The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Dir: Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez

Starring: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: Everything you've heard is true.

Plot: Three film students travel to Maryland to make a student film about a local urban legend... The Blair Witch. The three went into the woods on a two day hike to find the Blair Witch, and never came back. One year later, the students film and video was found in the woods. The footage was compiled and made into a movie.










My Rating: 8/10

Would I watch it again? Yep



If you haven't seen this I HIGHLY recommend that you watch the documentary on the DVD first. I also recommend that you do not read any further.



Here be spoilers...



When I first saw this I had only heard that the film was a fake documentary and that's it. I wish that I hadn't known that because it would have only heightened the creepyness of the whole thing. I still dug it and upon watching it recently, the things that creeped me out then creep me out now.



I give this film high marks for the unique method of storytelling and film making as well as the few genuine scares it gives me. It dares to be different and it succeeds. I really liked the fact that you don't see the "threat" that is presented to these kids. You hear strange noises in the night which is FAR more effective than seeing what's causing them. For me, that works. The ending inside the house is creepy as hell as well and for the same reason. We are seeing only what the actors are seeing and then eventually what the camera sees after the filmmaker is killed/knocked unconscious. My imagination is far more affected than what I see. If only more horror films would ask more of our imaginations...





There wasn't much that I didn't like, really. Heather is an annoying, bossy bitch for much of the film and she does it so well you don't know if it's the actor or the character. I can only speculate. She also does a great job of projecting fear once the shit starts to go down in the last half hour. It feels genuine and from what I've heard about how it was filmed it is genuine. And the other two actors did a fine job as well. It's really surprising to see that none of them have acted in films much since this came out 8 years ago.



Knowing what I know from the first viewing I was really surprised that it creeped me out a second time. I don't scare/creep-out easily. It really takes a lot to move me in that direction so I always welcome the challenge and appreciate that much more any film that can do that to me.