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Is Found Footage The Next Big Sub-Genre In Horror?

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The film industry is an ever changing beast.  Directors are constantly fighting each other to create the next big thing for their respective audiences.  Horror is no exception to that rule, with every sub-genre being so vastly different competition is stiff.

New films come out all the time in a steady flow, and with that much competition you either need something truly grotesque or innovative to make a ripple in the crimson ocean we all call home.

Horror has always been an expansive genre, and with that has also spawned multiple sub-genres.  Be it either the slasher craze that took the 80’s and 90’s by storm, or the zombie craze of more recent years every sub-genre is a distinctive and unique as one would come to expect when viewing a horror movie.

One popular trend that seems to be taking off again is the found footage and mockumentary movement.  Found footage films have always been plentiful, as they follow the same rules as slashers for the most part.  They don’t require much acting experience, and are generally cheap as hell to film which makes it a good start point for any budding directors.

10 Found Footage Movies That Came Before The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

There are plenty of terrible or obscure found footage films out there, but it’s the big name ones that truly send out the ripples and ignite the next flame other directors will try to recreate.

Some of the best known ones of course being The Blair Witch ProjectVHS, and The Taking Of Deborah Logan.  Each film bringing something unique and interesting to the field that helped to push the bar.

The Blair Witch Project

This mockumentary was an explosive success, and is what helped bring popularity to the found footage movement in cinema.  Part of this films success was due to its marketing, which at the time was a work of true genius.

All marketing for The Blair Witch made it seem like the events of the film had actually happened.  Even going so far as to creating missing person posters for the actors.  This helped the film explode in popularity and brought fame to the found footage sub-genre.

The Blair Witch Project helped to popularize the found footage movement by bringing to the mainstream audience, which is where so many other found footage flicks falter.

V/H/S

VHS is another film that helped to popularize the found footage movement, however it chose a different approach compared to other films.  What sets V/H/S apart from other found footage movies is that it is not only a found footage movie, but also an anthology.

V/H/S consists of three self contained stories all being played on the titular VHS tape.  Each story taking a different direction, with different directors, similar to The ABC’S Of Death.

This particular entry was a great showcase as to what the found footage sub-genre was capable of, and was popular enough to warrant several sequels.  After VHS low budget found footage anthology films certainly became more common place.

The Taking Of Deborah Logan

The Taking Of Deborah Logan is an absolutely disturbing and unsettling film to watch, and that is one of the highest praises a horror flick could ever hope to achieve.  It takes on the role of a mockumentary and a great example to go off of when creating a found footage movie.

The plot follows a group of college students wanting to film a documentary about Deborah and her struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.  As things progress however it is clear that something is very wrong with Deborah.

The blending of found footage and a mockumentary helped this film succeed tremendously.  The blending of the two sub-genres together helped to introduce many horror fans to a sub-genre that is widely dismissed.

Of course there are many other found footage films and mocumentaries that helped to normalize and bring popularity to the found footage genre.  The found footage genre is bursting at the seams with some great hidden gems out there.

As more and more truly great found footage flicks gain popularity, we are also seeing big name directors taking a stab at this niche in horror cinema.  The most recent example being M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit.

Of course there is no telling if the found footage genre will explode to the heights that the slasher genre had in the 80’s or not, but as it gains popularity anything is possible.  If you need more mockumentary action in your life then be sure to check out our list of mockumentaries that show off their human sides.

I for one am excited at the idea of more mainstream found footage films, with an A-list horror budget and writing.  After all nothing is more terrifying than grounding horror in reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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