A Forgotten Experiment That Still Works

Read Time:7 Minute, 25 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Paranormal [Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition]
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Genre: Horror, Zombie, Supernatural
Year Released: 1998, Visual Vengeance Blu-ray 2026
Runtime: 1h 10m
Director(s): Todd Norris
Writer(s): Todd Norris, C. Wayne Owens
Cast: Todd Norris, Audrey Crabtree, Nenita Gumangan, C. Wayne Owens
Where to Watch: available now, order your copy here: www.mvdshop.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: THE PARANORMAL doesn’t ever try apologizing for what it is. It doesn’t try to disguise its shot-on-video roots or ease you into the expectation that you’re about to watch something rough around the edges. It just starts, confident in the idea it’s built around, and lets that do the work. That confidence matters so much in this case, because without it, this would’ve blended into a long list of late-’90s SOV releases that never found a way to stand out.

A movie theater becomes the center of something it shouldn’t, as the film playing inside it begins to spill outward, collapsing the distance between fiction and reality. It’s the kind of concept that could go either way. Handled without care and dedication, it becomes a gimmick that burns out fast. Here, it’s treated like a system with rules, and that choice gives the entire film something to build on. This is something we've seen before; films and TV shows alike have tried to convey this idea to the world, but I would argue this is one of the most successful versions I’ve seen, because it knows what it is and doesn’t try to be more!

What works here is the film's firm commitment to the world it exists in. There’s no fallback into irony or exaggerated self-awareness. It treats the premise as something that needs to be understood, not joked about. The tension comes from watching people try to make sense of something that refuses to behave logically. That keeps the focus on reaction rather than spectacle, which is the right call given the constraints.

Instead of rushing toward the horror, the film takes time to map out its space. The theater isn’t just a setting, it’s a boundary line. Once that boundary starts to break down, the film has somewhere to go. You can feel the shift as things stop staying contained, and that progression gives the story a sense of motion even when the visuals remain limited. It’s not about scale, it’s about disruption.

There’s also a clear understanding of what makes the setting matter. This isn’t just a haunted “house”. It’s a place built around illusion, where stories are meant to exist safely on one side of the screen. Once that separation disappears, everything becomes unstable. The film doesn’t overexplain the idea, but it leans on it enough to give the concept weight beyond the surface level.

The production limitations are obvious, but they’re handled with intention, rather than avoiding them altogether. Effects are used sparingly, and when they are used, they’re positioned in a way that supports the tension instead of trying to replace it. The film knows it can’t overwhelm the audience visually, so it doesn’t try. It stays focused on atmosphere and escalation, which keeps the experience grounded even when the premise pushes outward.

That restraint comes with some friction. The tempo isn’t always consistent, and there are stretches where scenes hold on longer than they need to. In those moments, the dialogue has to carry more than it should, and it doesn’t always hold up under that pressure. Some exchanges feel like they’re there to move the idea forward rather than reveal anything new about the people involved.

The performances land somewhere between raw and effective. They’re not refined, but they don’t need to be. What matters is that they stay committed to the situation. Todd Norris, working both behind and in front of the camera, keeps the film surprisingly focused. There’s an honesty to his presence that helps hold everything together, even when the material around him starts to stretch thin. The supporting cast fills in the gaps where needed, even if they’re not given much room to expand beyond the situation.

What’s more interesting is how the film uses those performances to reinforce the strain we see here. The characters aren’t just reacting to something strange. They’re trying to understand it, to impose logic on something that won’t accept it. That effort creates its own pressure. The more they try to define what’s happening, the less stable it becomes. It’s a subtle layer, but it adds to the unease.

The SOV style is always present, but it ends up working in the film’s favor more often than not. The lack of polish creates a sense of immediacy that fits the premise. When the boundaries start to break down, that roughness helps sell the idea that something is off. A more modern-day presentation might have made the transitions feel more controlled. Here, they feel unstable, which is exactly what the film needs.

What stands out is how well the film holds together as a whole. It doesn’t lose track of its thesis, and it doesn’t drift into unrelated territory. Everything ties back to the central concept, even when the execution isn’t perfect. That kind of focus goes a long way, especially in a format that’s easy to lose direction in. There’s also something to be said for how long it took this to resurface. It doesn’t feel like a novelty pulled from obscurity. It’s more like a project that always had a clear sense of what it wanted to be, even if it didn’t have the platform to reach people at the time. That gives it a different kind of staying power.

THE PARANORMAL isn’t trying to compete with larger productions. It builds its identity around what it can control and sticks to it. The edges are rough, the pacing isn’t always perfect, and some of the dialogue doesn’t land. But none of that erases what works. At its best, the film takes a simple idea and pushes it to become more than expected. It finds tension in limitation, not despite it. That’s what sets it apart from many similar projects. It doesn’t just exist within its constraints. It uses them to define itself.

Bonus Materials:
Region Free Blu-ray
New director-supervised transfer from original tape elements
Commentary with director Todd Norris
Commentary with director Todd Norris and Composer Paul Roberts
New Cast and Crew Interviews
The Two Todds: Todd Norris and Todd Sheets interview
The Paranormal Channel 5 TV Airing Bumpers
Blooper Reel
Deleted Scenes
Original Script Excerpts
Storyboard Gallery
Short Film: The Closet
Short Film: L…
Short Film: Night of the Growling
Short Film: Parallax
Visual Vengeance Trailer
Trailers
Optional English subtitles
Folded mini-poster with art by Giorgio Credaro
Reversible Sleeve Featuring Original VHS Art
'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set
Limited Edition O-CARD featuring art by Uncle Frank – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
Limited Edition 'Ghost Finder' viewer – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
Limited Edition Promo flyer for 'Z is For Zombie' movie
Featuring original sleeve art by The Dude

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[photo courtesy of VISUAL VENGEANCE, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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