Cool News
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT review
You wanna see something really scary?
Last night, in a darkened corner of the earth I saw
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. If you want to be
scared, I mean genuinely unnerved. Don’t read
another thing on this film. Don’t find out how it was
made, don’t seek out any information besides what is
on the screen.
Take this next paragraph as gospel, tell it to all of
your friends. Then, whenever the film comes out...
feel your pulse rise, your eyes dart around and let the
creepies hit you. Plan a camp out the next night. Get
your little tent, go out into the woods, and sleep tight.
“Four years ago three prospective filmmaker types set
out to make a documentary. Their subject? The Blair
Witch.... A legend of some sort out on the east coast.
I heard it had something to do with children
disappearing in the woods or some dudes or
something. Anyway, the three filmmakers decided it
would make a good documentary. They went to the
town outside the forest where it ‘happened’. They
interviewed the local townfolks. They scoffed at
them. Then set out into the forest to ‘find the Blair
Witch’ and make fun of it all. The three filmmakers
are missing to this day, nobody knows what happened
to them, but a year later their cameras were found.
This is the film made completely from ‘found
footage’ that documents what happened. This is for
real”
That is how to see the movie. Memorize that
paragraph, tell your friends that paragraph. You see
that is what the film is. And as such... I found it to be
an incredibly disturbing horror faction. It’s a true
story told by the people that lived it.
Unlike all these ‘teenage’ horror films of late this
movie is about real paranoia, real horror and it is
about real things that go bump in the night.
Remember the ‘video’ scene in HENRY: PORTRAIT
OF A SERIAL KILLER? Remember that honesty?
That terror? Well, a bit of that is here. This film is
completely disarming.
My father has seen the movie 3 times now, and if you
were to offer him $20 to sleep outside in the
backyard... he wouldn’t do it. This isn’t a gore film,
this isn’t a ‘jump’ film. This is a real film.
Do not read the talk backs below, not even their
headlines... not until you have seen this movie for
yourself. After it’s release I will write another review
that will go into everything in much further detail, but
for now... Hold your breath and await this film with
fear.
I have been a horror fan my entire life, Tom Joad has
been a horror fan forever as has my father. This is
something seemingly new.
Imagine, if you will, if Bruce Campbell and his
girlfriend took a pair of video cameras to a cabin out
in the woods... and The Evil Dead happened.
Imagine if the demons stayed in the shadows, if you
heard something, if you never found out what really
happened. BUT YOU KNEW IT HAPPENED.
I love this film. It’s the type of film you want to show
people yourself, as if it were your own proud walking
baby. Have fun with this, let your pulse race and
your mind freak. And most of all.... be afraid because
this isn’t a very safe film...
-
+ Expand All
-
Oh, blissful day, I'm stewing in my own juices over this one. I always knew that trollop from "Facts of Life" was trouble...
-
(1) Why, oh why must we all wait at least until this summer (and probably longer) for this film to come out? By the time it's released, we'll all know WAY too much about it for it to be effective! and (2) Why, oh why do I put myself through this? I seek out films like this even though I absolutely KNOW they are going to mess with my head for days, weeks, or months to come! "Twin Peaks" was the last thing to mess with my head (and even more notably, my sleep patterns) to this extent, and yet I couldn't look away. Harry, why do we do this to ourselves? I really want to know.
-
Hey Harry unlike some people i'm not blessed enough to live in a hip,happening film mecca like austin.So if you or anyone else has any kind of national release date or anything like that. please let me and eveyone else who cant afford to go Sundance know thanks.
-
Oh man, Roger Ebert showed a couple bits of this on Siskel and Ebert, and it just freaked me out even though I have no idea what was going on. Some girl's apparently holding a camcorder in the darkness (you can see just her eye in the lens) and she whispering about something she's hearing or something she just saw and she sounds totally terrified but trying to still talk but her voice is breaking and it's dark and in the woods and you can hear some strange noises in the background...... Oh man, just that little 10 second clip had me totally freaked out. That little preface Harry posted gave me the willies. Finally, an antidote to self-referential, "clever" teen slasher updates with an honest-to-goodness fright film. WHEN DO US REGULAR FOLK GET THE CHANCE TO HAVE THE BEEJESUS SCARED OUT OF US????
-
Is there a release date yet? Does it have a distributor? We need info! Is it going to have a plausibly wide circulation? I'm a sucker for horror films two (my favorite being the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and EVIL DEAD) and judging by your review of the film it may be on par with some of the classics. I can't take it any longer, I have to see this film now! Words cannot describe how envious I am of your old man (due to the fact that he's witnessed the spectacle three times and all I've got to go on is a barrage of pre release buzz and hype). We need the info big guy!
-
My friends... I told you not to be down here in TALK BACK.... it's dangerous... some asshole could spoil the whole thing for you. BUT, I have nothing but terrible news to fill your anticipating heart with. This movie isn't coming out THIS WEEK, MONTH, NEXT MONTH or the MONTH AFTER THAT! It MAY come out this Summer, but in all liklihood..... OCTOBER.... I know that sent shivers and pangs of anger down your spine, but until then keep your eyes peeled on local film festivals. If I hear of it screening anywhere... I'll let you know. This one... is something special. That is... unless I see you continuing to post down here where I told you not to be. Then... maybe I'll just torture ya a bit.... writing story after story about this film, making you shake and froth and bath in your own anticipatory juices. STAY OUT OF TALK BACK on this film.... IT's DANGEROUS.... ok? Don't answer that. Leave now.... Stay away... Dont come round here no more.
-
Feb 09, 1999 2:27:12 PM CST
Bitchslap that last message, Harry.. I want a spoiler-free buffe
by neuracnu
We need a spoiler-free buffer around Harry's message so that those of us with big windows can look at his without having to glimpse possible spoiler (possible bullshit, as I didn't read it) talkbacks. One or two messages should be enough. Thank you.
-
sounds fascinating... too bad i dont believe a word of it.
-
I was lucky enough to see The Blair Witch Project and I'm still trying to figure out how these bozos with no budget and a camcorder scared the complete shit out of me. It may be the complete absence of the special effects that we've come to expect in horror films that makes this work so well. These guys have found a new way to tell a horror story and it really works. This baby runs on pure, primal fear.
-
This film is genuinely scary. I'll never camp again. I just watched it on video in the comfort of my own home and I'm hearing shit. A must see. Very unique.
-
...if i don't see this movie soon. I'm pathetic, I know.
-
I saw those brief snippits on Siskel & Ebert too and I am totally intrigued. Harry, is there a chance this movie will be at the SXSW festival in Austin? Maybe? Possibly?
-
The greatest thing about the end was when...
-
Don't you listen to Harry you stupid fuck!?!? I told you not to read this... oh well as long as you're here, i might as well say something...... .......... ........ (SPOILER) ......... ......... ........... ......... This film is gonna rock!!! ......... ........... ........... (END SPOILER) ............ ......... ............ Well I for one am planning on taking Harry's advice on this film (from now on that is... and unless someone FINALLY has the release date info)!!!
-
If this movie hasnt been released yet, how have some people seen it? How did Siskel & Ebert have clips? If so, what clips did they have? Is the movie being edited and they had a rough cut or what? DETAILS DETAILS, I crave! Not on the movie, but on the release and status, I need details!
-
I, once again, remind Harry that if he had followed up on this film MONTHS ago when I e-mailed the info he could have had a REAL spoiler! But, alas, NO! Because as we all know no one could POSSIBLY know more than Harry!
I beg you, Harry! Next time info comes in from a reader FOLLOW IT UP!
If anyone wants more info on "THe Blair Witch Project" you can go to www.haxan.com or to www.delphi.com/blairwitch -
My extremely accurate sources close to this film tell me that it will be out this summer. If you have not yet seen this movie, set up an appointment with a therapist first, for you will need one after viewing "The Blair Witch Project". You may lose a lot of sleep as well!
Good Luck and DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!! -
I can answer all of your questions!
1. Haxan Films sold their film "The Blair Witch Project" to Artisan (the same company that bought "Pi") for a low 7 figures.
It was the first film sold at Sundance this year.
2. No release date is set yet. It may have a summer release but more than likely it will be in the fall, around Halloween.
3. Roger Ebert saw the film at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival and featured it on his Sundance overview show (sans Gene Siskel). That is where people saw film clips of the movie.
4. Haxan Films had limited screenings of their film before Sundance and that is how people got to see it in advance (although many people saw a much longer, dragged out version - 0ne version clocked in at almost 2 1/2 hours; it is now under 90 minutes long).
5. All of the information in the world you could want on "The Blair Witch Project" is available at the Haxan Films web site - www.haxan.com - and at the chat forum site - www.delphi.com/blairwitch
6. "The Blair Witch Project" is a reality-based film, shot in both 16mm and video. It will scare the living SHIT out of you! -
Damn all of you! Now I have one more movie I need to see. Let me tell you something, if I do not shit myself in the theater of terror, I will shoot every single one of you that has brought my expectation of this film somewhere between Episode 1 and Eyes Wide Shut.
-
I just visited the Haxan website to find out more about the movie. I read one of the missing film maker's journal, can you say creepy?
-
I liked this film, but not as much as I hoped I would.
What it does have going for it is kind of a double-edged sword...
What you really want to see and learn you never really do...It's all about tension building, then the payoff happens in your imagination after the movie is over...If that's what you like it's for you. That's novel film making, and it's nice to see. If you like when the end of a movie has everthing tied up and put in a nice package, this will piss you off when the credits role...you'll want just 5 more minutes of film...When a movie makes you react like that, you know something could has just affected you...I also have this film on videotape and though I ran it with the lights off, I would probably have enjoyed it more in a real theater. -
ALright, I hacve read as much as I could on TBWP (sorry Harry dude, I can't help it), and I am dying to see this film. MAYBE even mroe than...Episode I. Thyat's right. Anyway, I don't have BIG connections like everybody else on this board. I know the owner of Caravan Films, but not really that well, and I doubt he would hook me up with a copy of this film. Anyway, contact me at blair_witch@hotmail.com if you have a copy or any cool info. I will pay $ to see this movie! Please! AAAAAAAAAA!
-
So I mention in passing I watched this on video, and now the Emails don't stop...where were you on my birthday to wish me well?
Sorry to let you all down, but I am NOT giving this tape out...not to be a prick to any of you, but rather to be kind to the filmmakers, who haven't finished cutting the film, want you to see it in a darkened theater rather than your living room, and want your 8 bucks. This is a frightening film...seeing it at home with all your distractions pales in comparison to watching it in a darkened theater, with strangers who might follow you to your car.....
PS stop asking for the tape of Cruel Intentions too...it'll be out in a few damn days! -
I saw the Blair Witch Project at a midnight screening at our local dumpy ArtFilm theater in Salt Lake City during Sundance week last month. The place was packed, and the (young, probably 95%
It is a very unusual film; I've never seen anything like it, but come on, a movie's a movie, even if it's a documentary, isn't it? The filmmakers were there for Q&A afterwards, and talked about how they went about putting the film together and made a few comments about the ending (which is sudden, and unsatisfying, and all the more creepy because of it). The cut they screened was around 90 minutes: plenty long enough.
I'm going to play along and not talk about most of the interesting facts I know, in the interest of not getting "...spoiler..."-ed by the boss here. I'll write back after it's released and the cat's out of the bag, I guess, if I haven't lost interest by then.
I'll send my friends when it comes out, but listen: I don't think the big spoiler that Harry's warning you about really makes any difference at all. Whether you know the "spoiler" or not, it's a damn scary movie, and my heart was racing during the whole hour drive back home after the film-- and through most of the night, in fact.
My point is this: I'm not sure that all the secrecy is worth it; I knew what was up before the film started (it was pretty much spelled out in the Sundance film catalog, in fact) and it still messed me up. Seems to me that if you can't kinda go along with the premise that *any* film sets up, you're going to just ruin it for yourself anyway, that's what I think. If you're spending your time trying to figure out how a special effect was done, or wondering how an actor prepared for the role or something, you're really missing out on the film experience. I'm not talking about this film specifically, but about the Movie Experience in general.
Okay end of soapbox. I hope they release this soon so that all of you can see it quick. -
This movie freaked me out. I've never liked horror films but this one hit all the right notes. We've all heard the stories when we were kids of some local nightmare wherever we grew up. In my neighborhood it was "The White Lady" a ghostly apparition who stalked the park and cemetary at the end of my street. Watching this movie makes you feel like a kid sitting around the camp fire and hearing those stories. You know what you're hearing (or watching) isn't real, but subconsciously you're looking over your shoulder. I don't want to go in the woods anymore.
-
Where did you see it? How? A film festival or what? I just really want to know. If you've seen it, and it was complete, why in GOD'S name are they waiting until Oct. (possibly) to release it? I Want ANSWERS!
-
I said this before and I'll say it again (if only for Lynnbracken's sake!) Don't get yourselves too worked up over how frightening this movie is! When I read the first reviews, I became obsessed with seeing it called in favors, and got a copy on video. I saw it and was originally disappointed. It was creepy, but it wasn't near the most terrifying thing I ever saw (as some people put it.) Putting my disappointment aside a day later, I decided that while it wasn't terrifying, it was DAMN good. Probably one of the best jobs of storytelling I've seen since...well...I can't think of when. I have to think I wasn't as terrified as some because I was warned. The film is definately creepy, but my imagination really conjured up some spooky shit before hand. I'd love to compare notes with those of you who disagree but I don't want to spoil it for others. Email me at sakla@yahoo.com.
I'm not sure I agree with that it is better to see in a theatre. I think the 16mm/Video may seem more real on TV, but I will see it again in the theatre to get both sides. -
Alright...
I'm one of those people who live for horror flicks, except most of them suck...to a point. Well I heard of the Blair Witch project 3 nights before it's screening here in Chicago, and boy did I go through hell trying to get a pass to get in to see it. I conived, I lied, I went through a helluva of shit just to get a ticket.
But DAMN was it worth it! It was worth even being late for work the next day.
I won't give out the plot, but this was the most horrifying thing I have ever seen. My heart was pounding, I could see people in the audience gripping each other. It was as if you were there yourself (thanks to the way it was shot). My boyfriend, who's seen many more horror flicks than I have, and never ever had been even slightly phased by one, admitted that this film horrified him.
We had a lot of trouble walking home at 2am after the screening. And when we did get home we turned on all the lights.
Hell, I remember how the audience was silent and unmoving for about 5 minutes after the film ended, and then a loud cheer arose from everyone.
Can't wait till it opens in July. I'm gonna go again. But I'll tell you one thing, if you see it, you'll never want to set foot in any forest again.
pheos3@hotmail.com -
I just finished watching the VCD of Blair Witch Project. IT IS LIKE NOTHING ELSE YOU WILL EVER SEE. I cannot imagine how good it was for people who saw it in a theatre.
-
I work for Artisan Entertainment, the company that is releasing "The Blair Witch Project" It is scheduled to be released in July of this year. Watch for it.
-
I was extremely excited right before I watched the Blair Witch Project and when it was over....
I was extremely disappointed.
Scary? Yeah right people! Come on. I've grew up on Horror films since the age of 8. While everyone was watching STAR WARS I was busy with TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, CARRIE, HALLOWEEN, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD......these are the movies that are frightning. Real situations that can easily happen like in HALLOWEEN.
