Troll Hunter was really solid. There are some shots in that one... like when they see a troll up close for the first time and the guy filming immediately lowers the camera and starts running (most realistic reaction in a found footage movie ever) and as he runs, the arm holding the camera is swinging wildly in such a way that we keep getting these upside-down glimpses of the giant troll chasing them and with each new glimpse, we can see the troll is getting closer and closer... It's such a simple gimmick but so effective and the kind of set-piece you can ONLY do with found footage.
In terms of Found Footage TV shows, there’s also the Animal Planet show Lost Tapes. I don’t know who else remembers it, but it involved short found footage horror films about various cryptids, that also taught about the cryptids as the episodes went on. There were some legitimately good episodes in that show, at least from what I remember.
There's full episodes on UA-cam😉 I found that by season 3 they kind of jumped the shark with those "Security contractors". It kind of ruined the vibe for me.
Thank you so much for that nostalgia boost! I still remember when the McPherson Tape was passed around like a snuff film and no one knew anything about it, so it was deemed real. It was a wild time back then. In retrospect it's really obvious, but in the early 90's it had such an heir of realism and mystery.
Alien Abduction terrified me as a nine year old when it first aired on TV in the 90s. The acring was surprisingly subduded and added a layer of realism to the proceedings.
For Christ's sake when the remake of Alien Abduction aired on UPN I think I had just got done watching the X-Files with my parents knowing that was fiction well some of it, then watching Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County Minnesota at 11:00 at night I had to watch the Wonder Year's reruns sleeping in my Mom's bed until 5:30 in the morning I was that scared. It was the same thing when it reran a few months later it still gives me goosebumps watching it to this day. So glad I'm not alone. I was also 9 at the time. I was watching Alien, Aliens, Terminator 1-2, Predator Predator 2 all the Friday the 13ths all the Halloweens when I was like 3-4 years old I loved them but this movie scared the shit out of me!!! So glad to know I'm not the only one that there are others out there that experience this at a very young age!!
Another superb found footage movie from Japan is Noroi: The Curse. The Taking of Deborah Logan is not just a good entry in the found footage genre, it's also gives a glimpse of the real life stress people go through with taking care of a loved one who has Alzheimer's. I saw Exists not too long ago and while I didn't enjoy it as much as you did, I may give it another viewing.
Hearing a surprise Bad Ben mention was awesome. Girlfriend and I found his movies a while ago when looking through Amazon. Highly recommend his cameo style videos, made a great Christmas gift lol.
I’m actually really enjoying these “5 forgotten” vids. I know they were mostly made as a means to give you time for deeper “exploring” vids, but they are a really fun watch.
@@GoodBadFlicks I’m not surprised. It’s a stereotype, but people really do love lists. Maybe it will help you with the almighty algorithm and get more eyes on the exploring vids. They certainly deserve the exposure.
There's also the 1989 Found Footage (1st person) Vietnam movie *84C Mo-pic* (or 84 Charlie Mo-Pic - the cameraman's Army designation, taken from the directors actual job title during Vietnam)
It’s not about cryptids, but 1983’s Special Bulletin plays out like a found footage example. I saw it when it aired, but tuned in partway through, so I didn’t know I was watching a movie. Fun!
I know it's not obscure or anything but I've always had a soft spot for the original Cloverfield, since it took the found footage format and put it in a much bigger context with a large budget. I get that part of the "point" of the subgenre from a filmmaking standpoint is the low budget, and I love smaller, more intimate stories, but I also think it means we often miss out on the larger scale/crazier stuff. There's something to be said for getting to see a BIG event from a small perspective.
Even though I'm not a huge fan of Cloverfield itself, I definitely applaud it for broadening the horizon on what can be done within the found footage genre. While movies like Blair Witch Project definitely gained its greatness thanks to its minimalism, Cloverfield showed that found footage can very much still work on a much larger scale with a larger budget. Even though it does stretch believability at some points that he'd hold on to the camera in scenes like the subway tunnel chase (or whatever it was, it's been a while since I saw it).
I like this. My worry was that you would move really fast and leave me feeling cheated or feel like I watched a top 10 video. This was nice because I feel like I got 5 short videos from you and have great information! Thanks man!
I caught The Last Broadcast on IFC back in 1999.. Knowing not a thing about it, just tuned in bc IFC was a go-to channel for me back then (remember when they showed, y’know, INDEPENDENT Films??) and they fell for it; I loved the twist ending and now knowing it cost next to nothing, makes me respect it more..
Omg so glad you're tackling found footage, my guilty pleasure category. Your selection is decent too, all stuff from my 50+ shortlist (I have watched hundreds over the years, seeking out everything I could find up until ff fatigue set in a couple of years ago). Hope to see you do more in the future. Probably could give you a few pointers to unknown gems too if you'd like.
