The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
May contain objectional material and spoilers.
Rating: * * * * out of * * * *
Rated R for strong language.
Starring: Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, Joshua Leonard.
The movie opens with this message: "In October of 1994, three student filmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary....a year later their footage was found."
"The Blair Witch Project" is a brilliant, inventive, original and downright horrifying movie that isn't your typical scare people by jumping type. This movie has only shot of blood, no violence, no ghosts, no witches or anything. What the movie does, is make your imagination run wild, and makes you scared by what you don't see. The movie has no scary music and no jump scenes. The scares are strong and long-lasting, and when something is happening it doesn't go to another scene, it stays on that scene till it's over.
The movie is in a style of a documentary. Three film-makers: Heather Donahue, Joshua Williams, and Michael Leonard. The three travel to Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary based on the myth of the Blair Witch. Everyone in this town knows about it, or her. Everyone knows that in the 40's a man brutally killed children based on he heard voices in his head, which was the Blair Witch. The three excited and hyped up go to camp out in the woods.
They hike the trails everyday, and enjoy the fresh air. When they get back to their tent, and begin to get in for the night, they hear noises, twigs cracking. Then they find strange artifacts hanging from trees. They hear voices, screams, laughs, as their food begins to dwindle they are forced to live under strict conditions. All three of them are scared, not able to understand what is going on. Their way out is blocked, they find rocks and other sort of strange things.
"The Blair Witch Project" is a horror movie. But not the type of 'Scream' movies you expect. This movie is downright scary and original. It is filmed in the way of a documentary with thier footage and docu footage combined. It doesn't have any ghosts or witches or anything to jump out at you to scare you. This film is genuinely scary. And I have to say not to offend anyone, but if you don't or didn't like this then you didn't understand it. If you thought it was boring, then you didn't listen. If you thought the ending was bad, then well nevermind.
To put it another way: 'The Blair Witch Project' is an instant classic. The opening message is what we are watching. The footage that was found. But what we have to tell ourselves while watching this movie is that it is only a movie. Nothing more, there are actors, actresses, directors and more. While watching this movie, well no scratch that you don't 'watch' this movie, you expierence this movie. You are made a character and brought into the woods along with the students.
This movie is the scariest...no the most horrifying and terrifying movie ever made. After it is over, you are left there thinking, and after it you are still thinking. What was that? Who is that? I wonder what did that...These are the many questions left unanswered. I don't think you will be able to sleep much after this movie. I don't think you will be able to even think much after this movie. At least that's from my expierience. See 'The Blair Witch Project' to learn what it is like to be horrified. Then see it again.....
Reviewed August 7, 1999 by Brandon Herring. Brandon Herring Movie Review Heaven (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/movie/3160/moviereviewheaven.html
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews