After just watching an advance showing of 'Book of Shadows' at my local cineplex 30 mintues ago, I feel compelled to write this review now (offline), while the events of the film are still fresh in my mind.
'The Blair Witch Project' was a unique movie, there is no doubting that fact. Whether ... Read review
Sexier and pacier than its predecessor, but still occupying the same psychological horror ... more
genre,Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2takes up the Blair Witch story one year on from the time when the three student filmmakers went missing in Maryland's Black Hi...
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Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 returns to the town of Burkittsville and the Black Hill's ... more
forest - the scene of the killings of November 1999. Rolling the media coverage of the Blair Witch Project, Burkittsville is overrun by curiosity seekers. Four you...
Sexier and pacier than its predecessor, but still occupying the same psychological horror ... more
genre,Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2takes up the Blair Witch story one year on from the time when the three student filmmakers went missing in Maryland's Black Hi...
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Book of Shadows : Blair Witch 2 returns to the town of the killings of November 1999. ... more
Following the media coverage of the Blair Witch project, Burkittsville is overrun by curiosity seekers. Four young fans and their guide set off to spend the night in the woods, hoping to discover the truth about the Blair Witch legend. In the morning when they awake, they find a scene of destruction, and no one can remember the events of the previous night.
Sexier and pacier than its predecessor, but still occupying the same psychological horror ... more
genre,Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2takes up the Blair Witch story one year on from the time when the three student filmmakers went missing in Maryland's Black Hills. Flashbacks and forward leaps are agitatedly and excitedly cut together, drawing us quickly back into the terror territory of the original movie. Once again, to blur the line between fiction and reality, the actors use their own names for their characters. Jeffrey Donovan is Jeff, a Burkettsville entrepreneur making a fortune from selling Blair Witch memorabilia. He has the bright idea of starting Blair Witch tours, but on his inaugural one the malign spirits of the wood make mischief once more.Director Joe Berlinger previously worked on a real-life documentary about a Wiccan who was executed for murders he may not have committed. Parallels with this story and the plot ofBook of Shadowsare clearly visible and the influences cited by Berlinger--Rosemary's BabyandThe Shining--shed their demonic shadow throughout. --Lorna ReadOn the DVD:the film may have divided critics, but no-one can deny that this special two-disc edition of theBlair Witchsequel is positively packed with added value. Firstly there's the "Secret of Esrever" ("Secret of Reverse") which alludes to ghostly goings on during the filming and then challenges the viewer to find the secret apparitions dotted around the film--although whether it sheds any more light on the plot is open to debate. Director Joe Berlinger's commentary is informative, talking as he does about the personal issues (how he lost some editorial control over the project) and about bringing the myth to life.Book of Shadowsis presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, with a sharp-looking anamorphic transfer and intentional graininess that adds to the overall effect. The audio is also an important factor as the soundtrack uses disjointed voices, screams and the excellent music of composer Carter Burwell to build tension. There are also two "mockumentaries"--"Shadow of the Blair Witch" is about the events that the sequel is based on and "The Burkittsville 7" looks at the grisly murders of seven children by the hermit Rustin Parr. --Kristen Bowditch
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Sexier and pacier than its predecessor, but still occupying the same psychological horror ... more
genre,Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2takes up the Blair Witch story one year on from the time when the three student filmmakers went missing in Maryland's Black Hills. Flashbacks and forward leaps are agitatedly and excitedly cut together, drawing us quickly back into the terror territory of the original movie. Once again, to blur the line between fiction and reality, the actors use their own names for their characters. Jeffrey Donovan is Jeff, a Burkettsville entrepreneur making a fortune from selling Blair Witch memorabilia. He has the bright idea of starting Blair Witch tours, but on his inaugural one the malign spirits of the wood make mischief once more.Director Joe Berlinger previously worked on a real-life documentary about a Wiccan who was executed for murders he may not have committed. Parallels with this story and the plot ofBook of Shadowsare clearly visible and the influences cited by Berlinger--Rosemary's BabyandThe Shining--shed their demonic shadow throughout. --Lorna ReadOn the DVD:the film may have divided critics, but no-one can deny that this special two-disc edition of theBlair Witchsequel is positively packed with added value. Firstly there's the "Secret of Esrever" ("Secret of Reverse") which alludes to ghostly goings on during the filming and then challenges the viewer to find the secret apparitions dotted around the film--although whether it sheds any more light on the plot is open to debate. Director Joe Berlinger's commentary is informative, talking as he does about the personal issues (how he lost some editorial control over the project) and about bringing the myth to life.Book of Shadowsis presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, with a sharp-looking anamorphic transfer and intentional graininess that adds to the overall effect. The audio is also an important factor as the soundtrack uses disjointed voices, screams and the excellent music of composer Carter Burwell to build tension. There are also two "mockumentaries"--"Shadow of the Blair Witch" is about the events that the sequel is based on and "The Burkittsville 7" looks at the grisly murders of seven children by the hermit Rustin Parr. --Kristen Bowditch
