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
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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