The Blair Witch Project [M]

In October 1994, three student filmmakers ventured into the woods near Burkittsville, formerly Blair, to shoot a documentary on the local legend of the Blair Witch. The film became known as the Blair Witch Project and was discovered a year after the three students disappeared, depicting the terrifying and strange events that led to their disappearance. 

Probably the most influential and successful independent film since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Blair Witch Project is all about classic, primal human fear and exploits those things that freak people out whomever they are: the dark, strange noises, and the unknown. If Hitchcock were alive today, these are the types of films that he would be making. 

In October 1994, three student filmmakers ventured into the woods near Burkittsville, formerly Blair, to shoot a documentary on the local legend of the Blair Witch. The film became known as the Blair Witch Project and was discovered a year after the three students disappeared, depicting the terrifying and strange events that led to their disappearance. 

The Blair Witch Project is a classic example of the inordinate power of the human mind and primal instincts. It’s things like that that really achieve great fear and terror in an audience. The film was filmed as a documentary with the three central cast members actually filming the movie themselves as well as carrying all the equipment and improvising practically the entire script. The overwhelming realism of this movie is where its power truly lies; with all the film seen through the lenses of the handheld cameras and the sound being like that of a home movie. The constant movement of the cameras can be rather nauseating but quickly gotten used to and most of the film’s scariest scenes are actually during the night when you can see nothing at all, just a blank, black screen. 

The performances of the central heroes were wonderful; completely genuine, beginning the film with close friendly jokes and laughs and then quickly resorting to blame, terror, screaming, and panic when they get lost in the woods. It’s really amazing to consider that this film was made on a budget of practically nothing and it raked in over $140 million in the US alone, making it one of the most profitable independent movies of all time. It just goes to show that computer graphics, overdone sound editing, and special effects are not always needed to make a class A horror movie. All the terror and suspense is primal in this film: like Rear Window you’re given a strange or scary sound and then your mind does the rest of the work, forcing you into a thrilling fear frenzy, even when you know the outcome. It’s genius, it really is genius, and it’s good to see that there are still filmmakers out there who are taking a leaf out of this particular book. 

Starring Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams, The Blair Witch Project is a fantastic horror mockumentary that’s filled with legends, conflicts, panic, and eerie happenings. It’s a great movie.