Hollywood can sometimes be so real it may fool you into thinking stuff that’s not even there. These movies are definitely not real. But they fooled quite a few into thinking otherwise.
Cannibal Holocaust – Fooled The Whole World
Cannibal Holocaust utilized the found footage genre way before the others did. The director wanted the movie to feel very authentic. So he made each and every actor of the movie sign a contract. It forbade them from appearing in any other movie or show till a year. Since nobody saw the actors for a long time and it was one of the first found footage movies, people thought it actually happpened.
The Blair Witch Project – Started Viral Urban Legends
Widely credited to being the movie that bought the found footage genre to mainstream cinema, the movie had a unique marketing campaign. It reported that the people who starred in the movie are either missing or dead. Since most of the actors were unknown to the industry, the campaign went viral and started many urban legends regarding the Blair Witch of the woods. USA Today reports the campaign was a stroke of genius, using viral media even before social media had caught steam.
Without Warning – Made People Think The World Is Ending
This 1994 CBS TV movie was about a real life news broadcast reporting planet killing asteroids hitting the planet. Since it used real life news anchor Sandr Vanocur, people went crazy. They thought the world was ending. There were frantic calls to both 911 and the CBS network.
Ghostwatch – Sent People To The Hospital
In 1992, BBC aired Ghostwatch. The network ‘claimed’ the movie was filmed live, with all events being shown happening in real time. The movie featured a family being terrorized by an evil entity. The investigators are even led by a young girl to the place where the ghost “lives”. The movie traumatized many children, with one ending up in the infirmary.
A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin – Almost Landed The Director In Jail
This 1971 movie almost landed the director Lucio Fulci in prison. The movie was about a woman committing a murder she previously hallucinated. There was one particular scene involving a couple of dogs being held upside down, with their lower bodies opened up and organs still pumping blood. The scene was so grotesque and lifelike the viewers were convinced Fulci used real dogs in the scene,. It was only after his special effects artist testified on court that Fulci was acquitted. His mistake was he made the scene too lifelike.
Paranormal Activity – Made People Think All Houses are Haunted
Like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity banked on the found footage style of film making. It featured obscure actors in a home setting. The movie looked so real that a slew of imitators and knock-off movies came soon after. For a time, companies selling security equipment reported there was a sudden surge in the sales of cameras and motion detectors after the movie was released.
Faces Of Death – Has No Real Deaths
A really old movie, Faces of Death wanted the viewers to show what it means to die. It has various scenes featuring many ways characters in the movie meet their doom. As a result of the unique concept of gore, the movie made more than 35 million on a measly $450,000 budget. The director later confirmed the movie has no actual deaths. It was all Hollywood magic. There was only one actual dead body in the scene because a dead body had washed up on shore while the crew was nearby.
I’m Still Here – Forced People To Assume Joaquin Phoenix Became A Rapper
I’m Still Here is a rather weird movie. It is Casey Affleck’s directorial debut, featuring his good friend Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix stars as a budding rapper. And since Phoenix is a method artist, he remained in character through and through. Even after the movie’s filming ended, Joaquin Phoenix went to interviews giving out the same impression. People really thought he had switched careers.
Guinea Pig 2 – Fooled The FBI & Charlie Sheen
The movie was based on an extremely graphic Japanese manga of the same name. It was about a samurai who kidnaps a woman and tries cutting her body into pieces, to be kept as trophies. A copy of the movie was sent to Charlie Sheen. He was so disturbed by the movie he thought it was real and reported it to the authorities. The FBI launched an investigation but were shown the Making-Of documentary, proving it was all practical effects.
The Strangers – Is Not Based On A True Story
While we won’t blame the people solely for this, the people who actually believed the movie is based on true events are also the ones who get duped in phone scams. The movie’s writer did say he was inspired by the Charles Manson murders. But the script was totally original and unrelated. People walked into the movie theater thinking they were watching a movie based on real-life events.
