I have seen it 3 times!!! Still terrifying!!!!

Rating: 9/10 (7 August 1999)

I have seen this movie 3 times and i still believe that it is excellent. I have read most of the reviews of the film here, and most are positive, but the some of the negative ones bother me. I truly believe that they are missing the point! I have to agree that the film has been hyped too much, but at least the movie is worthy.( remember GODZILLA?). I saw the movie before the hype so I can't be accussed of being influenced by the hype. The average American moviegoer is lazy, unwilling to be challenged by a film. People today want to be wowed by special effects they dont want to use their imagination. That is what Blair Witch does, it chllenges the viewer to use his/her imagination. I love a good hollywood blockbuster as much as anyone, but they have become so commonplace that they are not as good as they used to be. The Blair Witch Project proves that at times, less is more. What the audience doesnt see is scarier than what they do see. I can give a perfect example: in Jaws the movie was more effective whaen youm couldnt see the shark, right? The same has been implemented here.
I went to see The Haunting the other day, I hated it, good production values and thats it! No sense of real fear! After the movier ended i listened to people's reaction to it, most liked it! Im amzed, the movie had a stupid story, terrible acting, nothing memorable, but the people only talked about the effects! True some of the effects were good but cmon, The Haunting doesnt hold a candle to BW! People now seem to rate a movie solely on the SFX, that is sad.The point is The Blair Witch is an example of good planning and genuine desire to scare. The performances are incredibly real, especially Heather's. Her scene alone late in the film should earn her an Oscar nod! But Im sure that the snobs in the Academy won't recognize that it is a great performance considering the kind of film The Blair Witch is. Like any movie TBW may not be everyone's cup of tea, but some of the comments im reading are just ridiculous!
YES! The website was a clever way to raise interest in the film! YES! THe marketing for the film is aggressive! But the movie lives up to the hype if you go with an open mind, if you expect to see a movie like Scream( which I do like by the way) you will be disappointed. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF EXPERIENCE IN A MOVIE, LEAVE YOUR HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER EXPECTATIONS BEHIND. The Blair Witch Project is a fresh departure from the normal moviegoing experience!