5 Greatest Found Footage Films Of All Time

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:24:52 +0000

Sinister stars Ethan Hawke as a true-crime writer who moves his family into a murder house in the hopes of writing a book based off the strange occurence. But this isn’t just any ordinary murder house. This is the king of all murder houses, with at least five families having been slaughtered there under mysterious circumstances. Each of these grisly crimes are revealed as films of the murders are found in the attic and reveal a terrifying figure that comes to claim the life of whomever views him. Good luck with that, Ethan Hawke!

It looks to be a terrifying addition to the world of found footage films. We’ll know for sure when it opens in theaters on Friday, October 12th. In the meantime, have a look at the predecessors who will go down in history as fright classics.

Chronicle

Chronicle enjoyed a successful run in theaters thanks to some really strong word of mouth. In fact, the reaction so far has been “OMG!!!1!!!!!!!!BESTFILMEVAR!1,” which is pretty high praise, I’d say. The combination of little-known talent and cost-effective but awesome special effects made for a great movie, even though the pay-off doesn’t really do justice to the build-up.

REC

This story of a virus taking over an apartment building keeps the viewer guessing throughout. No character is safe, and those you’d expect to make it to the end credits meet abrupt demises. Before standing back up and going completely rabid on their surviving neighbors. You’ll want to deadbolt your doors after watching.

Cloverfield

Like Chronicle, Cloverfield was another winter found footage release that cleaned up at the box office. However, the Godzilla-esque monster movie suffered after its first week due to negative word of mouth. Which is insane, because it’s a great movie. Audiences found fault with the shaky camera work and lack of a typical Hollywood ending. Pretty harsh to bash something for switching up the same tired formula. That’s why you guys have all of those Vin Diesel movies.

The Paranormal Activity Series

Though it has collected its share of detractors, Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity films clean up at the box office for good reason. They’re really, really creepy. The camera techniques introduced in each of the films crank up the scares of The Blair Witch Project by layering the suspense with inventive devices. In other words, it takes the house Blair Witch built and makes its walls bleed.

The Blair Witch Project

Though not the first to use the style, it’s definitely the film that brought found footage to the mainstream. That’s not to say it’s not original or well done. Filmmakers cast their lead actors and then sent them out into the woods with cameras. No script. They literally left people in tents and then fucked with them at night. The result was a pretty organic and frightening ride-alone.

‘Paranormal Activity 4′ Trailer: It’s Not Safe To Go Back In The Microsoft Kinect

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:44:29 +0000

Just as the 1980′s-set Paranormal Activity 3 terrorized us via a Teddy Ruxpin doll, the fourth installment seeks to give us chills via today’s hottest toy. Also, it serves as a chilling reminder that toys have really improved over the last 24 years.

In addition to Microsoft Kinect-centric scares, the new trailer for Paranormal Activity 4 also sets us up a bit more with the film’s plot. After a demonically-possessed woman is sent to the hospital, her kidnapped nephew is left to stay with the neighbors (Nevada law). From there, the camera and technology obsessed family notice strange happenings occuring around their young houseguest. If this family values their chandeliers and furniture AT ALL, they’ll turn that kid over to the proper authorities asap.