But there was another level of social commentary lurking beneath the surface that provided a different scare. The fear and anxiety we felt came from what we knew was hiding off camera, and the "authenticity" of the footage helped to ramp up this tension. The earliest and best found-footage horror films used the storytelling gimmick to their benefit, offering up scares based on what was unseen and inexplicable. But more than that, found footage has lost its appeal (for the third year in a row, the Paranormal Activity franchise has seen declining opening-weekend dollars, as Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones hauled in only $18.2 million this weekend) because it's lost sight of the potential for social and political commentary while devolving into more traditional horror structures and scares. Where once the genre felt refreshing, the market is now diluted, offering up a handful of uninspired films each and every year. ![]() To a certain extent, found-footage horror films need to be killed off because the novelty has worn off. But, perhaps, not for the reasons you might think. Predictable, lazy, and short on insight, found-footage horror films need to be taken out back and given the Old Yeller treatment. And nothing reminds us of the inevitable passage of time like another found-footage horror film, which seems to grace the big screens every holiday season. The holidays are a time of existential dread, when the frightening velocity of life makes itself most known. You're getting ready for the long haul of the holidays, preparing your family-friendly, apolitical banter for Thanksgiving or Christmas and you're making tentative plans for New Year's, including half-assed resolutions and Netflix binge-watching. ![]() It happens every year, like clockwork, and it makes you feel old.
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