‘This doll is very special…’

Heidi is a 2014 American found footage horror film about a seemingly demonic doll; it was written, produced and directed by Daniel Ray (Bogyphobia).

Wild Eye Releasing has announced that they have acquired exclusive distribution rights for Heidi.

Main cast:

Samuel Brian, Joei Fulco, Joey Bell, Eva Falana, Elizabeth Callahan, Michael Monteiro, Marilyn Weinmann, Nicoleta Radu, Lindsey Cruz, Cazi Greene, Diem Bell, Ava Gianna, Carl Windom Carlito, Bobby Briggs, Ricky Leyva.

Plot:

After discovering a mysterious doll in an attic, two high school friends are increasingly plagued by a series of disturbing and unexplained events…

Reviews:

“Whether it is a possessed doll or a satanic cult, this movie will make you look at dolls in a different way. And the creepiness of the titular doll is on a whole new level of creepy. Whether or not you are a found-footage fan, I’m sure this movie sets you on point with how you will feel towards the subgenre.” Jack Saint, Weng’s Chop magazine

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The Dark Tapes is a 2017 found footage science fiction horror anthology film directed by producer Vincent J. Guastini and Michael McQuown, from a screenplay by the latter, for Thunder Road Incorporated productions.

As a special effects artist, director Vincent J. Guastini has worked on The Black Room; It Watches; Havenhurst; VHS Viral; Transylmania; plus many other movies.

Main cast:

Brittany Underwood, David Hull, Cortney Palm, Emilia Ares Zoryan, Anna Rose Moore, Shawn Lockie.

Official synopsis:

A genre-defying mixture of horror, sci-fi, myth, mystery and thrills told as four interlocking tales in one intelligent anthology. Ghosts, spirits, creatures, demons and more from the paranormal world collide with rational curiosity…

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

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‘Gigaler.com was poised to be the next billion dollar company. They didn’t make it.’

#Screamers is a 2016 American found footage horror film directed by Dean Ronalds (Netherbeast Incorporated; producer of The Graves) from a screenplay co-written with actor-producer Tom Malloy.

Internet gurus Tom Brennan [Malloy] and Chris Grabow [Barrow] know what sells on the Internet. They’ve built their viral video site Gigaler.com into a moneymaking machine, primarily by providing the audience with web ‘screamers’—videos that distract the audience, then scare them to death.

They are sent an amazing ‘screamer’ that features a young girl at a gravesite and ends with a truly disturbing-looking boogeyman. This screamer becomes the top video on the site.

After several conversations with the girl who claims to be the one in the video, it’s discovered that the latter looks exactly like Tara Rogers… who has been missing for years. It’s then that Tom and Chris decide to take their team on a road trip to confront this girl and find out the truth…

Main cast:

Chris Bannow, Emanuela Galliussi, Tom Malloy, Griffin Matthews, Theodora Miranne, Abbi Snee.

Reviews:

“#Screamers’ use of found footage may not be the most original idea, but you’re already a step ahead if you have at your production’s disposal: gifted actors, believable dialogue and expertly-produced scare tactics. With generous and effective gifts like that, it’s easy to overlook the fact that found footage films are still running rampant across our horror screens.” Michael Klug, Horrorfreak News

“I enjoyed the hell out #Screamers, and I’m hoping a larger audience sees this one soon, as it’s more than worth a look, it’s perfectly chilling and strikes all the right chords, creating a near-flawless viewing experience that genre fans are going to be excited about.” Addicted to Horror Movies

Filming locations:

Rochester, New York, USA

IMDb | Official site

‘The lucky ones freeze to death.’

Cold Ground is a 2016 French found footage horror film written and directed by Fabien Delage (Fury of the Demon).

1976: Two young journalists leave for the French-Swiss border to investigate a strange case of cattle mutilations and record testimonies for a TV channel.

