Adopting Mobile Media as Techniques in Recent Sci-fi/Horror Films

Recently seeing Monsters prompted me to think about the use of cell phones, PDAs, camcorders and other mobile devices in recent sci-fi/horror films. Cloverfield, Quarantine, District 9 and Monsters all employ this guerrilla technique, the view of the common observer in happenstance circumstances.  Adding this point-of-view adds dramatic tension, lending a more ominous glow to invading aliens, infected crazies,and resident intergalactic immigrants. As a bonus, it masks the sterility of CGI and probably saves on effects budgets. Shot from the p.o.v of one the characters on the run from Manhattan, Cloverfield ramps up the sheer surprise terror of a rampaging beast. That familiar greenish nightvision glow can get a bit tiring sometimes though, but it saved Quarantine from merely being ho-hum (especially the last 20-25 minutes). And District 9 played out like a documentary complete with invented news reports, interviews and intimate glimpses into Wikus Van De Merwe's character.