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If there’s one found footage device I admittedly don’t tire of, it’s following a team of folks who hope to uncover the truth behind local mysteries and urban legends. I’m sure many of us can pinpoint at least one local bit of horror lore passed down to us as kids–that story that survived across generations and inspired beliefs in the strange and unusual amidst environments that often felt otherwise unremarkable. While this setup is the catalyst for more than a few found footage flicks past and present, there’s something to be said for films of this ilk that are born of true-to-life lore that has managed to not only stand the test of time but also evolve as significant markers of local culture.

As an East Tennessee native, writer/director Aaron Irons sought inspiration for his feature debut Chest (2022) from his own childhood exposure...

Freestyle Digital Media has announced the official release of the sci-fi action comedy Clone Cops. The nightmare tech-comedy is the feature directorial debut of Danny Dones.

Clone Cops tells the story of an alternate future where a gang of outlaws must defend their lives against an assault from the hottest product on the market — a disposable police force cloned in a lab and programmed for violence.

The gang battles waves of replicating security forces until they discover a shocking secret about who they are and what they’re up against.

Clone Cops will open theatrically in select markets Friday, January 31, including Los Angeles, New York City and Nashville, for weeklong runs. The same day, audiences across North America will be able to rent or own Clone Cops on Cable VOD and Digital HD, including Apple TV, Prime Video and Fandango at Home.

Directed by Danny Dones from a screenplay by Dones & Phillip Cordell,...

Freestyle Digital Media has announced the official release of the sci-fi action comedy Clone Cops. The nightmare tech-comedy is the feature directorial debut of Danny Dones. Clone Cops tells the story of an alternate future where a gang of outlaws must defend their lives against an assault from the hottest product on the market — a disposable police force cloned in a lab and programmed for violence. The gang battles waves of replicating security forces until they discover a shocking secret about who they are and what they’re up against.

Clone Cops will open theatrically in select markets Friday, January 31St 2025, including Los Angeles, New York City and Nashville, for weeklong runs. The same day, audiences across North America will be able to rent or own Clone Cops on Cable VOD and Digital HD, including Apple TV, Prime Video and Fandango at Home.

Preorder on Apple TV

Directed by Danny...

“Clone Cops,” an independent comedy about outlaws combatting an endless wave of cutting-edge law enforcement on a dystopian streaming show called “CrimeTime360,” has been picked up for video on-demand and a DVD release by Freestyle Digital Media. The banner has set a Jan. 31 date for the film, directed by Danny Dones, for both physical media and digital distribution.

“Clone Cops” kicked off a roadshow theatrical run at the start of the month, with a special screening in Philadelphia. It has since played Boston and Memphis, with seven more cities to come, including weeklong runs in Los Angeles and New York City beginning Jan. 31.

“I’m so excited to be partnering with Freestyle Digital Media for the release ‘Clone Cops,’” said Dones. “We made this movie for people who love campy sci-fi comedies, and we’ve been having a blast showing it to them at festivals and theaters across the country.

Quite a few horror films claim to be based on a true story, despite the reality that they are not in fact based on actual events. It is alarming to learn that a scary story is based on facts, especially in the case of urban legends. In 1999, The Blair Witch Project used a clever marketing campaign to convince audiences the found footage film about three college students who go missing in the Black Hills Forest in Maryland, while making a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch, was real. While the film is fictional and not actual footage from the missing college students, the concept may have been inspired by the story of Moll Dyer, a woman who lived in Maryland in the 17th century and was accused of practicing witchcraft. The Blair Witch Project was not the first found footage horror film, but it definitely energized the subgenre,...