Forget The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, The Last Exorcism et al if you only watch one found footage movie make it REC, which is the leanest, smartest and nastiest film of them all. Eschewing cheap jokes and stupid characters, the film builds a credible story as a TV reporter and her cameraman, covering the night shift at a local fire station, follow the crew as they attempt to rescue a woman trapped inside her apartment. Needless to say, events take a turn for the sinister, but unlike most films of this type, the viewer isnt constantly questioning why the characters keep filming. Packing more shocks into its excellently tight 75 minutes than a half-dozen other films combined, REC understands that its premise wont stand up to intense scrutiny and keeps the exposition to a minimum while ratcheting up the scares. Never mind the American remake, this is the one you need to own.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