BWP was scary for about 10 to 12 minutes and thats it! They established that nothing was going to happen during the day scenes and that once the night arrives the terror begins. Thats fine, but I can count the night scenes one one hand.
SO, where did that leave me during the day scenes? Bored out of my mind with a huge headache from watching the picture bouncing back and forth, focusing on the ground.
And that girl......Jesus Christ how long do we have to hear her cry?
The good parts? The abandon house scene...TERRIFIC!!!! But they leave us with only a slight taste of it making me feel very ripped off....which is exactly what the majority of true horror fans will feel like after viewing this film. -
After reading everybodys reviews I had to voice my opinion one more time. It will sacre the shit out of you?
You're kidding me right? This film is scary for about 10 minutes and even then its not enough to "scare the shit out of you" as some of you quoted.
Maybe you guys are raving about this film because we've been used to seeing piece of shits like "I know what you did, URBAN LEGEND, BRIDE OF CHUCKY, CARRIE 2.yea if you compare BWP to those films its a masterpiece but if you compare them to classics like "NOTLD" and "HALLOWEEN".....its a project full of shit.
-
I've read some of the criticism regarding this movie about not being scary enough, and what I don't understand is, how can you criticize it if it is SUPPOSEDLY true? You can't get mad at the filmmakers for the house scene being too short if what we witnessed actually took place. People have also said that they get bored with the interaction with people in the movie. The fact is that people DO get boring at times. This is supposed to be real life and these people are reacting honestly to what's happening around them. I find some of their conversation even comical. That was another good part of this movie was the relation aspect of "How would I react in this situation?" Also the gore rating of this movie being rather low, shows how they focus on the plot. Not all horror movies have to be a gore fest... that only shows how little there is to the plot. The idea that this really happened and certain questions are left unanswered adds to its impact. Whether this movie was fiction or not it still remains to be a great movie. If in fact it was true then it only becomes more powerful. If it wasn't then it was put together pretty damn well making you feel as if it was rela and a few of the things I've said can be taken place. The fact remains that this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. What i really want to know for my own curiosity is > IS THIS MOVIE REALLY TRUE? someone help me out here......
-
...but i have heard so many diffrent things about this movie...i havent seen it yet..but ive been bad and looked at all the reviews and some spoilers on it..and quite frankly...im confused...at first i thought it was fake..then i went on the website and saw all the pictures and all...and i thought it was real! some reviews say it is all a made up story...and some say it was actually a true story!! can anyone help me solve this?? me and my best friend are dying to find out...either way..when it comes to a movie theatre by us....we'll definately be there...but maybe during the day...since ive heard how scary it is!!! any feedback would be appreciated!! email me at goldlvr23@netscape.net! thanks!
-
I'm a big horror fan and have seen a lot scary movies in my day. But even the best ones merely entertain more than they scare. ALIEN came pretty close to being scary the whole way through and that pales in comparision to the Blair Witch Project. I spent literally half the time looking at the screen through my fingers like a little kid! The filmmakers have rewritten the rulebook on horror, taken fear to a new level. And they did it for what looks to be about four dollars and ninety-eight cents!
-
I just finished browsing through the BWP & Artisan web-sites, watched the trailers, etc. I can't remember ever being scared by a webpage before now, but man! I just had to turn all the lights on in the office where I work ( on the third shift). Here in Indiana I'll have to wait for the wider ( I hope) release on July 30 th, and I'm SO going to have to see this in the afternoon. If this film delivers HALF the chills I've read about here at AICN, then I'm not going alone either. I'm already making room in my freezer for when this comes out on tape!
-
I understand what you were going for, Harry, in urging people to set up the first viewing of The Blair Witch Project with the admonition that it is true. But just because I understand the purpose doesn't make the lie any more palatable. No, it ain't cool to loose a bit more falsehood into the world. Ain't cool at all. It stinks because it'll be passed on and on as one more 'just so' story and for every one person who gets clued in on the fact that BWP is a work of fiction, a hundred more will pass on the superstitious bullshit as 'true.' The Blair Witch Project is not 'based on a true story' nor is it 'actual footage.' It's a commercially produced movie shot with professional actors. The lie demeans everyone, not least of all the filmmakers who, by all accounts, were extremely skillful and talented in producing a work of fiction that taps into very real fears in the human psyche.
-
All this hype about this film is disturbing/confusing me. A few weeks ago, I attended a sold-out midnight show of The Blair Witch Project at the Florida Film Festival. I thought it was a piece of garbage. There are three or four genuinely scary moments in the film, moments that I'm sure will be ripped off and improved upon in many horror films to come. Problem is, I had to sit through 80 minutes of nauseatingly jerky footage, mostly of irritating actors wandering through the woods screaming "f*** we're lost" and "Goddammit, we're really f***n' lost!" I had to close my eyes watching it, not because I was scared, but because it was so terribly shot I almost puked. It's one long gimmick and the final payoff is hardly worth it. This film, aside from a few creepy tricks and the faux-documentary angle, isn't very clever at all. (Why do I feel like I'm going to be the only person in America who's not going to like this movie?)
-
Bill Sneed is right. Movie sucked. Too long, not scary, boring, much more funny than it was frightening. Shaky camera got annoying, as did the insistence of the filmmakers to NEVER FOCUS!!
Annoying.
If its any indication of the movie's lack of scariness, right after I saw it, in the dead of night in a pitch black state park, I ran off into the woods to make out with my girlfriend.
You'd hafta be a 5 year old girl to be scared of this malarky.
Anyone who tells you different is an idiot. -
I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE FROM A HORROR FILM SINCE I WAS 8 YEARS OLD AND NOW I'M CLOSING IN ON 30. THIS FILM IS TRULLY AN ORIGINAL EXPERIENCE AND URGE ANYONE WHO REALLY SEEKS A GENUINE SCARE TO SEE THIS.
THIS MOVIE IS NOT ABOUT EFX AND SLICKNESS IT'S ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY AND HOW SOMETHING SEEMS REAL. THE SCENES WHERE DAYTIME COMES AFTER A TRAUMATIC NIGHT ARE INCREDIBLE BREATHERS FOR ME BUT I KNOW THE INVEVITABLE NIGHT TIME HELL WILL BE BACK VERY SOON. SO THERE IS A ROLLERCOAST EFFECT THAT KICKS IN HALF WAY THROUGH THE STORY.
YOU GOT TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT AND IF YOU DONT LIKE IT YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THE FACT THAT IT HAS A BUZZ IN WHICH THERE WILL BE LEGIONS OF FANS FOR YEARS TO COME. -
all u stupid people who are dissing TBWP because all it is is running around...get a clue~! the thing was filmed while the kids were running from a devil-sent entity~! i think you'd be running too if the embodiment of evil was right there behind u. i'm sure heather wasn't all, "josh, turn around, see if u can get the witch in a clear shot~! maybe if we're lucky enough we'll get out alive and we'll have footage of the witch's face~!" i went to d.c. on a field trip and we all had a choice of where we wanted to go for the last week: maryland, massachusetts, or new york. i really wanted to check out this blair witch stuff and so i went with a few of my other friends. we camped out there for the night and...SHIT. there seriously is some scary stuff out there. me & 3 of my friends practice withcraft so we know the little signs. like, if u hear a noise and u can tell where it's coming from, if u look in the direction u heard it, i swear to god u will see something. u know, like the bushes moving or something. all u non-believers out there: if all ur gonna do is bash the film and say "there's no such thing as witches," THEN WHY THE HELL DID U SEE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE~? the reason why a lot of people in the town haven't heard of it: 1. the original people who founded blair deserted it because of elly kedward, the witch, and all the disappearances. and anyway, nowadays when nobody believes in anything anymore, of course everyone just dismissed rustin parr's killing of the kids as psychotic behavior. but that's because nobody believes~! in the early 1800s 11 people saw eileen something or other get PULLED into a creek by a pale female hand. ok, even if eileen did trip and fall into the creek because of a branch, branches don't just rise up out of the water and then go back in after successfully killing someone. don't u think that she would have splashed around for a while, even if she couldn't swim~? she just disappeared into the water AND HER BODY WAS NEVER FOUND. so if the branch had an evil urge to kill her, i'm sure it just ate her too to get rid of the evidence, right~? NOBODY BELIEVES ANYMORE. well, nobody believes in witches, but people can believe in moving, carnivorous branches. that makes a helluva lotta sense.
-
u all say that the acting was really bad. THESE PEOPLE WEREN'T TRYING TO ACT~! ur not like, "no no no, tape that again, the scream as i got my guts ripped out wasn't long enough." (that didn't happen in the movie, as far as i can tell, so don't worry) about how it's not real...robin something or other disappeared into the woods some amount of years ago. search parties went out to find him, and most of the search parties came back, as did robin. but one of the search parties didn't. some people found the bodies on a rock, all linked together. their guts were torn out and they had carvings on their faces and hands. the people didn't move the bodies - a wise move, as it may alter the crime scene - and when the returned the bodies were gone. ok, this is a pretty skeptical situation, but seriously, a whole bunch of people aren't so high that they see dead bodies with their guts removed and their faces carved up. even if they were high, would they have seen the EXACT SAME THING~? plus, if i were a witch (which i am) who had just killed people and someone found out and was right there next to the victims, i would wanna get rid of the evidence as soon as possible and go after the people who found it.
-
This is a critique of Harry Knowles pre-review: don't baby me or patronize me, Harry. =)
I know you mean well, but I come to places like AICN to GET spoilers. Those who complain about spoilers are idiots (and perhaps my doing the exact opposite here makes ME an idiot - so be it) who fail to realize if you DON'T want to spoilers, DON'T search the Net for the movie title and click around.
I have already read much on this movie before seeing it. Yes I 'ruined' it for myself, but I do this on purpose.
I knew the plot of Phantom Menace before I saw it; parts of it I surmised correctly years before Lucas ever filmed it. Did that detract from my enjoyment of the piece? Not in the slightest. If anything, it enriched my experience with the movie.
Back in high school, I listened to the audience participation tape of Rocky Horror Picture Show for weeks before I was dragged to my 'virgin' experience. I had a grand old time convincing my friends I'd seen it before, and was thankfully able to avoid the hazing. It was a blast!
I don't like going into the movie theater uninformed. Granted, being dragged up to the front and made to do the Time Warp might have been fun for some other people, but I enjoy movies a bit differently.
Blair Witch is going to be like those haunted houses that pop up all over the country around Halloween. Consciously, you know it's all a gag and the people in there are flesh and blood in costumes and make up. You know that. You pay your money knowing it's all a scam. Provided it's a GOOD haunted house, you can say that to yourself as often as you want and you'll STILL come out the exit shaking and breathing irregularly.
It's something called "suspension of disbelief." A true sign of this movie's quality will be if I can go in there knowing every possible detail about how it was made and come out of it peeing in my pants anyway.
If that happens, I'll be impressed.
-
I found this movie to be completely over-hyped. There were only about 5-10 minutes that were actually scary. The abandoned house sequence was entertaining, but I found the rest of the film to be rather boring. As for TBWP being a true story, give me a break!
-Mark -
So some people don't like it. People react differently. I saw myself in Mike, he had many reactions like mine would be. I thought it was amazingly creative, very well done, and the end was haunting. It was an unsettling film. It used what you didn't see. It used part of yourself. Everyone should see it for themself to decide whether it's worth it, but in my opinion it was wonderful, and the end was magnificent. I was creeped out, I was very nervous and on edge. This film was one of the few I find frightening. It affected me greatly with the way it doesn't show you outright what is after them. I loved it.
-
You will either love it, or hate it. I've heard from many people, both online and IRL (at the theater). The opinions are very polarized. You either think it's a piece of crap cuz you can't get past the fact they didn't use a steadycam (puh-LEEZ like that would have worked), OR you find it an incredible piece of cinematic glory and expect Heather Donahue to be nominated for the Oscars. I've yet to find anyone go, "well it was okay." You either really dug it or thought it was crap. And those that really dug it? I did too. This movie is an aquired taste and those that didn't get it, it's their own loss.
-
Anyone who actually LIKED the film, feel free to email me. I think we need to officially start the cult following on a nation-wide scale. I've got a few ideas, and would love to hear yours. We could turn Blair Witch into the Rocky Horror of the 21st century.. Okay, maybe with a different approach to audience participation. zachsmind@yahoo.com if you're interested in repeat visits to Black Rock Road.
-
What do I Mean?? I mean, all hype and NO PAYOFF!!!! God, I feel soooo ripped off right now. This thing was a little spooky in a few seconds of a couple of scenes, but THAT IS IT. I was so bored, and so unsatisfied at the end. On top of that, who could give a shit about these cahracters? Heather was a bitch, and the two stoner dudes were no big deal either. Who cares what happens to them?? The lesson here is, while big budget often means crap, a $5 budget is too! Now every half-talent wanna-be community college film school punk-ass is gonna run out and buy a Hi-8 camera, trying for "realism". Spare my ass, and my eight bucks! I can't believe I skipped Kubrick for this steaming turd. I cannot BELIEVE anyone would find this truly scary. If so, you musta peed your little pants watching The Excorcist!! Face it, horror is dead, unless you consider post-ironic teenage self-referential quipping horor...and I DON'T. Save your money for Mystery Men...It's got the indie mentality, hiring Jaenine and Bill Macy, but at least it's got some friggin' cash to spend. Sucked. I'm Bitter. Damn.
-
awwright harry, enuf znuff.
Haha. Anyways, so as I was being hyped up by a poster tonight at the screening of American Pie (funny and juvenile by the way, plus I was giddy on a few beers), I wanted more info on TBWP. So, naturally, I turned to AICN. But Harry, I don't know if you got some sweet ass deal going on with Haxan or whatnot, but honestly, like I said, enough is enough.................(SPOILER)............................................................................if you want to know the "facts" behind TBWP, go to http://tbwp.freeservers.com/. I can see where this movie will generate hype, as I found myself hyping it up to my roomate a few minutes ago, before visiting the site. Honestly, after visiting, I GOT PISSED. The haxan web site spun a good tale..............(END SPOILER)...........................................................
At any rate, I'm really anxious to see a film like this. I haven't seen anything supposedly filmed like this, so fingers crossed. keep me informed Harry meister, but, please, I'm my own guy, I can make decisions on my own, and just keep me informed on all REACTIONS, and not just some hype. I have much love harry, and I mean no disrespect. Now, I have to figure out what's going on with my girlfriend.
SLICK -
I said this in another forum but I'll say it here as well. Blair is a polarizing film. You either love it or hate it. It's like caviar. To you and me, it may just be gross fish eggs. To other people, it's ..well, it's caviar. Imagine someone trying to explain that to you. That caviar is a delicacy and special and only certain palettes can appreciate it. You may think of them as stuffy and obnoxious rich Yuppies who wouldn't know a decent cheeseburger if they sat on one. Blair Witch is like that. To some it's caviar. To ME it's caviar. To you it may be fish eggs. That's your opinion and you have a right to it. No, Blair Witch won't make as much money as a blockbuster. It's not supposed to. It's an aquired taste. It may never hit the mainstream. Only certain people will rejoice in its unique creepiness. There were critics and audience members who hated Star Wars when it first came out, too. I enjoyed Blair immensely. I will go see it again. It's rare to find a film that actually scares me. Most slasher films make me laugh. The more blood and gore, the more I laugh. This film *CHILLED* me. It creeped me out. It made me feel cold and brittle. I walked out of the film looking at everything in a noticably different way. THAT's good film-making to me. Can the movie get under my skin? Do I feel ALTERED by the experience? If you didn't feel changed, I'm sorry you missed out on the kind of fantastic experience I had. You obviously simply have no taste for caviar. Go eat a cheeseburger.
