The only reason I'm giving it a 4 is because of the alien/ufo scenes but this film was not good at all whatsoever, terrible acting, terrible dialogue, you could literally tell some of them forgot their lines, so they just improvised and not good, this movie could've been so much more, it was also painfully boring lets see if the 1998 remake is any better.
49 Reviews
Found Footage Trade Off
timothygartin7 November 2021
This movie is a great example of a story that commits itself to the found footage format. It seems real, unscripted and is internally consistent. We don't know anything more than the person filming. The setting is great and I can feel the emotions of the actors.
All that said, it is as dull as watching your neighbor's home movies of their trip to Denver. That makes sense, because the film is real and the aliens are mostly felt, but not seen. It is mercifully only one hour long.
All that said, it is as dull as watching your neighbor's home movies of their trip to Denver. That makes sense, because the film is real and the aliens are mostly felt, but not seen. It is mercifully only one hour long.
I don't recommend this flick...
bripam-8463820 April 2021
Meh
connolley32523 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I will cut it some slack for being a film from the 1980s. However, after they see an alien ship wrecked and see actual aliens, they return to the house and tell everyone, and they all are like "let's open birthday presents and have some cake. Oh and you'll come back tomorrow for breakfast?" as if nothing had happened.
The "REAL" (lol) McPherson Tape
B-MovieDork10 September 2013
Ah, the infamous "real" McPherson Tape. Hugely controversial among the alien abduction enthusiasts, hundreds of people still think that this the real deal. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but it isn't. Still, this is probably the most believable found footage movie I've ever seen, as it really does feel as if you're watching an actual VHS camcorder home video of a real Midwestern family in the early 1980s. The alien abductions themselves are not really the focus here. The focus seems to be the tension that this family feels while being scared out of their wits. I prefer this original version over the 1997 made-for-television remake, Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County, which screamed "fake" right from the get go: awful acting, no chemistry between the actors/characters, overblown effects and laughable "documentary interviews" interspersed to insult the viewer's intelligence. Even though this original version is bare bones and lacking in alien action, it still manages to be taught, atmospheric, well acted, and most of all, believable. This has been next to impossible to find for decades, but thankfully someone has uploaded a pirated copy on the internet recently. If you are a fan of the remake, aliens/UFOs, found footage or just underground cinema in general, do yourself a favor and check it out. But just remember, its only a movie! There is no REAL "McPherson Tape" floating around out there. The name of the family in this original version isn't even McPherson, its Van Heese.
I appreciate the effort but...
bmv5828 June 2021
The original in hyper realism found footage
jon_pratt123453 May 2022
A really under appreciated film that really was a pioneer in the hyper-realistic found footage genre. Only 1 hour long, the film is shot as a home movie during a family gathering which takes a terrifying turning after the appearance of mysterious lights in the sky. It is ultra low budget: the effects are non-existent, and costumes almost laughable but the grainy recording does a lot of favours. The acting is decent during the moments of low key family banter but is less believable as the tension increases. There is not much of a story to be found; it really is just a camera pointed at some bizarre events but the low quality production succeeds in making this quite chilling.
No intelligent life
DrProfessor3 October 2020
Has issues (duh) but worth a viewing
berg-7453224 May 2021
Ten years before BW three years before The Last Broadcast this was made and while it has a couple of big issues it's entertaining and not because it's unintentionally funny. Horrible lighting, very raw acting and a time after the spaceship and aliens are seen and an initial bit of reasonable hysterics for a chunk of time it's like what they saw is forgotten. And during said hysterics the lead actor does a much to long impression of an obscene phone call fitting incredibly heavy breathing in between lines. It's absolutelyi not a waste of time and considering this was long before every horror movie was filmed using the shakey cam it deserves point for being ahead of it's time. I heard about this movie for years and when social media began to rule the world more and more people were talking about it, it then popped up on YouTube and it's now on many streaming sites and it's built a nice pool of fans. The moment I heard about the ability to remaster films and TV shows this movie popped in to my mind but I'm not sure if doing that with this to add some light so you can see things better I thought maybe it's better this way because the movie had a budget of like $16 a clearer view of both the spacecraft and the alien might not be the best thing. Despite its goofy everything it's really a nice little movie and if you can restrain your inner movie critic you can enjoy this quiet a bit.
