A refute to the detractors. (possible spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 1999)

Considering the comments of 90% of the comments on this site, this film has proven to be(for lack of a better word) powerful. There have been some criticisms that I think are unfounded, especially if you pay close attention to the dialogue.
"No real person would keep filming while going through what we saw on the screen." If the film itself did not address this issue, I would be inclined to agree. However, during one of the day shots Josh began repeatedly bothering Heather about why she was still filming. She replied that this(filming) is all I have left(to keep her sanity). Furthermore, when Josh goes behind the camera, he says something to the effect of, "you know, I can see why you keep filming. It's not quite reality through the viewfinder, you can trick yourself into thinking that it's not real." Heather was the only one I think who truly thought this way...she pretty much just bullied, nagged, and prodded the others into going along with her.
Another complaint was why didn't they use the stream or the sun to find their way out of the woods? Well, you could go for two arguments here. One, perhaps they were just too dumb or too scared to do it correctly. Which is fairly hard to swallow considering that following a compass' arrow isn't rocket science, but can be an argument nevertheless.(Perhaps Heather never read her bought copy of How to Stay Alive in the Woods) What I think happened is that the witch kept them where she wanted them. If this supposed supernatural being is real, I don't think confusing a group of lost students who are obviously out of their element would be that big of a deal.

It is not very difficult to tell who "got" the movie. It's not a question of academia, or film history, or even horror itself. The way the movie gets you is the involuntary empathy you are drawn into because of the immadiance which is achieved by only using footage shot by the actors from their cameras. Sure, many people hated the characters and found them annoying, but such is life. In the real world, not all are are likeable or sometimes even believable.
If you get a chance, read how the film was shot. It's an interesting story. Basically, the directors put the three into the woods with no script and two cameras and left them baskets with tiny portions of food and a few needed plot events. They told them, "you won't see us, but we will be watching. In the night we will mess with you. We won't hurt you, but we will try to scare the hell out of you." Did it work? I think so.
The film is full of gems. The humor, Heather's soliloquy, and of course, the end scene. Even using the black and white 16mm camera for the final shot gave it the crispness and utter dread that marks it as art that can only be fully appreciated if one pays careful attention to the initial interviews.
This film is more than a horror movie. It should be rated NC-17 not because of gore or porn(which there is none) but because of the utter frankness and reality that the film submits to the viewer. Children, the faint of heart, and those with mental or emotional stress should avoid this movie. Pardon the language, but the only succint way to describe this film is "It will f*ck you up." (stolen from one of the previous posts, would credit but don't have your name handy). I'm sure this is one of the best films I've ever seen, but I'm not sure if I ever want to see it again.