Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones - B-

Rated R, 84 minutes

Unoriginal but tense "Marked Ones" serves up more found footage-style scares

Watch out for these people lurking in the basement!

The first "Paranormal Activity" film kicked off the found footage-style of horror film in 2009, though none has matched the scares or originality of that film. The latest outing, the fifth and a latino-flavored spinoff of sorts, continues the scares and while it's nothing new, there are a few healthy jumps that should please the fans of this film series. This outing is set in June 2012 in Oxnard, California. After a woman in their apartment complex mysteriously dies, Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) and Hector (Jorge Diaz) go to investigate. They discover items associated with black magic rituals, even some missing tapes, and things start getting very strange after Jesse discovers a weird bite on his arm. Directed and written by Christopher B. Landon, "Little House on the Prairie" star Michael Landon's son, this is Landon's first outing as director in this series after having written three of the other "Paranormal" sequels, it continues to mine more scares, and admittedly there are a few creepy ones scattered throughout the film. The most memorable ones include one with a well-known toy and another that literally shatters a whole room; yet, what's most sublime (and predictable) about the "Paranormal" movies is how they can serve up the scares so cheaply and quickly, peppered with a few nifty special effects and an unknown cast, coming to a very intense climax that ties the rest of the films together and opens up yet another chapter. On the downside, the found footage-style grew tiresome after the first film, so you will have enjoy these scares amidst all the usual camera shakes. "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones" is really for die-hard fans of this series and those who enjoy a few scares with their movie, and on that note it will likely be another big hit. For the rest of us, we're moving on to something new.

Wes's Grade: B-