Tedious horror flick for easily satisfied non-horror loving audiences

Rating: 1/10 (16 February 2006)

Tedious, overrated horror flick for non-horror fans. With a structure stolen from Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust", could directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez go wrong? Yes. "The Blair Witch Project" is an amateurish deceit elevated to cinema release status by a million dollar sound mix and an expensive blow-up. It is a film that focuses on physical and mental dislocation, and mood. Unfortunately, despite its best efforts to unnerve the viewer, it is boring, and an endurance test to watch because of its chaotic camera-work. The producers of the film created a brilliant, effective internet campaign that convinced easily satisfied non-horror loving audiences that they were about to see something really scary. True horror fans weren't swayed by the hype. Essentially, the film/video is a home movie with zero aesthetic value. "The Last Broadcast", a similar piece that was made before "Witch", is the superior of the two, but still no great shakes.