...
And so begins the legend of "The Blair Witch Project".
The Plot -
Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard are student filmakers who, for a college project, plan to film an investigative documentary into a local legend - "The Blair Witch". Legend has it that in 1785, ... Read review
Anyone who has even the slightest trouble with insomnia after seeing a horror movie should ... more
stay away fromThe Blair Witch Project--this film will creep under your skin and stay there for days. Credit for the effectiveness of this mock documentary goes t...
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In October 21, 1994, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams hiked into ... more
Maryland's Black Hills Forest to shoot a documentary film on a local legend 'The Blair Witch'. They were never heard from again. One year later, their footage was foun...
Original UK Mini Quad; Rolled Poster; Poster Condition: New; Size: 16 x 12 inches approx. ... more
All our items are despatched from the United Kingdom. Starring - Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams, Bob Griffin, Manufacturer: MoviePostersDirect
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Original UK Mini Quad; Rolled Poster; Poster Condition: New; Size: 16 x 12 inches approx. ... more
All our items are despatched from the United Kingdom. Starring - Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams, Bob Griffin, Manufacturer: MoviePostersDirect
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The astonishing US box-office success of The Blair Witch Project has scared Hollywood ... more
half to death: here is a film which was reportedly made for $22,000 yet which grossed millions. It purports to be the footage shot by three film students who went missing in Maryland's Black Hills while researching the legend of the eponymous witch. The key to the film's success lies in a combination of good old-fashioned scare tactics and some very astute marketing, which suggested that the (entirely staged) footage might be genuine. Rather than offering a straightforward re-telling of the film, D.A. Stern's "dossier" is a contribution to the Blair Witch mythology, presenting "a bizarre and notorious backstory" which unfolds after the students' footage has been found. The book details the investigations of one Buck Buchanan, presenting to the reader the evidence which he gathers. Instead of a conventional narrative, the dossier creates a plot from sources such as interview transcripts, diagrams, photographs and journal entries. As long as the reader is willing to play along with the central conceits-- that there really is a Blair Witch legend and that the film's footage is real- -the book functions as a remarkably effective supernatural thriller. The reader is encouraged to piece together the hints that are offered, while attempting to sift out the red herrings liberally strewn throughout the dossier. It largely manages to maintain the feeling that there is something terrible lurking behind the "facts", and only right at the end does the account threaten to descend into pure hokum. Moreover, since it avoids giving away too many details of the footage, the dossier could be treated either as a companion to the film, or as an appetiser before viewing. -- John Oates
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Anyone who has even the slightest trouble with insomnia after seeing a horror movie should ... more
stay away fromThe Blair Witch Project--this film will creep under your skin and stay there for days. Credit for the effectiveness of this mock documentary goes to filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who armed three actors (Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Josh Leonard) with video equipment, camping supplies, and rough plot outlines. They then let the trio loose into the Maryland woods to improvise and shoot the entire film themselves as the filmmakers attempted to scare the crap out of them. Gimmicky, yes, but it worked--to the wildly successful tune of $130 million at the US box office upon its initial release (the budget was a mere $40,000). For those of you who were under a rock when it first hit the cinemas,The Blair Witch Projecttracks the doomed quest of three film students shooting a documentary on the legend of the Blair Witch from Burkittsville, Maryland. After filming some local yokels (and providing only scant background on the witch herself), the three, led by Heather (something of a witch herself), head into the woods for some on-location shooting. They're never seen again. What we see is a reconstruction of their "found" footage, edited to make a barely coherent narrative. After losing their way in the forest, whining soon gives way to real terror as the three find themselves stalked by unknown forces that leave piles of rocks outside their campsite and stick-figure art projects in the woods. (As Michael succinctly puts it, "No redneck is this clever!") The masterstroke of the film is that you never actually see what's menacing them; everything is implied, and there's no terror worse than that of the unknown. If you can wade through the tedious arguing--and the shaky, motion-sickness-inducing camerawork--you'll be rewarded with an oppressively sinister atmosphere and one of the most frightening denouements in horror-film history. Even after you take away the monstrous hype,The Blair Witch Projectremains a genuine, effective original. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
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Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
Production Year: 1998 - Horror - Director: Stephen Norrington - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Donal Logue, Udo Keir, Traci Lords, Udo Kier
Advantages: A unique piece of cinematic history Disadvantages: Most people know the plot by now !
...three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittesville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. One year later, their footage was found."...
And so begins the legend of "The Blair Witch Project".
