Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Top 10 Found Footage Films


I typically try to avoid found footage flicks at all cost, but occasionally, I find one worth mentioning. And while the found footage genre is mostly limited to horror films (and mostly awful ones at that) many decent films in many different genres have used the narrative device. Whether they scare, shock or fascinate, these 10 found footage flicks get it right.

Head to Movie Mezzanine to view the full list

20 comments:

  1. Awesome list! Great to see Blair Witch at #1, it's one of the scariest movies I've seen. I think it's brilliant that they use that technique in horror movies - sure most of them are cliche and predictable but jump scare always works for me and with found footage you can't really predict when the camera is going to face different way and show something scary.

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    1. Thanks! I agree, the unpredictability of found footage films really can produce some significant scares. Blair Witch will always be tops!

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  2. No love for Cloverfield? I thought it was great!
    -Dan

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    1. Really wanted to include it, but I like the listed 10 better. Still dig Cloverfield though.

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  3. Good list, and a good idea! I'd be interested to hear your justification for excluding "Chronicle" (a good, not great film). I thought one of the cleverest things about that film was how it completely amped up the found footage cliche to the point where I'm surprised people are still making them - when the climax hits and we're seeing the entire action from probably hundreds of different cameras, cut by cut, it was - for me - a really exciting and clever execution of the found footage genre. I didn't feel that it "cheated" - yeah, it doesn't really make much sense as to how someone would have collected all that footage, but that's not an uncommon problem with found footage films.

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    1. Thanks man. You kind of touched on why I excluded Chronicle. During its climax, it completely abandoned the found footage technique and started using "narrative" cameras, if that makes sense. I noticed this when I saw it in the theater, and when I rewatched it on DVD, it was blatantly obvious that no cell phones, security cameras or whatever the hell else were around. So yeah, while I too consider it a good film, I was only trying to include movies that use the found footage for their duration. Ya dig?

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    2. Fair enough - I thought that they'd played it fair, but I've only seen it the once so I might have missed some cheats in the last act. Will have to give it a rewatch, it was definitely a lot better than I'd expected.

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    3. I do enjoy the film much more now than I did then. Dane DeHaan has some serious talent.

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  4. There's no disputing your #1 choice. Of course, it's the only film I've seen from your list, apart from a few scenes of Cannibal Holocaust. Apparently, I'm really behind on found footage flicks.

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    1. Ha, well, it's not like there are many masterpieces to be discovered in the found footage genre, so it's all good that you haven't seen that many. Paranormal Activity is a real creeper though.

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  5. Interesting list, I've seen about half of these. I would definitely agree about being creeped out to Cannibal Holocaust and Blair Witch, but I do have to disagree about your Paranormal Activity point. I remember seeing that in a theater with my dad that was filled to about a third and we just thought it was the stupidest movie we had seen. We laughed all the way through it - haven't been interested in the sequels because the first one was so bad. But I've been meaning to catch Trollhunter for a while now and definitely need to catch Home Movie (which I had vaguely heard of before) and Zero Day (which I had never heard of before) after reading this. I'm a little surprised you didn't include The Bay after reading your glowing review of it.
    Also, Man Bites Dog probably would have been my #1 or 2. That movie is just crazy and I love it. Good list though, definitely some cool films in there.

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    1. Man, you are honestly the only person I've heard who wasn't remotely scared by PA in theaters. DId you know anything about it when you saw it? Christ, that first screening terrified me.

      The Bay and Cloverfield came in at 11 and 12. I really dig both of them.

      Man Bites Dog is just nuts, isn't it? Movie terrifies me.

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    2. I don't recall knowing anything more than it was a horror movie that was being compared to Blair Witch at the time and that everyone in my school wanted to see it. Aside from that I can't recall knowing a whole lot about Paranormal Activity before going into the theater. Cloverfield is good too, I remember seeing that in a theater and getting nauseous watching it lol. Haven't seen The Bay yet though.

      I love Man Bites Dog because of just how nihilistic and (at least to me) spiteful it is. I can see how it could scare some people (and I haven't seen it more than one time myself - I should probably watch it again though) but I just love it.

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    3. Gotcha.

      Funny story, the girl I was dating at the time had to leave Cloverfield because she got physically sick. When she walked out the bathroom (after vomiting), a movie theater usher was standing right there and just handed her a free ticket. I guess that movie made a lot of people sick. Ha.

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  6. Great list! So glad to see Zero Day in there! Definitely one of my favourites! I'd get rid of 8,9 and 10 and have Rec 2, Cloverfield and Evidence on my own top 10. Here's my top 10 http://www.filmoria.co.uk/2012/10/the-top-10-found-footage-horror-films/

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    1. Thanks! I was trying to remember if it was you who first told me about Zero Day. Must have been. That's a hell of a disturbing flick right there.

      I really wanted to include [REC 2] because that is a remarkable horror sequel.

      Haven't heard of Evidence... why did that one make your Top 10?

      Also, in researching this post, I watched a ton of found footage flicks. Have you ever seen Megan is Missing? Jesus Christ. Awful.

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  7. I added Home Movie and Zero Day to my Netflix queue. I haven't heard of them. I HATED V/H/S. Such a good idea wasted with misogyny. I'm glad you included The Last Exorcism in here, that's a great one.

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    1. I remember reading your lacerating takedown of V/H/S. I'm definitely not going to argue with you. For most any other found footage film, I'd be right there with you.

      Hope you appreciate Home Movie and Zero Day. Two uneasy flicks right there.

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  8. When I saw the list pop up, I thought for a minute that I might actually be able to recommend a little-known film to you... and then I go and bloody see Man Bites Dog already there. I thought that film was brilliant when I saw it last year. Good to see Paranormal Activity on there too, that film scared the bejesus out of me, mainky because I watched it in a darkened bedroom, on my own. I'd have included Cloverfield and most of End of Watch too, but that's mainly because I haven't seen most of your list.

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    1. Man Bites Dog is batshit insane, isn't it? I can't believe the filmmakers even got away with making it.

      Cloverfield was very close to making this list, but movie's like End of Watch (which I actually loved) weren't considered because they do not use the found footage technique for their duration. Still, that's a bitchin' flick.

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