All over the world people have reported seeing and encountering strange creatures or monsters that cannot be explained. Are they a figment of our imagination, or, do they live among us? That's the question posed by Animal Planet's mockumentary series "Lost Tapes". Airing for three seasons, it showcased supposedly found footage of people who encountered any sort of varied cryptid or legendary monster, from Bigfoot to werewolves, and while it may not have been the most artful production ever made, it was entertaining for us monster fans. The standard episode would usually go something like this: a person or persons would be going about their routine (they just moved into a house, they're going on an expedition, they happen to be making a documentary or news report about something crime-related, etc.), they would just happen to have a video camera with them for one reason or another, and then they'd encounter one of things that haunt men's dreams! These usually ranged from some unusual, strange creature like Bigfoot or megaconda, or it could be something more supernatural, like ghosts or the Skinwalkers of the American southwest.
The monsters would be created through a variety of tricks, whether through sound effects, quick shots of the monsters, some creepy music, some interviews with cryptozoologists and general information about the supposed entities spliced in with the footage, and just the unnerving atmosphere that caused us to think, maybe, just maybe, this isn't beyond the realm of possibility. And that last part is really what made "Lost Tapes" as fun as it was; just that ability to fire up the imagination and make you wonder if some of the mysterious disappearances or savage murders you heard about in the local news were the work of something unknown. Even today, in parts of places like Africa or Asia you still hear about people being killed horribly by some type of animal, an animal that is never caught. Is it something known - lion, tiger, bear, wolf - that was just lucky to never have been caught, or is something else? Who knows? True, some of the actors in the footage weren't always the most convincing and some episodes were better than others, but the overall production usually was enough to overlook any faults. And hey, it's all part of the fun; the show isn't meant to be taken seriously. Regardless of whether one believes in things like Bigfoot or not, "Lost Tapes" is a fun way to kill some time for those who wonder what lives in the shadows. P.S. Episodes are available on YouTube