The Plot -
========
Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard are student filmakers who, for a college project, plan to film an investigative documentary into a ... ...a woman is banished from the town of Blair upon suspicion of witchcraft. One year later, her accusers, along with many children from Blair, disappear without a trace. Years later, Blair was renamed "Birkittesville", however the residents are still plagued by mysterious happenings, unsolved murders and unexplained disappearances.
The movie opens with Donahue, Williams and Leonard preparing for their expedition into the woods near ... more
"In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittesville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. One year later, their footage was found."...
And so begins the legend of "The Blair Witch Project".
The Plot - ========
Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard are student filmakers who, for a college project, plan to film an investigative documentary into a local legend - "The Blair Witch". Legend has it that in 1785, a woman is banished from the town of Blair upon suspicion of witchcraft. One year later, her accusers, along with many children from Blair, disappear without a trace. Years later, Blair was renamed "Birkittesville", however the residents are still plagued by mysterious happenings, unsolved murders and unexplained disappearances. The movie opens with Donahue, Williams and Leonard preparing for their expedition into the woods near Burkittesville. The atmosphere is excitement and anticipation of what they may uncover. Before the team venture into the woods, they take the time to interview several townspeople, asking them of their thoughts and beliefs of the legend. With an upbeat mood, and cameras at the ready, they set off deep into the Maryland woods. All starts off well, but soon small, almost insignificant things start to happen. Rocks in strange formations, strange noises, the feeling of being watched as they progress deeper into the forest...
One of the unique things about this movie is the cinematography. The film is recorded on video and 16mm cameras by the actors - Donahue, Williams and Leonard. This has the desired effect of making the movie appear amaturish whilst at the same time making it feel more realistic. The camerawork is divided into two halves - the "to the camera" shots, where Heather Donahue is presenting the documentary - where the shots are steady and clear, and the shots that would not be included in the documentary. These are shakey, unproffessional and grainy. A typical example is the recording of an arguement after the groups map goes missing. The sequence lasts for about a minute with just the bottom half of Donahue visible. The soundtrack too is virtually non-existant. To tie in with the background of the film, there is no background music. Whereas many horror movies rely on scary music and loud noises to increase the atmosphere of the film, this film uses a mixture of wind blowing through the trees and the eerie silence to create the atmosphere. Again, this works well, and fits into the overall effect and makes the film more believable.
Background Information - ====================
"The Blair Witch Project" was written and directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, however much of the script and storyline was improvised. Three unknown actors, Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard were given a background story, how their character should react and certain parts of the plot. They were then sent into the woods with cameras, maps and a GPS device (Global Positioning Device) to record the footage. They were muchly unaware of what to expect, as Myrick and Sánchez had some surprises up their sleeve !! Many of the events that occured and were caught on film were totally unexpected by the actors - hence the shock / horror on their faces is real. As too is the tierd look that develops into the film - they were often kept awake much of the night.
The films success comes down to some fantastic "marketing" in the guise of websites and other documentaries. The official Blair Witch Project (blairwitch.com) was set up to provide a background to the legend, and news on the three missing students. With authentic looking archive footage, news cuttings and other "evidence" and testimonies, the legend of the Blair Witch was already being beamed to computer screens all over the world. Added to this was the "word of mouth" factor, which was like adding fuel to a fire. To further ensure that the story was set, a fictional television documentary, "The Curse Of The Blair Witch" was also screened before the release of the film, (and can now been seen on the DVD release).
Anaylsis - ========
From the opening scene of this film, the whole film seems believable. The plot, although sounds like an urban legend, is something that most would find fascinating and the type of story that would make an excellent documentary. The excellent acting by the three main characters is supported by realistic and believable interviews with several "townspeople". As the trio head off into the woods, the aprehension can be felt - a mix of excitement, adventure and a slight fear of what they may discover. As events unfold, the growing sense of unease is apparant, and this increases into a sense of horror throughout the rest of the movie. Whilst the film has many horror cliches, such as being lost in the woods and childrens voices coming from nowhere, many modern horror symbols are missing - the character you know is going to get killed / drunken teenagers "making out" / corny lines like "I'll be right back". The other unusual thing about this movie is that you never actually see anything scary - no monsters and very little blood (just the one scene). The whole movie is based around the fear and experiences of the three teenagers, and your own imagination !
