10 Essential Found Footage Horrors To Watch Before Blair Witch

When it was released in 1992, Man Bites Dog’s story about a TV crew following a killer as he abducts, murders and disposes of his victims seemed considerably fresher than it does today. Filmed as a mockumentary, the film shows the (perfectly charming) killer explaining the ins and outs of murder to the crew, who end up helping him commit his crimes.

Made before the reality TV went stratospheric with Big Brother, Temptation Island et al, Man Bites Dog takes its inspiration from the American reality shows of the time (Cops, When Animals Attack etc) and throws in some very funny moments. There’s a running gag about how the crew’s sound men keep getting shot, and whatever you do, don’t miss the sequence where the killer interrupts a birthday party to shoot one of the guests and everyone nervously carries on as though nothing has happened.

The movie anticipates The Blair Witch Project in several ways, from the cast going by their real names to a bleak ending where the murdered cameraman drops the camera, so anyone who contends that Blair Witch began the Found Footage genre needs to watch this first.