Postage & Packaging:£2.69 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Sexier and pacier than its predecessor, but still occupying the same psychological horror ... more
genre,Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2takes up the Blair Witch story one year on from the time when the three student filmmakers went missing in Maryland's Black Hills. Flashbacks and forward leaps are agitatedly and excitedly cut together, drawing us quickly back into the terror territory of the original movie. Once again, to blur the line between fiction and reality, the actors use their own names for their characters. Jeffrey Donovan is Jeff, a Burkettsville entrepreneur making a fortune from selling Blair Witch memorabilia. He has the bright idea of starting Blair Witch tours, but on his inaugural one the malign spirits of the wood make mischief once more.Director Joe Berlinger previously worked on a real-life documentary about a Wiccan who was executed for murders he may not have committed. Parallels with this story and the plot ofBook of Shadowsare clearly visible and the influences cited by Berlinger--Rosemary's BabyandThe Shining--shed their demonic shadow throughout. --Lorna ReadOn the DVD:the film may have divided critics, but no-one can deny that this special two-disc edition of theBlair Witchsequel is positively packed with added value. Firstly there's the "Secret of Esrever" ("Secret of Reverse") which alludes to ghostly goings on during the filming and then challenges the viewer to find the secret apparitions dotted around the film--although whether it sheds any more light on the plot is open to debate. Director Joe Berlinger's commentary is informative, talking as he does about the personal issues (how he lost some editorial control over the project) and about bringing the myth to life.Book of Shadowsis presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, with a sharp-looking anamorphic transfer and intentional graininess that adds to the overall effect. The audio is also an important factor as the soundtrack uses disjointed voices, screams and the excellent music of composer Carter Burwell to build tension. There are also two "mockumentaries"--"Shadow of the Blair Witch" is about the events that the sequel is based on and "The Burkittsville 7" looks at the grisly murders of seven children by the hermit Rustin Parr. --Kristen Bowditch
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Don't Go Back In The Woods... Drawn to the site of the horrific unsolved events of the ... more
original Blair Witch disappearances a group of young thrill-seekers camp out in the now infamous Black Hills of Maryland. But when they awake the next day five hours are missing from their lives and an eerie sense of foreboding grips them. Back in town struggling to understand what happened they begin to hear disturbing cries find cryptic symbols on their bodies and experience startling hallucinations. Descending ever deeper into paranoia and panic they now sense that when they left the woods they didn't leave alone.
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Advantages: Fantastic storyline and effects, this is NOT an inferior sequel Disadvantages: None at all - I thoroughly enjoyed this movie
...the scenes like this in Book of Shadows are fantastic - blank the original 'Blair Witch Project' from your mind and enjoy the ride baby, because the film just gets better and better from now on. In fact if there was no mention of the Blair Witch Proejct in the film, this would do equally as well as a standalone movie.
When the five young people wake up the next morning, they have no recolection of what happened, or how they came to ... ...constantly comparing 'Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows' to the original movie, and indeed when I left the cinema tonight I personally reckoned that the sequel was better that the first one. But NO!! - you simply CANNOT compare the two films together... they are both unique in their own right, and to say one was better than the other is a major injustice to both of the films. However what they DO have in common is that they are two incredibly absorbing, ... more
After just watching an advance showing of 'Book of Shadows' at my local cineplex 30 mintues ago, I feel compelled to write this review now (offline), while the events of the film are still fresh in my mind.
'The Blair Witch Project' was a unique movie, there is no doubting that fact. Whether you loved or loathed the shakey camera movements and the mysterious sounds coming from the distance, the film will always remain a milestone in cinematic history. This is exactly what I thought, when I first heard that the sequel to the movie would be released soon. How on earth could any movie compare to the original 'Blair Witch Project'? And how can there even BE a sequel, did authorities find more "footage" of the doomed student film makers, before their untimely death??
