Halloween movies scared off by 'Paranormal Activity'

Low-budget film Paranormal Activity won the box office battle of the fright films the past weekend, as the release opened wider across the US. The phenomenon benefited from the buzz through free midnight screenings, word-of-mouth, and an online marketing buzz building momentum. But even the critics agree -- the movie is terrifying.

Yet another horror movie, The House of the Devil, about a satanic haunting, will enter the fray in the US market this coming Halloween weekend, to little effect, with screens full of scary fare, including:

Saw VI, the sixth in the franchise, starring Tobin Bell as Jigsaw in his latest reign of terror, for fans of brutal bloodshed with a political edge.

The Stepfather, remake of 1987 chilling mystery about a nightmarish father figure who rules the house with a sinister fist, starring Dylan Walsh ( Nip/Tuck) who exchanges his scalpel for a knife.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant,  based on a teen book series, a fantasy sideshow of freaks, creeps, villains, and vampires, starring John C. Reilly ( Gangs of New York, Chicago, Talladega Nights) and Salma Hayek as the Bearded Woman.
Spooky comedy Zombieland -- a surprise box office hit a month ago, starring Bill Murray, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin about surviving among the living dead also continues to play.

Though filled with monsters in a bad dream, Where the Wild Things Are -- still in theaters, isn't exactly kid's fare, despite the inspiration from the children's book by Maurice Sendak, though it isn't a horror film either.

RC