@@GoodBadFlicks Alright, 20ish of them in varying degrees of well-known/obscure (though I will skip super popular ones like Cloverfield, What We Do in the Shadows, the Rec series, the V/H/S series and Grave Encounters 1/2 as well as stuff you covered like Troll Hunter) and irregardless of other comments already recommending: - The Bay (2012): Found footage body horror from Oscar winner Barry Levinson of all people - The Borderlands (2014): Semi-Lovecraftian British ff horror - The Cannibal in the Jungle (2015): Not particularly scary, but elegant blend of real prehistory (Homo floresiensis) with local legends (Orang Pendek) and a fictional criminal case - Chronicle (2012): Pretty much the only ff super"hero" movie that springs to my mind - Digging Up the Marrow (2014): A bit silly at times, but all-in as a ff practical creature feature - Europa Report (2013): One of the better Sci-fi orientated ff movies (definitely better executed as e.g. Apollo 18) - Eyes in the Dark (2010): Super low budget, but pretty commited to the cryptid ff premise - Ghostwatch (1992): Almost like a modern "War of the Worlds" in that it was aired as entertainment at the time, but sparked controversy because many people took it for real - Hell House LLC (2016): Unique blend of supernatural ff and Halloween haunted house culture - Leaving D.C. (2012): No-budget supernatural ff which could easily be taken as a waste of time, but at the same time is decently thought out/executed - The Lost Coast Tapes (2012): Apart from Exists probably the second best rather action-oriented Bigfoot-ish movie - Noroi (2005): My personal favorite ff movie about a Japanese filmmaker collecting seemingly disparate supernatural footage, but piecing together a grand, haunting narrative - Occult (2009): Weird little movie about a cult-like mindset perpetuating through "chosen" people - Rorschach (2015): Another almost no-budget movie that's doing well considering the low budget; supernatural in nature - The Sacrament (2013): Ff movie about a cult, which in a way is much scarier than any supernatural or cryptid stuff - Savageland (2015): Very elegant and unique take on zombies in a ff setting - The Tunnel (2011): Australian ff movie about abandoned railway tunnels below Sydney - The Wicksboro Incident (2003): Decent almost no-budget conspiracy ff movie - WNUF Halloween Special (2013): Fake vintage, but decently executed
Wow, i remember Alien Abduction as a kid. It scared the hell outta me. I also saw the original before the remake back I the day too. I wish it would get a physical release.
Big ups to the people in this comment section, all of the best FFs have been mentioned and praised already. I guess it's up to me to champion "Horror in the High Desert". What makes this genre so special is not only the deliberate unpolishing of the cinematic presentation in the name of fostering "authenticity" but also the fact that the genre itself exhibits two extremes; on one hand you got entries that are household names (Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity) AND huge profit makers despite being considered unpolished and on the other you got campy microbudget masterpieces that are relatively obscure and are praised around the cult circuit (my go-tos would be Hell House, Lake Mungo, Savageland, and come to think of it the original versions of Blair Witch Project and PA fit this description as well before studios picked them up). The very nature of this genre allows it to innovate in *and because of* obscurity.
Great video, I've aleays been a massive advocate for ''the last broadcast'' and hopefully now more people will get to see this gem. I really like the look of 'exists' im now actively trying to source a copy.
I own one of the VHS bootlegs of “AFO Abdunction”. No intro and no credits. I got it from a kid in 7th grade. He had stones it from his older brother. It scared the hell out of me. Never knew what it was until now. I had forgotten about it for well o er 20 years, and this brought me back to 90’s.
This is the first time I`ve heard anyone mention the film "Exist". A friend ased me to find it and rent it. I found it and it was awesome. Scared me too. I have watched several times and it still stands up.
My personal favorite is the monster project. It’s the best found footage type film I’ve ever seen with some creepy and very well done creature designs.
I remember when they came out with some of the TV spots for Paranormal Activity. It showed audience reactions being filmed. People just getting jump scared spilling popcorn everywhere. Good times.
Thanks for the info. I watched Exists last night because of this video. My wife and I enjoyed that hour and a half, even though I yelled at the screen quite a bit.🤦🏾♂️
As always banger video. I had the same presumptions regarding Exist, but I will now giver a watch. The alien movie sounded like the segment out of V/H/S 2.
"Exists" was the best surprise in years! I've been trying to get people to watch it, but you're spot on: Between "Willow Creek" and "The Poughkipsie(sic) Tapes," nobody wanted to sit through another lame bigfoot movie. It is a blast! I'm glad word of mouth is helping it. (Also, being an Austin-nite and lifelong Texan, it was a treat to find out they shot it in Bastrop, AFTER the horrible forest fires, which only added to the overall ambience and terror. In fact, a character is wearing an Austin mural reference on his overpriced tourist shirt.) -Willow Creek has one of the most effective, sound-driven, long-shot classic horror scenes ever put to film... surrounded by the most mediocre movie ever made. In fact, just look up the 20 minute "tent" scene on YT. It's all you need.
I remember seeing part of 'The McPherson tape' in the early days of UA-cam and it was pretty convincing stuff (even though I was fully convinced), the poor quality of the copy along with the incredible 240p youtube quality of the time added to the creep factor.
The Incident at Lake County movie was awesome! I watched it when it originally aired on UPN and that one jump scare scene near the end totally got me and my sister. We literally shrieked 🤣. I bought the Blu-ray that came out of the original McPherson Tape movie, too.
"Host" (2020) was a pretty decent found footage film, especially since it made the Zoom-call part of the medium, down to the runtime being limited to the free subscription.
You know what that thumbnail reminded me of? *_Yeti, il gigante del ventesimo secolo_* a movie i have still yet to see on this channel. I may look at it with rose tainted glasses, since i saw it in my childhood (on VHS, those were aweful) but it was definitely TERRIBLE! a must-watch, i tell you!
oh dude, thank you for recommending Afflicted, that movie is right up my alley. I can also recommend Hell House LLC - it's gone to have a bit of a cult following since its release, but it's a perfect halloween-time found footage flick. The sequels are cool too but vary in quality.
