I caught up with actress Katie Featherstone at a gala
screening of Paranormal Activity 4 to find out how it feels to be returning for
another round of found footage thrills, what the chances are of yet another
Paranormal Activity film and what she would like to do after the franchise
finishes.
What’s your favourite
scary movie?
KF: The one that scared me the most growing up was Candyman
starring Tony Todd. That’s the one I
watched multiple times in junior high with my best friend and tortured
her. She was a good friend so she always
watched it with me.
Paranormal Activity
is such a big part of the found footage horror phenomenon. What do you think is the appeal of these
films and can the trend last forever?
KF: I don’t know if it will go on forever. Everything goes in phases so it will go on
for a while I’m sure. The great thing
about it is that it is a really intimate way to tell a story. It’s really kind of voyeuristic which I think
for a scary movie if it’s done well can make it even more frightening and it
gives it even more of a sort of right-in-the-room with you kind of feel. So we’ll see how long it continues as long as
fans stay excited!
When you made the
first film, did you have any idea you would be here for a fourth film?
No we made the first film and we never knew if it would be
seen in theatres. We didn’t know if it
would make it to a festival. We didn’t
know anything. We just focussed on doing
good work and so for that movie to be a success and for us to be here
celebrating a fourth film is really incredible and it’s all down to our amazing
fans. They really stuck by us from the
beginning and all the way through which is why an event like this is really
fun.
What do you do
differently to keep things fresh and keep the shocks and scares coming in this
fourth film in the series?
I think you have to maintain the integrity of where the
franchise started and keep with those same kinds of scares. You just amp it up a little bit and tell the
story in a way that continues to be interesting by utilising new kinds of
technology but still remaining true to the style. So it’s the same kind of movie but it’s just
the world’s a little bigger and scarier.
Has your belief in
the supernatural increased after doing these films?
I think that there are definitely spirits or ghosts. There certainly unexplainable things in this
world that kind of make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. But I had that belief before these
movies. It’s the same as it was.
There are often
stories about spooky things happening for real on horror film sets. Were there any experiences like that on these
films?
We are the most boring.
We have so much fun making these.
It’s like a giant family… coming together and making this fun, scary
movie. It’s scary to watch but it’s just
joyous to make. So nothing too freaky or
scary. Maybe if you ask the other kids,
because their imaginations run wild. They
had some times when they scared themselves!
And how do you find
it working with kids rather than adults?
It’s amazing! They
have such interesting and explosive imaginations. It’s such a great thing to be around
especially when you’re doing something so improvisational and so rooted in the
moment. They’re great at really scaring
themselves which makes it more fun.
And what would you
like to do once the franchise ends?
Next on my bucket list is comedy. I’d love to do a single camera comedy or do
an indie comedy movie. I’ve got a couple
of things in the works that I’m excited about that I’ll be talking about once
it’s confirmed but comedy is next on my list.
So is there scope for
the Paranormal Activity series to continue after this one?
KF: There are certainly many, many ways that the story could
go and I know that they’ve talked about what those ways are. But I have no idea if they’ll make another
one. I always try to think of the one
I’m doing as the last. Because who knows?
You never know if there will be another one. I certainly don’t. But if they made another one, I hope they ask
me to be in it!