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Reviews
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978)
The Rutles: All You Need is Cash (1978)
This mockumentary tells the story of four young men who form a popular music group and become international superstars.
This isn't Found Footage although I saw this on a big FF list online. It's funny, but it's presented in a mockumentary format and there's no mention or implication that any of the footage had been lost or retrieved. It's just about a vaguely Beatles band and the ups and downs of stardom. I saw this on a big online list of FF movies.
That being said, this is quite humorous. It made me laugh and held my attention. The music was funny. I liked it. I probably won't watch it again, but once is fine.
Alternative 3 (1977)
Alternative 3 (1977)
This presents itself as a documentary show which starts by covering recent disappearances of scientists. It goes on to broadcast the contents of a recovered video tape which shows U. S. & Soviet astronauts partnering together on space missions. Finally, it shows a mission to Mars.
I thought this one was neat. They did a decent job with the found footage contents. The acting was good. It held my attention.
This is early for the FF genre! I believe this is the first FF to feature space travel. I can really only find 2 other earlier FF examples. This was the first for TV.
This was interesting to watch and I think once was enough but it was cool.
The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)
The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)
Presented as a true story, this documentary features re-enactments and interviews people who claim to have encountered an unknown creature in a place called Boggy Creek.
This is not found footage. I saw this on an IMDb list of FF movies but this one is just a fictional documentary.
Is it good? Sure! But it's not FF.
I could definitely see how this one could inspire elements of future FF horror, though.
Shaky camera running through the woods and getting too close to a dangerous monster? It's in here. Cuts to interviews, a disclaimer in the beginning for plausibility? It's in here, too. All these are utilized in future FF films. Nice actual nature videography also.
To the best of my knowledge, there were only two found footage type movies prior to this in 1972. There's The Connection in 1961 & Coming Apart in 1969. And we didn't have a real FF horror documentary until 1980 with Cannibal Holocaust. So in between, there's movies like this and new techniques that help to create a deep well of inspiration to draw from later.
Punishment Park (1971)
Punishment Park (1971)
In an alternate reality in 1970, the United States has become a dictatorship. Political prisoners are arrested and sentenced without a trial. They can either serve their time in prison or spend 3 days in Punishment Park where they are hunted by police and the military.
This is not found footage. I found this on a list from IMDb for FF movies. Shooting a movie with handheld cameras doesn't automatically make something FF. I would say this is definitely a predecessor or a precursor, but this isn't a found footage movie.
Typically the camera person interacts with the actors and they are part of the story. This is not the case here as the cameras are mostly ignored except at one point where the prisoners are interviewed. The actors barely even look at it.
Once in a while, there is a brief narration which I assume to be a camera person.
There is also no indication that this footage was lost or retrieved somehow. It's pretty much just a big team of cameras documenting everything.
I would believe this more if there weren't cameras everywhere capturing everything both inside and out of the park. They even have time to shoot B roll.
Was this an interesting movie to watch? Sure! And I like this stuff too. It's just not a found footage movie. It's close, but not close enough for me.
David Holzman's Diary (1967)
David Holzman's Diary (1967)
David creates a video diary and attempts to record every moment of his life. He becomes alienated and the constant filming causes his girlfriend to leave him. In between monologues, David talks with people on the street and voyeuristically films women and peeks into their windows. Eventually his camera gear is stolen, thus ending the film.
This is not found footage although I found it on a list of FF movies. It's SO close, but it isn't. When his apartment is robbed, he lists what was stolen which included all of his cameras and electronics. He didn't mention stolen footage. And indeed, if he had the means to record the outro of the movie, then he must have had all the footage the entire time. If it was gone, he would never have been able to pair the outro he made after the theft with the stuff he recorded prior to the theft. This isn't found footage, it's just footage.
This is supposed to be a dark kind of comedy. I didn't really find it that humorous and I didn't like the main character. Must have gone over my head.
The War Game (1966)
The War Game (1966)
This fictional documentary draws conclusions about what might happen in a worst-case scenario nuclear bomb explosion in England.
This is not found footage although I found this on a list of FF movies. This was really interesting to watch, though. There are some scenes with the shaky handheld camera, but this is presented in a documentary style and does not mention recovered footage.
This is good, though. It's interesting. They do use handheld cameras when depicting the devastation and it does look like it could be from some FF horror film at some points which is why I think I found it on a FF database. It's cool to see how parts of these movies could go on and start to develop what FF movies commonly use today.
Great makeup as well because those survivors looked crispy!
Coming Apart (1969)
Coming Apart (1969)
A man hides a camera in his apartment which records his sexual experiences and mental breakdown.
I saw this one on Wikipedia on a list of FF movies sorted by date recently. I like watching oldies so why not? What's especially interesting is that it's from 1969 and only the 2nd FF film on the list.
So, this one really blurs the lines between "a film of a man having a mental breakdown" and "a porno with a plot". At least I thought so. There was a real lot of sex and nudity. At one point, the man reveals how he disguises the camera behind a mirror by showing it to another mirror. I appreciated that, it makes it plausible. Towards the end, he sits in front of the camera and talks at which point it's apparent that he's having a mental break. Then it's a bunch of arguing with I think an ex-wife. Other than that, it's just a bunch of sex scenes.
This movie really didn't hold my attention at all. Found myself hitting the fifteen second button a lot. It just wasn't good. Also, I didn't exactly think the hidden camera he made was believable. Nobody wondered why there's a thick box with a mirror pointing exactly at them like 6 feet away? I guess not.
This definitely checks the "found footage" box for me although it wasn't clear how the footage was obtained or edited, more of implied that he had a breakdown. It just wasn't very good. It's interesting to see some elements of modern FF movies in this one, and I did enjoy that. I just doubt I would watch it again.
The Connection (1961)
The Connection (1961)
A director and his cameraman film the interactions of an apartment full of drug addicts as they wait for their dealer to arrive. When he does, the addicts persuade the director to try some, too, which he does as a way to gain a deeper understanding of their world. Eventually the high causes him to become one, too. He gives up on the film, leaves the cameraman to finish, and goes to join the other addicts as they sit there high and do nothing.
I read about this one on Wikipedia yesterday and thought it sounded interesting. It's the oldest one in a big FF list, from 1961. Why not?
I liked it! I think it captures how heavy-duty addicts get locked into a daily cycle of abuse. It shows the mood swings, physical neglect, the withdrawals. There's this feeling of hopelessness the whole film. Heroin completely rules their lives. What a sad situation they're all in. I kind of wanted to feel pity, I think.
All the different characters were interesting and believable and it was well made.
I do consider this found footage. The Director didn't die, but he became incapacitated (by the drugs) and quit and gave the project to his cameraman. It's close enough!
Honestly, I could watch this again. It was good! I'm surprised by how much I liked it.