Glad you liked it! If you haven't seen, I highly recommend the Exploring Afflicted I did a few weeks after this ep. I saw Hell House and yes, its really great.
Alien abduction 2014 ( not the one mentioned in this video) is a decent ff with a weak name like ufo abduction. I've actually written 2 fun ff films back when my best friend was in film school and I was going to school for creative writing. One day I may go fund me for tnem.
It definitely falls into the Mockumentary category, but if anyone hasn't seen it, go find and watch "Incident at Loch Ness," starring Werner Herzog. Easily one of my favorites. Also good if you're a fan of movie-making movies. It's the little details throughout that make it good.
I'm generally not a big fan of "found footage", but when it's done right it's very effective. I thought "Afflicted" did a really great job with the format, and was generally just a really neat movie (and a good take of a subject matter close to my heart, but I won't spoil it here). I always wanted to see more set in the world they were creating.
One of my favorite overlooked found footage movies is Exhibit A. It isn't horror in that there isn't anything supernatural going on, but it is very much horror in that it follows the events leading up to a horrific crime being committed. It opens with a British family anticipating the father getting a big promotion at work and using the money from that promotion to buy a new seaside family home and move out of their already pretty nice suburban home. When the father doesn't get the promotion -- not a spoiler because this is the premise -- he starts behaving in increasingly unhealthy ways as he goes to extreme lengths to cover this up, and his teenage daughter starts recording him as a means to show him how unhinged he's become. The justification for why she's filming in the first place also works fairly well -- she has a crush on the girl who just moved in across the back fence and is recording her interactions with the family when the new girl starts dating her brother. It's a really effective examination of two things -- how some men have their core identity tied up in being a provider to such an extent that they begin behaving in unhealthy ways when they can't live up to that ideal, and how trying to cover up for a lie can make things progressively worse and worse. It's a gem.
Thank you for the recommendations! I just finished watching " Exists" for the first time and I loved it! I also recommend watching "The Bay" and "Wer" if you haven't seen them. 2 great found footage flicks.
If you so more found footage novies for this, i recommend the mocunentary "Savageland.". There is found footage, but it's actual photographs. An unused variant of the concept.
Orson Welles didn't read "The War of the Worlds" on 10/30/1938. He co-wrote and starred in a full-cast adaptation of the Wells novel, as a production of his "Mercury Theater on the Air." Other actors included William Alland, who played the newsreel reporter in "Citizen Kane" for Welles three years later. Alland went on to produce many science fiction and western movies in the 1950s.
I honestly thought that I have imagined, or dreamed the Alien Abduction movie at some point. I wasn't aware of the McPherson version of it. Glad that you mentioned it!
One of my favorite found footage movie is The Forbidden Files from 1993. Kind of a collection of short films and I really liked the mystery/unexplained horror of these shorts and the narrator voice over. The Mexican witch and the Canadian TV show shorts really creeped me out. Glad you mentioned Afflicted very underrated found footage movie.
Glad to see Exists is mentioned here. Not only a great found footage flick, it's also the best Bigfoot flick, period. The Conspiracy is another great, overlooked found footage movie.
Thanks for the recommendations. I personally recommend Grave Encounters, Gongnam Haunted Asylum, The Tunnel, Hell House LLC and my favorites the VHS series.
Some interesting ones I still need to see the found footage movie Wer which a pal of mine highly recommended. Another one that had the feel of a found footage film was called The Legend of Black Lake. It has to young college students investing the stories of a local hairy man or bigfoot type creature. The sound editing is a thing of beauty as the roars and cries of the creature are truly terrifying. And given the low budget nature of the project we don't to get to see many shots of the monster but the atmosphere of those scenes are grear as it stalks the two men through the woods.
Afflicted is so underrated. I'm surprised the 2 directors haven't done more stuff. If you want some good mockumentary films, Savageland and The Cannibal in the Jungle.
The best found footage horror I've seen recently is here on UA-cam. It's a channel called Fake Documentary "Q" and is a japanese horror series showcasing found footage from a defunct TV production company. The name is unfortunate because it gives the game away but otherwise it's one of the best examples found footage genre done well that I have come across.
I remember watching Dawson's Creek when it came out on DVD. There was an episode where they were making a student film about a haunting on a nearby island. (This was from the time Blaie Which came out) When they went the the local university to register it for a film festival and discribed what it was, the attendent replied with something like "Oh, another found footage film, put it over there on the pile of other Blair Witch Projects." And that pretty much summed up the overabundance of crappy Blair Witch wannabees avalible for weekend blockbuster video trips in the late 90's early 00's.
Dawson's Creek coming out with a zinger, well I never... You're legit not wrong about crappy wannabees for weekend Blockbuster rentals. I remember my group of young, stoner teenage friends renting The Bogus Witch Project and finding it hilarious (I've never seen it since, but, from memory... oof, talk about a couple of students with a camera and bad ideas for skits), and also some cheap softcore porn T&A parody thing with an equally crap name that frankly we wasted money on in the same weekend.
@zubrhero5270 there was one called "The Blair Wedding Project", didn't see it though. But yeah, I guess after Blair Witch, every high school AV club, and Uni film student wanted to get rich off making a cheap copy.
