Paranormal Activity

Like the undead, animated movies are best when they're under control. "ParaNorman,"a dark and slightly dotty 3-D fable about a boy who communes with the dearly and not so dearly departed, sometimes gets a little out of hand, especially at the end. Even so, it may be the most fun you'll have with ghosts and zombies all year. It's a spooky twist on the typical outsider kid's tale of woe. Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler from Butler's scattershot script, the stop-motion film centers on Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee)

"50/50" Summit, $26.99; Blu-ray, $30.49 The title of the dramedy refers to the odds of survival faced by young public-radio producer Adam Learner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) after he's diagnosed with cancer. Adam tries to lean on a therapist (Anna Kendrick) and his best friend (Seth Rogen) for support, but because they're all from a generation trained to respond to situations with aloofness, timidity and/or snark, they're unprepared for potential tragedy. Will Reiser's script — based on his own experiences — is a little too shaggy, and director Jonathan Levine doesn't help matters by letting his cast improvise so freely.

"The Devil Inside" was a surprise hit at the box office this weekend - a micro-budget horror film with no stars and plenty of bad reviews, the film came out of nowhere to gross $33.7 million and become the third-highest January opening in Hollywood history. But far from a novelty, "Devil Inside" is the first in a new wave of films that use the conceit of "found footage" - movies that blend fantastical plot lines with supposedly real video - due for release in the coming year.

The gig: Jason Blum is a producer whose career took off when the low-budget horror film "Paranormal Activity," which he played a key role bringing to the big screen, became a surprise hit in 2009 and spawned a new Hollywood franchise with annual sequels. After spending most of his career in the independent film world, the 42-year-old has reshaped his business around the "Paranormal" model, aiming to make inexpensive movies with mass audience appeal. He produced April's hit horror film "Insidious," is working on more "Paranormal" sequels for Paramount Pictures and is developing projects under a newly signed deal with Universal Pictures.

"Paranormal Activity 3" vanquished the box-office ghosts this weekend, taking in a whopping $54 million upon its premiere in the U.S., according to studio estimates. The other two new films in wide release this weekend, however, flopped. An expensive 3-D version of "The Three Musketeers" grossed a disappointing $8.8 million. And "Johnny English Reborn," a comedy starring British comedian Rowan Atkinson, did not resonate with American audiences. While the film is a hit overseas, it collected a weak $3.8 million in the U.S. this weekend.

'Paranormal Activity 3' MPAA rating: R for some violence, language, brief sexuality and drug use Running time: 1 hour, 26 minutes Playing: In general release

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Friday: "Paranormal Activity 3" is expected to spook the competition at the box office this weekend. ( Los Angeles Times ) Linsday Lohan is serving her first community service shift at the morgue today. ( Los Angeles Times ) Giuliana Rancic is recovering at home after her double lumpectomy, her husband says. ( Los Angeles Times ) French President Nicolas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy have a baby girl, Giulia.

The third "Paranormal Activity" movie will spook its competitors at the box office this weekend. But it remains to be seen whether it can scare up more dollars than the franchise's second installment. "Paranormal Activity 3" is expected to collect $40 million to $45 million domestically, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys. Paramount Pictures, the studio releasing the movie, is predicting a softer debut of around $35 million. The second "Paranormal" film opened to $40.7 million on the same weekend last year.

The scene Tuesday night at the ArcLight's Cinerama Dome looked like any other Hollywood premiere: a high-energy mix of bright lights, loud music and enthusiastic crowds. Yet there was no red carpet, no celebrity entourages, no drove of paparazzi — because the real stars of "Paranormal Activity 3" are not the film's cast, but its fans. More than 2,200 ardent followers of the "found-footage" horror franchise queued up for several hours for a special "Paranormal Activity 3" preview two days ahead of the film's Thursday midnight opening.