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The Blair Witch Project review
:. Director: Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez
:. Starring: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard
:. Running Time: 1:26
:. Year: 1999
:. Country: USA
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The Blair Witch Project is the new trendy sleeper sold under the Sundance label. While TV has found its new indie darling, you can't help asking yourself if it's worth the hype. The answer is no, but it tries hard.
Take three losers: a dumbass, a bitch, and a dude, put them in the middle of a forest supposedly hosting a legendary witch, and you will have a basic slasher movie. However the movie takes off from this lame plot thanks to less conventional treatment. At the beginning you are warned that you're watching the three students' school project tape that was found one year after they disappeared. Therefore the entire movie is made like an amateur documentary witnessing the wandering of the students in the forest untill they get slashed.
Obviously, the main asset of the movie is this shooting through the students' handheld camera, which tricks you as if you were watching some real life documentary and therefore emphasizes the scary atmosphere in which you get soaked. And with the abundance of real-life TV shows such as Cops, LAPD, Hidden Camera and other voyeuristic shows, it is even more understandable that The Blair Witch Project reaches such success. The movie appeals not only to fans of horror flicks but also to the voyeurists looking for some quasi real life thrills. In addition, the fact that everything is suggested instead of being shown further emphasizes the fear and makes you share the characters' psychological state. Just like the characters, you will never know what is after them, what is even worse. Finally, it's still a good sign to know that such a low budget production from some new comers can provide you with some thrills while major productions such as The Haunting cannot provide you with anything but laughs.
However, in addition to being unbearable, the characters are hardly realistic. Even the dumbest Baldwin brother (I'll let you guess which one) would not kick his map in a canyon if he was lost in the middle of the forest. How can he change from being the most cowardly to the bravest in 5 minutes is another script mystery. The movie is also too long, even at a mere 1h30mn. You will slip pretty quickly into a bored mood witnessing their hike and arguments, only expecting that the next night is going to be the one. Unfortunately they will wake up alive and kicking for a few more mornings before the expected conclusion. Last but not least, the concept of the film is not so innovative, since some movies like Cannibal Holocaust and especially The Last Broadcast already used that trick a few years ago. Indeed, made in 1998, The Last Broadcast tells the story, in a documentary style, of amateur filmmakers investigating a murderous legend in a dark forest. Pure coincidence? You must know that the film was sent to the producers of The Blair Witch Project!!
Even if The Blair Witch Project is refreshing and the result is encouraging, you will still be watching a classic cliché-driven teen slasher movie.
Fred Thom
 Movie Reviews: 1998 - 2011
Movie Reviews: 2012 - present
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