Top Five Found Footage Movies of All Time

The found footage genre fascinates me.  The conceit that we are seeing the movie through the eyes of the cameraman who will not look away or let us "off the hook" is intriguing and brilliant commentary on mankind's fascination with film, and our inability to look away from the ugliness in the world.  They are the perfect horror movies for the "YouTube Generation."

Or maybe they are just scary.

Whatever.

Image source: unrealitymag.com

5. Blair Witch Project - I just saw this movie and, although I had my doubts, it lived up to the hype.  Short on visual scares but full of tension, this movie really kept me on the edge of my seat.  I had heard for years that it didn't make sense, but if you pay attention there is a reason for that guy standing in the corner.  Hint: pay attention to the interviews with the villagers at the beginning of the movie for the key to the mystery.

4. REC 2 - The first REC is a neat variation on the zombie movies, but the 2nd movie in the soon-to-be quadrilogy comes out ahead of the pack by giving us zombies that can be put down by the power of faith, creepy demon kids in air ducts, and introduces the concept of viral demon possession.  Well played Spanish filmmakers, well played.

Image source: Spinoff Online

3. Cloverfield - I still remember the first trailer for Cloverfield.  No title.  No release date.  Just footage of an unseen monster chucking the head of The Statue of Liberty down a Manhattan street.  I was hooked.  The viral marketing campaign was genius, and made what should have been a simple Godzilla rip-off much more.

(c) Steve Wilkie/The Weinstein Company

2. Diary of the Dead - Okay.  I love Romero zombie movies so I know better than anyone that this is far from his best work.  The dialogue sucks.  The acting isn't great.  The special effects are just "okay."  However, because we can only see what the camera sees, the movie make zombies scary again.  Slow zombies just aren't scary anymore....but the constant threat of an off-camera attack kept me more nervous in a zombie movie than I had been in years.

Image source: Starburst Magazine

1. V/H/S - I love anthology horror and I love found footage, so V/H/S seems like a movie made just for me.  I looked forward to this movie for two years and it did not disappoint.  While I admit it is wildly uneven, the good far outweighs the bad, and each story brings something new and interesting not just to the found footage genre, but the horror genre as a whole.

Okay.

I know.

Where is CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST?

I must admit that I've never seen it.  I am not a prude, but I do have my limits, and I decided long ago that I was going to avoid this movie at all costs. I believe that even the most violent horror films should be enjoyable on some level, and since even people who like this movie have a hard time recommending it, I decided I should spend my time rewatching Saw VII (not the best choice....but I stand by it).