There was a sense of betrayal by the makers of 'The Blair Witch Project'... yes, they've given us a fantastic and unique movie that I certainly will never forget, but now they go and spoil it all by rolling out the sequel? Talk about milking it for all it's worth! However despite all this, I was still curious to know how the makers could POSSIBLY create anything quite as revolutionary and intriguing as the original movie. So I headed on over to watch an advance showing.
Let me first begin with this note: If you too are a huge fan of the original 'Blair Witch Porject', then please DON'T be put off by the fact that 'Book of Shadows' is a sequel to it. For a start, it isn't in the same format as the original, in other words, no shakey cameras. Instead, you are first presented with various media coverage of 'The Blair Witch Project' when it was released in the Summer of 1999, and the imapct the film had on people. Folks from the town of Burkittsville talk of how tourists are always coming to see the forrest where the movie was made, and of how a pain in the ass these people are to them. After this and the opening titles have been rolled, we meet the four stars of the movie. But instead of opening with a blurrey camera as in Blair Witch 1, the show starts with these five young people (most of which were fans of the movie), driving to Black Hill, touring the 'set' of the original movie. Jeff, Kim, Erica, Steve and Trsiton all make various remarks and jokes about the film ("Oh my God where did that rock come from? Oh yeah, I put it there earlier") and Jeff (the guy using this 'Blair Witch Tour' as his latest money-spiner) sets up a lot of video cameras, determined to put all his research into the Blair Witch phenomenon to the test.
They stock up on alcohol and set up camp around a fire, having a laugh and aiming to stay up all night having fun. Stories about the myths of the witch are told, and they make wise cracks about how the Blair Witch will get them. But they DO fall asleep and when they wake up with, a lot of strage happenings have occured. I don't want to spoil this for you at all, but let me say that the scenes like this in Book of Shadows are fantastic - blank the original 'Blair Witch Project' from your mind and enjoy the ride baby, because the film just gets better and better from now on. In fact if there was no mention of the Blair Witch Proejct in the film, this would do equally as well as a standalone movie.
When the five young people wake up the next morning, they have no recolection of what happened, or how they came to be in the ever-increasingly strange situation that they are in. All they are sure of is that five hours hace been stolen from their lives. There's very little more specifics I can say without spoiling it, but they soon realise that the video cameras that they set up may indeed tell them what happened. I know what you're probably thinking now, how similar the whole "camecorders in the woods" thing is to the original movie. Well this is just the tip of the iceberg my friend - the movie has only just begun. I went into 'Book of Shadows' sceptical about a sequel to one of my favourite films, but I left the cinema exhilerated and thoroughly entertained. The characters, setting, effects were utterly fantastic to watch. You get pulled deeper and deeper into the movie by every minute, I can honestly say this is probably the most absorbing movie I have ever seen, even more so that the original 'Blair Witch Project'.
This film is best described as a psycological thriller/horror... every time you think you reckon exactly what's happening to the five, new twists and revelations drag you further into the storyline. Becoming increasingly frightened and psycologically disturbed about the visions and sounds they see before them, they begin to turn agaisnt each other. It's true that this is similar to how the original Blair Witch Project movie absorbed you, but 'Book of Shadows' is very, very different. Flash-backs of both past and future events are regular and serve to thicken the plot even more. There are some violent images of murders and sacrifices taking place, which the original film lacked. In fact the original left the gore side of things up to your imagination, while 'Book of Shadows' sends your imagination and into over-drive, in the best film I've seen all year.
The media and films reviewers are constantly comparing 'Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows' to the original movie, and indeed when I left the cinema tonight I personally reckoned that the sequel was better that the first one. But NO!! - you simply CANNOT compare the two films together... they are both unique in their own right, and to say one was better than the other is a major injustice to both of the films. However what they DO have in common is that they are two incredibly absorbing, utterly fantastic films that have made me, at least, consider what I now look for in a movie, to give me an equally thrilling experience that I got from these two works of art.
For fans of 'The Blair Witch Project', PLEASE don't listen to the bad reviews that are going around about the sequel. If you want to experience the thrills and all the excitement that you got when you first saw the original, they I strongly recommend you go and see 'Book of Shadows'. And if you were never a fan of the Blair Witch Project, then don't be put off by the sequel - it is a very different film to its predicesor, and you really will be missing out on an amazing psycological movie by not seeing this.
Well I hope you have found this review useful and that it has inspired you to go and see 'Book of Shadows' - I highly recommended it to everyone.