Would love to watch your dive into/breakdown of "Savageland". Not quite found footage - more of a mockumentary. All the same, I consider it one of the best "found footage" films given it's very creative approach to the genre.
I knew I had seen the McPherson tape at some point in my younger years. Thanks for putting a name to the experience! The others look worth a watch for sure. Thanks Cecil!!!
Love that you included The Last Broadcast. I used to show the vhs to friends any time I could and talk about it being before or right at the time of Blair Witch. You continually create great videos!
Great list, especially Exists and Afflicted. The Possession of Michael King is an excellent found footage film I rarely ever hear anyone discuss. Also, Phoenix Forgotten. I actually saw that one in theaters in 2017 and only just recently remembered watching it, and how much I liked it.
I absolutely love underrated hidden gems... thank you! Can't wait to track some of these down. I came across one "some years" back... called The Bay. I thought it was a fantastic and underrated found footage film. Also... as someone else in the comments mentioned, Lost Tapes is a pretty good series. Another favorite of mine are the first couple V/H/S movies! Btw, bring on the found footage series! My fiance and I love found footage movies and I would love more content regarding this genre!
One of my favorite FF is Grave Encounters simply because of its concept of those cheesey ghost hunting shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures and flips it on its head.
GE is really good. I was expecting it to be lame but they did a great job. The directors did another movie called Extraterristrial that was really good as well.
Afflicted is great! I also avoided Exists for the exact same reason as you - I went in Willow Creek with high expectations due to the director, it... fizzles out.
I don’t know if Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon counts, but I feel like that movie deserves more recognition. They’re also The Sacrament from Ti West & The Last Exorcist, those are good entries in the genre
I LOVE Behind the Mask. Great mix of comedy and legit slasher. It's hard to deconstruct something, then try to do the real thing and take it seriously.
Troll Hunter was really solid. There are some shots in that one... like when they see a troll up close for the first time and the guy filming immediately lowers the camera and starts running (most realistic reaction in a found footage movie ever) and as he runs, the arm holding the camera is swinging wildly in such a way that we keep getting these upside-down glimpses of the giant troll chasing them and with each new glimpse, we can see the troll is getting closer and closer... It's such a simple gimmick but so effective and the kind of set-piece you can ONLY do with found footage.
Troll Hunter is awesome! Also some of the greatest, most breathtaking shots of Norway, ever! I wanted to move there after seeing it.
In terms of Found Footage TV shows, there’s also the Animal Planet show Lost Tapes. I don’t know who else remembers it, but it involved short found footage horror films about various cryptids, that also taught about the cryptids as the episodes went on. There were some legitimately good episodes in that show, at least from what I remember.
I loved that show
There's full episodes on UA-cam😉 I found that by season 3 they kind of jumped the shark with those "Security contractors". It kind of ruined the vibe for me.
Billiam on UA-cam has a good video on Lost Tapes
Is that the show that had the “Vampire” episode where they are creatures that live deep in the house in a nest? That was creepy!
Cryptids make for great FF
13.56 - Love the Brandon Tenold reference! His show is great and so is yours. Thanks!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for that nostalgia boost! I still remember when the McPherson Tape was passed around like a snuff film and no one knew anything about it, so it was deemed real. It was a wild time back then. In retrospect it's really obvious, but in the early 90's it had such an heir of realism and mystery.
Thanks for watching!
Alien Abduction terrified me as a nine year old when it first aired on TV in the 90s. The acring was surprisingly subduded and added a layer of realism to the proceedings.
They really nailed it
@@GoodBadFlicks the ending with with little girl doing her heel turn was the best twist.
For Christ's sake when the remake of Alien Abduction aired on UPN I think I had just got done watching the X-Files with my parents knowing that was fiction well some of it, then watching Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County Minnesota at 11:00 at night I had to watch the Wonder Year's reruns sleeping in my Mom's bed until 5:30 in the morning I was that scared. It was the same thing when it reran a few months later it still gives me goosebumps watching it to this day. So glad I'm not alone. I was also 9 at the time. I was watching Alien, Aliens, Terminator 1-2, Predator Predator 2 all the Friday the 13ths all the Halloweens when I was like 3-4 years old I loved them but this movie scared the shit out of me!!! So glad to know I'm not the only one that there are others out there that experience this at a very young age!!
@@jonmurphy4889 I love how measured they were with the alien reveals in the beginning, from window flashes to bedroom encounters.
@@SlickOnTop For real!!!
I really like the lost broadcast. Had no idea it was filmed for that little. Definitely got every penny out of that budget.
Indeed
When you said Afflicted, I audibly shouted “Yes!!!”. Lol. Criminally underrated Vampire flick.
So happy to know it still has fans
Another superb found footage movie from Japan is Noroi: The Curse. The Taking of Deborah Logan is not just a good entry in the found footage genre, it's also gives a glimpse of the real life stress people go through with taking care of a loved one who has Alzheimer's.
I saw Exists not too long ago and while I didn't enjoy it as much as you did, I may give it another viewing.
Hearing a surprise Bad Ben mention was awesome. Girlfriend and I found his movies a while ago when looking through Amazon. Highly recommend his cameo style videos, made a great Christmas gift lol.
I had to mention the series, they are something else
Wow the McPherson tape is a rare gem i saw this years ago and its really good
I saw Affiction years ago. I don't remember too much of it. I should probably watch it again. Thank for reminding me.
