Ghostwatch (1992)

Found footage is a film genre where some (or all) of the work is presented as if it were discovered film or video recordings. The events on the screen are shown through the perspective of one of the characters, often with commentary presented in real time. This approach is often used in horror movies. Rachel is a big fan of found footage; Ryan considers it a storytelling crutch frequently used by lazy filmmakers on cheap productions. Ghostwatch is a staged "report" of a haunted English home. It was, in the hopes of attaining a veneer of plausibility, presented by BBC reporters playing themselves. Like Orson Welles' infamous 1938 War of the Worlds radio drama, a number of people were apparently convinced that Ghostwatch was a genuine news broadcast and there was something of a panic. Rachel and Ryan discuss the widespread backlash that Ghostwatch received in the wake of its airing. They also delve into the movie's enduring cult status and its influence on later productions like The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Paranormal Activity (2007). Talking points for this episode include the techniques of cinéma vérité, the distinction between found footage and mockumentary, and the questionable efficacy of trigger warnings. Rachel also rattles off her recommendations for other horror movies in the found footage idiom.