Advantages: Starts well, setting up an interesting idea. Disadvantages: Completely fails to deliver.
...giggle at 'Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows'. I sighed...
So what went wrong? Of course, regardless of your opinion of BW1, you'd have to admit that a sequel would prove difficult. It had all the hallmarks of a one-off. Innovative (or rubbish - depending on opinion) filming, a documentary style realism, an intriguing story, a cult following manipulated by the internet. BW2 was already going to lose.
But to what extent? A valiant fight decided on ... ...and planning to write a book exploring the myth and media of the BW situation. They're joined by Erica, an attractive, well-meaning Wiccan (white witch) who wants to see the softer side of the naughty witch in the woods. Finally, Kim, a Goth with a touch of ESP and a side order of sarcasm. She's here because she thought the first movie was 'cool'. Off they pop, into the woods.
Round 2: Still standing. Our intrepid tourists camp out at the ruin of ...
Claw 02.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Book Of Shadows - Blair Witch 2 (DVD)
Advantages: none Disadvantages: waste of Hollywood budget
...the outline of Blair Witch: Book of Shadows starts with yet another trip into that not so scary forest.
The group is a mix 'n' match of excitable youths armed with camcorders and beer, the perfect goul hunting equipment! A night is spent in the wood where the Blair Witch herself is supposedly still roaming, after'witch' scary stuff ensues.
The next 3 quarters of film are filled with teen arguments consisting of the only four letter words they can ... ...As things unravel, that fateful night comes back to memory. Basically a lot of naked bums and satanic dances.
This film was in all a cheap teenage flick, which might appeal to those aged 13-16. It spent a good portion of the start praising the first movie and plugging the Blair Witch website. Rather than giving a bit of history about the witch it gave me a strange urge to reach for my trusty knife and etch crazy triangular symbol all over the DVD!
...
Sibella 04.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Book Of Shadows - Blair Witch 2 (DVD)
...Blair Witch 2 : Book of Shadows tells the story of the events that took place in Maryland after the original murders shown in the first film. In a sort of self-parody not unlike something you might see in the Scream trilogy Blair Witch 2 looks at the effect that the original film had on the town in which the film was set. The film opens with newsreel style footage of interviews with various townsfolk talking about the way in which Blair Witch has ... ...make money from selling merchandise and giving guided tours. Continually seeking to blur the lines between fact and fiction (as per the first film) the footage continues up until the opening title sequence (complete with Marilyn Manson soundtrack) when the film proper commences.
The main story of the film tracks the experiences of a party of visitors to the area who hire a local man to take them on a guided tour of the woods, and in particular to ...
LostWitness 11.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Book Of Shadows - Blair Witch 2 (DVD)
Advantages: Its a good film and will scare you in parts Disadvantages: Leaves it to your own imagination a bit to much
Blair witch 2, the Book of Shadows is the sequel to The Blair Witch Project (as if you didn’t know!). The Blair Witch Project was one of those films that had you on the edge of your seat throughout the movie, however, the sequel didn’t quite have the same effect, until you are into the film and then it suddenly ends on you! Just as you’ve got into the gritty bit! I’d been waiting to see this movie since I first heard a rumour of it being made as ... ...it ended made sense. In Book of Shadows it just ends with no insight as to what happened. I went to see it with my girlfriend and we both have different opinions as to who did what in the film and how it would end, and there are numerous ways the film could go, depending on your imagination, theres not really a way to work out exactly what went on and how. If you have seen The Blair Witch Project and are going to see Book of Shadows because you loved ...
GR-Design 12.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Book Of Shadows - Blair Witch 2 (DVD)
Advantages: Saved by the added extras Disadvantages: poor acting
The original “Blair Witch Project” divided film goers as to whether it was actually one of the horror greats, or whether it was all a load of hype.
I am an avid fan of horror movies and absolutely loved (is that the right word to use when a horror film leaves you feeling unsettled?) Blair Witch. A lot of this was probably to due with my over active imagination, and spending too much time in local forests as a kid.
This sequel, “Book of Shadows”, ... ...the film appears to bea typical horror sequel with extra money and a “safer” storyline, yet scratch a little further and there are hints of the originality revealed in the first installment.
The story centres around a group of teenagers (why is it always teenagers? … because tht mirrors the films target audience!) investiagting the hype surrounding the original film. Tristan, Stephen, Kim and Erica embark upon the “official” Blair Witch Hune lead ...
