An emotional roller coaster ride

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 1999)

From all of the hype in the media concerning "The Blair Witch Project" (TBWP), I was hoping with all of my might that it just wasn't that ... hype.
It was a small crowd (I saw a very early show), but from the second the film began, you could hear a pin drop in the theatre. It's very uncommon nowadays to goto a movie and not hear anyone talking, murmuring, whispering. This was one of those times.
TBWP scared me. It was very easy to place myself in the woods with these kids, and to pretend I was one of their group. My emotions went from slight laughter to concern to sorrow to anger to betrayal to fear over and over again.
No movie has ever filled me with the suspense and the sheer fear of the dark like TBWP. From beginning to end, I found myself not able to move, in fear I may miss something.
When the film ended, everyone in the theatre just sat there; no one got up for at least 30 seconds. Families and couples and friends all walked out not uttering a word to each other; it was like everyone was at a funeral and everyone's best friend was in the casket.
I, myself, left the theatre in disbelief and somewhat mildly shocked. If you can put yourself up there on the screen with the kids, you can actually feel their pain. This film was WONDERFULLY done.
I can honestly rate TBWP as one of the greatest horror/suspense films of the decade. I will see it again; perhaps tonight. But I won't go to sleep in the woods. You can count on that.
Hype? I think not. Go see it. You'll be glad you did.
Rating: 5 out of 5