what were they thinking
mikeesimmons6 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Im not going to waste to much time on this film...
what are people thinking when they say "scary" are you kidding I've seen scarier care bear movies, the acting is shocking the whole think is soooo set up and I mean my 15 year old brother could make more realistic alien's in his school lessons...! Don't waste your time unless within 20 minutes of watching you want to split your sides with laughing due to the bad acting and the shoddy effects...! SPOILER - I mean at one point after the blokes see the aliens they actually sit down to eat a meal? Would you do that? And also through most of the house scene the mother is still carrying a glass of wine, think I would have dropped that a while back if anything was near real??
what are people thinking when they say "scary" are you kidding I've seen scarier care bear movies, the acting is shocking the whole think is soooo set up and I mean my 15 year old brother could make more realistic alien's in his school lessons...! Don't waste your time unless within 20 minutes of watching you want to split your sides with laughing due to the bad acting and the shoddy effects...! SPOILER - I mean at one point after the blokes see the aliens they actually sit down to eat a meal? Would you do that? And also through most of the house scene the mother is still carrying a glass of wine, think I would have dropped that a while back if anything was near real??
Effective micro budget mystery
peter_72 March 2021
I think when watching this you must be prepared to realise it is done on a micro budget so taking less notice of the somewhat shoddy alien costumes and special effects. Appreciate what was done with what they had. And onto this, what they did was create a piece that is edgy, creepy and realistic and the low budget approach actually aids the ending result. If made using state of the art camera, special effects and a big budget this film would lose its charm and character which is essential in this sort of film.
And for the people downgrading as they say its clearly fake footage.... yes it is..... WOW!
And for the people downgrading as they say its clearly fake footage.... yes it is..... WOW!
The scariest thing i've ever seen
dogpoocleaner5 July 2001
If you ever need a good fright, definatly try and get a hold of the McPherson tapes. Very Blair Witch style in direction etc (and it was made before BWP). This is basically about a group of americans having thanksgiving dinner when Aliens attack the house. It's amazing. The acting is very amateur, but very real feeling, u can actually feel their fear. Definatly 10/10!
A pioneer in found footage film making. But the ending is a bit anti climactic.
thesabshadow24 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Also known as the ''McPherson Tape'', which was mistakenly titled due to the remake, this is the family of the Van Hesse. The first few minutes I admit were a bit awkward but realistic. Some actors phoned it in by playing with the kid daughter too much but the cast surprisingly emulated that feeling you get when you have forced conversations with people you haven't seen in a while. there's also a subplot of the mother drinking excessively and each character has a personality. Though, I was a tad bit annoyed at the playful talk. Once they see the alien and they start panicking, this is where the movie shines.
It's...hard to explain, but the fear escalating and the way the family communicates with each other seems like an actual family. There's so little info on this film. I'm wondering how close these actors were? They're so damn solid when they start getting scared. And the little touches when they try to play cards to calm themselves, this is what normal people do! It's effective because of how the chemistry works. When seeing the 1998 remake, I could tell the chemistry between the cast was essential, something about the 1998 remake felt awkward. The appearance of the actors also look somewhat like family. I can easily see why UFO enthusiasts bought this. But you can tell the masks and aliens aren't realistic. The ship, now I'm wondering how they built that! You don't see a lot and it's probably clever lighting but it's so cool looking and ominous.
Another flaw I feel would be that the camera is a bit too shaky? When the brothers point to the windows, you can't see the supposed alien at the windows? This may also be due to the fact this is clearly a 2nd gen VHS rip and not the original master (which was destroyed in a company fire) so not much detail is seen. Another con would be the ending. In the Remastered DVD version it still has the cut out but there's a short scream added in post. The original VHS version is a bit more subtle. It has static and then the alien looks and it cuts out. I prefer the VHS' editing more, but I feel maybe just hearing them scream in horror in the original would have been a better finale. or just seeing them pass out. There's so much tension built up earlier you can't help but feel the silent ending kind of toned it down. The tension is awesome in this. So many family arguments and dialogue spilling out you believe that an actual family is letting their stress go on everyone with the fear of an apparent threat.