I’m actually really enjoying these “5 forgotten” vids. I know they were mostly made as a means to give you time for deeper “exploring” vids, but they are a really fun watch.
I'm just glad that they are enjoyed and sometimes, they have done better than the Exploring vids. (which take 10x longer to do)
@@GoodBadFlicks I’m not surprised. It’s a stereotype, but people really do love lists. Maybe it will help you with the almighty algorithm and get more eyes on the exploring vids. They certainly deserve the exposure.
There's also the 1989 Found Footage (1st person) Vietnam movie *84C Mo-pic*
(or 84 Charlie Mo-Pic - the cameraman's Army designation, taken from the directors actual job title during Vietnam)
I’m glad your doing a 5 overlooked series for films as well, I get hyped when there are new tv vids. 😁
I figured it would be a nice companion to the tv shows
It’s not about cryptids, but 1983’s Special Bulletin plays out like a found footage example. I saw it when it aired, but tuned in partway through, so I didn’t know I was watching a movie. Fun!
I know it's not obscure or anything but I've always had a soft spot for the original Cloverfield, since it took the found footage format and put it in a much bigger context with a large budget. I get that part of the "point" of the subgenre from a filmmaking standpoint is the low budget, and I love smaller, more intimate stories, but I also think it means we often miss out on the larger scale/crazier stuff. There's something to be said for getting to see a BIG event from a small perspective.
I do love Cloverfield. There is a lot more going on than just the movie. (lots of subtleties in the background)
@@GoodBadFlicks Sounds like it would make a good exploring video sometime. I enjoyed it back then but have missed a lot of "extra" stuff.
Same here, I got sucked into the viral marketing and the links to the fictional drink Slusho!
Even though I'm not a huge fan of Cloverfield itself, I definitely applaud it for broadening the horizon on what can be done within the found footage genre. While movies like Blair Witch Project definitely gained its greatness thanks to its minimalism, Cloverfield showed that found footage can very much still work on a much larger scale with a larger budget. Even though it does stretch believability at some points that he'd hold on to the camera in scenes like the subway tunnel chase (or whatever it was, it's been a while since I saw it).
Cloverfield level ARG is something I wish was done more for movies, especially horror.
hell yeah. i always am on board for your takes. found footage is another great use of your talents
Thanks!
Exists is sooo good in my opinion. i seen it during release and was surprised how good it was, definitely recommend
I like this. My worry was that you would move really fast and leave me feeling cheated or feel like I watched a top 10 video. This was nice because I feel like I got 5 short videos from you and have great information! Thanks man!
I like to be thorough, one of the reasons I can't do Shorts. My style doesn't work in 60 seconds or less
I caught The Last Broadcast on IFC back in 1999.. Knowing not a thing about it, just tuned in bc IFC was a go-to channel for me back then (remember when they showed, y’know, INDEPENDENT Films??) and they fell for it; I loved the twist ending and now knowing it cost next to nothing, makes me respect it more..
The writer/director of Last Broadcast did a really phenomenal lil horror movie in 06' called Head Trauma. I always loved that one.
Last Broadcast is one of my favorites.
I really liked 'Jerusalem', because of the enormous contrast between the footage and the events happening
I thought it was an interesting one
Omg so glad you're tackling found footage, my guilty pleasure category. Your selection is decent too, all stuff from my 50+ shortlist (I have watched hundreds over the years, seeking out everything I could find up until ff fatigue set in a couple of years ago). Hope to see you do more in the future. Probably could give you a few pointers to unknown gems too if you'd like.
Recommendations are always welcome
@@GoodBadFlicks Alright, 20ish of them in varying degrees of well-known/obscure (though I will skip super popular ones like Cloverfield, What We Do in the Shadows, the Rec series, the V/H/S series and Grave Encounters 1/2 as well as stuff you covered like Troll Hunter) and irregardless of other comments already recommending:
- The Bay (2012): Found footage body horror from Oscar winner Barry Levinson of all people
- The Borderlands (2014): Semi-Lovecraftian British ff horror
- The Cannibal in the Jungle (2015): Not particularly scary, but elegant blend of real prehistory (Homo floresiensis) with local legends (Orang Pendek) and a fictional criminal case
- Chronicle (2012): Pretty much the only ff super"hero" movie that springs to my mind
- Digging Up the Marrow (2014): A bit silly at times, but all-in as a ff practical creature feature
- Europa Report (2013): One of the better Sci-fi orientated ff movies (definitely better executed as e.g. Apollo 18)
- Eyes in the Dark (2010): Super low budget, but pretty commited to the cryptid ff premise
- Ghostwatch (1992): Almost like a modern "War of the Worlds" in that it was aired as entertainment at the time, but sparked controversy because many people took it for real
- Hell House LLC (2016): Unique blend of supernatural ff and Halloween haunted house culture
- Leaving D.C. (2012): No-budget supernatural ff which could easily be taken as a waste of time, but at the same time is decently thought out/executed
- The Lost Coast Tapes (2012): Apart from Exists probably the second best rather action-oriented Bigfoot-ish movie
- Noroi (2005): My personal favorite ff movie about a Japanese filmmaker collecting seemingly disparate supernatural footage, but piecing together a grand, haunting narrative
- Occult (2009): Weird little movie about a cult-like mindset perpetuating through "chosen" people
- Rorschach (2015): Another almost no-budget movie that's doing well considering the low budget; supernatural in nature
- The Sacrament (2013): Ff movie about a cult, which in a way is much scarier than any supernatural or cryptid stuff
- Savageland (2015): Very elegant and unique take on zombies in a ff setting
- The Tunnel (2011): Australian ff movie about abandoned railway tunnels below Sydney
- The Wicksboro Incident (2003): Decent almost no-budget conspiracy ff movie
- WNUF Halloween Special (2013): Fake vintage, but decently executed
So glad you mentioned Exists. I love that one and I tell so many people to see it.
