Our bags were packed. We were heading to the airport. Then, the call came. There was more Italian found footage to uncover in the Veneto region of Italy! We quickly turned around, headed  for Venice, the Po River delta, and a school in a small town outside Verona. Bring a change of socks, hop in a gondola, and come with us! But first, let’s check last night’s security footage…

  
**CCTV (2026)** *YouTube*

A short told through security cam footage showing a young woman arriving home in the middle of the night. No one else is on the street. Well, someone is…or some*thing*. Quick, to the point, and satisfyingly spooky. The inevitable jump scare is a predictable, but this one is quite literally all about the journey, not the destination. Too short to rank, but give it a watch.

  
**Il Mistero di Lovecraft: Road to L. (2005)** *YouTube*

The discovery of a manuscript in Venice brings out an American documentary crew to prove that the writing it that of cosmic horror legend H.P. Lovecraft, who in reality never left North America in his lifetime. The clues in the manuscript point to a remote, mysterious region in the Po River delta, where locals tell tales and conducts rituals regarding beings in the water. Were these stories mere inspiration for Lovecraft, or something more? As the crew gets closer to the truth, the villagers close ranks and become increasingly hostile, which creates heightened frustration and paranoia among the filmmakers. From 2005, this film just predates the found footage boom of the past 20 years, and it shows in pros and cons. While it avoids overdone special effects and jump scares, the narrative isn’t quite as tight and comprehensible as it could be, and some of the shaky-cam moments are perhaps a bit too shaky. Still, the film weaves a tale in the Lovecraftian tradition that leaves you ponderin. If you’re a fan of the author, I suspect you’ll be a fan of this film. ⭐️⭐️.5 /4

  
**The Case of Anna Mancini (2017)** *Tubi*

This might be a first, a FF film where the acting is the best part. When a girl goes missing and her friend suffers a paralyzing injury, an investigative  journalist and his cameraman seek answers, leading them down a rabbit hole of disappearances, demon worship, and witchcraft. The leads, along with the paralyzed boy’s parents, the titular Anna’s disturbed mother, and a Vatican priest, all play their roles convincingly to the point where you could be watching an actual investigation. Unfortunately, the films heavy reliance on cheap special effects destroy the illusion. The investigators discover a cell phone that turns up so much supernatural evidence occurring in broad daylight in front of dozens of witnesses, you start wondering, how did no one report these incidents to the police already!? The ending wants to be mind-bending, but just wilts instead. The bones are there in terms of cast and idea, but the plot and fx are seriously underbaked. ⭐️⭐️

  
Ok, we’ve rescheduled our flight, and we’re off to the Mediterranean islands for real this time! ”Sea” you soon…

FF European Tour - Day 8: Italy (again!)