However, once they arrive, it becomes clear that the scientific team they were supposed to meet has gone missing. Escorted by a first-aider, a British biologist and an American forensic investigator, Melissa and David go looking for the missing team deep into the mountains but their rescue mission soon turns into a fight for survival as they get caught in an avalanche.

Lost in the wild and petrified by the cold, the team experiences the ruthlessness of the mountains. They realise that blizzard conditions, frostbite and cliffs are not that bad once they find out that they are not alone in this snowy forest…

The film stars Gala Besson (Horsehead), Doug Rane, Phillip Schurer, Geoffrey Blandin, Maura Tillay and Fabrice Pierre.

Filming locations:

French Alps, France

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‘Six People. One House. Lots of monsters.

Wolf House is a 2016 American found footage supernatural horror film directed by Matt D. Lord, making his feature debut, from a screenplay by co-producer Ken Cosentino and Elizabeth Houlihans. It stars Cosentino along with Jessica Bell (Sting; The Fate of Sophie Miller; The Other Side) and Marcus Ganci-Rotella.

Six friends on a camping trip think they have discovered, and killed, a Sasquatch. But what they have actually unleashed is something more evil, more ancient and more deadly than they could ever imagine – an army of supernatural terrors that will hunt them until none of them remain…

The film is released on DVD on January 17, 2017, by Wild Eye Releasing. The DVD includes a feature-length commentary with director Matt D. Lord, a behind the scenes documentary, a featurette on “Making the Monster” and trailers. Pre-order from Amazon.com

Main cast:

Ken Cosentino, Jessica Bell, Marcus Ganci-Rotella, Elizabeth Houlihan, Bill Kennedy, Marc Sturdivant, Rick Williams.

IMDb

‘It came from another world. It did not come in peace’

Man Vs. is a 2015 Canadian science fiction found footage horror film directed by Adam Massey (The Intruders) from a screenplay by Thomas Michael, based on Massey’s storyline. It stars Chris Diamantopoulos, Chloe Bradt and Michael Cram.

As host of his own hit TV series, Man Vs., Doug Woods is forced to fend for himself for five days in remote locations with no crew, food, or water, only the cameras he carries on his back to film his experiences.

Doug is in the remote woods for a routine episode, until he’s awoken by an earth-shaking crash. Things get weirder as it becomes clear he is not alone. Someone or something is watching him…

Uncork’d Entertainment are distributing the film in the United States with a release date to be confirmed.

Main cast:

Chris Diamantopoulos, Chloe Bradt, Michael Cram, Kelly Fanson, Sam Kalilieh, Alex Karzis, Constantine Meglis, Drew Nelson, Kate Ziegler.

Reviews:

“Diamantopoulos is the best part about this found footage sci-fi-like thriller. If not for him, there’d be very little to enjoy. The suspenseful scenes and all the tense plot development is interesting. To a point. With nothing to justify all its slow meandering towards a lackluster conclusion, Man Vs. is barely mediocre, and ultimately mostly a huge disappointment.” C.H. Newell, Father Son Holy Gore

“The twist of who is following Doug around is spoiled very early on, and it’s a revelation that you’ll either love or hate. If you can deal with it, the payoff is fantastic and the film ends on the perfect note. Even if you’re unwilling to accept the reality that Doug is trapped in, the film still does a wonderful job of building tension…” William Brownridge, Toronto Film Scene

“The choice to use low grade CGI is pretty baffling as what they are used for […] could have easily been achieved practically and they’d have looked a hundred times better as a result. Chris Diamantopoulos is great as Doug, perfectly conveying his fear and confusion as everything goes to hell around him…” Daniel Hadley, Addicted to Horror

” …this is a very well made, entertaining sci-fi/horror. The acting is solid and the cinematography is smart, but they are let down by the unoriginal aspects of the story and shoddy CGI. But to make a film that looks this good on such a low budget is a credit to the director.” Chris Pickering, UK Horror Scene

Filming locations:

Rockwood Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada

IMDb

‘Don’t get caught on the outside’

Cage Dive is a 2017 Australian found footage horror thriller written and directed by Gerald Rascionato based on a storyline co-written with Stephen Lister. It stars Megan Peta Hill, Joel Hogan, Josh Potthoff, Pete Valley and Tara Wraith.

