Image Source Tommie Hansen
There have been a handful of films (i.e. As Above/So Below, Catacombs) that head deep into the legendary Catacombs of Paris, France.
Built for religious practice (with the bones of human beings), these tombs are also the place of mass desecration – millions of bodies were exhumed from Paris cemeteries and dumped deep into The Catacombs.
While homeless find shelter in The Catacombs, visitors need a tour guide to avoid getting lost in the seven levels of the 200-mile network of “old caves, tunnels and quarries”.
The criminally underrated As Above/So Below took horror fans deep into The Catacombs in a fresh take on the found-footage subgenre. And while many of these found-footage horror films claim to be inspired by true stories, As Above/So Below does not, which is weird considering there is a true story just as terrifying.
Years ago, ABC Family aired a special on The Catacombs (below), which focused on a camcorder discovered deep within.
Allegedly, in the early 90’s, a man decided he’d explore The Catacombs on his own. He never resurfaced, although his camcorder and cassette were found.
What’s on it will give you chills.
In the video, you’ll see the man (at 288 feet below street level) catch a glimpse of “something”, panic, and begin to run. He eventually drops the camcorder, which continues to film the nothingness of The Catacombs – you know, straight out of a found-footage horror movie.
The ABC documentary alleges that the location of this event is what’s truly terrifying – the entrance to the “Gates of Hell.”
Yikes.
