| Artwork |
 |
| Film vitals |
|
· Year: 1999
· Director: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez
· Writer: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez
· Cast: Heather Donahue, Michael Williams
|
| Series info |
|
Part of the Blair Witch series.
|
| Information |
· Before and after the release of the film, the real-life town of Burkittsville, Maryland was besieged by tourists. They contacted the New York town of Amityville, who had experienced a similar influx after the release of The Amityville Horror.
|
| If you liked this, try |
|
|
| Products |
|
Amazon.com
|
| Links |
|
|
|
| Synopsis |
|
Three film students, armed with cameras and recording equipment, go into the Maryland woods to investigate the Blair Witch, an ancient, murderous local legend. One year later, their footage is recovered--but the students are never seen again.
|
|
|
|
RATING
Out of 100 |
|
83
|
|
| COLD ANALYSIS |
| ATMOSPHERE |
| GORE |
| HUMOR |
| SCARES |
| TENSION |
I saw this film in its theatrical release, in the summer of '99, at the height of the Blair Witch craze. I had heard that it was the scariest film I would ever see, that it gets into your head, that it's a totally engrossing experience. That's an awfully tall order, isn't it? Truth be told, I wasn't that scared by Blair Witch, though I'd be absolutely terrified if I had been in the characters' shoes. I was, however, completely engrossed. Even though I knew things were going to end badly (we're told that from the beginning), the film kept me wondering what was going to happen next. No, scratch that--it carried me along; I didn't have time to worry about what was going to happen, any more than I would have had I been out there. The characters were just living--surviving--and my mind thought I was doing the same. The camera work--especially the 8mm pieces that make up the majority of the film--may cause nausea (it did with me), but it also creates that sense of immediacy, of presence. This review is a bit jumbled, but it's probably because I'm still trying to sort through my feelings about this film . . . which, in a strange sort of way, is the best thing I can say about it. It fucked me up.
On the other hand--interestingly, it was the daytime sequences that really got to me--they seemed, well, real. The scenes at night, on the other hand, lack the kind of realism they needed to render them truly effective. I don't care what the characters (or, for that matter, the actors) were supposed to think; all I could picture were the directors out there in the middle of the woods breaking branches and making weird noises. This may be as much an unfortunate side-effect of the behind-the-scenes knowledge to which we were all privy as it is the result of anything else, but if I'm going to appreciate the Blair Witch works partially for their mythology and hype, which is something at least partially external to the films themselves, then I feel it's only fair to criticize the films on the same grounds. So there you are.
|
|
|
| RATING |
|
|
| COLD ANALYSIS |
|
ATMOSPHERE
|
|
GORE
|
|
HUMOR
|
|
SCARES
|
|
TENSION
|
If I had seen this film in the theater, perhaps my opinion would be a bit different--but I doubt it. One of the worst films in recent memory, The Blair With Project disappointed with every twitchy camera angle and pathetic whiny swear word uttered by its female lead.
The movie (with a website and marketing campaign that was heads and tails above the film itself) attempts to harken back to the days of classic Hitchcock-style films when what you saw on the screen wasn't as important as the power of suggestion, forcing the viewer's mind to create a genuine fear that couldn't be translated into mere pictures. Unfortunately, the film fails due to its weak script and unbelieveable performances by its cast of unknowns.
I give some credit to the film makers in their attempt to create a moody atmosphere, and while there are a few thrills, I couldn't get past the film's substantial script and character flaws. At the end of the day, The Blair Witch Project ends up looking like an elementary film school assignment
Maybe it was better I didn't see it in the theater--at least I didn't have to pay full price of admission!
|
|
|
| RATING |
|
|
| COLD ANALYSIS |
|
ATMOSPHERE
|
|
GORE
|
|
HUMOR
|
|
SCARES
|
|
TENSION
|
Its still in my head, though it had no terror or suspense. Its the only film in my life I wanted to see again just after it finished. Maybe it confronted me with the things we avoid. But who cares? Amazing!