Three friends filming an audition tape for an extreme reality show, take part in shark cage diving off the coast of Australia, only to be left in great white infested waters, turning their recording into life and death…

Reviews:

“Through a combination of the intelligent format, convincing effects, and a series of fun set-pieces (each with a solid payoff), Cage Dive manages to elevate itself above the sum of its parts, and ends up being one of the best found-footage films of the year.” Elijah Taylor, Fangoria

“The fact that there are plenty of well-shot and genuinely thrilling great white attacks should satisfy the large majority and, although the central three themselves are far from ever being particularly likeable, their fears and pleas for survival consistently feel authentic enough to buy into.” Ben Robins, The National Student

” …the character establishing stuff is repetitive, and just knowing about these people doesn’t make us like or empathise with them (quite the reverse, actually) […] But once in the water, as the secrets come out and the survivors turn on each other while sharks seem to play with them like cats with mice, it turns suitably nerve-wracking.” The Kim Newman Web Site

Trivia:

The film’s working title was Under the Deep.

IMDb

‘Horror has no borders.’

Savageland is a 2015 American found footage horror film written and co-directed by Phil Guidry, Simon Herbert and David Whelan. It stars Noe Montes, George Savage and Len Wein.

On the night of June 2, 2011, the largest mass murder in American history occurs in the off-the-grid border town of Sangre de Cristo, Arizona, just a few miles north of Mexico. The entire population of 57 disappears overnight, and the next morning nothing is left but blood trails into the desert.

The police arrest the lone survivor: an illegal immigrant, Francisco Salazar, who is found covered with the blood of a number of his fellow residents. Despite a lack of convincing forensic evidence, Salazar is charged with all the murders, against the backdrop of racial hysteria and paranoia that permeates the US/Mexico border.

During the trial, a compelling new piece of evidence emerges: something terrible and remorseless passed through the town that night, and Salazar was the only one who recorded it. On one roll of film – 36-photographs – is the record of a gruesome wave of horror, and quite possibly, a haunting glimpse of more bloodshed to come…

Terror Films released the film on February 24, 2017 via VOD sites such as Amazon Instant

Reviews:

” …Savageland works on many, many levels, convincing the audience that what you are seeing is real and delving into a complex subject in a metaphorical and intelligent way. This one comes highly recommended for those who like a little political debate along with their horrors.” Ambush Bug, Ain’t It Cool News

“Savageland provides one of the best, most believable and satisfying reasons for a pseudo-found footage film ever. It had me nodding my head in appreciation.” Michael Klug, Horrorfreak News

The film’s pseudo-documentary style creates a realm, which is mostly believable. Though, there is a line or two, within, that made this watcher laugh. All of the newspaper clippings and interviews are well done. The interviewees, of which there are over a dozen, each bring a piece to the larger story […] The acting is never overdone, nor under-delivered.” Michael Allen, 28 Days Later Analysis

Interview:

Phil Guidry, Simon Herbert and David Whelan talk to FilmBuzz

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‘Some species are best left undiscovered’

Chupacabra Territory is a 2016 found footage horror film written and directed by Matt McWilliams, making his feature debut.

The film stars Sarah Nicklin (The Haunting of Alice D.; The Sins of Dracula, Flesh for the Inferno), Michael Reed (Dark Feed, Exhumed), Megan Hensley (The Crazies), Julianne Tura (Bloody Bloody Bible Camp; Chastity Bites), and Pierre Kennel.

Four friends hike into the Pinewood Forest to find evidence of the Chupacabra, an ancient creature believed to be responsible for the disappearance of four experienced hikers a year earlier.

As they journey deeper into the forest, their innocent search uncovers more than they had ever hoped for, and with it a darkness that threatens to consume their very existence.

