| Product: |
The Blair Witch Project (DVD) |
| Date: |
07/08/02 (32 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Shock value, Moments of genuine tension
Disadvantages: Hype, Hype, Hype
As film cults went, The Blair Witch Project certainly went. The film which was a world wide byword for HIP in the summer of 1999 was talked up more than just about any other film of the last 20 years - it had its own fan base and webring, even before it actually stomped menacingly onto our screens, something which was very, very big indeed in the good old USA where its stark imagery, basic language and quasi documentary feel soon established a pretty awesome popularity which just rolled and rolled.
The cult was so dramatic that there were even accusations that the people behind the film had faked the fan base in order to build up the mystery around it.
The film behind the myth, however, has provoked fairly mixed reactions since its release, being variously described as the scariest film of the last twenty years and at the same time the most substanceless hype you could imagine in your wildest dreams.
I have to say that my views about the film in general side heavily with the latter of the two camps - it may be very challenging and interesting, but by and large The Blair Witch Project leaves me pretty much unmoved and wondering what all the fuss was about.
Now, feelings are very high where this particular subject is concerned, so I'm not going to try and convince you one way or the other, but this is my view for what it's worth.
Release Date: July 16th, 1999 (27 theatres in 16 markets); July 30th, 1999 (expanding into 1000 theatres); August 6th, 1999 (adding 1000 more theatres)
Running Time: 88 minutes
Distributor: Artisan Entertainment
Cast: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael Williams, Bob Griffith, Jim King, Patricia Decou, Sandra Sanchez, Ed Swanson
Directors/Screenwriters: Eduardo Sanchez, Daniel Myrick
The story is based around the mysterious happenings in a Midwestern state called Burkittsville, where a town called Blair used to be found. The place has an eerie history o
f cult-related murders and other strange disappearances. Three college students decide to find out the truth of what happens and set out on a trek to the place with cameras to film a documentary of what they find.
They're as cynical as you would expect at first, but soon start to become scared and affected by the terrible desolation of the place as they get lost in the woods, and the tension brings out the very worst in them (along with an endless stream of obscenities) as they come across some very strange sights as they wander. At first they're convinced that someone is out to do them harm, but eventually start to believe that it's more like something and the icy blast of fear shoots up their terrified souls.
The film is formed as a documentary, and is preceded by a title card which reads "In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found." Clearly, part of the mystery revolves around getting the watchers to actually believe what unfolds before their eyes is factually based, and that these scenes actually happened. A neat trick, but one that?s easily seen through.
However, for actors the three main leads are undoubtedly believable and act just the way you would if you were there, at first clowning it up for the cameras and poking fun at the poor fools who believe this stuff, but growing increasingly agitated and uptight as events unfold. Also, the filming itself is avowedly amateurish in style, adding to the atmosphere.
Having said all that, the immense hype which preceded this film's release was really what damaged its chances - if we hadn't been told that it was such a scary movie, then we might have received it better, but as it is, it's a sad let down.
Summary:
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Last comment:
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aefra - 08/08/02 A good review. I tend to avoid hyped films for this reason. Pity, because I almost missed a couple of good ones. :-) |
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