Overall Opinion - =============
As far as horror films go, this is actually a pretty average film. One or two shock moments do not really do enough to compensate for a plot that trudges along fairly slowly. Despite this, the film is very watchable, and builds to a dramatic and scary climax which, even though you know it's fictional, makes you think.... "What if this were real ?" The whole "Blair Witch" legend is fascinating (even if it is ficticious), and the story uses natural fears to install the horror into the mind of the viewer. The use of the internet to publicise the events of Burkittesville way ahead of the film was ingenious, as was the additional publicity created as a result in other forms of the media. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that, by the time of the UK release of "The Blair Witch Project", it was common knowledge that the whole thing was fake.
As a film by itself, I would have given this film a four-star rating. However, considering the website, documentaries and publicity surrounding the Blair Witch Project, I would have to give this movie a five-star rating. Love it or loath it, it really is a piece of cinematic history, and totally ingenious from conception to the final product.
Advantages: Innovative and possessing some depth Disadvantages: Not exactly user-friendly
...from ‘Macbeth’, add one of the main themes of ‘King Lear,’ set it in the woods like ‘As You Like It,’ add a liberal dose of weirdness a la ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and then update it by employing a video camera. And behold! The Blair Witch Project is born!
There have been varied reactions to this film, ranging from ‘a big pile of poo’ to ‘scariest movie ever made.’ My ... ...the left a bit. I shall explain further. But first…
~THE CONCEPT~
You all know the premise. Three students go into the woods to make a documentary about a witch. They disappear, but a while later their footage is found blah, blah, blah…
And this, I must admit, I find an interesting concept. In most Hollywood movies, the camera plays the role of ‘omniscient narrator.’ That means that it can leap from the point-of-view (POV) ...
Amadahn 26.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Blair Witch Project (DVD)
Advantages: Truly frightening, psychological rather than obvious. Some good extras, and the inclusion of the documentary is great. Interesting commentary Disadvantages: Some may find the lack of any real "evidence" of supernatural activity anoying. DVD extras shattered a couple of my illusions!
Please note, as in the film itself, there is an instance of foul language in this opinion, and if offended, please do not read the paragraph on performances.
Do you remember how excited the world was when this film came out? The slew of "documentaries" that came with it, the praise for the innovative and interesting premise, and the fact that it proved just how useful the internet could be in marketing a film.
Remember how it also split opinion ... ...who proclaimed it one of the scariest movies ever made, that it would go down in history as such. On the other hand, you had those who said that it was an over-hyped waste of time, and was about as scary as an old person's birthday party (actually, they can be pretty hairy).
I remember that, at the time, I was studying for my A-Level Theatre Studies, and as part of the final exam assessment, was, along with four others, trying to devise a piece ...
spacemonkey 25.03.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Blair Witch Project (DVD)
Advantages: Scary, excellent acting, brilliant directing Disadvantages: You **have** to use your imagination
...in your mind” may be the generic catchphrase of cocky psychologists everywhere, but that really is the case when it comes to the Blair Witch Project. The movie is something of a genre breaker in that you never actually see ‘the Blair Witch’ but it is up to you to imagine it and as such the film is only as scary as your imagination is active. This is largely the reason that the film has received a mixture of praise and criticism from pundits and filmgoers ... ...had me glued fervently to the screen
::Synopsis::
The storyline, as most people will probably know, goes like this. 3 teenage film makers go into the woods near a small town called Burkittsville, Maryland. They go with the intention of making a documentary about the Blair Witch, a legendary woman who lured children of the village into the woods and allegedly killed them. However they lose their map and end up lost in the woods; then the strange ...
Kyz22 11.05.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Blair Witch Project (DVD)
...living under a rock for the past 8 or 9 years) but it sounded so good, I just couldn't turn it down!
Well, ok, maybe I could.
The hyped up film "The Blair Witch Project" was a budget movie, about 3 kids who go into the woods and get lost. Sounds scary? Perhaps - throw in a few stick figures, some gory stuff in a backpack, and you'd have a pretty terrifying movie if you ask me. Plot - - -
It all starts when Heather Donahue (referred to as H for ... ...her university about the spooky goings-on up at the woods in Burkittsville. She brings along a few mates (Joshua Leonard (J) and Michael Williams (M)), sets up camp, puts a few bangers on the barbie and stupidly loses the car. J and M are not best pleased with H, and squabble about silly things until it's nighttime, and small wooden cross-shapes appear in trees. They are terrified at this point, and lots of running about occurs until the end of the ...
