Is it possible that the horror-film audience is finally finding a bit of discretion? Are horror junkies turning away from Hollywood’s version of fright-night thrills and discovering new ways of experiencing those backbone shivers?

Not likely. We’re all suckers for things that go clump in the night, especially when they involve the chance of gore and maybe a bit of skin. And Hollywood isn’t going to give up its use/overuse of special effects anytime soon – good news to anyone who likes the occasional exploding auto.

Still, it was good news to hear that the latest “Saw” offering, “Saw XXVIII” – just kidding, it’s actually “Saw XXVII” – fared poorly at the box office this past weekend while the new film on the block, “Paranormal Activity,” did appreciably better.

According to Boxofficemojo.com, playing on some 2,500 screens at 1,945 sites, grossed $22 million – “Paranormal Activity” upped its 31-day total to about $62.5 million. “Saw,” in its sixth variation, did just $14.8 million at some 4,000 screens at 3,036 sites.

Time for Hollywood to begin the franchise all over again, the way it has with “Halloween” and, soon, “Friday the 13th.”

Not that “Paranormal Activity” is the “Citizen Kane” of neo-horror. It’s not even particularly new. It uses the same mock-documentary conceit that “The Blair Witch Project” exploited in 1999, which allows director Oren Peli to appeal to a viewing audience already trained to accept reality-TV fare.

But, hey, I was scared. If only Peli had included an exploding car or two, his film would be perfect.

Below: The trailer for “Saw VI.”