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“It’s hard to get lost in America, and it’s even harder to stay lost.” Heather Donahue, the main character of The Blair Witch Project, says this, not only knowing that it’s false, but after she and her two-man film crew have already gotten themselves hopelessly lost in the woods of Maryland. They entered the forest just outside the town of Burkittsville, planning to film a documentary about the legendary Blair Witch, but wind up in the middle of nowhere, never to be seen again, except in the footage which makes up this movie about their disappearance, making audiences everywhere wonder if it was all true, if some evidence of the supernatural was finally caught on tape. Of course, the whole thing was a hoax. The “real” story is that five graduates of the University of Central Florida concocted the idea to film a phony documentary using limited finances and a cast of unknown actors. Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez auditioned prospects for a year before settling down on three actors to play the roles of… well, themselves. The filmmakers sent Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard into the woods for a week in October 1997, with only the bare necessities, recording equipment, and instructions to film each other no matter what happened. The actors were then subjected to nothing short of a psychological experiment, in which they awoke each day to private notes they were meant to keep secret, conspicuous piles of rocks, and strange stick figures hanging menacingly from trees. At night, surreal noises came from the darkness: footsteps, cracking twigs, high-pitched laughter, and horrible screams. Throughout all of this, they had to keep the cameras rolling and improvise their lines, reacting as though it were all really happening. In a way, it was, and their generally horrified reactions underlined this “reality.” Myrick and Sanchez’s film disturbs the line between “reality” and “fiction,” telling us something about the ways we interpret legends and truth, history and memory. Moreover, The Blair Witch Project is only one piece of a larger mythology created through word of mouth, a website containing false newspaper clippings and pages from Heather’s “diary,” and other documentaries about their “documentary.” The phenomenon of The Blair Witch Project combines entertainment and marketing, to form a narrative larger than an 87-minute movie, what one might term “The Blair Witch Experience.” In an age when people habitually question truth and authority, The Blair Witch Project counted on that uncertainty as a means to commercial advantage. With each shake of a framed shot or line of stuttering babble, even the most jaded audience might fall into the movie’s trap. No matter how much we know this can’t be true, we are scared and feel pity for the three hapless kids. Their naivete has everything to do with the movie’s commercial drive. Horror is the realization that things you don’t know can hurt you. The Blair Witch Project makes you see yourself projected on screen, anxious and afraid of the unknown: it’s coming, it's not going to be pleasant, and that’s all you know ... namely, that you don't know. And what you don't know can hurt you.Read full review
The first time I saw The Blair Witch Project was after it had come out on video/dvd and I was home, by myself with all the lights out...this is the norm for me when watching a horror flick. I had not heard anything about that the whole story was a hoax until well after the movie had been out so keep in mind, all I knew was that it was a true story. I do not scare easily, especially with the latest generation of "monster" movies, come on, there really aren't any new creatures so scary that it should be a horror film anymore. The movies that are truly disturbing and frightening are things that could in some way shape or form but true or real, movies that are psychological thrillers and play on good clean fear alone. This is what this movie did. The small budget that was used, anyone could have made this movie, but the realism that is portrayed by these students(no name actors) in the woods is mindblowing. Halfway through I literally had to leave the room and turn on the lights and watch from my kitchen...I even stooped so low as to call someone on the phone to tell them how scared I was. This has NEVER happened while watching any movie in my life, I am no child either..married, 3 kids, 3 dogs, nice house, comfy...you get the picture. So fear is something that is not a huge thing for me but I crave the feeling when watching a horror or scary movie since that is the intention...is it not? The way the film is portrayed with a "live" video camera and that it seems completely unscripted, and that the emotion can be felt from these students in the film right through the screen is incredible and makes the movie all the more believable. I just recently watched it(purchased both 1 & 2 for my own collection) for only the second time since then and it was almost as terrifying as the first time and that was KNOWING it wasn't true or real...good stuff here. Highly recommended film for those who love to be scared. Grab some popcorn, turn the lights out, watch it late at night...maybe even during a storm. Don't go into it with the attitude of being invincible to the fear that may come, forget what you know and hold on to your hats...it is a wild ride!Read full review
Before watching this movie, I was very excited to see it because I had heard so much about it. I want to tell you not to make the same mistake that I did. The movie was boring and contained absolutely no horror scenes whatsoever. The amount of swearing in the movie was revolting seeing as how the "F" word was only another line or two away after just hearing it. As for the rest of the acting, it came out okay except that when one or more of the characters became angry, they seemed to exaggerate the emotion along with fear. The whole movie was shot on a handheld camera which didn't take away, except for the fact that when dark approached, the screen was black and nothing could be seen. The setting was obviously real, but the use of it was terrible. For example, when the group of students became lost, they ran into the same river countless times and ignored it. When you find a river and you are lost, you should probably follow it as it will lead you to some sort of civilization, instead of ignoring it and walking away. They attempted to use the imagination as the main scare factor (you never see the Blair Witch), and it failed dramatically. The ending left me at a loss for words because I was still trying to figure out what had just occurred. Overall, the movie just does not deliver the scares that it should. If you absolutely, must see the movie, then try to borrow it without any cost before you buy it; this is general advice that should be taken into consideration with many movies, but this one especially.Read full review
After recieving the movie, I put it right in my DVD player. It is a short film, but if you get in the right mind set it will seem longer and you will think it's a better movie. I liked the overall old camera feel, and the middle of the woods setting. What annoyed me was the constant swearing and screaming. I believe I read somewhere that a lot of the dialouge was improvised, and if that's the case they chose some of the worst improvisers in the world. Normally, I don't have a problem with swearing or screaming, but it was excessive. It was poor improvision. I recommend watching the movie, but don't expect to see anything that scary. Get yourself in the right mindset and you'll have a good time watching this film.
The film starts innocently enough. Three students set out to a town to film a documentary on an old myth about the "Blair Witch" who supposedly killed countless children in the town, which was previously known as Blair. They talk to the local townsfolk, the type of people you see everyday. They all have their different opinions-some believe in the witch that now supposedly lives out in the woods, and some don't. After the filmmakers interrogation of the residents they decide to go take a little "trip" into the woods for some raw footage. During the course of the film they become inexplicably lost, hunted by something in the dead of night, and then they themselves start to lose their minds. I won't give away the ending but I will say that by the time the credits rolled I was physically shaking. I'm really not sure why people do not think that this movie is scary. I will state that I do not scare easily. I'm the odd ball in the family that is notorious for laughing at the Exorcist while watching it. So this opinion is not easily given. If your type of horror movie is something entirely special effect based, with the typical plotline, and the blood and the guts--example: Silent Hill. Don't watch this film. You won't appreciate it. But for those of you that like a good scare without all of that stuff I recommend you at least watch it once on DVD. And make sure you check out some of the bonus stuff on the disc. This is really a great movie and is one of my favorite horror films.Read full review
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