One by one they are hunted down, their survival tested, their lives hanging in the balance of fear, friendship, disbelief and horror…

On April 11, 2017, the film is released on Maltauro Entertainment Blu-ray and Invincible Pictures DVD with exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, trailers and more. The film will also be released on various VOD platforms.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the film was released on DVD as Lair of the Beast on 22nd August 2016 by 101 Films.

Reviews:

” …McWilliams deserves some credit for adding more elements into his movie than you would expect (and arguably than he knows what to do with), and his leads at least give us enough personality that you care a bit about what happens to them.”  David Dent, Dark Eyes of London

“Whilst there’s elements here that truly do work and emulate the Blair Witch style terror, the unfortunate, self-centred egos of the characters involved completely undo these moments of brilliance. Because of this, horror fans looking for a serious woodland creature horror will be disappointed…” Horror Cult Films

“This movie has no one to root for (the ridiculous Wiccan character, who features in a lame, ill-timed sex scene, is particularly irritating), no atmosphere and amateurish climactic hysteria capped by the 300th reworking of the closing shot of [REC].” Steven West, Horrorscreams Videovault

Filming locations:

Lake Hughes, California, USA

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‘Based on shocking untold true events’

Phoenix Forgotten is a 2017 found footage science fiction horror film directed by Justin Barber, making his feature debut, from a screenplay by co-producer T.S. Nowlin.

Ridley Scott (Prometheus; Alien franchise) is one of the film’s co-producers. It stars Florence Hartigan, Chelsea Lopez, Justin Matthews, and Luke Spencer Roberts.

On March 13, 1997, a set of mysterious lights appeared over Arizona. The phenomena became known as The Phoenix Lights, the most famous and alleged UFO sighting in history.

Three teenagers who went into the desert shortly after the incident, hoping to document the strange events occurring in their town. They disappeared that night, and were never seen again.

Now, on the twentieth anniversary of their disappearance, unseen footage has finally been discovered, chronicling the final hours of their fateful expedition. For the first time ever, the ‘truth’ will be revealed…

In the US, the film is released theatrically on April 21, 2017.

IMDb | Official site

‘They aren’t just real. They’re here.’

The Monster Project is a 2017 American action horror film directed by Victor Mathieu (CarnieVille; Dead List; Tombstone Brides) from a screenplay co-written with Corbin Billings and Shariya Lynn. It stars Yvonne Zima, Justin Bruening and Toby Hemingway.

A group of young filmmakers interview three people claiming to be ‘real life’ monsters – a skinwalker, a vampire, and a demon. When the night turns deadly, the film crew must fight evil, inside and out…

The film has been in development since 2013. In the US, Epic Pictures Group is distributing on VOD on August 18, 2017.

Main cast:

Yvonne Zima, Justin Bruening, Toby Hemingway (The Girl in the Photographs; Black Swan; The Covenant), Murielle Zuker, Jim Storm, PeiPei Alena Yuan, Martin Lee White, Shayne Eastin, Shiori Ideta, Zac Cracknell, Phillip Sebal, Pat Scott, Jamal Quezaire, Steven Flores, and Susan Stangl.

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‘The hunters become the hunted’

Creature in the Woods aka Wild Man of the Woods is a 2017 American found footage horror film directed by Elijah C. Richardson, Jr., Leroy E. Bryant II and Gordon DelGiorno (actor in Shockheaded). It stars Freemon Jackson, Jessica Pearson and Alex Pappaterra.

Amateur filmmaker Chanda Patel, survivalist Demetrius “Dem” Barrett and Nicholas “Nic” Pierce set out in the Carolina woodlands to film a survival documentary.

While filming, the camera inadvertently catches a glimpse of a hairy man-like creature in the woods. Chanda and Nic’s imagination immediately run wild upon discovery of the footage and they talk a less than eager Dem into abandoning the survival film to track what they believe is the legendary Bigfoot beast, unwittingly filming their own demise, as the hunters become the hunted…

The film is being distributed by Summer Hill Entertainment.

