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James, you don't like the original "Blair Witch Project"? I admit that the found footage sub-genre in general kind of sucks, but "The Blair Witch Project" is so good. One of my personal favorite horror films.
Indeed, I didn't care for The Blair Witch Project at all. I actually revisited it just a few months ago given the resurgence of hype over the years, especially on this board; I hadn't seen it since I was 12 or 13. I liked it then, definitely. I'd never seen anything like it, but then at that age, I'd never seen anything like... most things.
First off, it has a lot of the same issues I hate about most found-footage films. Jump scares. Lots of screaming, crying, heavy breathing, etc. over shaky cam/black. Lots of characters repeating the same lines over and over, whether it's someone's name or general freaking out over some "creepy" prop. Overall... loud, incoherent, and redundant with no real story or character progression other than characters dying/disappearing or new interchangeable props and/or monsters (if you're lucky enough to have actual monsters).
Am I exaggerating here? Doesn't seem like it. Apparently, the directors would have the actors camp overnight and either make random noises in the woods for them to react to or set up props outside their tents to have them ad-lib to the morning, then wash, rinse, repeat -- different noises, different props. Scary for a few minutes, maybe, but after that, it's just redundant. Maybe it's a smart approach if you don't wanna spend any money, but I don't see how you can stretch it out for 90 minutes -- not if these are the only tools in your toolbox.
In between are stupid/annoying characters wandering aimlessly through the woods and fighting with each other. I know it's supposed to feel realistic, and in a sense, it is, but it doesn't do much for me other than get on my nerves. Are we supposed to be interested in these characters, or is the novelty of "realistic" supposed to carry the film?
A lot of the documentary stuff at the beginning of the film, I can't tell if it's supposed to be a joke or not. If it is, it's brilliant and I'll give the filmmakers genuine props. Every time the girl narrates for the camera, she takes on this pretentious, faux-scholarly persona, like that's her idea of how a historian's supposed to talk. She doesn't talk like that for the rest of the film, so I assume she's putting on an act. It's kinda hilarious and a nice touch if intentional but doesn't do the character any favors in the likability department.
Overall, boring, silly, annoying, super dated, and so far hasn't inspired any films that are any good with its so-called legacy. Maybe Willow Creek. Willow Creek was a better film and it was directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. I mean, I like Bobcat, but honestly... how does that happen?
Sorry for the rant. I didn't plan to write one. I'm not above writing one, so not like I'm trying to save face here either. But yeah, really did nothing for me. People seem to love it, so I guess it's my loss that I don't.
I'm a big Body Horror fan, love Cronenberg Tsukamoto and Yuzna/Gordon... and not a big fan of Action Horror, always seems to be more action than scares.
Found footage is also a pet hate, all that shaky cam shit gives me a headache... notable exceptions are Cannibal Holocaust, Blair Witch and first Paranormal Activity.
For me a surprise omission from people's lists is J Horror, I think there are some truly The Grudge, Ring, Dark Water, Audition - in fact anything from Takashi Miike.
There's been some very decent stuff to come out of Korea too, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Host, I Saw the Devil, Chaser, Train to Busan.
But I consider myself a Horror fan above all other genres and will happily give most things a go, at least first 10 mins
Noroi: The Curse, The Tunnel, Rec 1 and 2, Grave Encounters, The Conspiracy, Europa Report, The Banshee Chapter...I love it. So many amateur directors try it that it makes the genre as a whole relatively weak, but the good stuff is so immediate and so powerful. Fantastic.
I'm a big Body Horror fan, love Cronenberg Tsukamoto and Yuzna/Gordon... and not a big fan of Action Horror, always seems to be more action than scares.
Found footage is also a pet hate, all that shaky cam shit gives me a headache... notable exceptions are Cannibal Holocaust, Blair Witch and first Paranormal Activity.
For me a surprise omission from people's lists is J Horror, I think there are some truly The Grudge, Ring, Dark Water, Audition - in fact anything from Takashi Miike.
There's been some very decent stuff to come out of Korea too, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Host, I Saw the Devil, Chaser, Train to Busan.
But I consider myself a Horror fan above all other genres and will happily give most things a go, at least first 10 mins
I was just gonna say J horror is really great. 'The eye' not the jessica alba remake but the original.
For pure Cosmic horror I prefer Samuels. Ligotti has never quite taken me to that place outside of reality, but I do like him.
The man who collected Machen and the White hands and other tales are good places to start.
Thanks, man.
On Ligotti, I can understand your point. I'm currently reading Songs of a Dreamer. The stories I've read so far seem to blur reality and fantasy rather than commit to one outright. Of course, the reader can choose to interpret them one way or the other, but the ambiguity seems to be the point.
Seem to be available on Amazon at reasonable prices. I saw The White Hands hardcover going for quite a bit, but that seems like a collector's item. Limited releases, perhaps, but available.
For me a surprise omission from people's lists is J Horror, I think there are some truly The Grudge, Ring, Dark Water, Audition - in fact anything from Takashi Miike.
Not a fan of J horror myself. I saw most of those films back when The Ring (2002) was released and shed some light of them for Western audiences. I enjoyed most of them, as I recall, but wasn't crazy about them and none of them stuck in my memory. I can't remember what happens in half of them.
Audition is a different animal IMO. I don't it fits into any particular box. Love it, though. One of my favorite films.
Love Miike and Sion Sono as well. I also don't think you can put either in a box. They're all over (and outside) the genre map. J horror strikes me as having very specific attributes.