Considering Horror Cinema Ep. 096: Three Found Footage Horror Films With Guest Donnie Darko

Welcome to Episode 096 and Happy Halloween this month! Here is yet another extremely delayed release that is SIX YEARS LATE! In this special Considering Horror Cinema release, Jay of the Dead welcomes longtime friend and found-footage enthusiast Donnie Darko from New Jersey to discuss three very different films in the subgenre. Together, they consider the quietly haunting grief drama of Lake Mungo (2008), the escalating scares of South Korea’s Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018), and the clever, self-referential Horror Comedy Found Footage 3D (2016). Along the way, Jay and Donnie talk about why found footage can feel uniquely immersive, how effective films hide unsettling details in plain sight, and what makes the convention work when it works well. Join us!

Note: This episode was recorded in September 2020!

Thanks for listening to Considering the Cinema Podcast and Considering Horror Cinema, The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Movie Podcasting… Don’t forget: You can email Jay, Mack and even Dr. Shock at [email protected] or post a comment in the show notes for this episode.

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SHOW NOTES: Considering HORROR Cinema Ep. 096

Introduction
– Jay welcomes special guest Donnie Darko from New Jersey
– How Donnie first discovered Horror Movie Podcast
– The Hunted (2013) helps inspire this found-footage discussion
– Why found footage can feel more plausible and frightening than conventional Horror
– Background details, limited framing, and the pleasure of discovering hidden scares
– Found-footage films that reward a pause, rewind, or second viewing

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Feature Review: Lake Mungo (2008)
Jay of the Dead = 7 ( One-time Rental )
Donnie Darko = 7.5 ( Stream it on Prime )

A Few Discussion Highlights:
– An Australian mock-documentary written and directed by Joel Anderson
– The naturalistic performances, especially the father’s, make the tragedy believable
– Grief, fear of death, memory, and the technology used to preserve people’s lives
– Is this a supernatural thriller, a docudrama, or primarily an exploration of grief?
– The divisive reputation of Lake Mungo among Horror fans
– A few plot threads feel underdeveloped or unnecessary
– Technically a Christmas movie, though it does not feel or look like one
– Jay and Donnie discuss the disturbing corpse-identification sequence
– The tendency to idealize a loved one after death, then gradually confront the fuller truth
– Why the film may work better as a second viewing than as a conventional scare movie
– The Taking of Deborah Logan and The Hunted as stronger choices for viewers seeking overt scares
– Lake Mungo is available to stream on Prime Video, at the time of recording

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Feature Review: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Jay of the Dead = 7.5 ( One-time Rental )
Donnie Darko = 8 ( Buy it at the Dollar Store! )

A Few Discussion Highlights:
– A South Korean found-footage Horror film set inside an abandoned asylum
– Comparison to Grave Encounters (2011)
– A horror web-show crew attempts a live broadcast from the asylum
– The appeal of a film set in a real, reportedly haunted location
– Donnie’s appreciation for Asian Horror and the found-footage format
– Donnie recommends Noroi: The Curse (2005)
– Professional-looking production values, mounted cameras, and effective use of a drone
– Why the film largely solves the “Why are they still filming?” problem
– Jay finds the first hour somewhat slow, but praises the final 25 minutes
– A particularly memorable scare involving unnatural facial behavior and darkened eyes
– Effective anticipation: knowing a scare is coming, but still being caught off guard
– The disorienting geography of the asylum and the glitchy threshold footage
– Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is available to stream on Prime Video, at the time of recording

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Feature Review: Found Footage 3D (2016)
Jay of the Dead = 8 ( Buy It! )
Donnie Darko = 6 ( Rental )

A Few Discussion Highlights:
– Jay discovered this film through Horror critic Scott Weinberg
– Scott Weinberg’s “Modern Horrors” collection of Horror film reviews
– Weinberg’s work on the ’80s All Over podcast
– A self-aware Horror Comedy about filmmakers trying to make a plausible found-footage movie
– Meta-humor about Harbingers of Doom, Horror conventions, and production compromises
– The comedy comes from believable filmmaking arguments rather than broad one-liners
– A director struggles to make the producer’s big ideas logically fit the story
– The tension between a real-life couple and the troubled fictional couple they are playing
– Why the film especially rewards Horror fans who enjoy discussing genre mechanics
– The real Horror element is weaker than the filmmaking satire
– Some effects work very well, while others overreach the production’s apparent budget
– Donnie’s second viewing increases his appreciation for the film
– Found Footage 3D is available on Shudder, at the time of recording
– The film is available in both 2D and 3D versions

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Wrap-Up
– Jay thanks Donnie Darko for joining him to discuss found footage
– The subgenre deserves more discussion beyond its most famous titles
– Jay invites Donnie back for another Horror conversation
– Donnie is considering starting a podcast of his own
– Jay offers Donnie podcast-starting advice and future promotion
– Listeners are invited to comment in the show notes
– Email: [email protected]
– Follow Jay on X: @ConsiderCinema

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Links for this episode:

Catch up with Mack here:
– Horror podcast: Jay of the Dead’s New Horror Movies
— IMDb.com Page: Mack Robins

Catch up with Dr. Shock here:
– Horror podcast: Jay of the Dead’s New Horror Movies
— Blog: DVD Infatuation.com
— Podcast: The DVD Infatuation Podcast
— Horror podcast: Land of the Creeps
— Podcast: The Illustrated Fan

— Movie Podcast Weekly has returned for MONTHLY releases

— Listen to Jay of the Dead’s Horror Movie Weekly with Mister Watson every Sunday!

Jay recommends Nate Johnivan’s music:
— Spotify Playlist
— Quarantine Dream iii

CTC on X: @ConsiderCinema
Film Blog / Audio Podcast: ConsideringTheCinema.com
HORROR-Only Content: ConsideringHorrorCinema.com
Email: [email protected]
Letterboxd: Letterboxd.com/ConsiderCinema
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