-
A friend of mine got a copy of it on tape and I saw it a couple of weeks ago. It rocked!!
-
I can't believe these people who are reaming Blair Witch saw the same movie I did. No it wasn't "scary" the way a slasher film was scary. It was scary in the way The Postman Always Rings Twice was scary. Or that moment near the end of Night of the Living Dead when you realize the baby is going to kill her mother, and she's slowly walking across the room with the knife.. It's THAT kinda scary. Creepy chilling scary. It's not an in-your-face scary with blood spurting all over the place and severed body parts, which to me made it all the more real. When was the last time you saw a severed body part in real life right in front of you? I never have. That's just not real to me. And the messages this film is sending off are intense as well. Josh asking Heather if she keeps filming because she feels safe behind the camera. We're watching them behind the camera, aren't we? Is Josh asking Heather or is he asking you and me that question? When Heather says "it's all around us" what is she referring to? What's there? Nothing. We never see anything. Is it possible that when we're looking at the victums in this film, we're also looking at the perpetrators? Aren't these three people doing this to themselves? They didn't put the sticks and stones out there, but they're reacting to it. They're placing importance on these constructs that they don't deserve. These sticks and stones aren't even breaking bones. Why are they hurting them? And then WE watch a film and place importance when it's JUST a film. Are we not doing this to ourselves? Why do we go to the movies but to experience this? Not just Blair Witch but ANY movie. GOD! People! There's so MUCH to this film and those of you who are whining about steady cams and how cheap it was and that you weren't scared.. When was the last time you were scared by a movie? Are you THAT distanced from stimuli? Does the news no longer affect you? I think the people who missed the message of this film are the same ones who failed to enjoy it. If you were affected by Blair Witch, there's still hope for you. If you can't feel anything from this movie, your heart just isn't beating. Open your mind, blair haters. Expand your horizons a bit. Quit expecting a movie to give it all to you on a silver platter.
-
I've seen the film, and i'm really disappointed... not in the movie, which i thought was great, but in people's reactions to it. Even my gf, who usually cringes and hides her eyes from gore, said she was disappointed cuz she didn't get to see any disembowelments. It's no wonder we get so much crap like Scream and IKWYDLS... seems thats all people want any more. I think all the pre-release hype really ruined this film in some ways. This film should have been released quietly, it should have been the kinda film you heard rumors about, and eventually a few years later you happen to find a copy, and you watch it, and you never really know whether what you saw was real. Instead, lots of ppl went to this, expecting just another horror movie. They expected to see some cgi ghost running around through the woods and jumping out from behind a tree every 5 minutes. They expected perfectly focused and framed shots. Well thats not what this film is about... if thats what you want, go see the Haunting next week, plenty of cgi ghosts and cool fx, and probably not a scary or tense or creepy scene in the whole 2+ hours. Is this the scariest film ever? no not by a long shot, that still goes to the Exorcist. But this is a very creepy psychological horror film. it is NOT a monster movie or a gore film. there is not a single thing that happens in this movie that requires a supernatural explanation. The horror does not come from cheesy monsters, it comes from the psychological horror of the situation, the effects on the filmmakers, and the mystery about whats happening to them. The film doesnt answer any questions, it just raises them, and that requires some effort on the part of the viewer which the average filmgoer these days is just too lazy too expend. If youre willing to engage yourself in the film, to accept it for that hour and a half at face value and get caught up in it, and let the creepiness get to you. There are scenes in this film that will stick with you long after you've left the theater. In fact, this is one of those rare films that actually gets scarier AFTER its over, because so much takes place in your own imagination. The ending of the film is PERFECT, its a completely loose end, its very sudden and abrupt, and i suppose thats unsatisfying to people who are used to movies that tip you off that the film will be over in 10 minutes so you can wake up your ass if it fell asleep in your seat, and then proceed to wrap everything up nicely so that you can completely forget about what you just saw and walk right into the movie next door with a blank mind. This movie actually requires you to THINK about what it was you just saw, and I know that that last scene, right before the film ends, is stuck in my head like a bad Hanson song, and has already created so many possible scenarios about what took place in that scene and after. That is brilliant filmmaking, i just wish more ppl could appreciate it.
-
Well, to people who say you'll either love it or hate it...not true. I just saw it and liked it quite a bit, but didn't love it. I understand when people complain that the scary parts were few and far between. However, if one maintained that kind of tension for long periods of time, it would lose its power. It'd feel normal.
My main problem with the movie was that I found it to be too repetetive. Walk, argue, sleep, hear creepy noises, find twigs and stones outside tent in morning. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
However, when it was scary, it was SCARY. What I've found though, is that the film seems scarier after you've seen it and thought about it for a long time...moreso than when you're actually watching it. I think it's because the only parts in the movie that are truly effective are the scary ones, and those stick with you like glue. But, so much is left to your imagination that you continue to build them up and up after you've seen the movie. You start to imagine what was happening in the areas of the frame that you couldn't see. It really is a very effective way to make you take the scares home with you.
However, since the majority of the film isn't terribly effective (so very repetitive) you forget about it and only remember the scary parts. So at the end of the day, when you're lying in bed, you keep thinking about these short, intense scary parts and forget about the looooong, tedious walking around lost parts, and the films seems better than right after it ends...because at that time you still remember all the annoying parts.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the film a lot. Obviously it affected me, or I wouldn't be writing in the talkback. BUT, I must admit that it could have been more. It wasn't totally fulfilling. Even the scary parts were very similar to eack other. Almost interchangeable. But they *were* very scary. I just wish that those kids would have found something truly interesting to progress the story, expand on the Blair myth, during all that walking and shouting. Then the film would have felt a little more complete.
As it is, you pretty much get the rhythm of the piece about 35 minutes into it and know what to expect from then on because it simply keeps repeating it.
To sum up: Good movie. Pretty Scary. Won't Forget it easily. Could've been a little more satisfying. Spooky ass ending.
Mike -
Harry:
Would be very interested in hearing your comments regarding the Salon article which slammed (among others) you for giving glowing reviews BEFORE having seen a picture (Blair Witch) and for slanting your reviews for getting free perks. -
[SPOILERS AHEAD WATCH YOUR STEP] - Nihilon and Mike, I agree with some of what you're saying. I too am disappointed by the majority of people who either have seen the film or have heard about it and made up their minds before they walked in that they were going to hate it. I'm disappointed to find that the reason Hollywood keeps giving us rehashed variants on the Jason movies is because that's what the majority of the audience out there wants. They want a bad guy in a mask that you can blame. They want it tied up in a pretty bow. They want it all to make sense and in the end the bad guy is properly punished and someone survives to make the sequel. Mike you're the first I've heard to say you're so-so about the movie. It does tend to bring out the extremes in many people. You're saying the scary parts are what stand out most, and I'm getting that. I mean I agree that the movie haunts you and is scarier AFTER you leave the theater because of those moments that stick in the mind and play over again in the mind's eye, but I'm also remembering some of the least scary moments. (SPOILERS) Like the Skipper conversation and the time when they're trying to remember which Wizard of Oz witch was the bad one. The funny moments stick out in my mind. And I'm also recalling the moments where Heather reveals her inner strife and drive. People argue about how it's impossible to believe they'd keep filming as long as they do. I think we see in Heather's motivation exactly why she keeps filming. The scene where Josh is yelling at her about her motivation and brings her to tears. She's got this Captain Ahab thing going. She's got a death grip on her camera. And the scene where they find the stick figures hanging in the trees and its getting dark. You're thinking surely they should get away from this area before it gets dark but she's still filming, and the guys are yelling for her to stop filming and she's saying she's stopping she'll be right there but SHE KEEPS FILMING. Guys! You're seeing why they keep the camera rolling right there. It's her security blanket. You can almost read her mind (or surely my mind is filling in the gaps which is what this film allows so vividly). Somewhere between the scene where they lose the map and the scene where they discover it's the same log, there's a point where her spirit starts to break. She doesn't think they'll ever get home. She's hoping the films will be discovered and the truth will be told, and when she does that now famous scene where she's apologizing to her friends mothers for what she has done, you see the truth right there: she knows for certain she'll never make it home, but she has to keep filming because it's the only connection she has to the sane world she left behind. This film haunts you after its over, if you let it. It's not just the scary parts though, and it's not just "what's this movie trying to say?" What goes on through YOUR mind if you let it, is what is this movie trying to say to YOU?
-
I will say this though about the audience. At least the one I saw. They were riveted. While this movie ran, the audience was spellbound. There's a point where the screen is pitch black for more than a minute or two, and all you're hearing is the three of them as they try to listen for sounds outside their tent. I glanced around at that moment because it looked like a safe moment to do so, and observed the audience. I was the only one who looked away. The entire rest of the audience, filled to capacity, was sitting there staring at a black screen as if something visually was happening. Now THAT'S something only Hitchcock, Kubrick and maybe one or two established, living directors today could get an audience to do. Rip the show all you want, but on that one factor alone, the film proves itself to be worth the hype. There was a woman at the end of the film who was sitting behind me. The show was over and people were getting out of their seats and she was going on and on with her friends about how bad the film was and how cheaply produced and she couldn't believe people were making money with this and she repeatedly said, "I could do just as well with my camera at home." And I really wanted to spin around with a stern look and say, "yeah maybe ya COULD have but ya DIDN'T, didja bitch?" Maybe the idea isn't original. Maybe the quality sucks, which in my opinion is part of its charm. Maybe the naysayers COULD have done much better with far less, but they DIDN'T. And that's what separates the winners from the whiners.
-
What seems to affect some people's enjoyment of the movie is going in with false pretenses. Expecting it to be a movie that actually delivers the gore and fancy visuals. I find it interesting that the film alternates between black white and color. It's a movie that seems trapped between those two genres. Gone are the days of the silent movies, when Chaplin could put forks into a pair of sausages and entertain an audience with a tapdance routine. Gone are the days when the director could use chocolate syrup for blood because it flowed down the drain more ominously. The audience doesn't want creative manipulation of reality. They want fantasy laid out for them like a buffet. This film gives realism in as stark and deliberate a way as the camera can possibly do at this point in technology and so many people are snubbing their nose at it. Then they have the gaule to call people who appreciate this film snobbish. We're not flipping off ingeniuty or giving the finger to innovation. These directors took the weaknesses of most independent films and turned the tables. They made those weaknesses this films strengths. I was outside just awhile ago smoking a cigarette. I work in an industrial complex at night and it can get rather lonely and spooky, but I didn't used to think about it. Tonight, I heard a sound that I couldn't make out and I found myself staring out into the darkness, wondering what it was, and should I go investigate its' source? And then I remembered the movie.. "What was that?" I figured I was safer staying on the steps up to the building. However, that's an illusion isn't it? What makes the building any safer than the sidewalk? THAT's how this movie affects you. In little ways. It can infiltrate your day to day life. I love this movie! I'm gonna see it again!
-
hit enter again, dammit. Anyway...The naysayers can all fuck off, in my opinion. This is a movie that requires a little work, and if you're not willing to do that, don't go. It challenges you in ways that film rarely does anymore. And this movie scared the shit out of me. I've seen tons of horror films. This one is a great one, but you must be willing to believe what they show you. I'm not saying you have to think it's a true story - I'm saying let the movie take you where it wants to go. Some people make hack on the fact that the characters were still using cameras even after the shit goes down. One, they were technological security blankets in a wooded hell. Two, the cameras, at times, were the only source of illumination that they had. Everyone should go and see this. Saying it's the best horror film of the 90's may not be saying much, so, listen up. Night of the Living Dead. Evil Dead. Hellraiser. Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Blair Witch Project. That's how great it is.
-
I bought this yesterday - it has sound bites from the film, so, if you haven't seen it yet, don't get it until you do. For those who havem it is also an Enhanced CD with a scene in it, cut from the film, showing an argument from Josh, Mike, and Heather about how badly they are lost. Pretty cool.
-
From what I've heard, this Blair Witch is pretty scary stuff. EW should've put it in their little 25 scariest films of all time. It's like, they had Halloween, Exorcist, The Stepfather (a stretch IMHO), Jaws, Silence of the Lambs, the usual stuff. But what I did'nt get was naming Lost freakin' Highway one of the scariest films of all time. WTF? The only redeeming thing in that film (other than getting arquette naked, sigh) is Robert Blake as the little spooky whatever who can be in more than one one place at a time and likes to shave his eyebrows and wear makeup. This is the same movie EW panned when it originally came out! Don't get me wrong, I am a Lynch fanatic, but LH was a disappointment and is not THAT scary. Although I DID stop tailgating cars after seeing it.
-
All you guys talking about how you expected gore and $#*&...do you even know what real horror is about? It's not about fake blood, latex, scary music, and teenage girls getting knifed in the stomach. It's not about the monster you see with its jaws open ready to strike.
Back at the turn of the century, a pasty-skinned, lanky, sickly-looking man named H.P. Lovecraft knew, and scared a new generation of horror novelists into the wonders of the "unseen horror."
That's what Blair Witch is about. You don't have to see some cgi monster with blood-drenched fangs. In fact, your mind doesn't even imagine a creature when you watch this thing.
You are scared by the events themselves.
I am a fairly intelligent senior medical student and have seen much blood and gore in my real life, especially when I spent a month in the trauma center at a major regional hospital. Blood does not scare me.
The fact that I had trouble sleeping last night in the pitch black of 3 am does.
I have not been scared like that since I was three years old and afraid to sleep without the night light.
Of course, I'm not a jaded jerk like some of you make yourselves out to be either.
-
I can't believe my friends and I wasted our money on this movie. It was the stupidest movie I've ever seen. It wasn't even close to being scary, and it made my friends feel like they wanted to throw up. The whole time I was waiting for something scary to happen, and nothing really happened. Not to mention that the girl's scream was very annoying. Whatever you do, don't waste your money on this movie, you will regret it!
-
SPOILERS...Does anyone else think that Josh was the one who did the killing? Does anyone else think that the Blair Witch made him kill Heather while Mike faced the wall? Also, could that crazy old lady from the beginning *be* the Blair Witch, what with those creepy gates and all?...SPOILERS
-
This is for all those who believe Blair Witch is a dud and won't succeed. I drove from Abilene, TX. to Dallas yesterday (7-17-99) to see Blair Witch Project and Run Lola Run at the Inwood. When I arrived at 3:00 to purchase a ticket for the 5p.m. show I was un-nerved to find that the entire days shows were sold-out. The line for ticket-holders wrapped around an entire shopping centre and then some. All this from a cheap'o flick shot mostly on shaky 8mm video and a brilliant web-page tie-in. Dan Myrick and Ed Sanchez are doing SOMETHING right. I'll find out exactly what that SOMETHING is next weekend. In the meantime, I'd suggest those spewers of envious venom get dad's camcorder and try one better. Or at the very least, learn somthing about good taste and respecting the talent of those who can.
