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GOLDEN BRIEFCASE

TGB Episode 76: So Who Finds the Footage? (Guest: James Wallace)

by Tim Buel
August 31, 2011

On this week's episode of The Golden Briefcase, Tim and Jeremy are joined by James Wallace from I Heart Cinema and soon FirstShowing to go over their Picks of the Week, the newest in DVD/Blu-Rays, talk through new trailers for The Rum Diary and The Hunger Games, talk over Tim's lack of interest in Scarface and much more! The main topic of the night was a discussion on found-footage horror films in honor of Apollo 18 hitting theaters this Friday. The guys talk over some of the best in the genre including [REC], Cloverfield and The Tunnel, and then spend a few minutes talking about the effectiveness of all these films.

The Golden Briefcase is also broadcast LIVE on Tuesday nights starting at 7:30PM (PST). You can listen in via our Ustream page or by visiting our own live page right here on FS. The podcast is just as fun to listen to live while it's being recorded, with plenty of special guests, so I suggest you tune in the next time it records!

Download #76 or Listen Now:

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Previous Episode: #75: Tales of Guillermo del Toro (Guest: Sam Zimmerman)

Our Guest:

James Wallace: @JamesWallace

Picks of the Week:

Jeremy: The Lincoln Lawyer
James: Drive
Tim: Super

DVD/Blu-Rays Released:

Wrecked
Coen Brothers Collection Blu-Ray Set
The Mummy Trilogy Blu-Ray

Episode Timeline:

Pick of the Week: 7:33
New Releases: 18:54
Trailer Watch: The Rum Diary: 32:20
Trailer Watch: The Hunger Games: 37:57
Not Feeling It: Scarface: 46:02
Main Topic: Found-Footage Horror Films: 57:32

The Golden Briefcase is:

Tim Buel: twitter.com/timbuel
Jeremy Kirk: twitter.com/jeremykkirk

Live Page:

http://www.firstshowing.net/live/

Voicemail Line:

805-416-2131

Any and all feedback, compliments, topic discussions, contest entries and yes, hate mail, can be sent directly to goldenbriefcase@gmail.com. We would LOVE to hear from you! Thank you for listening to the show.

Filed under Golden Briefcase, Podcasts

From around the web:

http://www.facebook.com/jamesmichaelwallace James Wallace

Thought about something I wish I'd said on the podcast after the fact (I'm sure that happens to Tim & Jeremy all the time) in reference to the "Why is Found Footage used almost exclusively in the Horror genre?" question. At a basic level, outside of the idea that the Found Footage style effectively pulls the audience into the terror more, I think the Found Footage subgenre is inherently Horror because the term "found" implies that whoever shot the footage left it behind and someone else discovered it...as in didn't finish whatever film they were making...as in the person is no longer with us. So, within the narrative, for the footage to be found and released (in such a way that is often used as a gimmick in a given Found Footage film's viral marketing), it is often connected to something horrific and unexplained. You have films like Catfish that are not Horror per se but may be shot and presented in a similar Found Footage style. But that is where the line between Found Footage and Fauxumentary are drawn. And that is why the Found Footage subgenre by definition doesn't really work outside of any other genre that doesn't present an opportunity for a mysterious mythology surrounding it.
DAVIDPD

Regarding new ways of using "found footage" as a plot device, I thought that since this is the Era of the VLOG, it could be interesting to bring up a new movie with that factor at play. Something like "Up-and-coming VLOGGER goes missing from his Los Angeles home. Three months later, only his camera is recovered from a remote section of the Mojave Desert. This is what was recorded..." I don't know...just something to chew on.
Anonymous

I loved Cloverfield, and REC, and REC 2, and Paranormal Activity. The found-footage sub-genre is working for me. And I think it works only in horror, and maybe in a war film, like you said. Thanks guys, now I have ideas for some found-footage films to watch
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1277430776 Vic Liang

Damn, you guys mirrored my thoughts on Scarface to the point where it's scary... I've always been scared of talking bad about it since there is such hype behind it and now I can let my opinion free knowing you guys feel the same. Though of course that last scene is pretty a badass and iconic scene, not to mention quotable.
Lebowski

The key to enjoying Scarface is to watch 50 times a year, like Diddy. Think of it all self administered brain washing. For real though, I'm a big fan of Scarface. It's a bloated, slow, unsubtle thing, but it is so gloriously inhabits all the cliched tropes it covers. Like the Ferrari Testarossa or Rick James' recording career, it is the epitome of 80's excess, and I can't help but love it.
Chazzy

Good to hear the regular music back!
Chazzy

I feel the same about Scarface. I watched it for the first time a few years ago, all hyped up for it, and was incredibly disappointed. It just wasn't a great movie, at all.
http://twitter.com/darktaxidermist Davide Coppola

I wanted to recommend "Noroi: The Curse (2005)" to you guys! Let me know if you like it, it's my favorite found footage film
Scp Filme

Since you discussed the question of found footage movies that aren't horror films you should really check out a german movie called "Muxmäuschenstill". I don't know, of there is a US-release. Maybe it could be described as a psychological thriller, but it is really unique. It's about this guy Herr Mux, who wants to make the world a better place by teaching people to obey law&order. And he hires a simple-minded long-time jobless guy to document his "work" with a camcorder. It's a really disturbing movie takes some really surprising turns.