31 Days of Horror: 10 Cloverfield Lane

Thursday Movie Picks: Found Footage Movies

In 2009, the blog Dell on Movies began. In October of 2014, Dell disappeared under mysterious circumstances. This post is all that remains...

Okay, not quite. However, that is how many "Found Footage" movies begin. That type of prologue is supposed to put us "there." We're to feel that what we're watching is real. Ideally, this would heighten whatever feelings the movie might achieve without the tactic. Most often, it's put to use in the horror genre which is perfect for what's going on, here. 

What's going on is another installment of Thursday Movie Picks hosted by Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves. I've had a great time participating in this weekly series and encourage you to join. Each week, bloggers are asked to recommend three movies based on a theme selected by her. Check out her sit for the rest of the rules.

Of course, this week's theme is Found Footage movies.

Though they existed before, they really rose to prominence after the unbelievable success of The Blair Witch Project. I think that's a wildly overrated film, but that's beside the point. The point is that mixed into a genre with lots of duds, there have been a few gems. The movies below aren't necessarily the very best of FFs, but the best ones that can call themselves horror movies.

Cloverfield

(2008)

What if some regular folks were caught in the middle of an attack on New York City by a gigantic monster? And what if they filmed their whole dangerous adventure? That, my friends would be Cloverfield. After an opening that drags a bit too long, things kick into high gear as the monster begins tearing shit up. It's just a fun ride that manages to maintain an air of mystery by wisely not explaining much. (Click here for my full review)

Paranormal Activity

(2009)

Sure, the way too many sequels vary wildly in quality. In fact, we'll take a look at one of them before the month is out. We'll also look at a spoof of it, as well. However, the original stands as a testament to what the genre could be. The performances feel the most natural of the series and the movie as a whole is unsettling, particularly if you watch it at home in the dark. (Click here for my full review)

Troll Hunter

(2010)

This time it's a group of Norwegian college kids who have left behind the footage. They actually set out to find out who is killing off all the bears in the country's forest and find themselves following gigantic and very angry trolls. The creatures are beautifully rendered, by the way. Of my three choices, this is the only one that flew below most people's radar, perhaps because it is not American, but is well worth it if you get a chance. (Click here for my full review)

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Cloverfield

Directed by Matt Reeves.

2008. Rated PG-13, 84 minutes.
Cast:
Mike Vogel
Jessica Lucas
Lizzy Caplan
Odette Yustman
TJ Miller
Michael Stahl-David
Margot Fairley

New York City is under siege by a giant monster. Again.

In the old Godzilla movies we always saw people running and screaming. However, the stories always focused on a few people who were tasked to stop or help Godzilla. The basic idea here is to focus on a random group of people among those running and screaming who essentially have nothing to do with what would normally be the main plot. They aren’t out to stop this menace. They’re really just trying to keep from getting killed by it as they move about the city in hopes of saving a friend. This approach works very well. It accomplishes several things: It keeps the monster from being overexposed, gives it an air of originality and of course, keeps the budget down. Speaking of budget, what they did with theirs is spectacular. The monster is beautifully rendered, as are the parasites that fall from it. Still, the real success of the special fx team is the city itself. If you rent this, watch the special features on the DVD. You will be amazed at just how much of this movie was made on a computer.

The cast of characters are some of the dumbest people in cinematic history. Hud (Miller), who’s holding the handheld camera for most of the movie is seen through, is the worst offender. Nearly every time he opens his mouth he gives a new answer to the question “How stupid can you be?” These people put hate in my heart. I was rooting for the monster. Well, except for in the case of Jessica Lucas who plays Lilly but only because she’s…uh…fine. Forget I said that. Anyhoo, they also left the door wide open for a sequel that will likely be far worse. My reasoning is since nothing is explained here, they’ll spend much of the second movie developing some cockamamie story to satisfy the internet fanboys who feverishly debate where the monster came from. It will simply be a run-of-the-mill creature-feature with a Hollywood ending. Seriously, once you’ve shot your wad with all this “mysterious monster” business what else can you do? Once the gimmick is successful, leave well enough alone and just count the millions you’ve made.

This is for people who want to see a different kind of monster movie. Basically, it’s the Blair Witch Project of the genre. Thankfully, I haven’t had a bunch of morons trying to convince me it was real like they did when Blair Witch came out. However, I have had people telling me about all kinds of stuff they read online that supposedly fills in the back story for both the monster and the inane people we’re stuck with. Enough already. It wasn’t in the actual movie so I don’t really care. If you can manage to turn your brain off for an hour and a half, you’ll enjoy the ride. If not, skip it.