Filming locations:

Granogue Estate Property Montchanin, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Chadds Ford Tavern, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, USA

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‘Hell is coming to us’

Black Wake is a 2017 science fiction found footage horror film directed by Jeremiah Kipp (60 Seconds to Die ‘Monster’; The Sadist; The Pod) from a screenplay co-written with Jerry Janda and Carlos Keyes, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. It stars Nana Gouvea, Tom Sizemore and Eric Roberts.

Specialists gather in a top-secret facility to investigate a series of strange deaths on beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. One of the team’s scientists (Nana Gouvea) examines video evidence to uncover a possible parasitic explanation for the fatalities.

But when a determined detective (Tom Sizemore) sends her the crazed writings of a mysterious homeless man (Jonny Beauchamp), the scientist slowly learns that the actual threat may be more dangerous — and far older — than anyone ever imagined.

Can she convince her colleagues (led by Eric Roberts) of the true danger before an ancient force rises from the sea to bring madness and death to all of humanity?

Main cast:

Nana Gouvea, Tom Sizemore (Central Park Dark; Halloweed; Dark Hall), Eric Roberts (Evil Exhumed, Sorority Slaughterhouse; Camp Dread; et al), Jonny Beauchamp, Vincent Pastore, Chuck Zito, Jeremy Fernandez, J.W. Cortes, Brett Azar, Rich Graff, David Gere, Kelly Rae LeGault, Brielle Edborg, Kim Mulhauser, Ashley Couture.

Filming locations:

New York City, New York, USA
Long Branch and Sandy Hook, New Jersey, USA

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‘When evil comes… it will be in human form’

There Are Monsters is a 2013 Canadian found footage horror film written and directed by Jay Dahl (Halloween Party) and is a feature version of his 2008 short film of the same name. It stars Matthew Amyotte, Jason Daley and Michael Ray Fox.

There are monsters… but we can’t see them coming. The world is being taken over – slowly, quietly and efficiently by creatures that look just like us!

There Are Monsters follows a crew of film students on an innocent road trip who discover evidence of these evil doppelgangers. The crew beings to realize something is very wrong and the world changes before their eyes – and their cameras…

In the UK, the film is released on DVD and Amazon Instant VOD by The Works on 22 May 2017.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Main cast:

Matthew Amyotte, Jason Daley (My Dead Girlfriend), Michael Ray Fox, Guy Germaine, Suzanne Hawkins, Kristin Langille, Kathryn McCormack, Loretta Yu (Hemlock Grove; Vampire Bats).

IMDb

Crone Wood is a 2016 Irish found footage folk horror film written, edited and directed by Mark Sheridan, making his feature debut. It stars Ed Murphy and Elva Trill.

Danny (Ed Murphy) and Hailey (Elva Trill), a young couple who only met the night before, decide to venture into the woods for an adventurous camping trip but within a matter of hours the trip turns sour and they discover that not all of Ireland has abandoned its pagan roots…

Reviews:

“The atmosphere builds slowly and the pressure is released just at the right time, (without giving too much away) gears are switched on you and its a ride you can’t get off […] Comparisons with The Blair Witch are obvious but its more towards the original Wicker Man that this film looks for its inspiration.” Folanorama, IMDb

While Crone Wood wears its folk horror heritage on its sleeve, credible performances, naturalistic set design and tangible tension rescue it from lazy facsimile […] Equal parts The Blair Witch Project, Kill List and The Wicker Man, with Crone Wood, Sheridan has not only crafted a very worthy addition to folk horror canon, but also one of the most important Irish horror films to date.” Karl Anthony, IMDb

Filming locations:

Crone Wood, Ireland

Running time:

86 minutes

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‘Some of the most disturbing footage ever recovered’

Behind the Sightings is a 2017 American found footage mockumentary horror film directed by Tony Cadwell (producer of Crawl to Me) from a screenplay co-written with Norman Alston.