-
Jul 18, 1999 5:18:44 PM CDT
It sucked. It's exploitation crap with no redeeming values.
by markamooky
I was so looking forward to The Blair Witch Project, due to all the "buzz" from film festivals, and from Roger Ebert. I had to buy a ticket a day in advance to get to see it here in Houston. The seating line was around the block, and the theater was packed.
The movie started out well enough, but by the halfway point I was beginning to see the movie as just ... depressing. Then morbid. Then pointless. And to top it off, the movie has no conclusion. Even Alien had a point. Even The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had a satisfying conclusion. Same with Halloween.
This movie is nothing but exploitation--at or below the level of Friday the 13th. There is no sense of good versus evil, no sense of meaning. There is no depiction of human courage in the face of fear. There are just demoralizing depictions of human depravity and hopelessness.
Don't go. You're a mindless wonder if you like this movie. And you probably watch Fox's "Worlds Most Amazing Car Crashes," too. -
You're a moron. I can like anything I damn well please. And I loved Blair Witch. Kiss my ass, mongoloid leper.
-
I live in Abbotsford BC (In Canada for those without an atlas). And up here the movie won't come out till July 30th...
Anyhoo, yesterday I and 2 of my friends who have read reviews of BWP and gone to the websites saw the movie... SPoilers..............................................................................................Even though the events of this movie were completly fictious, We hadthe bejeesus scared out of us.... I agree with earlier satements... at he time I watched, the last 20 minutes or so were the only thing I found frightening... but looking back on it, and thinking about it after the movie, I have to admit that even as I write this my heart has started beating a little faster... Example... (SUPER SPOILER)...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................In the scene where heather is talking into the camera in the dark, and half the screen is black, and the other part of her face, and she is apologizing.... THAT was scary! The entire time, I was thinking "Oh God! With this shot, and the way she's speaking, something is gonna come outta the dark and get her..." And I waited , and tensed up, and was scared...THEN nothing happenned... and instead of being dissapointed... ya know what? I was relieved! IW was actually happy.. ........................................................................................................................................................................End of Super Spoiler. Anyhoo, I believe that people should see the movie, then make a decision. That's it! -
The only time I got the heebie jeebies was at the very end ******SPOILER******* When the Mike character was facing the corner and the chick gets knocked over. That was nice how him in the corner tied in to one of the townsfolk fables. Scary though? I didn't think so. I think knowing too much of the process that went into making the movie ruined the chills for me. Lots of good laughs though and definately a must see.
-
Don't be afraid to believe the hype. This is one movie that won't let you down, I promise. You will be very afraid during the movie. I couldn't cling on harder to my sister. It was the most frightening thing I've seen. And Harry's not spoiling anything. Just try to keep yourself from reading too much about it if you can. That's what I did and I don't regret it. I'm going to try and see it again. But that means another night of closing my eyes and seeing all those images! Eeek!
By the way, the movie opens nation wide July 30! -
I, too, had high hopes for this movie ever since I saw the very first trailer a few months back. Ever since then, I had called up every single friend and told them that they HAD to see this movie; that it was definitely going to be the "scariest non-gory, psychologically-freaky movie you've ever seen," because that was what I kept hearing and reading all over. Right before I left to go see it on Friday, I checked the message boards here, skipped past all the spoilers (I wanted to be surprised), and was endlessly told that this was not a "hand-me-everything-on-a-platter" kinda movie, that I would be scared by using my own imagination. Blah, blah...in essence, all the things you all have read in all the other posts. So I came, and watched. And waited for a scary part. And began to feel nauseous due to the moving camera action (which I am not complaining about; it just made me feel downright ready to puke, but I understand why they did it). And waited. Then the last scene, finally gasped for the first time, and then the movie ended. I was disappointed. Now, I was ready and gearing to see what was deemed "scary as hell" and I am the easiest person to scare (my little cousin freaks me out just by going "boo!") but I came out unfulfilled. I was not expecting anything near a Scream or other slasher flick (I hate those movies), and I tried my damndest to get scared, but I couldn't. I yawned a couple of times even. The movie is like the Real World in some aspects: about five minutes of real action, but the rest of the time is just listening to teens gripe and moan. I think that those that thought this movie was "friggin' scary" are kind of telling yourselves that it is. It's like when you give some naive kids aspirin and tell them it's really "good stuff," and then watch and giggle as they take it and start going on about "Hey man, I feel it! This is some good shit!" They think that they are getting a reaction, when in actuality, they are just telling themselves they are. In the theater, I saw people gasp and look in terror when the actors were just walking and looking at the rocks for the first time. Please! I think those are probably people who have been told endlessly that they are going to be freaked out at every turn, and so, in essence, cause themselves to do so, when in any other movie, they would have been yawning too. Of course, these people will tell you that they aren't like that; that they DO feel it; that they are great indie movie watchers, and that it is the "mainstream" that just doesn't get it. And what can I say to that? Sure. That's your opinion. If you were really truly freaked in this movie, more power to you. But I believe the majority of the people out there who saw this movie and are honest to themselves will tell you that, although it wasn't a bad movie ( I thought the ending was great, and that it had a couple of redeeming qualities), it does not live up to all of its glowing reviews. But that is for each individual to determine, what has been stated is only my opinion, and I could be wrong. :)
-
Hats off to ZACHSMIND. I'm with ya bro! Anyone dissing TBWP and feeling "ripped off" should step back a bit. You wanna know why you feel ripped?...Because it costs so damn much to make something that you bozos think is "scary". (Hey! you want 6,000 gals of fake blood spilled in front of a camera? Well, that's gonna cost ya $20 a pint...and if it's supposed to look real, then we'll need to hire the top expert bloospiller, bringing us to $150 per pint. And of course it could all get edited out anyway by tax-payer-funded decency and anti-violence bureacracies.)
Please people! TBWP is much more than blood and gore. And if you saw it b/c you thought the story was real, you couldn't possibly think you were going to see a witch! The supernatural doesn't work that way.
TBWP is designed to play with your mind. To get at your worst fears. Ask yourselves when the best time to tell a ghost story is...in those dark and creepy situations where your mind can play tricks and your imagination can run wild. right? Don't any of you remember doing "Bloody Mary" sessions in mom's closet? There's no interpretation. It's in your head...a direct feed from your psyche. That's Blair Witch.
My wife went, thinking it was a real story and left the theater disappointed ( to my surprise and dismay). But when I went to band practice and left her in the house by herself to take a nap, the sun set and low and behold! She had trouble with that nap--even knowing the movie and all was made-up. She didn't catch a wink in the comforts of her own home. That right there is worth $7.50. I came home later that eve and she was going out. I chose to stay in. At 'round 1am, I tried to get some sleep myself. No luck. I tossed and turned until my wife came home. And when she DID enter our darkened bedroom later that night, I had to call her name in a loud, commanding (almost desperate) voice, making sure it was her. These people shouldn't get so jumpy about dissing this film. They may not feel the reaction right away. It could get them later. When you're alone and uncertain. When your uncontrollable imagination has its way with you. If it doesn't in the theater, it will later. Trust me. I know it's fake and my hair is rising just typing this message and thinking about the aweful tricks my imagination played on me the other night.
I saw the Sci-Fi documentary first. Stumbled on it actually. It scared the hell out of me and sent me on a desparate search to find out more. In my quest, I found out the truth. But it didn't ruin the film experience for me or stop me from fighting my way into the Ritz 5 in Philly to see it opening weekend. This movie stays with you when you really wish it would just go away (that's a good thing, by the way). I can't say that about any other film I've ever seen. $7.50? Shit, I can cover that.
-
Hi,
I just finished reading everyone's review/comment about the Blair Witch Project. Yes, the movie is based on FACTS. You can check out the documentaries on the sci-fi channel. Of course the general public is going to assume that this is all a hoax, a joke, whatever. Everyone is a skeptic, until something happens to them: that's when they'll believe.
Just like Joshua and Michael, both SKEPTIC as hell in the actual footage. Heather somewhat believed in it, but she needed proof. Check out http://www.blairwitch.com for more info. It has hidden links so click on every picture you see. Now, after seeing and hearing that, do you really trhink it's all a hoax? I think not. Also, check out the sci-fi web site, of course they're gonna put this on the sci-fi channel (because they don't believe it or can't explain it).
http://www.scifi.com and click on the Blair Witch Project, there is a link (I think it's http://www.scifi.com/blairwitch/ )in there where you can actually hear the real voice (a clip frm the real audio) of Heather Donahue scared to death....I really don't think that's acting...do you?
Where are the students now? Do you think they'll go through all that trouble just to get an "A" on their project, but not turn the project in? People in this world still don't get it. You can even go back all the way to ancient times, the Bible, and even today. There's evil and there is good in this world. We humans are in between both of these worlds. Our ancestors have been trying to pass on the "idea" or "actual experience" of what's out there. I really don't believe that only "humans" exsist. We are not alone. I believe that we are just a "physical" being on this planet, but there's a lot more going on out there. The "witch" or "spirit" or "ghost", or whatever you want to call it, is not human...it is from the evil side.
Just because you can't "see" it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Have you seen a million dollars? Have you seen God? Have you ever seen the other side of the color spectrum, you know, the ones we can't "see"?
There are SO MANY STRANGE things in this world that has lead me to my conclusion and own opinion. Think about it for yourself. Do you really think strange things that happen on this planet are coincidences? paranormal? afterlife? who knows. We can only "assume" what's out there...or we can "see" for ourselves the experiences of other people or facts of things that happen. Of course you'll have a couple of weirdos who want to become famous for exaggerating some experience they had, or have they exaggerated?
Like I said before, everyone is a skeptic, until something happens to them...then it will be too late...that's exactly what happened to the three filmakers.
So, to everyone out there that had the patience to read this comment, thank you.
Remember, sometimes you got to open your mind a little. "It's like a finger pointing to the moon...don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all the heavenly glory." -
I think the reason why the Blair Witch Project has so many different views is because those who do indeed get scared, somewhat believe or are indecisive about what actually happened in the woods. The others, well of course, are skeptics, and think that this is just one of those "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Friday the 13th," and "House 1,2,3,etc." movies.
NO!! This is not the case! The CASE is that the movie is based on what Heather, Michael, and Joshua recorded from their cameras. It is not intended for gore and killings, and that other crap. This movie is based on the FACTS or evidence of what they have. They are working on things that the HAVE, not what they think happened or would like to have happened. So for those of you who want to see gore and all that, rent all of the "FACES OF DEATH" and then see if you can be normal for a day. Oh and in case you thought that these are hoaxes also, they are REAL. -
Hey people!! I can't wait to see THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, and I will have to wait more than other people, is so unfair!!!!!!!!!!! I don't live in the US!!!! Anyone knows if it is ever gonna be released on Mexico?!?!?! I NEED to know!!! By the way, is the whole movie a real story, or it's just based on something that happenned???? I've seen www.blairwitch.com and everything said in there sounds if it is all real...PLEASE E-MAIL ME OR SOMETHING!! I need to know so bad!
I wouldn't forgive myself of not seeing TBWP...I'm already scared to death!!! I'd be glad if I get an answer!!!!!!! -
OK!!!!
Maybe I wasn't clear the first time!!! My previous posts are SIMPLY EXPLAINING the BACKGROUND of the MOVIE's LEGENDS...What I was talking about is the IDEA, BELIEF, and THINKING about what's REALLY OUT THERE!!!!!!!! I was using the parts of the movie and web sites to explain what's in this REAL WORLD as an example!!!!
SORRY FOR ALL THE CONFUSION!!!!! -
Is 'The Blair Witch Project' better than X or Y? Scary or creepy? Who knows? Everyone will respond differently; "Your mileage may vary"; and frankly it HAS been hyped to heaven. But I only know that it haunted ME, much more later than during or immediately after. The final image of the film was the most disturbing movie ending I've seen in longer than I can remember. Its not the image itself, of course: that's just a figure in a corner. But digesting the implications of that shot sent chills down my spine, and I love that so many people can have so many different reactions and interpretations of it. // The part about BWP that I find amusing is the extreme nature of people's reactions to it. When in the last 20 years has a horror movie elicited such hysteria on all sides? (imagine people getting so worked up about the latest dead-coed crap). The sad thing is, Hollywood doesn't get any of this. This month alone we'll be graced with a killer croc (Lake Flaccid); killer shark (Deep Blue Jaws); and killer house (The CGI Haunting). Even by Internet standards, its hard to imagine any of these big-budget bloatathons generating so much discussion as BWP. And why? These movies aren't horror: they're entertainment, or at least that's what they're supposed to be. Cue the spooky strings and cut to the babe-chase: we already know how it ends. Here's a clue, DreamWorks: $50M worth of FX can't frighten us as effectively as a noise in the dark, coming from a source we can't see and don't really want to. // As a long-time horror fan, one name I'll drop is the great British horror writer Ramsey Campbell, because he does such a brilliant job at cranking up the tension simply by implying something terrible from images of the mundane, and leaving it to the interpretation of the reader. Why bring this up? It occured to me, a day after seeing Blair Witch Project, that if Campbell wrote a short story about a camping trip that descends into madness, BWP would be the film of it. // Are they just sticks and stones? Noises in the dark? Handprints? Sure. Its just a movie. But for some of us (admittedly willing to suspend disbelief and just go with it) its a link to the place beyond reason, where we can still feel primal fears that make no sense if we try to examine them in sunlight. // BWP is a film with flaws: but after the 'Screams' and the 'Summers' that clog the dodecaplexes every year, I'm more than willing to give it some credit. So let the flames begin.
-
very interesting movie. I saw it with 3 friends of mine at about 10PM. I wont go into details of the plot or anything, but I really wasn't that scared. Some acting was a little weak. Everyone agreed that Heather got on their nerves. The end is prolly the scariest part. When it ended I was like, "Well, that wasn't so bad!" I thought I was gonna have the shit scared outta me. THEN I TRIED TO GO TO SLEEP. I live by myself in an apartment complex right next to the woods. My bed is right up against a big window on the bottom floor of my place. I got in bed (after making sure no one else was creeping around my place) and attempted to go to sleep.
"whatwasthat?....oh nuthing...."
(attempt at sleep #2)
"ummm...."
(attempt at sleep #3)
"are those footsteps?....nahhh"
PEOPLE! I WAS UP FOR 3 HOURS THINKING ABOUT THIS MOVIE!!!!
It's not going to hit you at first, but you'll be thinking about it a while later. Just try and go to sleep BY YOURSELF! hehe
-
I don't mean to piss on everyone's parade -- but Blair Witch is not very good. It's amateur hour and the first 60 minutes are some of the most boring footage I've had to sit through since my Aunt Rose's barmitzvah footage.
Scary is Excorcist.
Blair Witch is an interesting concept, poorly done. Nothing more than an avalanche of Hype.