Also perhaps the fate of the two brothers, Eric and Jason, I wish that had a reveal. It's left a mystery but I felt it would have been scarier if they were found dead. There is no blood in this, the fear is just in the reactions, but I do wish there was a horror pay out.
But you'll really enjoy this is if you like a short alien story with an amazing cast that REALLY is underrated. I'm not sure how they pulled it off with a low budget, a very small filming area and simulating how a family acts (with each other kissing mind you and playing with a child on their lap) so well. I think this is a gem and a pioneer in found footage film-making. I wish it got the attention it deserved.
It's...hard to explain, but the fear escalating and the way the family communicates with each other seems like an actual family. There's so little info on this film. I'm wondering how close these actors were? They're so damn solid when they start getting scared. And the little touches when they try to play cards to calm themselves, this is what normal people do! It's effective because of how the chemistry works. When seeing the 1998 remake, I could tell the chemistry between the cast was essential, something about the 1998 remake felt awkward. The appearance of the actors also look somewhat like family. I can easily see why UFO enthusiasts bought this. But you can tell the masks and aliens aren't realistic. The ship, now I'm wondering how they built that! You don't see a lot and it's probably clever lighting but it's so cool looking and ominous.
Another flaw I feel would be that the camera is a bit too shaky? When the brothers point to the windows, you can't see the supposed alien at the windows? This may also be due to the fact this is clearly a 2nd gen VHS rip and not the original master (which was destroyed in a company fire) so not much detail is seen. Another con would be the ending. In the Remastered DVD version it still has the cut out but there's a short scream added in post. The original VHS version is a bit more subtle. It has static and then the alien looks and it cuts out. I prefer the VHS' editing more, but I feel maybe just hearing them scream in horror in the original would have been a better finale. or just seeing them pass out. There's so much tension built up earlier you can't help but feel the silent ending kind of toned it down. The tension is awesome in this. So many family arguments and dialogue spilling out you believe that an actual family is letting their stress go on everyone with the fear of an apparent threat.
Also perhaps the fate of the two brothers, Eric and Jason, I wish that had a reveal. It's left a mystery but I felt it would have been scarier if they were found dead. There is no blood in this, the fear is just in the reactions, but I do wish there was a horror pay out.
But you'll really enjoy this is if you like a short alien story with an amazing cast that REALLY is underrated. I'm not sure how they pulled it off with a low budget, a very small filming area and simulating how a family acts (with each other kissing mind you and playing with a child on their lap) so well. I think this is a gem and a pioneer in found footage film-making. I wish it got the attention it deserved.
Very Hard To Watch!
heratyplant1 March 2021
This could've been a totally OK 'found footage' movie, it's very naturalistic & they obviously had a ball making it, unfortunately it's very uncomfortable to watch.
It's so very, very dark & because of that the camera can't truly focus on anything, after a while, I felt slightly dizzy & nauseous, I just wanted to see something clearly, but it never improves.
So the lesson is - there's natural & life-like & unwatchably dark & blurry!
It's so very, very dark & because of that the camera can't truly focus on anything, after a while, I felt slightly dizzy & nauseous, I just wanted to see something clearly, but it never improves.
So the lesson is - there's natural & life-like & unwatchably dark & blurry!
What a heap of sh**e
Feyona29 July 2006
I cannot believe that anyone actually takes any of this stuff seriously. It reminds me of my (reluctant) introduction to a TV program called 'Most Haunted'...my sides were splitting it was such a laugh, but eventually I became offended, as with this 'drama', that people take it seriously.
That in fact it is punted to suggest we take it seriously. Please!
Check out mom carrying her carefully scripted glass of wine through all the action. It's hysterical!
please....watch it and laugh. Anything else...get a shrink.
I also find the tearful face to camera quite sad, do we really live in a world where people play on our emotions and conspiracy theories this much?