jellytotsgirl 16.04.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Blair Witch Project (DVD)
Advantages: It's put together nicely, the actors were great Disadvantages: Just makes no sense what so ever
This opinion reveals everything about the movie's plot Well it was about time someone made a 1st person horror/documentary right? Now all my friends were telling me about this movie. They all also had different opinions about it as well. Some told me this movie was really cool others said it blew monkey ass. So the only way to figure out this complex mystery is to see this movie by myself. The only problem was I kept holding it off. It was on the ... ...with a lot of promise. The kids went out to do their research on the Blair Witch. They interviewed people from the town you found out information that will help you comprehend the mystery. Like the fact that some serial killer had murdered 7 kids in the haunted woods. The funny thing was that 8 kids were kidnapped and 7 were killed. Now before you start to wonder if the 8th kid is the killer don’t worry he’s not. It will be explained ...
rawduu 27.03.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Blair Witch Project (DVD)
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Advantages: None. Disadvantages: Everything about the film
Despite my membership with Lovefilm, I still occasionally pick up the odd cheap DVD to have in reserve for when my rented films are in transit. As I was feeling a little delicate over the weekend following a few too many glasses of wine on Friday night, I took a dive into my reserve collection of films and plumped for The Bogus WitchProject, a series of spoofs of the infamous BlairWitchProject. Now if you've ever seen The BlairWitchProject, you'd think there was sufficient material to send up in a spoof horror. Unfortunately, the makers of The Bogus WitchProject seemed to struggle and instead have produced the most diabolical attempt at comedy horror that I have ever witnessed in my life.
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Advantages: Novel presentation Disadvantages: Not for people who get motion sickness from personal video cameras
the film for this reason, expecting high quality dramatic special effects like The Day After Tomorrow, you will be very surprised, as my description says, expect a film more along the lines of a BlairWitchProject Meets War of The Worlds. You will spend the first part of the film, wondering whether you got the right DVD, it follows the BlairWitch style of following fairly routine events of somebody out and about filming their mates with their personal video camera. The description on the dustjacket is accurate in one sense, you will be in suspense of what is about to happen or what is going on for quite a longtime.
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Advantages: FX, acting and visual style Disadvantages: Limited, nothing special
Last Summer, the airing of Transformers in cinema across the country was one of the most exciting moments for many who had grown up with the show. However, what was on most people's lips upon leaving was the suggestive trailer they had just watched: the short trailer of a new and untitled J J Abrams (Lost) film to be released the following year. The trailer gave nothing away apart from showing a camera filming panic on a street, then an explosion and the head of the Statue of Liberty tumbling down a road. Trailer ends! This turned out to be the trailer for Cloverfield, a monster film with a different style of filming that lends itself to a more high quality BlairWitchProject. Curious though I was, I never it a go. Then it came out on DVD, and I thought, 'Why not?'
The Plot
The first half an hour of the film is spent in ...
Three student filmmakers travel to Maryland to make a film about a local legend - The Blair Witch. They enter the woods and are never seen again. One year on and their video is found in the woods and made into a movie - The Blair Witch Project...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
PATHE DISTRIBUTION; 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT, 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Unseen Footage, Excerpts From Psychological Experts, TV Spots, Scene Access, Interactive Menus, Director And Producer Commentary, Interviews With Directors, Cast And Crew Information, Theatrical Trailers, Web Site Access
Aspect Ratio
4:3 Full Frame
Sound
Dolby 2.0 Surround
Dubbing Sound
Dolby 2.0 Surround English
Professional reviews
Review
"...Works [even] better at home because it's a tale told close-up....Believably unnerving..." -- Rating: B+ (Entertainment Weekly, pp.116-7, 29/10/1999)
"...A nifty example of how to make something out of nothing....A most inventive departure from standard horror fare..." (New York Times, p.E1, 14/07/1999)
"...I have seen the new face of movie horror and its name is THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT..." (Rolling Stone, p.79-80, 05/08/1999)
DVD Description
Made for $30,000 by two young filmmakers from Florida, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT wowed festival audiences for several months before finding distribution at the 1999 Sundance Festival. It is an ingenious creation which makes effective use of its lack of budget and cast of unknowns. The film is composed entirely of reportedly "found" footage shot by three missing college students who made a journey to the woods of Western Maryland in 1994 with the purpose of making a documentary about a "witch" of local legend who is linked to murders and mysterious occurrences spanning 200 years. It begins with footage of the crew leaving their homes and testing their equipment, but before we know it, they are lost deep in the endless woods, with the voices of screaming children piercing the blackness from off in the distance. Things get worse from there. The experience is disorienting and frightening as well as the most rewarding horror film experience to come along in many years, as it wisely chooses to prey on our vulnerable imaginations rather than bombard us with graphic images.
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