|
|
|
| RATING |
|
|
| COLD ANALYSIS |
|
ATMOSPHERE
|
|
GORE
|
|
HUMOR
|
|
SCARES
|
|
TENSION
|
Undoubtedly the best movie I've ever seen. I know it sounds weird, because there are so many movies with great special effects and major thrills. But this one had honesty, meaning no special effects, no-script dialogue, and the best part of all, not much acting! I mean, sure they had to act for some parts of it (interviews and some other things), but overall it was just the actors' reactions to a stimulus: the Blair Witch. The tension I felt from the movie was so strong, I was in awe during the whole thing. It's definitely a movie to see if you're expecting to have typical horror film reaction, because that's not what you're going to get. Definitely a movie you'll want to learn more about.
|
|
|
| RATING |
|
Undoubtedly the worst film I have ever seen, and the only time I have honestly wanted my money back at a movie theatre. The movie is plotless, the "acting" is atrocious, the effects hopeless and the overall result worse than a high school project. Only sensationalist hype via the Internet got people into the movie theatres for this one! Avoid it like the plague.
|
|
|
| RATING |
|
|
This movie generated a lot of hype with its web page and supplementary material. Unfortunately, in the great tradition of William Castle, none of these gimmicks can disguise the fact that it is basically a bad movie. Its a cheap slasher film with no sex or blood (the things people pay to see in slasher flicks). The three "film makers" swear at each other constantly, film every freakin' petty difference they have, and act incomprehensablly illogically (one character throws away their map because it "wasn't helping" or something like that. People that dumb deserve to get lost). It is impossible to generate any sympathy for them and when they do "disappear" its more of a relief than anything because we don't have to listen to their junior high school dialogue anymore. To its credit, the concept was someting new, and I think the movie's success is attributable to the public's hunger for something new, which Hollywood ignores. Unfortunately, now every hack with a camera will be turning out tripe like The Blair Witch Project. Here's a note to all future independant film makers: Real documentary makers do not waste film or battery power fimlming every little disagreement, and when they do they certainly don't call it a movie.
|
|
|
| RATING |
|
I rented the movie with low expectations. The jittery camera did not bother me watching it on the TV.
I was very absorbed by the interaction of the characters as they realize that A) they are lost and B) someone (or something) is playing games with them.
The tone is a little uneven in that parts of the movie are a Lord of the Flies-type study of how these people react to the situation and other parts are a genuine ghost story. But that was a strong point as well because you never feel that "this is just a movie."
The image that Heather catches of Mike at the end scared me as much as anything I have ever seen in a film.
|
|
|
| RATING |
|
|
This movie is actually bigger than the mere film - much more interesting even is how it gained such a strong following and publicity. A giant media hoax - isn't that the most hilarious way to promote a movie? With this strategy, it was even able to outdo Star Wars; and while The Blair Witch Project has the tiniest budget, not only compared to said concurrent, its quality is the better - indirectly proportional to Episode One.
Once you get used to the documentary style and the characters, once the niceties and joking of the first quarter of the film is done, you start to shake your head when you observe how most imperfectly these three guys are prepared for their trip. I was best prepared for it, however, as I just finished a short book on survival in the woods. Every possible mistake you could possibly make, they made too. That's annoying? I guess, it's rather realistic concerning to the fact that indeed lots of people get lost in the woods. It could indeed happen to everybody.
When you've given up trying to tell them to do this or that, or to simply follow the creek downhill, you'll suddenly get drawn into the suspense and desperation created by this film. Never have I seen that much real fear and angst in the eyes of an actor - the horror unfolds without any single monster being neccessary. That's brilliant, and it seems like the epitome of the principle that "less is more".
If you have the chance, get the DVD - there's a 44 minute documentary about the missing students on it; that's the real McCoy - the hoax preceeding the release of the film in its most outrangeous and cheeky. Both combined are a strong argument to make you question the reality and solidity of the media - may that be intentional or not.
|
|
