The Blair Witch Project

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2008)

"We are going to die out here."
Hard to believe it's been practically a decade since "The Blair Witch Project" was all the buzz, revolting some with how it would not give in allowing us to see what is terrorizing these three unfortunate would-be documentarian filmmakers, causing some audience-goers to almost up-chuck at the dizzying, skakey camera work(..but, if you think about it, this only gives this piece merit, these are amateur filmmakers who have yet to truly master the right form of precise camera-movement), and leaving many furiously duped at how producers claimed it was real, that footage of vanished film students had been found and pieced together for our benefit. Watching it for the first time since, hell, 2000 I guess, I was surprised at how this gave me the creeps. It was as if I were with them, deep into the woods lost, the sinister trappings of wilderness imprisoning me. I envisioned just what it would be like, there in that tent hearing noises out in the distance, even those giggly sounds of children brought chills up and down my spine..particularly when you see and hear the slight pounding on the exterior of the tent. I mean, snapping twigs and sticks out in the darkness actually gave me the willies. At first, I could understand how three film students, Heather, Josh, & Michael would find their little adventure such a thrill..it was like a vacation with the goal of capturing a documentary for an extra grade in school lifting their average of say B- to possibly a B+. This documentary, as seen early on, seems to be little more than to photograph and convey the legend of some Witch who supposedly haunts the woods. It's treated with rolled eyes as locals share what they know second-hand about it, providing our students with fuel for later laughter. I enjoyed how, as this continues, the camaraderie deteriorates eventually leading to shouting matches and ridicule. I found this actually rather believable and realistic, it worked for me. I could see a couple of people I either barely know, or know just from reputation, getting lost with yours truly as the guide with these sort of reactionary emotions and situations happening. These are just people with everyday jobs hoping for brighter futures facing unforeseen horrors which spiral out of their control despite the fact that getting lost in the woods in our modern age shouldn't happen. Is it some mythical witch behind the spooky noises and unusually shaped rocks and stick-men? The film sure paints a picture of this in the final moments as Heather and Michael enter an eerie dilapidated house with children's hand-prints and ritualistic symbols inscribed on the walls as Josh cries for their help. The basement with a person standing with their face to the wall as a camera falls helpless to the ground after a hard thud sure opens up the scary idea that something truly disturbing was happening away from the camera. I like not knowing because I could just imagine the horrors taking place as if it were me being treated to a rude awakening that far from the civilization I know lies in the heart of the wilderness evil has freedom over those unlucky enough to enter it's domain. I know that a lot of f-king people hate this with an absolute passion, but this sure worked for me..I mean just think about it for a minute:lost in the woods, sounds and voices in the distance, you have heard about a supposed witch haunting the woods, one amongst your party is kidnapped with his agony just out of reach echoing the wilderness, and rocks(..not to mention something bloody wrapped in a napkin, neatly intertwined within sticks, cloth & string)formed in a specific manner warning you that you are not alone. It sure would have me peeing in my pants.