Please.........tell these people to tell 'Uncle Tommy' to really put the camera down and get back to acting lessons.
That in fact it is punted to suggest we take it seriously. Please!
Check out mom carrying her carefully scripted glass of wine through all the action. It's hysterical!
please....watch it and laugh. Anything else...get a shrink.
I also find the tearful face to camera quite sad, do we really live in a world where people play on our emotions and conspiracy theories this much?
Please.........tell these people to tell 'Uncle Tommy' to really put the camera down and get back to acting lessons.
Just the sort of spine-chilling film I want to see!
bujin12 June 2002
I saw this film on one of the Sky Movie channels last night. I missed the beginning and just happened to flick to this channel as there was nothing else on.
So, I can't comment on whether the film is slow to start or not, because I started watching at around 20 minutes in. This is just the sort of film I like to watch. Made to be as real as possible (it's obviously fake, BTW, not in the sense that it LOOKS fake, but had it been real, would it really be aired on national television? I don't think so! Oh, and it's got the actors names at the end of the film!). Darkened hallways, realistic portrayal of absolute terror by the cast, SOME decent special effects, etc... Great stuff.
However, it does start to ruin the film when the aliens make their full appearance (as I said, I missed the beginning of the film, so I don't know how much you see of the first encounter). They look fake, although I like the way the camera goes all fuzzy when they are nearby - in a way, it tries to mask the Dr. Who costumes. I've always said, these things work best when you never fully see what is scaring the cast - just the glimpse from the corner of the eye, or as it disappears out of sight or something.
All in all, I'd give this film 9/10. I liked the BWP film (first viewing only). This one was longer, and was generally more chilling than BWP. One problem - I didn't really seem to care whether the cast survived or not. And the kid was just plain annoying.
So, I can't comment on whether the film is slow to start or not, because I started watching at around 20 minutes in. This is just the sort of film I like to watch. Made to be as real as possible (it's obviously fake, BTW, not in the sense that it LOOKS fake, but had it been real, would it really be aired on national television? I don't think so! Oh, and it's got the actors names at the end of the film!). Darkened hallways, realistic portrayal of absolute terror by the cast, SOME decent special effects, etc... Great stuff.
However, it does start to ruin the film when the aliens make their full appearance (as I said, I missed the beginning of the film, so I don't know how much you see of the first encounter). They look fake, although I like the way the camera goes all fuzzy when they are nearby - in a way, it tries to mask the Dr. Who costumes. I've always said, these things work best when you never fully see what is scaring the cast - just the glimpse from the corner of the eye, or as it disappears out of sight or something.
All in all, I'd give this film 9/10. I liked the BWP film (first viewing only). This one was longer, and was generally more chilling than BWP. One problem - I didn't really seem to care whether the cast survived or not. And the kid was just plain annoying.
The McPherson Trash
lastsonnofkrypton3 July 2022
The good thing is this is just over an hour, so its not too terribly long.
The bad thing is this is just over an hour, and it feels way longer. Because its not good.
At its time, this might've been enjoyable for some. It hasn't aged well, and its micro-budget shows.
There are exactly two "exciting" moments in this film. Virtually no humor, nothing scary, and lackluster "action". Just that annoying shaky camera and horrible viewing angles common for the found-footage style.
The acting is passable. Nothing special. The oldest brother is kind of a d-bag. Also, not one person in this movie has the name McPherson - character, cast, or crew.. so I have no clue where the movie name comes from.
D+, wouldn't watch again.
The bad thing is this is just over an hour, and it feels way longer. Because its not good.
At its time, this might've been enjoyable for some. It hasn't aged well, and its micro-budget shows.
There are exactly two "exciting" moments in this film. Virtually no humor, nothing scary, and lackluster "action". Just that annoying shaky camera and horrible viewing angles common for the found-footage style.
The acting is passable. Nothing special. The oldest brother is kind of a d-bag. Also, not one person in this movie has the name McPherson - character, cast, or crew.. so I have no clue where the movie name comes from.
D+, wouldn't watch again.