-
HELLOOOOOOOOOO! PEOPLE, Really now, do you think this movie is real, that this is actually the footage supposedly found out in the woods burried underneath a hundred year old foundation. Yeah Right! Has anyone been to the sundance fim festival site, browsing the photo diaries under the Ed Sanchez and Dan Myrick section. Can anyone say HI HEATHER! Please people she was a hired actress, she is in a photo with Josh and Dan and Ed, after she was reported as "missing". By the way, I saw "The Blair Witch Project", even though it is not 100% real, it scared the living daylights out of me, so far I haven't been able to sleep for two nights without the lights on. The fear is 110% real. You gotta see it, no question...
-
Alina555, I'm openminded enough to see the logic of your analysis, but I still have to disagree. I was scared by the documentary I stumbled across (the first airing on Sci-Fi), not the reviews I read here at AICN. And the documentary didn't tell me I was going to be scared to death by the movie, either. The crafted legend and eerie timeline did. I hadn't heard of TBWP before that, but wanted nothing else but to experience it myself and see what was up. I'm glad I did.
Roger Ebert gave this film a high rating. Not that I'm a big fan of the recently-estranged fat dude, but he's got SOME credibility in reviewer's circles. With all do respect: Do you think he convinced himself he was scared? I don't. I think he probably went home and tried to go to sleep. Then he wrote his review...the next morning, of course, in the safety of the day's sunlight. :-)
-
"Blair" is so bad, that I can easily say it is personally one of the worst films of all time.
Could someone please give me a GOOD and INTELLIGENT reason why this high school video weekend trash not only gets into the Sundance film festival, but also is also sold for a million plus???
American movies has gone to the shits. -
I am 20 years old, and I have lived my entire life in the Baltimore, MD area, about an hour east of Burkittsville, MD. I can assure everyone that the Blair Witch Project, while it may be a nice scarry ghost story, is NOT TRUE. If 3 college students ever did disappear in 1994, the local news would have been all over it like flies of s**t. Especially if they had recovered their footage in 1995! But there was never anything on the local news in 1994 or in 1995 about any college kids disappearing into the Black Hills Forest in Burkittsville, MD. In fact, to my knowledge, there is no such thing as the Black Hills Forest in Burkittsville, MD!!! Don't get me wrong, I still want to see the movie, but for all you "current believers", don't get all scared that some witch will "get you my pretty, and your little dog too!"...because the story is not true.
-
I downloaded a copy of this film from alt.binaries.movies newsgroup.
It wasn't scary at all. You have to applaud the concept, and the fact that the filmakers were able to put together a watchable film on such a low budget. But it just wasn't scary at all. The female in the film was annoying and looked like a she belonged in the special olympics. I could always tell they were acting.
I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that in the film the three film students are basically going around in circles for a few days and they're getting cranky and scared. That is pretty much what you'll see.
I can predict that the people who see it in the theaters will walk out of the film saying WTF? Why did I pay eight bucks to see this flick. yawn. You'll see. -
I havent seen the blair witch project yet, and not so sure if i want to!! After reading your reviews i had a second thought on if i want to or not!!Im in love with horror movies, so waiting for this one to come to theaters here makes it all more the interesting!I do not want to wait for it to come out on video, i want to goto the theater so at least ill be watching it with more people then me, myself, and I!Everyone seems to have a lot of dif oppinions on this movie, so ill let u know mine as sooooon as it comes out in my town :)
buhbye -
Ok, I have seen this movie once. Just the other day 24JUL99, I read in The Arizona New Times paper, an interview with the filmakers (not the actors). They both agree that the film is all fiction, and the mythology is all fiction. They also admit, that the actors in film were left "out almost on there own" while they were scared by other members of the production crew. So, in a way, it is acting, but in a way it is also real.
-
I think the body in the last scene is hanging. I swear that I saw a noose in the house at the beginning of the scene. I remember I was going to lean over to my friend and say something about it, but I was too into the movie to do it. So, anyway I think that he was definately hanging.
-
I watch the movie and questions jusk like everyone esle. Is this real, if it was then why the heck were they running around with two cameras at the end? I would have picth up some big stick or something. But back to my point i had to sit throught the closing credits, and i thought it said at the last credit that the "whole movie was fiction and none of the 3 people were real people" if anyone else saw this, so i can make sure i'm not going insane.
-
i'm beginning to think that there is a conspiracy with artisan and all the bootleg versions of the movie TBWP out there...but anyway i saw the movie and i am still shaking, but dont believe me or anyone else SEE IT 4 YOURSELF1!.when i saw the movie with some friends of mine we sat through the credits and as with any film it says...this film is fictitious and any similarities with actual people, events or places is purley coincidental...dont believe me..see the movie, sit through the credits and see for yourself..that will answer the "is it real" question once and for all. and for all the people hell bent on believing that this really happened...get a reality check!!! apperently someone out there wants to make this bad boy an urban legend, and will tell absolutely any and everyone that this sh** really went down, when in fact it didnt.think for a sec, if you've read at least 10 of these messages in this forum then you've probably heard references to another movie called the last broadcast, which some people are saying TBWP ripped off of, how can you rip off a true story, all that stuff on the web site is backdrop for the movie, none of it is real..the guys who made the movie are talking about sequel, how can you ake a sequel to a true event!!!, in short i hope all you out there can discern for yourselves now that this movie is just that - a movie ( a damn scary movie that seems real, but isnt)
-
I just don't get it. Believe me, I actually was dying to just like it-not love it. It's been years since I've seen a truly mind warping scary flick (Shining, Damien, etc...) I had never looked so forward to a movie in quite some time. Went to a premiere out here on the W-coast and walked out feeling as if I had been made a fool of. You can give someone an x-mas present and wrap it up in $1000 worth of paper to make it look good, but if what's inside is a pile of dog crap-that's what the recipient will always remember-I'll remember the dog crap. When this movie was over, as the final scene dimmed-almost in a strange sync-numerous people in the theater screamed "Are you f-ing kidding-was that it!!!!" My feelings exaclty. Ok-kids get nosy, get lost, scream at each other, and then die. Each had their turn at being the object of the other two's frustration-cornball writing. The package is selling this movie-Like I said, trust me, I was so eagerly waiting to see this movie deliver - just remember what was inside the $1000 wrapping.
jl -
I saw the Blair Witch Project after standing in line for an hour. I was intrigued by all of these reviews which raved about "it was the scariest movie I've ever seen in my life". Uhhhh,
no. What a load of crap. The movie does a good job of setting you up for a scare that never comes. I mean for god's sake, all they had to do was hire a 99 year old little lady with ratty hair to stand in the woods and I would have probably shit my pants. But nothing like that happened. All we got was some screams
from a guy off camera, and a bunch of headache-inducing, twitchy camera work. Well, we had that and 3 MTV Real-worlders who, upon losing their only chance at escape (map) start shouting "that is
like so totally NOT cool". It should have been called "High School Film Project". What a freaking let down. The reason it is getting so much run is
because everyone of us has a really scarey woods story about "that one time we were camping and we heard some stuff, I swear". It's just nobody ever put it on film until now. Don't stick around for the finale, there isn't one. "Wait, I have an idea on how to end the film, you hit the wall and I'll drop
the camera."...dumb. I also saw a theatre-load of people who couldn't believe that this movie had gotten so much hype. If films like this are winning Sundance awards, maybe we should take a secind look at Sundance, and where filmmaking stands today. -
I've been a horror fanatic all of my life. Ever since the first time I saw Michael Myers slowly walk after Jamie Lee Curtis and have that emotionless mask, I have engulfed myself in horror films galore. Needless to say, many if not most horror flicks do not fulfill the appetite that one develops from watching these movies for that special thrill from seeing it that keeps you up for weeks and haunts your memory forever. Horror movies have rarely hit this emotional high with me. The closest thing was after seeing Texas Chainsaw Massacre and hearing that it actually happened. Being a native Texan this is something that gave me a pretty good scare to know that had I been around during that time in Texas, I seriously had to worry about stumbling across a house where a family of mass murderers killed people with chainsaws for a hobby. Other than that, I don't believe I have ever actually been scared of a movie. Of course you get the occasional jump when the killer pops out and kills some sex driven teenager or the pessimistic nerdboy. Unfortunately, this is about all that horror movies have done in the past 25 years or so. There are movies like Exorcist and possibly Omen where you really get chills afterward and the thought of the movie bothers you for a few days, but never have I seen a movie that actually made me stay up all night because I heard my house settling and I confused it with the evil prescense from the movie. Never had I been so distraught for days after a movie to the point where I look over my shoulder continuously any time I am in the dark. Never had I been so involved with the characters to the point where I was devastated when they died and refused to accept their death (sorry if I ruined anything for ya, but hey, you were told not to read these till after u saw the movie) That is, I didn't until this past week when I saw Blair Witch Project.
This movie has completely revolutionized what we know to be scary. I saw this movie and two days later saw the Haunting. I jumped a few times in Haunting and came out so utterly disappointed not because it sucked (which it did) but because I had found a new type of fear that completely surpassed what I had ever known before. BWP is the most original movie I have ever seen and I have seen my share. As an aspiring filmmaker, I strive to write movies as creative as this and come far short despite my creativity.
First of the things that make this movie so great is that the actors carry the camera; no crew, no directors analyzing each take, just the actors and two cameras they operate themselves. With them shooting the movie, it gives you a feel as though you are actually one of the kids lost in the woods getting chased by the things that go bump in the night. This is an angle I have never seen in any type of movie except for one "real" movie where a family is abducted by aliens on Thanksgiving and the camcorder just happened to be rolling the entire time. Other than that, I don't believe this technique has ever been used professionally and yet these guys pull it off wonderfully.
Secondly, the actors adlib the majority of the movie. From what I have heard from the directors, they told the actors a brief synopsis of each day's happenings and how each of them should react. Beyond that, the actors truly acted. They just made conversation and talked as they would in any normal situation where you are looking for a witch in a haunted forest. As a matter of fact, the directors went as far as to not even let the actors meet before the movie and also to even scare them on occasion from the woods without telling them beforehand that they would be doing so (that's what the children screaming was). This was probably the best touch of them all. Letting the actors "act".
Thirdly, the entire movie is an incline towards the next scene. I remember while watching it you would have the night scene and get a little spooked, then it would be day and you were wondering what was going to happen that night, then that night would be scarier than the one before it and so on and so on until the final night when, no matter what you thought going into the movie, you are scared for these kids and you know that something horrible is going to happen to them and you have to sit there knowing the horrible fate the looms on them. The anticipation for the final scene was enough to pay for the movie because I have never felt so strongly about characters before this.
Speaking of anitcipation, this is also another area of the film that totally made the movie worthwile. I had never heard of the movie until I saw it's poster one day in a local multiplex and noticed the website at the bottom. Apparently, this is how most people found out about the movie was by going to the website(s). This page made me a believer as soon as I saw it and began reading the about the history of the Blair Witch. After finding out about this I felt all of my friends HAD to know about what had happened and how they HAD to see this movie. This is how most of the advertising was done and it worked tremendously. I went to a nearby theatre that had a special screening of it a day in advance for tickets and found that they had sold out days in advance! And yet not a single trailer on the movie previews or on tv until this week! I have never seen a movie pull off this kind of anticipation with little to no advertising. It simply boggles the mind.
But above all of these is the thing that still keeps me up at night. Not that the movie seemed so real, not that you get attached to the actors because they "act", not because I waited so long to see it and came out satisfied. The thing that bothers me the most is that you never see the evil prescense. With the actors holding the camera, they always turn the camera just a little too late to see anything. In the tent scene you see the tent being jossled and the camera never looks back to see what was moving the tent. And especially in the final scene when the camera looks at Josh standing in the corner facing the wall and the Heather stands still and is killed without ever seeing the killer's face. That was what haunts me to this day and will for a long time.
For my final word I will just say that this is best horror film I have ever seen bar none and is by far my favorite amateur movie of all time. Sanchez and Myrick have produced a type of fear in all of BWP's viewers that will never be forgotten. The only downfall is that they now have the obstacle of having to make another movie that probably won't be able to even approach BWP. However, I wish them the best of luck at their attempt. In any case, I look forward to it.
p.s. sorry for the length of this review, but so many aspects of this movie were spectacular and needed to be spoken for.
p.s. if you have a friend who still doesn't know it's fake, don't tell them. Keep them as far away from the truth as possible. You and they both won't regret it. -
The Blair Witch Project is not a true story, nor is it based on one. This is something that you quickly realize after seeing it. However, real or not, it is clever and it is scary. True...the camera work is not good but the point is--it isn't supposed to be. It is a mockumentary, so it is supposed to look real. The actors are very good, but they are also scared because they don't really know exactly what they are doing in the woods and their script is limited leaving much of their fear genuine. I don't see how you can be angry about this movie. For those of you that are pissed off, is it because you believed the story and are mad you were tricked? Nobody swore that the events were true. The websites about it are set up to look real, but they do not give any resources for their research--just "facts" with no backup. Any person with half of an education could quickly figure out that the website is fake. However, is the website not a smart idea? After seeing the movie, questions begin to arise--what better place to research than the internet!??! Most searches lead you directly to the "official webpage of the Blair Witch Project" It is smart, it will make a good amount of money. The movie is not a spin-off or a hoax or a scam to get your money. Never once did I see or hear.. "The events in this movie are true and serious. All of this really happened. You must believe what you see". It sets you up to make what you want out of the movie. Don't take it so seriously-nobody said you have to believe anything. You choose whether or not to believe what happens in the movie is true. Regardless, the movie is spooky and the scenes leave you thinking. It's better than the same old same old blood and gore. Who says different is bad?
-
I found the Blair Witch!!! Go Here!
-
I found the Blair Witch!!! Go Here!
-
GRRRR...Doesn't support HTML!
I found the Blair Witch!!! http://automedia.com/coyote.html#COYOTE -
so a bunch of guys made a movie out of their own pockets. They come up with a great premise, film it for nothing, and get picked up by a distributor who pays them pretty well for the project. And i hear some fanboys complaining that the film quality wasn't so great?
God, Shut UP. Have you ever made a feature length film? No? well I have. we had a crew of 8 and a filming schedule that depended on how much cash we had in our pockets. We shot it on 16 mm film ends because that's what we could afford. We had Actors who would push our shooting times back because makeup couldn't keep them in the chairs for more than five minutes at a time. and the extras! gah!
But it's a great experience making a movie. even though the producer ran off with the cans and none of the rest of us stiffs has seen a cent of our deferred payment... it's still GREAT work. Ask anybody who's done it. they'll bitch and squeal, but in the end it's just a great job.
And these guys made a million bucks off their idea? Well hats off to 'em. Awesome. terrific. The movie must be something really special to make an international release on low quality film and a shortage of high ticket filming equipment. Hope they make another one and they shoot it on 35 and pump another bullet into the stangnant heart of hollywood schlockfilm.
Fight the power. I got a movie to go see. -
If you lived here, you would understand the ultimate meaning of the word "bullshit". I live smack in the middle of the bible belt, so this movie, given the critics and reviews, is either "not fit for the standards of the community", or "really not that big at all...its just media hype". I don't know if you remember this, but there was a shooting at Heath High School in Paducah, Ky...well, I live here. This particular shooting left three dead...and because of this, "protection for the children" crap was invoked. I spoke to a woman who works at the local theater, and when asked about the movie, her reply was simply "...we cannot promise anything, but we 'hope' the movie will come out soon" which is all political bullshit. Personally, I think this is taking it a little too far. All I have is either A)the ability to drive somewhere else that is showing it, or B)visit websites like this one and hear from everyone else how the movie was. One more time..."THIS IS ALL A LOAD OF BULLSHIT!"
