Hype backlash bigtime

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 1999)

* * ½ (2½ out of 5)

The Blair Witch Project
Directed By : Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez (II), 1999
Hype backlash bigtime

Tremendously over-hyped horror hit (grossed over $130 million in US) that collapses under it's own weight regardless.
Three kids, two cameras (a handheld and a 16mm) and an investigation into the cold, rainy woods of Washington searching for witches and superstition make out The Blair Witch Project. The `documentary' is presented throughout as a true story and was even preceded by much internet and word-of-mouth hype as to whether or not it was a true story. Of course it is only a movie.

Very repetitive (day, night, day, night) and be advised to leave most of your logic at home (No mobile phone? One compass only? One map only? No clue as to sun-reading at all?). Thank you.
However; the premise was intriguing. The back-to-basics approach of filmmaking, the superb acting (mostly ad-libbed) and the desolate scenery make for an interesting experience. The intimacy and anxiety is enhanced by the great performances of Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard.
It would have been interesting to observe (or be) one of the few who viewed this just when it was taking off, because frankly I wasn't convinced at all.

Nevertheless, viewing Blair Witch in a packed cinema a few days after opening night, where 90% of the crowd consisted of teenagers, I made an interesting observation. The last horror film that most of these kids saw was probably in the vein of 'I Know What Jason and Freddie Did Last Spring'.
So naturally, they wanted gore!
Or did they? Some made remarks during the movie ('Is this it?' 'When does it start?' 'Alright with all that name calling!').? Maybe they had just heard that this was the movie that had fooled everyone across the sea and that it was genuinely scary and tested new ground.
If that is the approach, then be prepared to be hugely disappointed. Sure, I was annoyed at these spoiled and 'illiterate' (pun intended) MTV-generation youths, that had apparently been feeding on junk-and-dollar horror for too long.
At the same time  however - their reaction is somewhat understandable. The hoax was part of the package. Kind of like de-masking Jason. State of the art special effects may show him to be ugly as nothing you've ever seen, but he looked so much more frightening with his hockey mask on. He was MUCH more terrifying when shrouded in mystery.
This is the trick and trap that Blair Witch reminds us of, and ultimately falls for itself. Kapow.
The Blair Witch Project is a small movie celebrating it's own originality and thereby to an extent forgetting the initial task. Which is to scare! Yet it is somewhat charming and most importantly solid proof of how spoiled and unimaginative many have become when watching horror.

Note : The last ten minutes should keep you on needles though. And the ending is brilliant.