Found Footage Fever: Reality TV Hits the Big Screen
by Christian TotoNo stars, no budget, no problem.
The shock success of “The Devil Inside,” a “found footage” thriller which hauled in nearly $34 million over the weekend, should finally pave the way for the most cost-effective film genre possible. The only question remaining is, why did it take so long to happen?
The first found footage blockbuster came with 1999’s “The Blair Witch Project.” Since then, modest hits like “Cloverfield,” “The Last Exorcism” and “Quarantine” showed the genre could be both profitable and appealing.
“The Devil Inside’s” success – does anyone care that both critics and audiences found it distasteful? – means we’ll be finding plenty more footage in 2012 and beyond.
This year already offers several found footage movies, including “Chronicle,” about a group of super-powered twenty-somethings and “Project x,” the tale of a wild teen party gone awry. “Devil” director William Brent Bell will be back in the genre thanks to his next assignment, a found footage thriller called “The Vatican.”
Yes, last year’s “Apollo 18″ proved a dud, but the story of a doomed space mission still grossed $17 million on a $5 million budget. If that’s the worst case scenario movie studios have little to fear.
It’s easy to pin the rise of these micro-features on the death of the modern movie star. But the sad truth is these films are ridiculously cheap to make and demand unknowns in the leading roles for faux authenticity’s sake. They would come of age with or without the decline of bankable celebrities.
The clumsy aesthetics associated with these films clearly are of little concern to movie audiences. In our YouTube age, audiences are more than comfortable watching shaky camera work and amateur camera angles. That’s the reality of our modern lives. It’s also why reality television went mainstream so quickly.
Film studio executives are looking at the box office returns for “Devil” and asking themselves, “why pony up for Jennifer Aniston’s salary when we can shoot a bunch of unknowns for the rent on Aniston’s trailer?”
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23 Comments
Isn't it interesting how all of these are horror films. But none tops this found footage shock fest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UErR7i2onW0
The recent "found footage" genre is basically a fad and like any fad, it is going to burn out, just like the Lambada and Rubik's Cubes and Pet Rocks. They always do. Probably in a year or so.
True dat!!
You forgot mood rings
Blair Witch was the only movie to pull it off (somewhat) successfully.
All these new movies like Paranormal Activity, and Apollo 18 have completely unbelievable premises. The Blair Witch Project had a certian believeability to it becuase the directors created a good back story, whereas the modern ones are just totally off the wall. Unfortunately, Blair Witch was ruined when the stars started doing their rounds on the talk show circuit the weeks after its release.
I just rented Apollo 18 after seeing a trailer online. My brother and I were both very impressed with it. Combine it with a dose of District 9 and MOON and you've got a great evening of scifi. Definitely buying it next week.
I don't get all the Apollo 18 hate. For me, it was the best found-footage movie as far as being mostly believable (except for the terrible ending, the way it was filmed and the non-pandering dialog were amazing). Cloverfield is a close second but it's a bit too schlocky.
The rest are just … meh. Blair Witch was the original disappointment, Paranormal Activity was kind of fun once (and never needed a sequel) and I don't have the requisite belief structure to enjoy a 'posession' story
I must be the only one on Earth left alive who hasn't watched the Blair Witch movie. Is it any damn good? I knew it was the "found footage" type of movie years ago but somehow I've never watched it. Is it even worth the time. BTW, all the reviews of Apollo 18 I've read have been terrible. Who the hell is right?
I think they all pull fake reality off fairly well, what made Blair Witch different is it was the first one and because of their marketing campaign were able to make people think it was real, (at least for a time). None of the found footage films made since then will ever be able to do that again regardless of how good or bad the premise is. The "this is really real" factor was a trick that could only be used once.
Perhaps these films belong more in the catagory of faux documentary along with Spinaltap and Best in Show. Personally I've liked all the one's I've seen, some more than others and like every other film you have to be willing to buy into the premise.
Rated R in 57 states (with one more to go).
Yeah, but it could also be a fad like blue jeans, rock n' roll and rap music… ;-D
Don't worry gw you are not alone, I haven't seen it either and I don't intend to. I'm not a horror fan, it just doesn't interest me at all.
Good point.
Dammit…
"BTW, all the reviews of Apollo 18 I've read have been terrible. Who the hell is right? "
You are. I make it a point to ignore others' reviews and make-up my own mind after watching any particular movie. So, just rent it and decide for yourself!
Slightly side tripping to "horror" movies-Insidious rocked pretty good-it had me yelling at the screen.
Hee! Man, do I remember the early 80's and the scoffing and scorn at that horrible "rapping" music!! It wasn't even music at all, and would NEVER last!!
You can watch that kind of infantile crap on YouTube for free.
I watched Blair Witch Project. Yeah, they manage to pull this off but I wasn't crazy about it. I get bored watch Ghost Hunters these days.
I don't watch this so called reality TV now. Do they think I would pay to see it on the big screen. Blair Witch made me sick and I almost threw up.
In other words you have to have a screw lose to pay to see this Crap!!!!!
It's an interesting genre because virtually every entry has a low budget as well as a cast of no-names. In many ways, this is a refreshing departure from what Hollywood typically produces (okay, they're good actors, but aren't we getting tired of George Clooney, Leo DiCaprio & Matt Damon movies?). This aspect, in turn, induces a certain reliance on storytelling that can be quite fun in an old-fashioned way (for this reason, "Paranormal Activity" took me back to the good old horror days of the 70s and early 80s).
These factors don't always produce quality, of course, but can be effective tools to serve a good story. Interestingly, I had a very hard time suspending disbelief for the movie that started it all (Blair Witch). Reviewing the film, my attitude towards it remains the same: nothing ever happens except for a bunch of screaming in the woods and a few piles of rocks. I guess it proves, at the very least, that there are limitations even on those subtle things we tend to admire most: suspense, atmosphere and power of suggestion. After all, Spielberg DID eventually show us the shark, and in close up.
"Apollo 18" was schlocky fun, but it would have played better had it been titled "Space Crabs."
I've read some love given to The Last Exorcism here and in other places, and they had me until the end. I thought the ending totally sucked.
I must be the only one on Earth left alive who hasn't watched the Blair Witch movie.
No. There is another.
I've seen few parodies of it. Including a comic parody using the Family Circus instead of the college kids in the original.
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