"Man Bites Dog"

"Man Bites Dog"; a how-to film for aspiring found footage filmmakers

- Written by Scott Ruth

Allow me a moment to once again beat this dead horse, and at this point, the horse isn't only dead, but he's been reanimated as a zombie, shot square between the eyes, died again and now I'm whipping the old boy one last time.

The dead horse which I am beating is my love for the found footage horror sub-genre.

The Found Footage, also sometimes referred to as shaky cam, POV or faux documentary, genre, or subgenre, of horror movies is a style of filmmaking in which all, or a substantial part of of the film is presented as an edit of recovered videotaped footage, often left behind by missing or dead protagonists, sometimes even recovered from the scene where it had been left behind by the film's antagonist, or it may have come from an unwise filmmaker who decided to do a documentary on a subject that would have better been left undocumented. The events on screen are seen through the camera of one, or more, of the characters involved, who often speaks off screen. Filming is oftentimes done by the actors themselves as they recite their lines, and shaky camera work is also often used to maintain realism.

Now that I've, yet again, gotten that whole spiel out of the way, I can move on to the intended subject of this review.

1992's French found footage film Man Bites Dog is, as the title to this little article says, a how-to film for aspiring filmmakers wishing the work in the found footage style.

Directed by Rémy Belvaux, who co-wrote and co-produced as well, Man Bites Dog, whose original French title, C'est arrivé près de chez vous, is translated as "It Happened in Your Neighborhood", tells the story of a group of documentary filmmakers who follow a serial killer named Ben as he goes about his business of murdering, and robbing, his victims. Ben is not your average serial killer, as he views his crimes as nothing more than a means to make a living. He choses his victims, murders them, and takes whatever money they have in their homes. To Ben, it's all just the way in which he makes a living. The film crew becomes so seduced by Ben and his crimes that they even participate in some of the murders, and truly grow fond of the muse for their art.

Benoît Poelvoorde plays Ben, and is absolutely phenomenal in the role. He's heartless to any extent, but he's also a kind hearted and rather loving man. It's nearly impossible not to like the guy, at certain points in the film. That fact can be attributed to good writing, but it is also because of Poelvoorde's fantastic performance.

Filmed in B&W, which adds to the realistic feel of the movie, Man Bites Dog really does feel like you're watching an actual documentary. Although the film's subject matter is not something that most people would find to be all that funny, the script is written to include an off-kilter sense of humor, lightening the mood at times when the events on screen become a little too intense.

Unlike the shittier found footage films such as the Paranormal Craptivity series, Man Bites Dog makes good use out of the filmmaking style. A good found footage film should indeed allow the viewer to watch as the events, no matter how mean, nasty, ugly or intense they may be, as they unfold, rather than to have them take place just out of camera's range, as they did with the Paranormal Activity films did. If one is using their camera to record an occurrence, be it of paranormal nature or the acts of a serial killer, the would-be cameraman would surely do all in his or her power to make certain that the events are captured on film. Man Bites Dog shows everything, including the murder of a child and the brutal gang-rape of one female victim. The PA films choose to hide the best stuff, having them take place in the adjoining room, or downstairs, leaving the camera to show essentially nothing, with only the events' audio to inform, and entertain, the audience.

Man Bites Dog was an obvious influence on a number of found footage films that followed it, such as Long Pigs, a favorite of mine, as well as The Poughkeepsie Tapes, as well as many others.

Man Bites Dog is funny, entertaining, unsettling, disturbing and has everything that any self-respecting horror fan looks for; good, believable acting, a great story, some unique kill scenes and content that may make many viewers rather uncomfortable. Horror is not safe and it SHOULD make people uncomfortable!

If you're a filmmaker, or an aspiring filmmaker, and you're interested in trying you hand at a found footage style film, I'd suggest that you pick up a copy of Man Bites Dog, as well as a copy of Long Pigs, pay close attention to every aspect of the films, take notes, learn what works best, and then you'll be well on your way to making a worthy found footage film.

Had I seen this film when I wrote my article of my favorite found footage films, Man Bites Dog would certainly have made my list.