A new age in horror has dawned.

Rating: Null/10 (27 July 1999)

Inspired by the "real TV" shows of the past several years, this film attempts to catch the reality of watching a horror movie through the eyes of the victims as captured on their own 8mm and 16mm cameras - and almost succeeds perfectly!
With few exceptions, most horror movies enter into the world of fantasy and extreme gore, making it hard to suspend disbelief. Consequently, modern horror has generally relied more on shocking with gore and violence (which can be scary if it's done right, it's just rarely done right). There were old scary movies that drew you into the film and made you lose your sense of self for two hours as you lived through the unknown horrors with the characters ("Rear Window" comes to mind).
But never have I seen a horror movie that seems so thoroughly realistic and believable that for days afterward I had to consciously remind myself that it wasn't real footage I saw. "Blair Witch Project" did exactly that. The only weak part of the film is some of the supporting cast, the "interviewees" near the beginning, a couple of whom gave sub-par acting performances, but once you're left with just our three main characters -- look out -- you're in for the most realistic excursion into the world of horror ever placed on film.
The acting from the leads, especially Heather Donahue, is first rate. In fact, she is far more gifted at her craft than any other young actress I've seen in years. So much about this film outshines what Hollywood can make with a budget 1,000 times as large it makes me wonder why our friends in California still bother to try. On second thought, maybe they don't anymore.