SmartRich 20.05.2001
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Advantages: On reflection...there ARE worse films Disadvantages: Not many though, and not by much
of the striplighting reflecting off the wares in the DVD section catch your eye, hypnotises you, directs your feet to the right...and before you know it, your brain is telling you about the tenner burning a hole in your pocket, and how the best thing you could possibly do with said cash is exchange it for the alluring artefact from which (for some reason) you cannot wrench your gaze.
This is a heartfelt story, and I so wish that the aforementioned artefact wasn't Book Of Shadows: BlairWitch2. But it was. And this is my confession.
I wish I could claim I'd been unknowingly sold a pup: that canny marketing had tricked me into believing there was gold where the reality was untreated sewage. But I can't. Because I'd already seen this film, and was all too aware of the depths it plumbed.
'And you, I'll make you into a beehive ...
Advantages: VERY good special features!! Disadvantages: You'll be so confused you might actually cry.. I did!!
. Possibly open for a 3rd??
**My Thoughts**
The Book of Shadows (BoS) is strange. On the DVD itself it says "fact or fiction?" and it really is SO hard to decipher! It is supposed to acknowledge that Blairwitch is a film but there is a legend and that these are fictional characters but things get even more confusing by the special features. I'll talk about those now.
**Disc One**
Of course you have the film on disc one. You also have the DVD set up. You are able to choose 5.1 Dolby digital sound, 2.0 Dolby digital sound, you have the choice of having the directors' commentary on as well as subtitles, only in English. You also have scene selection and it is this I want to talk more about.
On the first menu that appears there is what looks like the torn edge of a book and in it is moving things like the Blairwitch stickman, an owl ...
Advantages: Great cast, great dialogue, Disadvantages: None that spring to mind
A friend of mine has ranted and raved about how good ?About a Boy? is for quite some time, and up until recently I thought these were just the demented ravings of a crazywoman, believing that the movie was just another chick-flick starring that fop Hugh Grant, one that would frustrate and annoy me and leave me wanting to watch a manly movie like ?Apocalypse Now?? or something?
So I decided to relent to my friend?s nagging and put the movie in for a spin. Much to my surprise (and, as it turned out, delight) I was proven completely wrong. Curse my instincts with films! I am usually pretty good at picking up the scent of a good movie or a bad movie by things such as the cast, cover of the DVD, soundtrack, reviews etc., for example I knew that ?BlairWitch2: Book of Shadows? would be a disaster before we even set foot in the cinema, but ...
Ryan74 09.12.2004 (15.02.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of About A Boy (DVD)
A group of students from a Boston college decide to investigate what really happened to the missing filmmakers in Maryland. So they set up camp and wait...
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"...Its writing contains subtlety and wit....A nifty essay on mass hysteria..." (Hollywood Reporter, p.5-36, 25/10/2000)
"...[Cleverly] riffs on the Blair Witch juggernaut....[Slips in] visual homages to everything from THE OMEN to THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD..." (New York Times, p.E15, 27/10/2000)
"...Berlinger gives the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland a burnished glow that evokes both beauty and terror..." (Rolling Stone, p.137, 09/11/2000)
"...There are interesting ideas throughout....There's a lot of classy talent behind the follow-up..." (Sight and Sound, p.42, 01/12/2000)
"...Very clever....[The] rippling hallucinatory tricks leave you with little idea as to what will spring from the screen next..." (Total Film, p.86-7, 01/12/2000)
DVD Description
BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 is the sequel to the 1999 thriller THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. The first film's famously effective horror was created in large part with its faux authenticity. Shot on handheld video, the film presented itself as the genuine footage of three students' fatal search for the mysterious Blair Witch. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2, which purports to be a "fictional reenactment of real events," complicates the original's illusion of reality. Tourists have flocked to Burkittsville, Maryland to see evidence of the original film and its underlying mythology. Four of these visitors--Tristan and Stephan, a couple researching a book; Erica, a Wiccan; and Kim, a Goth--join up with town troublemaker Jeff for his inaugural Blair Witch Hunt tour. When they wake up after a night of partying, most of their possessions have been destroyed and they are unable to account for a large block of time. As they piece together memories, inexplicable events spiral to a terrifying climax. Director Joe Berlinger, an acclaimed documentarian making his first foray into dramatic film, creates a disorienting otherworld in which video clips, flashbacks, and visions are indistinguishable from the reality of the present. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 illustrates the often blurry and always terrifying line between truth and fiction.
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