Rec 3 was great, especially how pretty it turned out to be after they ditched the found footage format. VHS2 was anchored by that segment with the cult and the apocalypse in Safe Haven by Timo Tjahjanto (who also had the best segment in ABC's of Death) and Gareth Huw Evans - in fact it was probably the greatest bit of horror I've seen in the last 2-3 years or so, like a frantic nightmare come to life.
The best horror experiences my wife and I have experienced this year have been from Manga and Video Games-
Junji Ito
PT
and Until Dawn
This year brings Crimson Peak and Next year the Witch.
My wife recommends the taking of Deborah Logan, and I agree with her that the best horror movies are born out of low budget cinema- Paranormal Activity and Blair Witch Project.
Was not fussed on the Babadook - the child character made it a hard watch, just like Don't be afraid of the Dark.
Just watched the Uninvited on Criterion - which holds up really well.
Jump Scares too much and is a lazy way of getting an audience reaction, but it just doesn't stick around for that long walk to the car, or when you've finished watching something on TV in the dark and need to walk down a creepy hallway back to the bedroom.
I have a Voightlander 17.5mm, it is a joy to use and if price is a concern - think about it this way - a great lens kept in good condition has better resale value than a camera body that becomes outdated in about a year.
You can pick one up from ebay for a little less cash too.
That F******g beast gets me every time.
My wife and I still love this film to death,
While I have no doubt that the smart marketing ( missing posters with website tabs and tv specials which added a whole new dimension to the story and probably one of the first examples of cross media story telling and comic book) added to the final product, nobody since then has made a found footage the same way since this one.
The super natural performances (eh eh??) caused by the directors giving the actors cues, and scaring the living crap out of the actors stuck in the wood by playing sounds of rocks, childrens voices and unsettling stick and rock sculptures helped give the marketing and entire film a sense of legitimacy.
It was just plain good direction.
The first Paranormal activity IMO is the only thing that has come close to replicating that uneasy feeling on screen.
happy halloween!
Good advice,
"And while the FBI tries to sort out Hollywood's continued insistence that talent and gender are inexorably linked"
Overseas reader - did I miss something about the FBI in the news? (tried to google) not the point of the article, but I'm curious now.