-
Well, I really, really wanted the stories about BWP to be true. But, if any of you haven't figured out that it's a Hollywood hoax, just go to Haxan.Com. There, under News, you will find details of the filming and the actors' trip to the Sundance Festival. True, this was a great idea and I'm sure it's executed well. On the other hand, I was really annoyed when I found out the background was all made up. I've yet to figure out the true intentions of Artisan, to fool us all and tell us the truth later, or just to give everyone something to talk about. I hope it was the latter, or I've really lost faith in the movie industry. Too bad the "big guys" have overshadowed, in my mind anyways, the value of an independent filmmaker's masterpiece.
-
Are there any screens showing tbwp in Eastern NC?..I am in Jacksonville, and I dont think our backwoods ass town will have it. Any help would be appreciated
-
is the blairwitch project a true story. are the students really missing?
-
You fuckers are really pissing me off. if you don't like this movie you are a fucking IDIOT! Well sir I don't like this movie so I to am an IDIOT! many people said that this film was to be enjoyed in the mind. If that means that I have to supply my own scare, then fuck that shit too. And don't say that I dont have a fucking imagination cause I do. I am a goddamned animation artist. I can even scare myself too. Want to know what scares me? when I see a figure bobbing up and down in my darkened car just as I am about to get into it. And want to know whats even scarier.Finding out that that bobbing figure is a person who is trying to steal your car. Thats fucking scary! A real person fucking with you is scary cause when was the last time a ghost shook your hand.
And another thing,Someone posted that this was cine verite-something like a documantary
and we were seeing people as they would be in true life, and a steadycam
would be out of place. I have seen two documentaries that stuck with
me-Hoop Dreams and Crumb. They are true life. They both use steadycams
and they don't suck.Good bye, From Idiot to the FUCKING MORONNS!I guess now you know I hate that fucking piece of turkey shit film TBWP.Or are you idiots thinking in your own mind that I really enjoyed this highschool toilet paper roll. -
I finally get to see the movie tomorrow, and my greatest fear is that I have heard so many people say its the scariest movie they've ever seen that it won't be able to meet my expectations.
-
I am pissed off about this film now. For some reason, I think you
will listen to me, even though your trashing of critcism of this movie consists of a lot of swear words, backed up by a little substance. Please be aware that it is still Thursday evening, one night before that this gets released to general theatres. It was still in "art houses" when I
saw it Tuesday. Also, please do not take this personal in any way.
But you must know something.......this movie is not very good.....But the marketing is great!
The movie is VERY good creating suspense and a dreadful feeling for the first hour or so. On the first and even second night in the tent, I was basically shitting my pants for the trio. My magination was easily freed to accept anything by that point. I love to let it go and accept the fact of the supernatural for a good
scary movie. For me, this was the best possibilty because of the
documentary affect. Real real real !!!!
But what really happens to this film, sorry to say, is that the
characters become unreal to me because they are just so dumb, and they make decisions so awfully at odds with real human nature. I went in to this movie knowing nothing about it. I thought for awhile it may be a true story. Really scary, then. But when the trio didn't have the sense to: abandon the compass after learning they A) were incompetent to use it, or B) a supernatural force rendered it useless; kept camping night after night with no food and a panic-fear of a witch (or whatever) that did things only at night, even though they had plenty of flashlight and batteries to keep walking; couldn't even suggest the idea to follow the creek which was in almost every scene, downstream to a road (which is never far in any mid-Atlantic state).
All of you supporters can say "the stress, or the witch, or some
geophysical phenonenon made these people act this way - open your mind you unimaginative fuck!"
But here is the truth. The film was meant to be really scary by using the documentary format to make it very "real". But the stupidity of the characters and their actions give it away as a fake about 30 minutes before the end. This format could only work if the characters had more
intelligence and inner strength. I think the actors did a good job.
The directors are the arrogant morons. I bet any of you they are not able to read a topographic map or operate a compass, or have spent any significant time in the woods at all. And, in their arrogance, they thought menial knowledge like that was not important in making a really scary
movie. Its good enough to them to make snide comments about the lack of creativity of rednecks. This is a perfect film for mainstream critics because it insinuates the characters to have a higher level of being than Joe (Redneck) Sixpack. Speak all the trendy lines, yet have no real knowledge or common sense, and be arrogantly oblivious to everything of meaning.
Many of you speak of the realism of this silly movie, and in the next sentence say you must use your imagination to make it work. Which is it?
A documentary challenges nobody to use their imagination.
-
I've read all these comments and am wondering... aren't there any college students out there? Just do your own research on the thing. That's what I did. I contacted the University of Maryland and I'm sorry to report, to all you who want to believe, that the film IS A HOAX. Here's a direct quote form the Anthropology Department at U. of M.: "The movie is ficticious. The Anthropology Dept. at the Univ. of Maryland has never done such dig, nor do we have knowledge of another location of a Univ. of
Md. Anthropology Dept being a part of such a dig. It's a hoax." So there it is. The U. of M. NEVER took place in such a dig. Now enough of this hysteria! Enjoy the film for what it is... a work of fiction.
-
who knows what evil lurks in jerks??? the smerkin' shadow knows!!![ouija-one] layp@prontomail.com
-
I'm a bit suprised by all of the extremism towards this movie (or any movie for that matter). It seems some were "duped into the hype surrounding" the movie, while others were "absorbed into the Blair Witch Experience".
No matter what you call it, you must agree that it's marketing genius on behalf of all parties involved. It made a name for itself as a factual piece of journalism months ago. Even it's listing on the IMDB used to have the stars listed as "missing and presumed dead".
Anyway, it does appeal to a select audience and some people just won't "get it". Those who don't "get it" tend to get defensive and say that those who do get it are "freaks", while us freaks tend to call those who don't get it "morons". Whatever happened to "To Each His Own"? Why do those who didn't like the movie have to go out of their way to try to break it down, and conversely, why do the "fanatics" have to shove meaning down the throats of others?
Oh well.
One interesting thing I don't know if anyone has touched on. The name of the Blair Witch (from the web page, the Blair Witch was known as Elly Kedward) seems to be a kind of flip flop of the name of the Devil worshipper in "Angel Heart", whose alias was "Edward Kelly". I wonder if the film makers did this intentionally.
-
Jul 30, 1999 2:05:56 PM CDT
It could never have made it this far if not passed out as truth
by caramy
I was very intrigued by the movie and so very interested in seeing it. I think that you all (the directors) had great vision and for a small company with no name actors, it was excellent and just what the movie needed to make audiences believe it was real, but I feel pretty cheated. I think that the biggest draw of the movie, and the reason people have come by the masses, is the idea that all this is true. It IS misleading and false. For a true story, well there is no movie that could be better, and for such a small budget and the imagination used to put the film together, well there I have to give kudos too, but that it was sold as though it were authentic, that you went to such great lengths to make it so is quit disheartening to me. It was such a great disappointment to find out it was a false and made-up. You have to know that what makes people want to see an independent film such as The Blair Witch Project would be and was the possibility of its validity. Do you believe that if you had not used the clever advertisement...no the brilliant way you have advertised, to pump up the film it would be as wildly successful as it is and will be? This film was in so many ways so very brilliant and yet I feel more cheated then I ever have by watching any other big Hollywood produced movie. At least with them, I ALWAYS knew it was a hoax. It is almost disgusting how far you all went, but then human nature tells me not to judge. Who is to say, that given the vision and talent you all have, I might not have thought or done the same. I hope not because you all have worked to deceive the public, but that is only my humble opinion. Good luck and much success. Even with my misgivings, it scared the bejesus out of me, but truly only because I thought it true.
-
THIS MOVIE SUUUUUUCKED! IT'S VER OVER RATED!
-
I enjoyed the movie very much and I think the reason I enjoyed it as much as I did was because I thought it was a true story. I thought I was seeing what really happened to these 3 young adults. Im sorry to break it to everyone, but all I have been doing all day is researching this and its a HOAK!!!! It sucks but it is!! It never happened and it makes sense dont you think that if it were true that you wouldve heard about it before the movie, and it would say that it was a true story but its not, but I will admit that the producers of the film have put alot and i mean ALOT of over time into this film and of getting everyones attention....they concrenly got mine!@!@
-
I just heard about T.B.W.P. a couple weeks ago when I was fliping through the channels and I had seen the AD for the movie on TV,but I didn't pay much attention to it.Then a few seconds later I turned to the SCI-FI channel and seen they had this special on called:"The Curse of the Blair Witch" and it was just starting so I said what the hell maybe this will be pretty cool so I watched it.It's about the Legacy of The Blair Witch and also talks about the 3 students and shows a few scenes of thier footage.I found myself instantly sucked into the whole story.My mind wouldn't stop asking questions,I became so intrested in it. It came out today,but I couldn't go 2night,I had to work,but tomorrow night I'm going to go.I read some of the stuff you NON-BELIEVERS wrote and I don't know cause I haven't seen it yet,but from what I have seen it looks scary as HELL.My Dad went and seen it 2night and he said it was really Scary and Intense.And to you NON-BELIEVERS
If the whole story so fake then where in the fuck are those 3 students?HUH? it's not like they just dropped that awesome footage and ran away to Canada.Those 3 people are dead somewhere and your going talk shit about thier film.If you think the whole thing is BS then why don't you and 2 of your friends go film a documentary on the Blair Witch in those same woods that those students went into and lets see if you come back alive?Anywayz! When I see it I'll give you'll my review. Later,
-hondaCR_rider -
For all of you are are claiming this is a fake, before you have even seen the movie (HELLO!) or for those of you simply wondering if it is based on actual events, why don't you go to your local library and pull up old newspaper articles???? If these 3 disappeared in Maryland, it would certainly have made their city's headlines. Check it out...or are you too scared???????????????
-
Damn, sent it twice, won't be nearly as effective.
So where are they? Try Leno, Heather Donohue will be on the Tonight Show on August 5.
I hope you were only kidding, because I'd hate to live in your little head where this stuff is real...
Some people have sucked this up pretty good. The filmakers have mentioned at EVERY chance that this is very inventive fiction, but that don't stop the boneheads.
-
Even though you do apologize, you still have a very condescending attitude towards those who do not like the film.
First off let me say that I think this was a brilliant idea for a movie. A new way to tell stories in this medium is always a welcome change. Also, the improv was very good between the actors, they didn't seem like they were bullshitting at all and putting up fake emotions. I really appreciated that, especially in this day in age where it seems most actors are forcing emotions that aren't there. But, despite these attributes the movie, in my opinion, failed.
First off, if these people were so intent of getting out of there, they would have dropped all the damn gear. Anyone knows you'll move ten times faster not lugging shit on your back. And, I know are going to say that the students were too afraid of having to pay all those damages, but let's be realistic when your cold, lost, and hungray you're not going to give a happy damn about a fucking DAT recorder. Second, the story became really predictable once they found that house (BTW obviously not 1940's or prior in accordance witht he legend). As soon as I saw that and heard Josh screaming I was thinking, "Let me guess, it's coming from the basement, because that's where the old man killed the children." Third on my hit list was some of the editing. On about the fourth day, in the movie, when the girl is trying to comfor Mike. He's sitting indian style rocking back and forth, just to give you an idea. Well, the video cam was placed in a stationary shot and halfway through, you see a bad cut and the camera has moved a fraction down and to the left, when it wasn't supposed to move at all. Fourth and final problem was that stuff that was supposed to freak me out just didn't, i.e. the stick figures in the woods or the stone piles. But I guess I'm not shocked by this because I grew up in a densly forested area and stuff was always strung up in trees or piled up, but that was from kids nearby.
Overall I think that the directors would have been better left to just lie and tell everyone it was real and create this major urban legend. It would have definitely gotten me more immersed in the film than I actually was.
-
I read up on BWP before going to see it. I knew it was fictional and how it was filmed. I knew it was all MAKE BELIEVE--but it still scared the shit out of me. I cannot stop thinking about it--and the scariest thing about it was trying to get to sleep last night after seeing it. If anyone takes the time to do a little research (excellent article in last month's Spin)you can find out exactly how it was made. The three actors did not really know what was going on. They were each given character sketches--a basic outline of how their characters should act. They were given the basic storyline of the Blair Witch and then dumped out in the middle of the woods for 9 days. The two directors then proceeded to scare the shit out of them. At one point, or so I read, they were ready to pack up and leave (around the time the children started crying) and the directors had to talk them into staying. Those 3 were genuinely scared to death. They were not acting for the most part. Of course they knew they wouldn't get hurt or killed, but put any normal human being out in a tent in the middle of the night under the pretense of filming a movie, add the fact that no one really knew what was going on, and see how much ACTING that person does when the noises start!! And that ending was mind-blowingly creepy. And yes, i also saw a noose inside the house, but I don't think the body was hanging in the corner. I think it was Mike and he had simply given up and resigned himself to his fate. (now THAT'S scary!) To give some indication of how scary and great this movie is--I saw it in Greenville, South Carolina with a sold-out crowd--a few of which ran out of the theater to puke. (unrelenting lurching camera movements combined with a few too many beers beforehand)A friend of mine who unwisely consumed a huge bag of popcorn at the beginning ran out halfway through to puke. The clincher is that he came back to watch the rest as did the other poor unfortunate pukers. THAT should tell all you naysayers something. Needless to say, I will not be camping out any time soon. I can't imagine how scary this movie is to all those people who think it is for real!! -
Okay, needless to say, I have yet to see this movie. I've seen the trailers on TV and they seem a bit disturbing. Thing is with all you people bitching about this movie, please, take it for what it is. I don't care if this is a true story or not. I don't care if it won awards. I don't care if it scares the crap out of me or bores me silly. This is the best kind of premise for a movie. It is an urban legend. The reason that urban legends are cool is because there's always that little shred of hope or evidence, or lack thereof, that makes the story possible. POSSIBLE. That's what makes movies scary. That's what makes us all cry at movies like Beaches. Last time I looked, movies are supposed to entertain. Let's just leave it at that. Oh, and if you haven't seen this movie yet either, remember one thing. All the world's a critic, including you and me....see it for yourself and then make your own decision, like the free-thinking human beings we're all supposed to be.
-
After hearing all the hype from the media and from people on the Net, I decided to see it on the day it came out. Honestly, I was very disappointed! Right after the movie, I had to throw up because of the camera movement. The plot was alright, but it "piss in your pants" kind of scary as a lot of people say...as a matter of fact, I didn't find it horrifying or scary at all.
