Doc Archives - Page 8 of 8

Exploring ‘Texas Chain Saw’s’ Legacy in ‘Chain Reactions’ Doc Trailer

by Alex Billington
August 21, 2025
Source: YouTube

“An extraordinary documentary about an extraordinary film.” Dark Sky Films debuted the official trailer for a documentary film titled Chain Reactions, another cinema history geek-out doc from the acclaimed filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe (best known for 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, Memory: Origins of Alien, Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist, Lynch/Oz, and ohters). This premiered at last year’s 2024 Venice Film Festival and played at a bunch of other fests including Sitges, London, Denver, + Beyond Fest. Fifty years after Tobe Hooper’s iconic horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shocked the world and forever changed the face of global cinema and popular culture, Chain Reactions charts the film’s profound impact and lasting influence. Featuring in-depth interviews with horror & experts and cinephiles including: Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama, each discussing aspects of the film and its impact on pop culture. It’s not just a love letter to the classic OG Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie (and the influence it had on genre movies forever) it’s a deeper look at the creation of this seminal work of horror cinema. This one is a must watch for any & all cinephiles.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Alexandre O. Philippe’s doc film Chain Reactions, from YouTube:

Chain Reactions Doc Poster

50 years after Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shocked the world and forever changed the face of global cinema and popular culture, Chain Reactions charts the film’s profound impact and lasting influence on five great artists – Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, & Karyn Kusama – through early memories, sensory experiences, childhood trauma. By crafting a dynamic dialogue between contemporary footage and never-before-seen outtakes, and also delving into personal impressions triggered by distinct audiovisual formats (16mm, 35mm, VHS, digital), Chain Reactions goes to the heart of how a scruffy, no-budget independent film wormed its way into our collective nightmares and permanently altered the zeitgeist. Chain Reactions directed by acclaimed Swiss filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe, director of many cinema history doc films: The People vs. George Lucas, The Life & Times of Paul the Psychic Octopus, Doc of the Dead, 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, Memory: Origins of Alien, Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist, Lynch/Oz, The Taking, You Can Call Me Bill previously. Produced by Kerry Deignan Roy. This first premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival last year. Dark Sky Films releases Chain Reactions in select US theaters starting on September 19th, 2025. Want to watch?

Find more posts in: Documentaries, Horror, To Watch, Trailer

Doc Film ‘Predators’ Trailer Exploring the ‘To Catch a Predator’ Show

by Alex Billington
August 19, 2025
Source: YouTube

“Some people watching this may feel like you have something to answer for…” MTV Doc Films debuted the official trailer for a documentary film titled Predators, from director David Osit, one of the highest rated docs from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Not to be confused with 2010 action movie Predators, or the upcoming sci-fi action movie Predator: Badlands, this film is actually about the infamous TV show called “To Catch a Predator” where they’d lure pedophiles into a house, and then show them on camera being caught & arrested. Looking back on the show and countless franchises it spawned, filmmaker David Osit turns his camera on journalists, actors, law enforcers, academics, and ultimately himself, to trace America’s obsession with watching people at their lowest. Predators is a chilling, edge of your seat film that delves into the murk of human nature to observe hunter, predator, subject and spectator alike, all ensnared in a complicated web of entertainment as far as the eye can see… This film applies critical thinking to the show and wonders whether it made a difference, or if it was just TV sensationalism that made things worse.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for David Osit’s doc film Predators, direct from MTV Doc’s YouTube:

A cultural sensation from its inception in the early 2000s, Dateline NBC’s candid-camera investigative TV series To Catch a Predator ensnared sex offenders and lured them to a film set, where they would be interviewed and arrested while the cameras rolled. The show was a hit and transformed its host Chris Hansen into a moral crusader & TV star, while spawning a global industry of imitators & vigilantes. But why did we watch so voraciously — and why do we continue to devour its web-based, clickbait-driven offshoots? Looking back on the show and the countless franchises it spawned, filmmaker David Osit turns his camera on journalists, actors, law enforcers, academics, and ultimately himself, to trace America’s obsession with watching people at their lowest. Predators is directed by film editor / doc filmmaker David Osit, director of the films Thank You For Playing and Mayor previously. Produced by Jamie Gonçalves, Kellen Quinn, David Osit. This initially premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. MTV Docs will debut Osit’s Predators doc in select US theaters starting on September 19th, 2025 coming soon.

Find more posts in: Documentaries, To Watch, Trailer