A good concept that was badly executed
swiftey-0153313 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The 'cameraman' interaction is what ruins this movie. The idea of the film is good with some fairly believable acting that suggests improvisation based on a real life scenario. However the constant shaking, over the top acting from cameraman and the general execution makes this somewhat unwatchable, I felt like I was on a cruise ship in a mild storm the way this was swaying backward and forwards, the prolonged focus on grass and ceilings also irked me as the camera lingered way longer than it should've for 'realistic effect'. I will give them credit for the creativity though, I highly enjoy the Alien Abduction type found footage movies and this contributes somewhat well..
60 minutes too long
geodu48618 April 2021
Interesting Movie With A Weird Following, But Still Not The First Found Footage Movie
rftots8 July 2023
This infamous alien abduction movie, like many others, claims to be the first ever found footage movie, but it is not. One example, off the top of my head, that preceeds this movie is Manson Family Movies (1984) which consists of faux super-8 "home movies" of the Manson family's cult life and murderous exploits.
This film is surprisingly well-done, considering the hundreds, if not thousands, of found footage movies that followed suit. The actors seem to have a genuine feel of an actual family, and there is a definite sense of tension and dread, although it is occasionally marred by some dragging moments, and a somewhat lackluster ending. The UPN remake from the late 1990s was pretty hokey, with completely over-the-top acting and unbelievable characters. Another thing that makes this version better is the lack of interspersed interviews with various "professionals" who are obviously reading from cue cards, like in the remake.
The fact that some people STILL think that this is some government cover-up, and that there really is some authentic VHS tape floating around out there is both laughable and embarrassing. Another weird thing about the retitling of this movie from UFO Abduction to the much-whispered-in-UFO- message-boards McPherson tape is that the name of the family in this original version isn't even McPherson, it's Van Heese. McPherson was the name of the family in the UPN/Dick Clark remake.
Worth watching for UFO or found footage enthusiasts, but to be frank, anyone else may find this movie rather tedious and boring.
This film is surprisingly well-done, considering the hundreds, if not thousands, of found footage movies that followed suit. The actors seem to have a genuine feel of an actual family, and there is a definite sense of tension and dread, although it is occasionally marred by some dragging moments, and a somewhat lackluster ending. The UPN remake from the late 1990s was pretty hokey, with completely over-the-top acting and unbelievable characters. Another thing that makes this version better is the lack of interspersed interviews with various "professionals" who are obviously reading from cue cards, like in the remake.
The fact that some people STILL think that this is some government cover-up, and that there really is some authentic VHS tape floating around out there is both laughable and embarrassing. Another weird thing about the retitling of this movie from UFO Abduction to the much-whispered-in-UFO- message-boards McPherson tape is that the name of the family in this original version isn't even McPherson, it's Van Heese. McPherson was the name of the family in the UPN/Dick Clark remake.
Worth watching for UFO or found footage enthusiasts, but to be frank, anyone else may find this movie rather tedious and boring.
No. Just no
lafebre-8030722 May 2021
WTF? A 5 average for this totally worthless piece of found footage garbage? Methinks a bunch of reviewers are spoofing you. A full 90% of this waste of time shows nothing but a bunch of flashlight lit legs running around outside. You never see an alien. You never see anything. This was supposedly the first of this genre. It is undoubtedly the worst.
Very, very scary.
davesgotacat19 May 2001
Now I know where the producers of (IMHO the vastly inferior) Blair Witch Project could have got the idea of a domestic video film from. This was one hell of an intense fly on the wall movie. Many of the scenes comprised of one long take. Spoilt only by the fact I recognised a few of the actors and some had obviously had drama training. Despite these I gave this film a 10. Very few films can hold my attention at the edge of my seat like this one.
Solid, short, tense
PedroPires9020 August 2022
This was good. It's short like most found footage films should be. It doesn't take 45 minutes to get into the action. It seems realistic and authentic. It doesn't give you cheap scares (oh but I wanted to be honest). And it's tense. Yeah, the plot is a bit limited, it could have done one or two more things in the middle and I'm not totally happy with the conclusion, but this is pretty solid.
Ahhh! Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!
casey-4271213 June 2021
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