Based on over 112 hours of footage recovered from the personal belongings of aspiring filmmakers Todd and Jessica Smith. The husband and wife filmmaking duo were investigating the 2016 creepy clown sighting epidemic.

The first clown sightings occurred in August 2016 in Greenville, South Carolina. Authorities were alerted to reports by neighbourhood kids stating that creepy clowns were appearing in the woods near an apartment complex.

The clown sightings spread to all fifty US states and across Europe. Todd and Jessica were attempting to track down clown sighting witnesses and the clowns involved in a rash of creepy clown sightings that plagued an eastern North Carolina community…

In the US, Behind the Sightings will be released in October 2017.

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Aksbandh – translation: “Husbandhood” – is a 2016 Pakistani found footage horror film directed by Emran Hussain from a screenplay co-written with Ayaz Samoo. It stars Arshad Ali, Saud Imtiaz and Danial Afzal Khan.

Five young filmmakers suddenly disappear whilst shooting in the woods near Drigh Lake, Larkana, Pakistan, in January 2014. A week later, their camera was found containing details about what happened to them…

Director Emran Hussain is quoted in the Express Tribune: “Horror is a good genre to break into the market. A lot of indie filmmakers are making horror because it doesn’t require a big budget. I loved horror movies as a kid. I grew up watching movies such as The Exorcist, Blair Witch Project and others. Aksbandh neither made a profit nor a loss and it taught me a lot about each stage of filmmaking.”

Main cast:

Arshad Ali, Ayaz Samoo, Danial Afzal Khan, Saud Imtiaz, Shehzeen Rahat, Mahrukh Rizvi, Bilal Yousufzai.

Trivia:

The film was previously known as Paranormal Karachi Nights

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook

‘Sacrifices must be made’

Altar is a 2016 American found footage horror film written, produced, edited, photographed and directed by Matthew Sconce (Stricken). It stars Stefanie Estes, Brittany Falardeau and Jessica Strand.

A group of former college classmates get lost driving to a college reunion camp out in the Sierra Nevada mountains. After stopping for the night, they stumble onto something much darker. They must battle to escape the evil they unleashed to not only save their own lives but their souls as well…

Director Matthew Sconce comments:

“Altar is a movie in the line of The Blair Witch and Willow Creek. Round, deep characters are the focus as they experience a terrifying event that impacts their relationships and threatens their existence.

I wanted to create a world of freedom where method actors could thrive. The actors remained in character during filming, calling each other by their character names. They drove up from Los Angeles together and built their back stories on the five hour drive. The actors were all cast for their master improvisation skills and I allowed them create while filming.”

Reviews:

“Altar is a found footage horror film with great acting and cinematography, a high production value, deep character development, and a great climactic ending. This is a found footage film well worth watching.” Michael Steinberg, Found Footage Critic

Main cast:

Stefanie Estes (Bethany; The Chosen; Bunnyman 2), Brittany Falardeau (Shock; House of Darkness; short: American Gothic), Jessica Strand, Tim Parrish (Planet Dead), Michael Wainwright, Tina Johnson, Deep Rai, Master Dave Johnson, Jesse Parr, Johnny Soto, Nicole L. Osborne, Kia Vassiliades, Nicole Spate, Gregory Tharpe, Patrick Nalty.

IMDb

‘War ends at midnight, all you have to do is stay alive’

Boots on the Ground is a 2017 British found footage action horror film written, co-produced and directed by Louis Melville (co-producer of The Last Horror Movie, 2003). The Last Bullet Films production stars Ryan McParland, Tom Ainsley and Ian Virgo.

Five British soldiers trying to stay alive on the last night of the Afghan War, facing not just the Taliban, but also supernatural forces more terrifying than anything they’ve encountered before…

Cast and characters:

Ryan McParland as Swiftee
Tom Ainsley as Pawlo
Ian Virgo as Ollie
Valmike Rampersad as Mo
Sally Day as Conway
Victoria Hannent as Woman in Burka

Running time:

86 minutes

IMDb