The Little Horror Flick that Could

Paranormal Activity was made with a $15,000 budget, unknown actors, and was shot in the home of the director over a span of seven days. It has grossed over $22 million, trumping big budget horror films like Saw VI.

The LA Times reported that the film has expanded to 1,945 screens and is still continuing to be a box-office hit. Not too shabby for a little low-budget horror flick!

What made the film so successful? With so many over-the-top performances and story lines in horror movies today, director Oren Peli says he worked hard to make the movie believable above all else.

He worked with only a loose script, he told MTV, and had the actors improvise many of their scenes. In an LA Times article, Peli said he, "didn't want actors [to look] like they were acting. I wanted it to feel real, so I didn't want there to be a script. I wanted the audience to think they were watching real life."

The realistic feel to the movie makes it all the scarier to watch, along with its "true story" narrative and documentary style. Paranormal Activity is scaring audiences nationwide, and will be released in some international locations this week.