Hello horror fans - and welcome back to the scariest channel on YouTube - Top 5 Scary
Videos - two parts compendium and one part necronomicon - and your go to guide for all
things horrific and horrifying.
What’s going on guys - as per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch - as we once
again dive back into the terrifying world of horror cinema, as we find ourselves agasp
at those silver screen depictions that are just a little too close to the bone - and
take a look at the Top 5 Scary Horror Movies That Were Found Footage.
Roll the clip.
Now - found footage horror, for me anyway - is a sub-genre that’s either hit or miss
in the world of horror cinema.
On the one hand, it’s an entirely captivating form - and an unparalleled way to bring an
audience into the visceral realm of point of view horror.
When it’s done well - we feel every agonizing step, every panicked breath - and every gut-wrenching
reveal.
But when it’s done badly - eh - it’s really, really bad.
Now, there are a few films that I’d still recommend that didn’t make this list, but
not because they’re necessarily good - just because they’re an experience, to say the
least.
August Underground, which is just messed up - Cannibal Holocaust, even more messed up
- and Mark Duplass’ Creep - and Creep 2, to name a few.
But - let’s get to the ones that are truly terrifying displays of Found Footage horror,
shall we?
Before we do that though guys - you know the drill by now - if you’re a fan of this video,
found footage horror cinema - or just Top 5 Scary Videos in general - then please, be
a dear and hit that thumbs up button - as well as that subscribe bell so you can stay
up to date with your daily dose of horror.
Also - a huge thank you to all our latest and greatest subscribers, we read every one
of your comments - so stick around till the end and I just might read out some of my favourites.
Kicking off at Number 5 - The McPherson Tape, 1998.
Also known as Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County - The McPherson Tape is an incredible
display of science fiction horror done well, in a time when the found footage subgenre
was just finding its feet.
I’ll be honest with you guys, when I first saw The McPherson Tape as a kid, when it was
broadcast as a straight-to-TV film - I thought it was actually real.
And I wasn’t alone, either - because when it originally aired on UPN, on January 18th
1998 - hundreds of people called in to verify that it wasn’t actually portraying real-life
events.
So much so that the Lake County Sheriff’s department had to release a statement reassuring
viewers that the events didn’t take place.
The McPherson Tape centers around a family of the same name - who have gathered together
for Thanksgiving at their lake house - where things quickly, and mysteriously go wrong.
As usual, I don’t want to spoil any plot points for this film - because it’s definitely
worth the watch - but if you’re terrified of the thought of little green men roaming
around your house at night, then you’ll definitely be a fan of this film.
Coming in at Number 4 - The Houses October Built, 2014
And yeah - this film is great fun, and so damn creepy for the most part.
Directed by Bobby Roe, alongside hit producer Steven Schneider, the man behind the original
Paranormal Activity, Insidious and The Devil Inside - The Houses October Built is a fantastic
spin on the found footage genre, and features some genuinely terrifying set pieces throughout.
It gives you that weird sense of dread that the sub-genre tries so wholeheartedly to capture
- but this film does it to perfection in parts.
The Houses October Built focuses on a group of friends - all horror fans, may I add - travelling
throughout Southern USA in the lead up to Halloween.
They’ve got an obsession with live-action haunted house attractions, and the film plays
out as a kind of mini-road trip, ramping up the fake scares as it plays out.
But - well, the fake scares quickly turn into real scares - and the second half of the movie
really manages to turn up the heat.
The strength of this film is how personal it feels - there’s no wider scope other
than the events that unfold before us - and it’s backed up by a genuinely believable
cast and likeable characters - which makes the ending that much more bleak.
Give it a watch.
Next up at Number 3 - Noroi: The Curse, 2005
Now this is for sure an interesting film - to say the least, and it’s a welcome sore-thumb
in the world of Japanese world of horror.
It comes from renowned director Koji Shiraishi - who’s made quite the name for himself
as a found footage autor - with films like Occult and Shirome, a departure from the short,
unsettling style often found in J-Horror.
Noroi is perhaps the best example of his work - and stands out as a slow burning mockumentary
of paranormal investigation in Japan.
Noroi features an absolutely mammoth task, interweaving several storylines that lead
up to a deeply disturbing ending.
For the most part though, it focuses on Masafumi Kobayashi - a paranormal expert famous for
uncovering supernatural mysteries - and his investigation of a strange woman and her young
son.
It manages to give us just enough to keep the mystery going - and I don’t say this
lightly, pretty much every scene is unsettling as we quickly realise there are much more
malevolent powers at play.
Swinging in at Number 2 - The Blair Witch Project, 1999.
And you just knew this one would make this list, didn’t you?
Of course - perhaps the most famous found footage horror film of all time, and many
peoples first horrific dive into the subgenre.
The Blair Witch Project is an awesome horror film - I’m gonna say it, and the impact
that it had on the genre as a whole can’t be denied.
The reason that The Blair Witch Project is so damn good, is because it managed to pull
off exactly what terrifies us - a stark reminder that what really scares us is the stuff that
we can’t see - especially in a time when horror cinema was trying its hardest to deliver
full-frontal-fear.
Again, like the McPherson tape - the Blair Witch Project relied heavily on viral marketing.
Even a year after its release, the three actors Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael
C. Williams were listed on their IMDB pages as “missing” or “deceased.”
The films creators, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez - made huge strides in creating a
working mythology for the film, drawing on 18th century folk legends to fabricate their
own occultist backdrop - hinting to the viewer that perhaps there was some truth to the events
of the film.
In essence, it’s what makes found footage horror so good when it’s done well - an
uneasy mix between horror fiction and horror fact.
And finally - at our Number 1 spot - The Borderlands, 2013.
Also known as Final Prayer in the US - but come on, the original title is so much better
- The Borderlands is a 2013 British horror film written and directed by Elliot Goldner
in his directorial debut.
I’m going to say it - this film is awesome.
For many reasons - but the main reason is that it answers a question that somewhat mires
the believability of found footage horror - why, are they still filming?
Well - The Borderlands has a pretty decent answer for that.
Three men, who are sent by the Vatican to provide evidence of demonic occurrences in
a remote church in rural Britain.
I really, really don’t want to spoil anything in this film - because I sincerely urge you
to watch it if you haven’t - but in my opinion, this is one of the best found-footage horror
films of recent times.
It’s equal parts The Wicker Man and equal parts The Exorcist - and it’s an awesome
display of British folk horror, an emerging subgenre that is really hitting the mark for
this particular horror fan.
Really guys, I can’t say much more - other than just watch this one - because it’s
really, really good.
Unfortunately folks, that’s all we’ve got time for in today’s video - although,
we have got a quick minute to read out some of your incredibly kind comments.
Cansas and Mike Cooley said - Jack, you are my favorite host in all of youtubedom.
Love the series, I think Norman Bates should be next.
Damn straight Cansas and Mike Cooley - I’ll see what I can do.
And, you’re gonna make me tear up if you keep being that nice to me.
Chas Riley says - That Black Flag shirt tho - and then one of those (okay emoji’s).
Well, Chas, I guess all I can say to that is - (okay) - Henry Rollin’s all day.
And finally - Kerry Ann said - Jack’s a top presenter.
Can tell he has an interest in the content he’s delivering.
Awesome channel.
- Well Kerry Ann, it’s people like you that make it so awesome - glad you’re a fan.
Thanks so much for stopping by guys - make sure to tune in tomorrow for your daily dose
of horror.
As always, I’ve been your host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5 Scary Videos
- and until next time, you take it easy.