Wow, i remember Alien Abduction as a kid. It scared the hell outta me. I also saw the original before the remake back I the day too. I wish it would get a physical release.
You can! Amazon has it for like $22 under the McPherson Tape title
Big ups to the people in this comment section, all of the best FFs have been mentioned and praised already. I guess it's up to me to champion "Horror in the High Desert".
What makes this genre so special is not only the deliberate unpolishing of the cinematic presentation in the name of fostering "authenticity" but also
the fact that the genre itself exhibits two extremes; on one hand you got entries that are household names (Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity) AND huge profit makers despite being considered unpolished and on the other you got campy microbudget masterpieces that are relatively obscure and are praised around the cult circuit (my go-tos would be Hell House, Lake Mungo, Savageland, and come to think of it the original versions of Blair Witch Project and PA fit this description as well before studios picked them up). The very nature of this genre allows it to innovate in *and because of* obscurity.
I've seen so many good recommendations on here :)
Great video, I've aleays been a massive advocate for ''the last broadcast'' and hopefully now more people will get to see this gem. I really like the look of 'exists' im now actively trying to source a copy.
Thanks! Exists is currently on Tubi (with commercials) or Amazon Prime (without)
I own one of the VHS bootlegs of “AFO Abdunction”. No intro and no credits. I got it from a kid in 7th grade. He had stones it from his older brother. It scared the hell out of me. Never knew what it was until now. I had forgotten about it for well o er 20 years, and this brought me back to 90’s.
Core memory unlocked!
This is the first time I`ve heard anyone mention the film "Exist". A friend ased me to find it and rent it. I found it and it was awesome. Scared me too. I have watched several times and it still stands up.
Awesome debut for a new series Cecil. I love how u covered the U. F. O. movies (the 2nd one was a part of my childhood!)
Thanks!
My personal favorite is the monster project. It’s the best found footage type film I’ve ever seen with some creepy and very well done creature designs.
I watched "McPherson Tape" on Amazon at the begining of the year. Just came across it by accident. I loved it . One of the best Alien films.
I remember when they came out with some of the TV spots for Paranormal Activity. It showed audience reactions being filmed. People just getting jump scared spilling popcorn everywhere. Good times.
Lunopolis, Savageland, and the Hell House series are quite good!
Thanks for the info. I watched Exists last night because of this video. My wife and I enjoyed that hour and a half, even though I yelled at the screen quite a bit.🤦🏾♂️
Glad you enjoyed it!
As always banger video. I had the same presumptions regarding Exist, but I will now giver a watch. The alien movie sounded like the segment out of V/H/S 2.
Thanks!
Most overlooked right now are Savageland for horror. WNUF Halloween special for goofy yet realistic take. And Hardcore Henry for action
WNUF was tons of fun
Last Broadcast was super cool. It was genuinely creepy too.
"Exists" was the best surprise in years! I've been trying to get people to watch it, but you're spot on: Between "Willow Creek" and "The Poughkipsie(sic) Tapes," nobody wanted to sit through another lame bigfoot movie. It is a blast! I'm glad word of mouth is helping it. (Also, being an Austin-nite and lifelong Texan, it was a treat to find out they shot it in Bastrop, AFTER the horrible forest fires, which only added to the overall ambience and terror. In fact, a character is wearing an Austin mural reference on his overpriced tourist shirt.)
-Willow Creek has one of the most effective, sound-driven, long-shot classic horror scenes ever put to film... surrounded by the most mediocre movie ever made. In fact, just look up the 20 minute "tent" scene on YT. It's all you need.
Exists was a big shock, I'm really bummed I avoided it for so long
I love this channel. This is food for filmmakers. I learn a lot from here. Thanks
I remember seeing part of 'The McPherson tape' in the early days of UA-cam and it was pretty convincing stuff (even though I was fully convinced), the poor quality of the copy along with the incredible 240p youtube quality of the time added to the creep factor.
I loved Afflicted! It's one of my fav FF movies.
The Incident at Lake County movie was awesome! I watched it when it originally aired on UPN and that one jump scare scene near the end totally got me and my sister. We literally shrieked 🤣. I bought the Blu-ray that came out of the original McPherson Tape movie, too.
"Host" (2020) was a pretty decent found footage film, especially since it made the Zoom-call part of the medium, down to the runtime being limited to the free subscription.
I remember that getting a lot of attention over the Pandemic
You know what that thumbnail reminded me of? *_Yeti, il gigante del ventesimo secolo_* a movie i have still yet to see on this channel.
I may look at it with rose tainted glasses, since i saw it in my childhood (on VHS, those were aweful) but it was definitely TERRIBLE! a must-watch, i tell you!
Oh its coming don't worry
@@GoodBadFlicks Awesome, finally a _climate change spaghetti movie!_
oh dude, thank you for recommending Afflicted, that movie is right up my alley. I can also recommend Hell House LLC - it's gone to have a bit of a cult following since its release, but it's a perfect halloween-time found footage flick. The sequels are cool too but vary in quality.
