” [ Huffington Post ]

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Paramount Wanted Catfish-y Vibe For Paranormal Activity 3, Obviously

‘Catfish’ Trio Discuss Controversial Documentary’s Aftermath

‘We just wanted to start a conversation with this film,’ filmmaker Henry Joost tells MTV News. By Kara Warner Nev Schulman Photo: MTV News Audiences are still talking about “Catfish,” the 2010 Sundance darling and one of the year’s most heavily hyped documentaries. Now that the film has opened in select theaters across the country, more and more people are joining in on the “Is it real?” debate , as well as looking into the nuts and bolts of how the film came to be. In brief, the documentary revolves around NYC-based photographer Nev Schulman and the series of curious events that occur when he begins an online friendship with a precocious 8-year-old artist from a small town in Michigan and a romantic relationship with her older sister. When MTV News caught up with filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, along with Nev, we asked them — without spoiling anything — how the film’s supporting characters are doing back in Michigan. “Things in Michigan are good,” Joost said. “We still have friends there, and they are becoming involved in the marketing of the film in a cool way, designing posters. We’re pretty excited about that.” Joost also said those friends were part of a small art show tied to the film’s New York premiere. Regarding the strong reactions both audiences and critics have had to the film, Joost said there is a common theme. “I’d say maybe not the most common reaction, but a very common reaction is ‘Wow. Now let me tell you what happened to me; let me tell you what happened to my friend or my cousin or my mom,’ ” he said. “It’s incredible how many stories there are like this out there, and I think the film is kind of an open door to tell those stories now, that are sometimes embarrassing but often lead to good things.” Joost added that their goal in making the film was to just get people talking. “We just wanted to start a conversation with this film and just continue the conversation we’ve been having in the editing room for two years,” he said. What do you think of the buzz surrounding “Catfish”? Did the film make you rethink your approach to social networking or online relationships at all? Let us know in the comments! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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‘Catfish’ Trio Discuss Controversial Documentary’s Aftermath

‘Catfish’ Filmmakers Respond To ‘Is It Real?’ Debate

‘We’re not that creative,’ Ariel Schulman laughs to MTV News. By Kara Warner Nev Schulman and Ariel Schulman in “Catfish” Photo: Rogue After making a splash at Sundance at the beginning of this year — both for being a hit with audiences and for stirring up a little controversy regarding the is-it-real-or-fake discussion that divided critics — “Catfish” is on its way to theaters September 17. The heavily hyped indie documentary revolves around NYC-based photographer Yev Schulman and the series of curious events that occur when he begins an online friendship with an 8-year-old girl and a romantic relationship with her older sister. When MTV News caught up with the film’s two first-time directors, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, they discussed what prompted them to begin filming to begin with, their subsequent decisions to keep the cameras rolling no matter what and their reactions to the “it’s a fake” controversy. MTV : Without revealing the big twist, what is this film about? Henry Joost : It’s a true story about an experience we had. The main character is Ariel’s younger brother who works with us, who got into a Facebook relationship that took a turn for the unexpected, and we were there to capture it. Ariel Schulman : People are surprised we started filming as early as we did, but truth is, we’ve been filming each other for years, and we’re always prepared. … I’ve got this brother who is just very charismatic and gets into a lot of trouble and gets himself into situations, and if I’m not filming him, I usually regret it. Joost : We’ve been doing it since high school. We’re those annoying guys: “Come on, you don’t have to film this. It’s not interesting.” Schulman : So [Yev] gets involved with this 8-year-old girl who’s a painter. She’s obsessed with his photos, he’s a ballet photographer in New York, he’s a dance junkie. He’s a straight dance junkie, which is a good situation to be in. … I was already filming him, because I’m always filming him. … I thought, “This looks like a friendship and sort of business relationship,” because she starts painting and selling the paintings based on his photos, and they split the proceeds. … It develops, and he meets her older sister, and they start to fall in love, and we’re like, “Oh, that sounds like a longer short film about Internet romance, and it will end when they meet,” and that’s just the first act of the movie, and it takes a pretty severe 90-degree turn from there. Joost : We had no idea where it was headed. It was this soap opera unfolding in our office. … It was engrossing. Ariel started filming it, and he’s been wanting to make a movie about his brother, because separate from the movie, his brother is incredible, a real-life character and always attracting drama and people. He’s a really charismatic person, and he has no filter, and he just wades into things. MTV : You mentioned that things take a serious turn. Were there moments when Yev wanted you guys to stop rolling? Joost : He had to be talked into it [at times]. Schulman : It was his life in front of the lens, and it gets pretty hairy. We have a couple arguments, and that’s in the movie. There were times when I didn’t want to go through with it, [Yev] didn’t want to go through with it, [Joost] didn’t want to go through with it. … The tables turned, and … Joost : Ultimately, it became Yev’s journey to find out the truth. He ended up convincing us to keep going at different points; each of us sort of chicken out at different points. MTV : What do you think of the controversy, people claiming it’s all fake? Joost : It is a documentary in that it’s something that actually happened and we filmed it and none of it is staged or fake. To us, we had no idea people were going to have that reaction until Sundance, and after the first screening, [“Super Size Me” director/star] Morgan Spurlock went up to somebody on our team and went, “That is the best fake documentary I’ve ever seen,” and we were like, “Really?” Because how do you react to that in our shoes? … It’s kind of strange, because to us, there’s no debate; that’s what happened. I think what people are reacting to a lot is, the film is edited. We can’t put out a 250-hour movie, so we’re making decisions and streamlining the narrative and presenting what we feel is the clearest representation of what happened, but it’s real, and there’s nothing disingenuous about it. Schulman : It gives us too much credit, though. If this were fake, then it would be … Joost : Yeah, we would be so much smarter than we actually are. Schulman : Yeah, we’re not that creative. Joost : It would be amazing if we had faked it. I don’t know how we would have done it, but … Schulman : And my brother would be the best actor since Marlon Brando. From the saucy Jessica Alba in “Little Fockers” to James Franco’s grueling journey in “127 Hours,” the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films’ biggest stars. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Exclusive Clips From The Fall’s Most Anticipated Films Related Photos Fall Movie 2010 Preview Week: Exclusive Photos

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‘Catfish’ Filmmakers Respond To ‘Is It Real?’ Debate