Let’s just get one thing clear – I do not like scary movies. Back in middle school, when everyone else was rushing out to see Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, I hung around with my parents exposing myself to ‘classics’ like Blazing Saddles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and The Gods Must Be Crazy. So, I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be a horror expert. I do, however, know a thing or two about pop culture (you should see the stacks of Entertainment Weekly‘s on my floor).

Unless you have been hiding in your own dimly lit bedroom for the last few weeks, you have probably heard of a little movie called Paranormal Activity. Not to be confused with Pandorum, starring Dennis Quaid and a spaceship, Paranormal Activity is the movie promising to scare the bejesus out of you. You know, the one where the preview isn’t even of the actual movie, but instead shots of the audience totally freaking out…

But what is really freaky (and by that, I mean really freaky awesome) is the back story behind the film that critics and audiences are hailing as the next  Blair Witch Project (and no, I haven’t seen that one either).

Paranormal Activity was shot in just seven days and cost $11,000 to make. It was then purchased by DreamWorks for $350,000 with the intention of a big budget makeover, with the original tacked on as a DVD extra.

Pretty impressive roots for a movie that claimed the top spot last weekend, grossing $22 million in its first weekend of wide release.

So, how, do you ask, did a little movie not even planned for a major theatrical release end up on top?

Same way Barack became President- by the people.

Okay, maybe it is a bit dramatic comparing Paranormal Activity‘s rise to the top to the President of our fine nation, but still, have you been on Twitter lately? It would be interesting to see some statistics on how often Paranormal Activity has been a trending topic the last few weeks.

The biggest push for the movie came with the message at the end of the trailer telling fans to ‘demand’ it be shown at their local theater. In its first week, Paranormal Activity was shown in just 160 theaters. The film grossed $7.9 million; that’s almost $50 grand per screen, but who’s counting, right? The next week, the fear spread to 760 theaters and made $20.2 mil.

Paramount’s ‘Demand It’ campaign brought the film to almost 2,000 theaters last weekend, and ‘the little horror film that could’ has raked in 62.5 million so far. With Halloween this weekend, that number is sure to grow.

Now, back to my lackluster appreciation of horror movies.

Have I actually seen Paranormal Activity? No. But, for the first time in a long time, I actually want to see a scary movie.

But only in the middle of a bright, sunny day, so I will have hours and hours of daylight to burn before turning off the lights and (trying) to sleep.

Danielle is the Television and movies Editor  for Girls Guide. You can check out her personal blog, Addicted to Television, where she talks about her television obsession. If you want to give her free movie passes she wouldn’t be shy in taking them, so you can email them to her at danielle [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @daniellesmyname.