Was it the "Blair Witch Project" that pioneered this kind of cinematography? I liked BWP because of its style and originality but I haven't seen any of the other films mentioned here. Certainly, the "home videocam" filming technique could be overused and get stale. That sounds like what is happening here.
It was, exactly. Of course with Blair Witch and Cloverfield the use of hand-held was crucial to the story. Blair Witch was supposed to look like the documentary film the main characters were shooting; Cloverfield is meant to be some random guy at a party's perspective on a monster destroying New York. So I give a lot of liberty with how awkward and jarring those movies were.
But I think (mem, correct me if I'm wrong) what this thread is about is the ham-fisted techniques being applied anymore in most action films and almost all horror films, that rely on a combination of hand-held shots, misdirected "mood lighting" and edits so severe they make your head spin.
The reality being that most of the best, and most effective, films of either genre rely on a great story. The Exorcist, Halloween, Alien, Jaws, Rosemary's Baby, the Parallax View, the Conversation, the Bourne movies... yeah their directors all have distinct styles and used tricks to shake you up. But none of them had to utilize over-the-top gimmicktrey to try to make it exciting. Whatever tricks they used enhanced, and more importantly never distracted from, the intensity of the story.
I actually fault my fellow screenwriters on this problem more than the directors.
Mind you I don't think the directors are all that and a bag of chips either.