Found Footage Horror Unearthed: Ryan Verrill on Making Reality Terrifying

Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, & Movements

Grab your camera and brace yourself as host Andy Nelson and guest Ryan Verrill dive headfirst into the spine-chilling world of found footage horror—a subgenre that transformed home videos into nightmares and made us forever suspicious of that sound coming from the basement.

The Evolution of Found Footage Horror

From the shocking cultural impact of The Blair Witch Project to the controversial origins in Cannibal Holocaust, this episode unravels how amateur-style filmmaking became horror's most immersive format. The conversation explores how these films tap into our primal fears by making the impossible feel frighteningly real, all while working with shoestring budgets and creative constraints.

When Technology Becomes Terror

Through deep-dive discussions of genre-defining films like [REC], Paranormal Activity, and Cloverfield, Andy and Ryan examine how found footage horror evolved alongside our changing relationship with technology. Whether it's surveillance cameras capturing supernatural entities or handheld cameras documenting monster attacks, these films transform our everyday devices into windows to the unknown.

The terror doesn't stop there! Members get access to an extended conversation exploring five more groundbreaking found footage horror films: Lake Mungo, The Visit, Hell House LLC, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, and Host. This bonus segment delves into how the subgenre continues to innovate and terrify in the digital age.

Don't miss this haunting exploration of how found footage horror makes us question everything we see through our screens. Just remember—sometimes the most terrifying thing isn't what's on camera, but what happens when the camera stops rolling.

Visit trustory.fm/join to become a member and access the full conversation.

Film Sundries

• Check out Sitting in the Dark’s episode Filtered Reality: Found Footage, Screenlife, and the Epistolary Tradition
• Check out Movies We Like’s episode Actor Patrick Fabian on The Man Who Would Be King
• Find Ryan on his website, Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and Patreon
• Check out Ryan’s podcasts
• Check out The Physical Media Advocate
• Watch our conversation on YouTube!
• Recommended and Discussed Movies
  • Cannibal Holocaust on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • The Blair Witch Project on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • [REC] on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • Paranormal Activity on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • Cloverfield on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • Lake Mungo on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • The Visit on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • Hell House LLC on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
  • Host on Apple, Amazon, and Letterboxd
• Our Letterboxd List

• (00:00) - Welcome to Cinema Scope • Found Footage Horror
• (04:04) - Meet Ryan...