Winter solstice instant of the solstice can be calculated, direct observation of the solstice by amateurs is impossible because the sun moves too slowly or appears to stand still (the meaning of "solstice"). However, by use of astronomical data tracking, the precise timing of its occurrence is now public knowledge. One cannot directly detect the precise instant of the solstice (by definition, one cannot observe that an object has stopped moving until one later observes that it has not moved further from the preceding spot, or that it has moved in the opposite direction). Further, to be precise to a single day,
Dump months of Halloween at the end of the month. However, this began to change in the 2000s due to the way series such as the "Saw" and "Paranormal Activity" films dominated that period, prompting distributors of other horror films to consider releasing them during the winter dump months instead. In 2012 Paramount enjoyed huge success with the unheralded "The Devil Inside", released right after New Year's Day despite a strongly negative critical and audience reaction; the next year "Mama" was received enthusiastically by critics and filmgoers when it came out on Martin Luther King Day weekend after being rescheduled from the