Glad you liked it! If you haven't seen, I highly recommend the Exploring Afflicted I did a few weeks after this ep. I saw Hell House and yes, its really great.
@@GoodBadFlicks I'll check it out, thank you for the reply and the great vids as always :D
Also the movie “Wer” from 2013 is really good werewolf realistic found footage film didn’t expect it to be good but was really impressed by it 👍
For me the best found footage movie is Man Bites Dog. I absolutely love it!
Such a fine line for this genera! Love this list though!!
The first one sounds almost like funny games as an alien invasion film. Which I would definitely watch
Hope you enjoy it! Its an easy watch, its only about an hour.
Alien abduction 2014 ( not the one mentioned in this video) is a decent ff with a weak name like ufo abduction.
I've actually written 2 fun ff films back when my best friend was in film school and I was going to school for creative writing. One day I may go fund me for tnem.
It definitely falls into the Mockumentary category, but if anyone hasn't seen it, go find and watch "Incident at Loch Ness," starring Werner Herzog. Easily one of my favorites. Also good if you're a fan of movie-making movies. It's the little details throughout that make it good.
That was a good one. The inclusion of Herzog had many people thinking it was real.
I'm generally not a big fan of "found footage", but when it's done right it's very effective. I thought "Afflicted" did a really great job with the format, and was generally just a really neat movie (and a good take of a subject matter close to my heart, but I won't spoil it here). I always wanted to see more set in the world they were creating.
I like this idea. Look forward to seeing more.
I saw the McPherson Tapes recently actually. I'm not a massive fan of films about aliens but the McPherson Tapes I found myself enjoying
I think it feels just real enough to work.
One of my favorite overlooked found footage movies is Exhibit A. It isn't horror in that there isn't anything supernatural going on, but it is very much horror in that it follows the events leading up to a horrific crime being committed. It opens with a British family anticipating the father getting a big promotion at work and using the money from that promotion to buy a new seaside family home and move out of their already pretty nice suburban home. When the father doesn't get the promotion -- not a spoiler because this is the premise -- he starts behaving in increasingly unhealthy ways as he goes to extreme lengths to cover this up, and his teenage daughter starts recording him as a means to show him how unhinged he's become.
The justification for why she's filming in the first place also works fairly well -- she has a crush on the girl who just moved in across the back fence and is recording her interactions with the family when the new girl starts dating her brother.
It's a really effective examination of two things -- how some men have their core identity tied up in being a provider to such an extent that they begin behaving in unhealthy ways when they can't live up to that ideal, and how trying to cover up for a lie can make things progressively worse and worse.
It's a gem.
9:24 "An American Haunting in Japan" is a horror comedy movie I want made.
Thank you for the recommendations! I just finished watching " Exists" for the first time and I loved it! I also recommend watching "The Bay" and "Wer" if you haven't seen them. 2 great found footage flicks.
You are very welcome!
Your channel is one of the best on UA-cam, you are the best man, keep up the good work ❤
Than you very much! :)
awesome new content! can't wait to see what other movies flew under my radar, deffinitely gonna check Exists!
Thanks!
i rememberwatching the last broadcast w my mom in... late 1990s i think? always stuck w me. Love It!
If you so more found footage novies for this, i recommend the mocunentary "Savageland.". There is found footage, but it's actual photographs. An unused variant of the concept.
Orson Welles didn't read "The War of the Worlds" on 10/30/1938. He co-wrote and starred in a full-cast adaptation of the Wells novel, as a production of his "Mercury Theater on the Air." Other actors included William Alland, who played the newsreel reporter in "Citizen Kane" for Welles three years later. Alland went on to produce many science fiction and western movies in the 1950s.
As Above So Below is another banger. Always really liked that one
same, really good
"Yoroi" was awesome, too 👍
I honestly thought that I have imagined, or dreamed the Alien Abduction movie at some point. I wasn't aware of the McPherson version of it. Glad that you mentioned it!
I aim to please :)
I know you have a video on it already, but Trollhunter is one of my all time favorite found footage films
One of my favorite found footage movie is The Forbidden Files from 1993. Kind of a collection of short films and I really liked the mystery/unexplained horror of these shorts and the narrator voice over. The Mexican witch and the Canadian TV show shorts really creeped me out. Glad you mentioned Afflicted very underrated found footage movie.
Those were all on YT at some point (early-mid 2010's) but then was lost.
Exists looks really fun...adding to my list
Exists is currently free on UA-cam with ads. Definitely checking this one out tonight
Glad to see Exists is mentioned here. Not only a great found footage flick, it's also the best Bigfoot flick, period. The Conspiracy is another great, overlooked found footage movie.
I love The Conspiracy, but what jerk chose the cover art? If you like that, you should check out Banshee Chapter.
@@TheGuyInTheCheapSeats I have seen Banshee Chapter. Another great movie. Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks for the recommendations. I personally recommend Grave Encounters, Gongnam Haunted Asylum, The Tunnel, Hell House LLC and my favorites the VHS series.
Some interesting ones I still need to see the found footage movie Wer which a pal of mine highly recommended. Another one that had the feel of a found footage film was called The Legend of Black Lake. It has to young college students investing the stories of a local hairy man or bigfoot type creature. The sound editing is a thing of beauty as the roars and cries of the creature are truly terrifying. And given the low budget nature of the project we don't to get to see many shots of the monster but the atmosphere of those scenes are grear as it stalks the two men through the woods.
