Inventive Approach, But Marketing Was Disgraceful

Rating: 3/10 (13 August 2007)

I never really was interested in watching this but when it got so much publicity, I thought it would be worth a shot to give it a look. I should have saved my money. I don't really find a film featuring ultra-profane, punk college kids that appealing. The movie might have been effective at what it aimed to do - to scare people - but it was just too sleazy for me. Of the three leads, the girl is probably the most annoying because of her smugness.
My main complaint is really not the movie so much as it was the marketing. This movie was viewed by millions of teenagers, and that's what the producers wanted. That, along with the college crowd, was their target audience. Hey, as far as college kids seeing this, I have no problem, but not high school kids.
To promote a film to that young a crowd - which it undeniably did - and have over 130 f- words, over 60 uses of "sh-t," 20 usages of the Lord's name in vain and tons of other profanities - all in a paltry 80 minutes - is absolutely ridiculous and just plain wrong.
I recognize the inventive film-making. They make it look - effectively so - that the kids in the story are filming some sort of documentary. It certainly has that feel to it and it's very realistic in that regard. It doesn't rely on gore but on a psychological level for the horror. It shows the evilness of witchcraft and the occult. No problem.....but.....
I still remember my local library having an entire wall on where the computers are located, promoting this film, reading "Hey, kids - It's Blair Witch Month. Celebrate with us....blah, blah, blah." I am not making that up. Unbelievable, but that's our Liberal libraries these days. I guess that's what still "sticks in my craw" about this movie. It should have been promoted "for adults only," but it wasn't.