Good scare - on a shoestring budget

THE found-footage horror flick phenomenon that started with The Blair Witch Project (1999) spawned arguably the most profitable sub-genre in cinema history and inspired anyone with a handheld video camera, a wafer-thin storyline and a laughable budget to go into the movie business.

The fright fest that is the Paranormal Activity franchise is perhaps the best recent example of that philosophy and its latest incarnation Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is continued proof that - in the age of the mega-budget blockbusters - movies can be simple, effective and made on a (relative) shoestring.

In an effort to stay fresh (and perhaps attract a broader market segment), The Marked Ones features a strong Latino element, chronicling the exploits of some working-class Hispanic kids who are - fortunately for us - still able to afford a US$300 video device. The print that's showing on local screens features English-language subtitles, possibly in deference to viewers unable to fathom the intricacies of gangsta rap-style dialogue. Interestingly enough, the Spanish spoken by some of the characters is not subtitled at all, but then when it comes to the goosebump-inducing parts, no translation is necessary.