Watch The McPherson Tape

The McPherson Tape, released in 1989, is a found footage-style movie that follows the story of a family who gets attacked by aliens during a celebration for a family member’s birthday. The movie is shot in a grainy, low-quality camera style, giving it a crude and realistic tone, which in turn causes a sense of terror within the viewer.

Tommy Giavocchini, Patrick Kelley, Shirly McCalla and Stacey Shuman are in the cast, with Tommy Giavocchini playing the role of the cameraman, Mike, who is video-recording his family’s activities during the celebration. The story starts when Mike, along with his cousins and other family members, stumble upon an alien spaceship in the nearby woods, during a walk. They get scared and decide to run back to the house. As they reach home, they find that the power is out, and they assume something is wrong. In hopes of figuring out what is happening outside, Mikey grabs the camera, and the family members gather around him as he captures the events unfolding.

Soon, they realize that the aliens are also inside the house, and the aliens' appearance starts to become more frequent and alarming, leading to a series of brutal attacks. The family initially tries to fight back and defend themselves, but they quickly learn that they are no match for the aliens’ advanced technology and cunning intelligence. The scenes showing the aliens’ presence in the house are realistic and terrifying, and the use of low-quality footage only adds to the movie's realism.

The family members' performances are commendable, and it seems like they are genuinely scared, which makes this movie stand out compared to other found footage movies. The family dynamics also come into play, and their desperation to help each other build a sense of empathy towards the McPhersons, and the viewer is invested in their survival.

The movie builds up the story's tension with unexplained blackouts, unidentified noises, random paranormal activities that lead to the unexpected attack by aliens. The horror element in the movie does not come from the aliens' gore, but rather the fear of the unknown, which makes the film intriguing and nail-biting.

The McPherson Tape is not only a horror movie, but it is also a sci-fi movie which gradually introduces the viewers to elements of advanced technology and other worlds unknown to man. Throughout the movie, the aliens' presence is seen through distorted audios, flickering lights, and grainy footages. The movie uses a lot of tricks in the scenes, like eerie sound effects, shaky camera angles and dark lighting, to create an eerie environment for the audience.

The McPherson Tape caught much attention in the 1980s and is considered one of the first found footage movies ever made, predating movies like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity with more than a decade. Despite being a low budget movie, it has left a mark in the world of horror and gained a cult following.

In conclusion, The McPherson Tape is a well-rounded horror movie, that has just enough sci-fi elements to stand out from others in its category. The movie is unique in its way as it brings something new to the horror movies genre, with believable and relatable characters, which make the viewers instantly hooked on to the storyline. The raw execution of the movie's found footage style adds to its authenticity and makes it worth the while for horror and science fiction enthusiasts.

The McPherson Tape is a 1989 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 3 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9.