Editorials
6 Recent Found-Footage Films You May Have Missed!
While I’ve never hidden my love for the Found-Footage sub-genre, even I have to admit that the inexpensive nature of these films results in an obscene amount of them being produced every year. In this flood of cheap jump-scares and inexperienced filmmakers, it’s easy to lose track of some legitimately spooky gems that didn’t quite manage to secure a wide release or even a decent marketing budget.
That’s why I’ve decided to compile this list of overlooked Found-Footage films from the past few years. Though it’s been a while since the last major release, the sub-genre is still going strong, and there’s lots of first-person thrills to be had if you’re willing to wade through the vast sea of VOD horror flicks (not to mention putting up with a few annoying clichés every now and then) in order to find them.
Not every entry on this list is necessarily a great movie, but they all bring something interesting to the table when it comes to their execution of common Found-Footage tropes. Also, since we’re all undoubtedly aware of bigger franchises like Creep and Paranormal Activity, this list will be dedicated to lesser known properties in an attempt to keep things fresh.
Before we begin, don’t forget to share your favorite Found-Footage films with us in the comments below! Now, onto the movies…
They’re Watching (2016)
Jay Lender and Micah Wright’s They’re Watching is a strange creature, especially when compared to other supposedly similar Found-Footage movies. This peculiar blend of reality television and Eastern European superstition is one of the few cases where I cared much more about the main characters and the overall backstory than I did about the actual horror elements.
Featuring several instances of shoddy special effects and some nonsensical decision-making, the film doesn’t always work. However, if viewed as the ‘workplace comedy gone wrong’ that the filmmakers intended, there’s definitely a fun time to be had with this weird little movie.
Aliens: Zone of Silence (2017)
It’s baffling how hard it is to find successful Found-Footage films featuring extraterrestrials. Close encounters and mysterious lights in the sky seem like perfect fuel for a cinematic POV nightmare, but we still haven’t seen the definitive Found-Footage UFO movie.
While we search for that perfect film, we can at least be thankful for creative filmmakers like Andy Fowler, who crafted an incredibly immersive experience with Aliens: Zone of Silence.
Based on real-world conspiracies surrounding Mexico’s mysterious Zona del Silencio, the film deals with several interesting concepts in a unique approach to UFO lore. While the end result is far from perfect, with severe pacing issues and some downright tedious desert hiking sequences, Aliens nearly makes up for this with sheer ambition and the clever use of supporting characters to enhance the Found-Footage gimmick.
Digging Up the Marrow (2014)
Adam Green’s first foray into this sub-genre may seem like a strange choice for a list of overlooked movies when you consider the director’s previous work, but I’ve found that Digging Up the Marrow is a woefully underseen and unfairly criticized film.
Structured as a documentary about an unhinged man (played by the always excellent Ray Wise) who claims that monsters exist and live in their own secretive society, the movie serves as a passionate love letter to both monster movies and Found-Footage alike. Sure, there are some annoying similarities to better films and far too many in-jokes, but it’s still an entertaining ride just as long as you don’t take it too seriously.
Population Zero (2016)
Some of you might consider this as cheating since Adam Levins’ crime thriller is technically a mockumentary, but the film deals with fragmented recordings and even evolves into a pseudo-Found-Footage experience towards the end, so I’m including it anyway.
While it’s not particularly scary, Population Zero managed to make American national park legislation interesting with its hypothetical portrayal of the perfect murder. The movie gets bogged down with some particulars of the real-life scenarios that inspired it, but it’s still an entertaining (not to mention eerily believable) watch.
Rorschach (2015)
Surprisingly, there are actually several feature-length Found-Footage movies available on YouTube, free of charge. Of course, most of these are zero-budget attempts at emulating Marble Hornets and The Blair Witch Project, but a few manage to stand out as legitimately thrilling and creative horror stories in their own right.
C.A. Smith’s Rorschach is one of these rare films, presenting itself as a thinking man’s alternative to movies like Annabelle and Paranormal Activity. Featuring a charismatic duo of paranormal investigators in way over their heads as they attempt to help a troubled family deal with an otherworldly presence, this is by far the most believable (and consequently terrifying) film on this list.
The film actually shows very little of the supposed demonic presence, instead relying on subtle cues and subjectivity in order to unease viewers. It may feel a bit too slow for some audiences, especially with the lack of jump scares and fancy effects, but the realistic nature of the production makes up for most of that. And the best part is that you can watch it for free right now!
Hell House LLC (2016)
Seasonal haunted houses are one of the most iconic aspects of Halloween, so it’s strange how we’re only now seeing more movies about them. Fortunately, Stephen Cognetti has managed to craft one hell of an engaging supernatural mystery out of Hell House LLC, a film that’s sure to live on in annual Halloween marathons and a great companion piece to the similarly great The Houses That October Built.
The film compiles recovered footage leading up to a horrible massacre that occurred within the titular Hell House on opening night. Slowly hinting at the horrors that lurk within what was meant to be an innocent attraction, this is certainly one of the best haunted-house films in recent memory, and a must-watch for Found-Footage enthusiasts.
I’ve yet to see the recent director’s cut, but I’ve heard that it improves upon several aspects of the original film, so you might want to choose that version if you plan on watching this one. Plus, there’s a sequel on the horizon, so why not prepare for the return of the Hell House by giving this spooky Halloween tale a try?
Editorials
‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel
The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.
The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.
Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.
With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).
It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.
The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.
The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.
Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.
Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.
Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.
The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.
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