This is just my personal view...did anybody else think that the movie is overhyped? -
I knew before seeing BWP that it was a Mockumentary. But that knowledge seemed to get buried beneath the slow terror that this film builds up. I loved it. Some people may have been disappointed, or angry, or irritated about the "hype", but that is "OK". For me, it was about walking out of the theatre after it was finished on a hot summer day, and marvelling that I had goosebumps. I loved watching everyone else shuffle out of the theatre. Some were stunned, some (like myself, I am told) had eyes "as big as dinner plates". Some were angry and ironically defensive about "not having been scared". Some were making jokes with kind of a nervous tremble to their laughter. But I didn't see anyone who was blase' about it. After I saw "The Haunting" a week ago, I remember criticizing it as a "horror movie", commenting that the human psyche had not yet adapted to find CGI special effects scary on a primal level, at least not how they were used there. BWP sucked me in and then spit me out, thoroughly chewed, and I loved it! Personally, I WANT to go camping. I want to capture and hold onto every little sense of forboding that this movie invoked. I remember, as a kid, finding an old abandoned house in the woods near where I lived. I went in, of course (being a terribly curious little brat), and don't recall being terribly scared, but this film brings back that memory of that house clearly. It brings back childhood memories of hearing something I could not identify outside my bedroom window (which WAS scary). I am planning on seeing it a second time, even though I doubt it will be as intense, but I want to TRY to lose myself in that world again.
-
I just went and saw this movie tonight and thought it was the best movie I've seen in a long time. I'm just a little confused. Is this movie the actual fotage of the missing students or is it all a reinactment? Whatever it is its a great movie.
-
well i think i just spent the worst 5 bucks of my life tonight. BWP had to be the worst movie i have ever seen considering all the hype it has been given. now i think the concept and style were awesome, but "shitting in my pants" scary it was not. i think one would have to jump at the sound of a pin drop to be scared by this movie. had the hype surrounding it not been so excruciatingly unavoidable, i might have been a little freaked, but i was expecting to jump out of my seat most of the movie's running time. the ending was alright just leaving it as is in the house with mike in the corner, but a little predictable. gotta say i was more scared by the scifi special on it than the movie. oh well guess i said a little more than two cents worth, but just had to get it off my chest.
-
I will definitely go camping again and my fiance' says that she will still hike to the woods...by herself! Our trip to the theatre was scarier than the movie. The scariest part of the movie was seeing a close-up of Heather Donahue's nostrils. This movie could have been filmed on a $500 budget. I think that anyone who has access to a camcorder could make a film better than "The Blair Witch Project". If you care about your friends and family, don't let them waste their money on "The Blair Witch Project".
-
This was honestly the freakiest movie i've ever seen. Jaws, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street etc. This movie puts any other horror film under the table because you've camped with your friends in the woods, you can "imagine" what that would be like if it happened to you! The 3 actors put your worst nightmares into a reality! I don't usually get scared for these types of movies, but I was literally shaking for the last 30 minutes! It was an awesome rush and i saw the movie at 1:00 in the afternoon. See the movie, then go camping in the woods the next day with your friends, then tell me the movie isn't scary and over hyped!
-
Those were the words I uttered upon the completion of the Blair Shit Project. God. I really wanted this movie to be good. I stayed away from the reviews. Read none of them. I knew it was fake, knew the premise, but had no idea how it would play out. I waited while the show was sold out. Finally, I got in...I was pumped. I have a great imagination and I really wanted to make this scary for myself. It just didn't work for me though. Maybe it does for other people.
Why didn't they make this movie scary? They have a great premise...thats about it. Thats what has everyone talking. It feels real. And yet, it doesn't. Any sense of fear that is created at night in the movie...completely disappears once daytime arrives. And it arrives all the time. The Blair Witch isn't scary...its a little pest. It likes to make noises...apparently only the actors can hear them...I was straining to hear anything. Once, I heard children laugh--thats it. All I heard were the actors overreacting to sounds I couldn't hear. The ending was a mess...who knew what the hell was going on? And then they end it right when you get into it. What the hell? Thats the whole movie. Right when it starts to get good...they cut to daytime or credits. And this movie was repetitious as hell. There's only so much heavy breathing and shouts of "Fuck us" that you can take. Over and over and over...this movie was only ninety minutes...but it felt like the same story over and over again. They camp. They wake up in the middle of the night, get scared, wake up in the morning...get lost, cry, get lost some more...Stupid. Maybe the fact that I'm so angry that this movie sucked has something to say for its ability to draw emotions out of its audience. Maybe. File this one under the most dissapointing film of the summer. It wasn't the worst...but given the hype around it...I condemn it nonetheless. The filmmakers give you nothing. They leave it all up to your imagination...but a little more would have helped. You're on your own ...just you and your imagination..and you have to have one sweet fucking imagination to be scared by this film....As a movie..its good. As a horror flick...it sucks my ass. -
O.K. Here's my problem. I am proud to admit I was in a constant state of wonder about the movie, BWP, constantly asking is it real or what? Now that I have read some comments on this site, I'm slowly piecing together the truth. But I am still wondering how this movie was built up to be the "real thing" All this talk about some sci-fi special, MTV specials etc. If people wanted others to beleive this movie was real, why would shows explaining how the movie was taped be aired before the movie hit the screens nationwide? If someone could just give me a detailed explanation of all this I would really appreciate it. By the way, I liked the movie. Someone finally surpassed the "norm" horror movie, and of course, it sends every one following the norm into an uproar of how boring and lame it was. I just wish these people would except change every once in a while and make theie lives a bit more exciting. Movies that are "different" seem to get the most negitive attention from the majority yet the most positive attention from the individual who takes a step back..... a lot of people need to learn to take a step back more often, suddenly things may seem a bit more interesting.
-
Oh my gosh! I honestly thought that this movie was incredible. It brought back all of the long forgotten feelings of telling ghost stories around a campfire...you know, when you are sure that that snapping twig was more than just a rodent. Never in my life have I seen a movie that made me feel the way this one did. I can't even descibe it! I felt like I was there and could feel the shear terror that these 3 young people had to have been feeling. I think it is totally awesome that this movie was filmed the way it was. Hardly any body count, very little gore and a hell of a lot of scare...not the Freddy's around the corner kind of scare either. The terror of NOT knowing what is stalking you. The terror of being lost in the woods (which would be bad enough in it's self) and knowing that you were being hunted. Man, I still get chills just thinking about it. I guess there go my camping plans for the weekend! I think there are three things that freaked me out the most: 1) The close up on Heather's face when she was appoligizing and seeing the terror in her eyes...2) Not being able to see what was after them (like hearing that twig break in the woods and not seeing the critter that did it)...3) When they ran out of cigerattes! :-) The only regret I have about seeing this movie is that I didn't have any dramine. I set all the way at the back of the theater and still got sick. By the time the movie was over, I was in a cold sweat, and not just from the cinamatography either. This movie really effected me. Regardless of if this movie was real or not (there seems to be some debate) it definatly brought to life all those feelings associated with "campfire ghost stories"
-
Comming live to your home the Sci-fi channel is giving us a show about the blair witch. This show is on Tonight Monday August 2nd at 10pm eastern 9pm central time. Hope this gives you all a little taste of what your missing in the theaters. If there are any thoughts or responses to this post just let me know!!!
liquid ice -
I certainly hope that by now the first has been adequately established.
As for the second- After listening to what people said, I went in expecting a film that would scare me. I found it more annoying (and at times, humorous) than anything else. Had I the choice again, I would wait until it came out on video to watch it.
I found the Haunting with its lame ending scarier and more entertaining than this film.
The mock documentary style ("found footage") has been done before. And the finding of the mysterious patterns of "Sticks" seems to have been taken directly out of the story of that name. I don't recall the author at the moment, but it appears in a few horror short story anthologies.
-
You're all entitled to your opinions -- as were the people in the theater with me -- but that was pretty bad. Boring. Very boring. Not scary. Not to mention nausea/headache inducing using the shaky-cam system. Go rent Silence of the Lambs again instead.
-
The Blair Witch Project is an effective horror film because of YOU. What you see on the screen is not what's actually scary, it's what goes on in your imagination that's scary. On the screen you see nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary at any rate... Three student filmmakers, some trees, some sticks, some piles of rocks, an old house, regular ordinary things that we've all seen a hundred times before. Your imagination (if you have one)is the culprit responsible for the horrors that lurk beyond the glow of Heather's video-light. By the end of the film, we haven't been told what exactly is going on, but our minds are working overtime to try and figure it out. What was out there? A witch? A serial killer? Rednecks? A monster, a ghost, a shark that's impervious to Alzheimer's disease? Who knows? Blair Witch, like any good film, requires your mental participation to work. This ain't passive entertainment, folks. Two inventive filmmakers and three talented actors have created an interactive experience that requires no CD-Rom, no 3D glasses and no animatronic rocking seats.
-
I had read with utter dismay all the negative press this movie was getting at this site, and to be honest, I was put out. I heard people on one side compare this movie to 'The Shining' and 'The Exorcist' while others said it was grade A crap. Without a doubt, I was drawn into the mystique of the story, and I didn't want to here anything which would kill the fear building inside me. I complained that some people had forgotten mystery and they should allow themselves to believe as they did as a child. Well, I am here to apologize. The nay-sayers were right. I've been more afraid camping out in my den. In the sequel, I hope they use claymation, it'll surely be scarier. I can't believe I was actually concerned about going into the woods. Don't get me wrong, the movie was very entertaining and the whole audience seemed spellbound, but as for honest to God creepiness, this movie didn't produce. They couldn't sell a Witch if it were made of chocolate and filled with liquor. The scenes which were meant to scare the viewer the most seemed contrived and honestly, I never got the impression of a haunting or a Witch. Better luck next time. And as for those who chose to include this movie in the same sentence as 'The Shining or 'The Exorcist', no offense but either you have not seen those movies, or you need to see them again, because you're completely dillusional.
-
I guess I should have checked my disappointment at the door. This movie is actually one of the best shows I've seen in awile. While I was never really afraid in the movie, I was completely drawn into their plight. The style is new to most of us and the acting is superb. It allowed you to put yourself in their position. I don't know if a script is required to earn yourself an Oscar but these people did a stellar job. Four stars there. As for the implied terror, I agree it's all in your head, but I never was convinced, and I wanted to be. I agree you don't have to see it to be afraid of it, but come on, the tent scene was goofy. A long slow scrape down the side would have done twice the emotional damage me thinks. They should have watched more Hitchcock. Bottom line here folks is go see it. You'll like it. It may have to grow on you, but still, you'll like it. Judge for yourself.
-
I must admit that the BWP really had me going in terms of believing that it was true....until they showed the missing persons poster and on the bottom....the phone number was "555" That was the giveaway for me. Sorry Haxan. But you had me believing until then.. Was already to go on a hiking trip with the buds.....but not now!
-
I saw this movie over the weekend. Like many before me, I fell for a lot of the hype to bring me in to go see it. I admit to thinking of it for the past 3 days, but not because of the scares it put in me, but for the obvious lack of sense the "students" used. If I'm lost in the woods, I would have definately taken different steps than they did. First, I would consult the book that Heather showed you in the beginning. Second, I would make some kind of marks on my trail going to and from the car, just incase of what ends up happening to them. Third, if I had decided to just try to get out of the woods after losing my trail, I would have followed the stream...not walk away from it in some random direction. It did feel that these were real emotions happening, though. The way their grips on reality slipped as each day passed. The way they fought as each voiced opinions on how to get out of there. The way Heather stuck to her film to the dire end. I did see the whole theater jump when Mike's "end" comes about. I admit, it put thoughts in my brain that scare me, but nothing to point of not wanting to go camping ever again, or walk down a dark street at night. It put thoughts of "what would I do if I was in that kind of situation?" To me, it just says don't dismiss everything you hear if you don't think it is real, but also, don't take everything as gospel. The imagination is a powerful thing, and apparently this film shows it better than many of the multi-million dollar movies that rely on big sounds and extravagant pictures.
-
I saw the movie and I must say i was frightened but only afterwards because i had to sleep in the basement. here somes a spoiler for those that have not seen it so u may want to skip this. At the end of the credits it says that the movie is fictional and any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All i want to know is this. Did this really happen or not? They put a show on the sci-fi network where they spoke to Mike's brother and he says it disturbs him to see his brother's final moments on the screen, but that takes me back to the spoiler i mentioned earlier, so what happened? is it real or not? if it's not real then hey those guys were imaginative.
-
This movie kicked ass, I love movies and have seen most of all types of films. I was saying not but a month or two ago, after seeing a trailer for The Haunting, that it was about time someone made a horror movie with the tools available to modern movie makers. But as you were, I was very disappointed by the ending...but enough about The Haunting...
The Blair Witch Project was absolutely amazing, though again, I thought the ending was kinda hokey. I didn't catch the fact that it was Josh (under control of the witch) that was most likely in the basement until later at home, so as the ending unravelled I found myself disbelieving the sincerity of the entire movie. After the Josh realization, I thought again it could be real, but I did some digging and, well you know the truth, if there can ever be truth from legend, contrived or otherwise. The legend, I thought was masterfully presented and we were lead to beleive it was all too real. I loved the realism and the style of the film, from the handheld shots to the artsy trees and sky shots. Though it was amusing to see that ever though heather was scared out of her wits, she still held on to the fact that she was making a documentary and needed these kinds of shots for filler or whatever.
kick ass, I give it a ten.
thanks
scot
-
That was pretty quick of you to catch the "similarity" disclaimer. I haven't heard anyone else mention it. In the same vein, the Sci-fi channel expose on the Blair Witch has the same falability. At the end of the show, they run the credits and list a cast. In actually documentaries there is no cast of players cause there is no playing. This movie isn't real, it's just well acted (mind you I refrained from saying well written). Tell me this, if you're still not convinced. If you were out in the woods and someone/thing was after you, would you still be fucking around with a camera? If your friend was missing and screaming in horrible agony, would you still be filming? I don't think so. The more I think about it, the more I question the writing of this flick. It seems to me that it does no better than shift the blame of the overly curious dumb blonde at Crystal lake to the overly controlling annoying brunette in Burkettsville (no offense ladies), and both apparentlly met their doom because they simply didn't run the hell away. So much for intellegent characters in a horror movie. In closing think about this. All streams lead to creeks which lead to rivers which lead to towns. Why cross that creek when you can just as easily follow it?
-
Heya,
I was just wondering if any of you could help me out here. I need to know if this film is for real....I have been having a lot of debates about it...
Thank You! -
Okay, maybe 'shit project' is a little harsh. But this flick just is NOT worth all the hype it's getting.
For anyone still confused, this didn't really happen. The "writer-directors" gave the kids a couple cameras, some vague directions, a vague idea of a story, let them loose in the woods and told them to record themselves.
Is it a cool experiment in moviemaking? Yes. Is it scary? Not by a long shot. The scariest thing about this film is the fact they started shooting it without a script -- with a cast who's idea of improvisation is saying the word 'fuck' a lot.
They sucked me into the theatre too. I was there on Friday night ready to be scared silly. Instead I got a muddled, confusing half-story based on some half-thought-out 'mythology'. I only got the creepy feeling you're supposed to get during a couple of fleeting moments.
Still, folks are flocking to see what amounts to a student film experiment. The filmmakers are doing a great job of tricking people out of their money. More power to 'em. -
Dear god - what a piece of shit. This movie was the scariest horror movie ever? Bullshit - Psycho, Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, Alien, The Exorcist - hell, even Jaws was heads and shoulders above this turd. Any one of those movies messed me up for WEEKS! This boring little film was easily forgotten an hour later.