Afflicted is so underrated. I'm surprised the 2 directors haven't done more stuff. If you want some good mockumentary films, Savageland and The Cannibal in the Jungle.
I was really impressed with what they were able to do and I agree, they should be doing more!
I find the Barry Levinson movie, The Bay, to be a criminally underrated found footage movie. It's a shame more people don't talk about it.
I love The Bay.
I remember watching The Last Broadcast on TV on I think IFC in the early 2000's.
I think it mostly works though the ending left me a little cold.
The ending makes it or breaks it for a lot of people
The best found footage horror I've seen recently is here on UA-cam. It's a channel called Fake Documentary "Q" and is a japanese horror series showcasing found footage from a defunct TV production company. The name is unfortunate because it gives the game away but otherwise it's one of the best examples found footage genre done well that I have come across.
I remember watching Dawson's Creek when it came out on DVD. There was an episode where they were making a student film about a haunting on a nearby island. (This was from the time Blaie Which came out) When they went the the local university to register it for a film festival and discribed what it was, the attendent replied with something like "Oh, another found footage film, put it over there on the pile of other Blair Witch Projects."
And that pretty much summed up the overabundance of crappy Blair Witch wannabees avalible for weekend blockbuster video trips in the late 90's early 00's.
Dawson's Creek coming out with a zinger, well I never...
You're legit not wrong about crappy wannabees for weekend Blockbuster rentals. I remember my group of young, stoner teenage friends renting The Bogus Witch Project and finding it hilarious (I've never seen it since, but, from memory... oof, talk about a couple of students with a camera and bad ideas for skits), and also some cheap softcore porn T&A parody thing with an equally crap name that frankly we wasted money on in the same weekend.
@zubrhero5270 there was one called "The Blair Wedding Project", didn't see it though. But yeah, I guess after Blair Witch, every high school AV club, and Uni film student wanted to get rich off making a cheap copy.
To be fair, every big breakout movie has a bazillion copies
Afflicted is an amazing film. It's so well made and you don't expect such a good twist. I'd highly recommend it.👍
Would love to watch your dive into/breakdown of "Savageland". Not quite found footage - more of a mockumentary. All the same, I consider it one of the best "found footage" films given it's very creative approach to the genre.
It's always little Christmas when you upload!!
It really is.
aww thanks!
Good stuff! Have not heard of these movies but I will seek them out
Hope you enjoy!
I knew I had seen the McPherson tape at some point in my younger years. Thanks for putting a name to the experience! The others look worth a watch for sure. Thanks Cecil!!!
You are very welcome!
Exists was my favorite of all of these.
My favorite genre that's rarely done well
alien abduction was a trip and a half. i thought i dreamed it up for years.
Love that you included The Last Broadcast. I used to show the vhs to friends any time I could and talk about it being before or right at the time of Blair Witch.
You continually create great videos!
Thank you!
Ah, too bad about Afflicted. I'd love to watch the exploring vid on it. Maybe one day!
Hopefully!
Just watched Exists the other night, exactly what I was looking for, tons of fun
Glad you enjoyed it! Such a good movie.
Great list, especially Exists and Afflicted. The Possession of Michael King is an excellent found footage film I rarely ever hear anyone discuss. Also, Phoenix Forgotten. I actually saw that one in theaters in 2017 and only just recently remembered watching it, and how much I liked it.
Thanks!
George A Romero's Diary of the Dead is another hidden gem, as is The Borderlands.
I absolutely love underrated hidden gems... thank you! Can't wait to track some of these down. I came across one "some years" back... called The Bay. I thought it was a fantastic and underrated found footage film. Also... as someone else in the comments mentioned, Lost Tapes is a pretty good series. Another favorite of mine are the first couple V/H/S movies!
Btw, bring on the found footage series! My fiance and I love found footage movies and I would love more content regarding this genre!
You are very welcome! :)
The Bay is very underrated
Got me some good food to eat while watching my fav UA-cam content! Thank you!
Thanks!
One of my favorite FF is Grave Encounters simply because of its concept of those cheesey ghost hunting shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures and flips it on its head.
GE is really good. I was expecting it to be lame but they did a great job. The directors did another movie called Extraterristrial that was really good as well.
@@GoodBadFlicks I'll need to check it out then!!
I came here to see if anyone had mentioned Grave Encounters. I really enjoy that film. I even like the sequel they did.
There are more than 800+ found-footage films already!? That is enough reason to make this a series, indeed!
Afflicted is great! I also avoided Exists for the exact same reason as you - I went in Willow Creek with high expectations due to the director, it... fizzles out.
84 Charlie MoPic is one of my favorites. It's a Vietnam War found footage.
Found footage is my favorite genre of horror; this list is gonna be SO good. I've never heard of any of them! Thank you!
You are welcome!
I don’t know if Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon counts, but I feel like that movie deserves more recognition. They’re also The Sacrament from Ti West & The Last Exorcist, those are good entries in the genre
Behind the Mask is a little more Mockumentary. Great film though. Sacrament was good and I don't think I've seen the Last Exorcist.
I LOVE Behind the Mask. Great mix of comedy and legit slasher. It's hard to deconstruct something, then try to do the real thing and take it seriously.