The McPherson Tape (American Genre Film Archive)

The world’s first found-footage horror movie! A decade before The Blair Witch Project redefined the horror landscape, there was The Mcpherson Tape. Newly preserved from the original 3/4” tape.On October 8th, 1983, the McPherson family gathered together to celebrate the 5th birthday of Michelle, the littlest member of their household. Everything was captured on VHS by Michael McPherson and his new camcorder. Including the alien invasion. Shot for $6000 by first-time filmmaker Dean Alioto in 1989, this movie blends the production design of a Jaycees haunted house with a dead-serious tone to forge a fun, hypnotic nightmare that upends the concept of reality. Due to a warehouse fire at the original distribution company, The Mcpherson Tape was never legitimately released.First found-footage horror movieUK Blu-ray premiereNewly preserved from the original 3/4” master tape