It just creeps up on you...

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2003)

When I first saw the previews for this movie, I didn't really know what to think, but I saw the website address flashed and decided to check it out. The website alone intrigued me and I really wanted to see this movie. I still tried to go in without a lot of expectations...I hate spoiling a movie based on what I THINK it should be. I'm glad I was able to do that since I ended up really enjoying this movie.
Sure, there are some drawbacks to it: the annoying Heather who can't stop screaming at everyone, the overuse of cuss words (but hey, they're college kids..I know I heard a LOT of that in college, so it really only added to the overall "realness" of it), and the unsteady camera work. However, the unsteady camera movements I was able to deal with through its integration in the believability of the story of AMATEUR film makers out to explore the legend of the blair witch. Anyone who makes home movies knows it can be difficult to keep a steady cam...especially when walking/running through the woods. So, like I said, this really didn't detract too much from the overall experience.
Now, all that negativity aside, I absolutely loved this movie. The way it was done was so entirely different from the typical horror/slasher/thriller/etc movies. Blair Witch was filmed as actual footage with little to no script whatsoever. The storyline is slowly built up through interviews and conversations, allowing the viewer to get an idea of what is going on and what the young film makers are out to accomplish. Once we are armed with this knowledge, creepy little inferences are made here and there building a nervousness that culminates in the final scenes. It is incredible.

I remember camping out in the woods of my backyard and fearing every little twig snap or the slightest sound. Blair Witch brought me right back into those days. Also, it was able to create a fear in me without having to hold my hand through the entire movie, and instead, letting my imagination run wild. The best part being that fears were built withought ever having to really be shown anything. All too often in movies the fear is lost once a film maker tries to show us what the "monster" or "thing" looks like...it just can't compare to what our mind's eye can depict.
Overall, I give Blair Witch an 8 out of 10 stars. If you can get past the sometimes nausea inducing camera work, you may find this is quite an interesting movie.