Yeah yeah... I know... I've run too many reviews for THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, but ya know what? I just love the enthusiasm this film generates from it's watchers. They really feel passionately about the film. Personally I feel the movie isn't for everyone, and it's experimental film style might cause some people to mistake it for not being professional... But I think it's a brilliant film. And a major landmark in horror... But that's just me... and well this guy... and a whole buncha people I've talked with. Now as you read JoJo... Imagine a guy that is drunk and jazzed up on coffee wildly gesturing and grabbing you by the shirt... hitting ya in the shoulder and acting like... a geek... cause that is sure as hell how I'm reading the guy....
Dude, I just gotta tell ya, it's not often that a movie freaks me out so much that I have to go out and get drunk, just to calm my nerves. Well, I have to say, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT did that for me, and the 4 friends I went with. Saw it earlier tonite at the AMC 16 in Woodland Hills, outside of LA, some special screening that Artisan threw. Harry, this movie is absolutely incredible. We all tried to remember what movie was as scary, and we couldn't come up with anything. Maybe SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Maybe THE EXORCIST. Maybe HALLOWEEN. But thinking back, I have never been through such a terrifying, nail-biting, relentless horrific experience in a movie theater as BLAIR WITCH, and this is a movie which has, basically, no violence whatsoever, no tits, and no gore. How the fuck did they manage to freak me, and my friends, out so much, that we couldn't stop talking about the movie for over 3 hours? Even after about 5 cocktails apiece? This movie deserves oscars. The acting is incredible. The movie is subtle, tight as a drum, and, we all admitted, basically flawless in conception. THis movie will redefine independent cinema. The movie will redefine the horror movie genre.
Fuck "The Haunting". Fuck "Event Horizon". This movie is the absolute,
total, perfect real deal thriller. It is gorgeous, and it reinvigorated my
faith in independent cinema. I cannot praise this film enough. Artisan made
the best decision of their movie-company career by buying this (and I am
totally not fucking exaggerating here, believe me) PIECE OF ART.
MO
Jojo
And here's San Francisco Steve
On Wednesday June 23, I happened to stumble upon a preview of the Blair Witch Project at the Galaxy Theater in San Francisco. Since there were two other sneaks that evening (for American Pie and An Ideal Husband) there were only around 75 people in line and I was able to talk my way in without a pass. Several of the people had seen the BWP on video, but wanted to see it again with an audience.
The audience really got into the film. There were gasps and exclamations of "Oh my God," as each new "discovery" occurred.
The theater the film was shown in is "L" shaped. Patrons have to walk down a long corridor to reach their seats. The corridor and the area of the theater behind the seats remain lighted during the film. As the film ran several people left their seats and went to stand in the lighted area. By the time the film got to its final scenes around 8-10 people, including at least two people who had seen the film on video, had moved to the rear of the theater. Apparently they were too creeped out to watch the film in the dark, but were also too engrossed to actually walk out. Is that cool or what?
I can't wait to see it again.
--San Francisco Steve