----------------------------------------
Why? Any number of reasons - no freakin' pay off at the end (two hours of build up for . . . . what?), stupid logic gaps in a movie where they were trying to play by the rules of reality instead of the "The power's gone out - lets split up!" slasher movie mentality (hey - here's an idea: FOLLOW THE FREAKIN' RIVER - or even better USE THE GODDAMN SURVIVAL BOOK they very pointedly showed you in the opening of the movie), and forcing the viewer to do extra reading outside of the movie to get the full backstory ("Hey, lets put the backstory on the Web Page instead of into the movie! It'll be a multi media experience that way!"). And how about actually SHOWING us some of the monster/terror in the woods - now I fully understand that "less is more" in a horror movie - Alien wouldn't have been nearly as effective as it was if you had good lighting and lingering 'money shots' of the monster whenever it showed up - but show us a sinister claw, a fleeting shadow - SOMETHING to hang our hats on. A total void of information left me cold.
----------------------------------------
Finally - if I had just been woken up in the middle of the night and was now fleeing in terror as the army of darkness closed in about me - I SURE AS FUCK WOULD NOT GRAB A VIDEO CAMERA! "Wait! My boot is unlaced" the girl was shouting as she was running for her life - hell, I wouldn't care if I was buck ass neked - I'd be hauling ass. Screw the equipment. Totally unbelievable.
----------------------------------------
Did I buy into the hype? No - I didn't know the movie even existed a few weeks ago. All I do know is that I threw 8 bucks of my money away on this gigantic lump of unholy festering pus.
-
I've heard many things about the origin of this movie (The Blair Witch Projects). I heard that the kids really did dissapear and everything in the movie that happened truly did happen to them and I've also heard that some people were gonna make a new horror movie and decided to make a new concept. They put these kids in the woods woth video cameras and totaly lied to them about Y they were out there and told the girl that there would B food there for them and so when she was going crazy looking for the food she got them lost. Them the people making the movie made all the noises and stuff and put the figures in the trees and put the rocks and sticks outside their tent and somehow took the guy. What's the truth. I wanna know the truth once and for ll, b/c it's really bothering me.
Thanx,
Tony -
You must have been altered to be scared by this film. I think this may have been the worst movie I have ever seen. I was not scared in the least, and the actors didn't sell me. As a teenager I was lost in the woods while winter camping for 7 days. I didn't freak out like they did. I was scared to death, but dealt maturely with the situation.
For emotional horror, I would go with a film like "Sophie's Choice" or "Schindler's List" is good. I do like the fact that a few million in hype can make a $50,000 piece of junk popular though. Nicely done Hollywood!!
See "Predator" same basic premise, but they have that"If it bleeds, we can kill it" mentality which makes it more fun. "Happy Gilmore" is scarier than TBWP. -
Hehehehe why didnt they just follow the electric lines that brought electricity into that old house...hehehehe or use a devining rod to to track the plumbing hehehehe electricity??? plumbing???? Did the Witch bring the kitchen and bathroom sinks into the house..IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS????? I'd hate to be that mailman!!!!hehehehehe Go figure!!!!!
-
I've seen the trailers for Blair Witch here in Canada but when I went to the website, they didn't show Canadian theatre listings. Will this film ever come to Canada, because I really want to see it.
-
If anyone has ever done anything in the woods, this movie is not scary.
This movie will only scare little children and kids who have led a sheltered, big city, life.
Also, it is a movie for the illiterate and ignoratn... everytning is fuck or shit.. the vocabulary of an illeterate and ignorant bunch of whiny, cry baby, dumb-assed, babies!!
Save your money and go to Deep Blue Sea for great fun and entertainment!!!
Mike -
I would really like to know whether Heather Donahue and the guys are the actual people who disapeared in the Black Hills Forest, near Burkittsville. I do not know what to think. In the BWP website, it has all of this information on the Blair Witch, and it truly makes it out to be true. Is Heather Donahue just and actress, that played a college student who was doing a documentary. Is she still alive?
What ever. Just tell me!! -
I've heard a lot of people bashing Blair Witch so, for those that haven't seen it yet. I absolutely loved this movie. I thought the acting was excellent. The actors made their being lost in the woods with something they can't understand and are terribly afraid of quite believable. Not everyone is going to like this movie (obviously). Those who typically yell at the movie screen for the woman to look behind her will absolutely love this movie, because you need to be sucked in to truly appreciate the fear and tension that it can create. And just in case you haven't seen it yet and arn't planning to because of this message board, there isn't a person I have talked to that hasn't loved this movie so please judge for yourself the merits of this movie. For those of you who will probably write to me saying that I'm an idiot for loving this movie, please grow up a little and exhibit some maturity. Realize that just because I don't share your opinion doesn't make me stupid or a sheep.
-
For anyone who still believes that the events within TBWP actually happened... This is not real. End of story. If it were, the actors would not have been interviewed in this month's issue of "Premiere." Nor would they have attended Sundance last year promoting the film. Nor would they have shot various endings for the film. Nor would they be involved in new productions. Nor would there be a disclaimer stating that it is not real. Nor would the movie's director(s) say that they have reinvented the horror movie with their "vision." Nor would the families of the slain students ever agree to let this be released. I could go on for hours, but hopefully this will suffice. Have a nice day.
-
Opinions are like assholes in that everyone has got one... how ever few people are stupid enough to drop their pants and show the world what an asshole they are. The comments I have read here really show the ignorance of humanity. I can not believe how stupid these comments are and it is these idiots that make the movie industry sickeningly wealthier.
I say TBWP is on of the best independent films ever made and to the big budget movie industries a definite fist up their ass.
To all you "retards" who did not like the movie:
1) This is a movie...none of the events or mythology are real. There was never a Blair Witch and the tale is completely made up!!!!!!! The marketing has been brilliant. No movie has carried such stigma or controversy since the Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is just a great ghost story.
2) The ending was perfect! If you listened to the interviews in the beginning of the movie you would have learned that the original murderer was possessed by the Blair Witch and brought pairs little children in to his basement to kill them. The possessed man would order one of the children to turn and face the corner while he killed the other. Hmmm sound familiar. It would be obvious to the educated film gore that the first student (Josh), who's gear was slimed, was possessed by the Blair witch and lured the other two into to the house where he made the second stand in the corner while he killed the last. The children's bloody hand prints on the wall added to the extremely terrifying climax. Overall the perfect ending.
3) The camera work was a little nauseating but I feel it really added to the intensity of the film, especially the dark scenes in the tent.
4) There was not supposed to be a witch or a monster! Due you really think supernatural spirits have matter and chase people around. Oh yeah, Freddie and Jason did! The filmmakers and actors brought the audience to a new height in fear without the use of gory special effects, pop-up tactics, and musical theatrics. All dialog and setting, an absolutely amazing accomplishment.
5) The reason they did not drop the cameras was because it was their only source of light, other than some small map lights. If you recall, the last scenes were not shot as documentary footage but as random occurrences associated with the events as they were unfolding. The students were not running through the woods with the camera fixed to there eye sockets but were merely holding the cameras upright as a light source in the night.
To all of you who were expecting Jason or Freddie...grow up! But I am sure now that a major "pics" has adopted the film there will be a return of Josh, I, II, III, etc. Much like the "massacre" of the original Texas Chainsaw massacre with sequels. Because none of the bodies were ever found...it could be assumed that if Josh was possessed like the original farmer was then he was never really killed, only insane and still lurking in the woods outside of Burkettsville.
Oh yeah, I guess if it helps make my point: fuck, fucker, fucking, shit, asshole, cunt, faggot, dick, bastard! -
I think that theatres should be equipped with papers to file for litigation against assholes (mostly tragically hip teens with goatees and caps pulled down over their eyes) who refuse to shut up during a film. I know some people who went to see Blair Witch (and have been to some films myself) where certain teen memebers of the audience, laugh, jeer, carry on and talk loudly during a film. This completely ruined the intensity of the film and simply sucked all the enjoyment out of the theatre experience. Eight bucks man. Right down the drain because some punk never learned manners. Hey, here's a clue for all you morons who don't know when to shut up: Before you decide to blow your allowance or your paycheck from McDonald's on a night out at the movies with your "buddies", consider that fact that there are people there who actually care about the movie they're seeing and paid hard-earned cash to have a decent night out. Then suck back your cafe latte from Starbucks, pull up your Old Navy drawstring pants and SHUT THE F*** UP! Thanks.
-
Aug 14, 1999 12:54:12 AM CDT
if you like hearing a girl scream through the whole movie then t
by destinychicks18
this movie had it's ups and downs, i didn't like the camara moving all over the place and not being able to focus on one thing, and i hated the chick screaming all the time. the movie had a very, (excuse my french) fucked up ending. i think that it should of kept going. the ending was good and all, but it let you off with your imagination telling you what happened next. so i would kind of recomend this movie, but not to all people.
-
I want to take my friend to see this. She's afraid because she just bought a huge house to live in by herself. She's never lived by herself so she's afraid that if she sees TBWP she won't be able to sleep alone? Is it that scary? I have a heart condition. Could it possibly scare me to death?
-
...just how stupid most people really are. I mean, drive anywhere in a city, and you can get a vague idea of what shear stupidity is by all the morons on the road, go to the movies and you can be sure. Those who hate this movie are either plain a** stupid, or are trying to impress their girlfriends.
I loved this movie. I am scared of nothing in this world, honest. I pride myself on laughing (quietly) during stupid slasher movies at the dumb shock gags, and think Stephen King is about as scary as Barney (OK, Barney scares me =)
The point is this - I watched this movie with a racing pulse, and after it was all over I thought about it for days afterwards. Hell I still think about it. I had a nightmare about it the night I saw it (it was a really kickass one, too - woke up in sweat fighting with the bedsheets.) I am a huge horror fan, I simply think most efforts are laughable. This one IS NOT. This film is by far the most engrossing, most frightening film ever made. It leaves the plot just when the tension is highest, and it makes you wonder and think about the story for long after the lights come on in the theater. If you have any type of imagination at all, you will love this movie and thrill to the sheer overwhelming psychological terror these people went through.
To the guy who posted the very educated movie review above about all the morons of the world - I disagree that it was Josh in the house. Heather found what looked to be entrails (or body parts, it was hard to tell) wrapped up in Josh's shirt, remember? I doubt he mutilated himself. Plus, voices were heard before, as evidenced by the childrens voices at the tent.
To those who have nothing good to say, you just don't get it and are afraid to look stupid. Not a big surprise, I guess. I have a sneaking suspicion that many of them are the illiterate idiot types who talk and yell during a movie, wear their pants 5 sizes to big, drive their cars lowered to the ground on tires 5 sizes to small, think its cool to look like a drug dealing pimp, and blare their moronic RAP crap loud enough to piss off the deaf. Oh well, I guess somebody has to work the fast food jobs of the world.
=) -
I think people need to give these (alive & well) actors credit. The proof of their talent is that so many of you think this film is real...but honestley, do you think if it was we would be watching it in movie(key word there!) theaters all across the u.s.? Do you think the parents of the missing people would stand for that? The filmmakers are not misleading people neither should you. Give these amazing actors there due. I'm sure its hard to get auditions if youre presumed dead!
-
The Blair Witch Project plays like a re-enactment from Unsolved Mysteries. Using a home video camcorder and another camera, 3 student film makers venture out into the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland, formerly Blair, to make a documentary about the "Blair Witch", a notorious mythical child murderer from years ago. However, the dark spectre seems to be sealing their fate, as eerie warnings like strange piles of rocks and stick-men idols turn into the self-destruction of the team and eventually their doom.
The film is supposed to be the footage found by the police that the students left behind, which makes for realistic action. Created by and starring unknowns, everything about the film is GENUINE. Genuine in the sense that there is no script and that the actors were actually alone in the woods camping out for several days to make the picture.
The movie definetley completes what it sets out to do: to scare the hell out of you. I have never been a big fan of walking in the woods at night and this won't change my mind. After dark, the witch (or is it?) seems to be creeping up on the camp and stalking them. The witch is never seen, but the effect is captured by the sounds of babies crying in the night, people moaning in pain and leaves rusling as the group is scared out of their wits. The deamon is close, but yet not.
20 years ago, "Halloween" premeired as an independent horror film from John Carpenter. With its success, it brought more ketchup n' red dye gore sequels and opened the door for "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street". Now, The Blair Witch Project seems prepared to change the landscape once again, hopefully for the better (not that it could get much worse). But either way, the film should rightfully become a classic, even if its sequels don't. -
My maiden name is Blair and my family descends from Maryland, and I had many ancestors hung for witchcraft, so I have to ask is the Blair witch real or fiction? And how can I get more information on the real story if there is one?
-
I was so scared by this movie. Even after all the hype, this movie still had me shaking in my shoes by the incredible ending. I can't wait to go see it again! And i don't even believe in witches.
-
When i went to see the blairwitch project, i wasn't expecting the jerking camera on a consistant basis. for a good portion of the movie i felt sick by the constant jerking of the cameras and the temperments of the actors. the end was really good i must admit, but overall the movie has been overhyped by the media coverage. i hope that the next blair witch project movie is not as bad or as borring!!!!!
-
There was never a place called blair townnship no blair witch no people went missing. If you go to the blair witch project website it gives you the whole mythology behind the film, but thats just it, it's all just MYTHOLOGY they made it up to give the movie a backround! if you want more answers just go to www.burkittsville.org they'll tell you what you need to know, by the way I thought it was a great film, those two that wrote it were very clever, bravo for giving us movie-goers something fresh and something to leave to our imagination.
-
I do not understand how peolpe can talk about this like andy other movie???? Are you all some kind of little perverts?
Well I think that any normal person as normal as one can be nowaday would never ever do such a film and then would never ever talk about this as if it was any other ordinary movie
This really terrible writing a rreview of this movie.
How can and dare you people out there
for my part at first I could not believe that this movie was real since I could not imagine that some sick mind could make a bockbuster out of that tragedy
I feel really sorry for those three peolpe and if this whle thing is about not forgetting them than the intension will end up in nothing since people do not really care about any thing maybe for their self but not for some strangers
For all those you had to deal with the pain of loss I feel sorry and for those who died I feel grieve. -
Sorry everyone, but the negative reviews of blair witch suck. The point of blair witch (in my opinion) was not to make you jump out of your seat in surprise, but more to make you feel what the characters were feeling. Fear, suspense, and any number of other emotions. So if you got bored by it, it's your own fault for not getting into the movie, and if you got sick from the camera work, well, get some dramamine.
-
QUESTION : Can someone that knows the truth about Blairwitch please contact me. my email address is : vrpcad@iafrica.com. (1.)Did those three kidz really go to the woods.
(2.)Was there footage found. (3.)Is this a true life story that they went missing & are those "actors" really thoses kids??? MORE QUESTIONS NEEDS ANSWERING > PLEASE I NEED TO KNOW ...... -
Fat chick blubbering into a handy cam does not a scary movie make. Disturbing yes, much in the manner of seeing Harry dressed up as Marilyn Monroe and like this, it was simply annoying, everyone who saw this movie was scammed and that pisses me off. I paid good money to see this shit, and wasted 2 hours of my life which is infinitely more precious to me. Anyone who thinks this was real is a fuckin idiot. Cheers.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 209 total posts 207 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 160 total posts 97 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 144 total posts 77 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 68 total posts 68 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 67 total posts 67 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 64 total posts 60 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 480 total posts 55 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 53 total posts 50 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 118 total posts 32 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 182 total posts 27 posts