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| Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez; Starring Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard |
After waiting very patiently for months now, I have finally seen the second most anticipated film of the Summer for me. I’ve gone beyond temptation of watching my screener before getting the theatrical experience, I’ve stood the test of muting and turning my head at every TV commercial (they can’t help but give something away when the film is only 85 minutes long), I’ve even listened to the incessant talk about the film from my friends that have seen the film. All that for The Blair Witch Project. Was it worth it? Probably not, but hey, it was still a good film. But, alas, it was not great.
The film is the fake footage found after the fictional (yes, fictional) disappearance of three documentarians in the deep forests of Maryland for a documentary on the Blair Witch that has haunted the area for two hundred years. The film is more or less the beginning of what seems to be a nice school project for the students leading to the terrifying ordeal of being lost in the woods, all being seen from the lenses of the two cameras they brought to record the film. The project is the brain child of Heather (all actors use their real names in the film) who wants desperately to make the film. Along the way are cameraman Josh and sound guy Mike. Early on in the film we learn the story of the Blair Witch from locals of Burkittsville (formerly Blair), Maryland interviewed by Heather including two that are rather spooky that serve quite important to the rest of their trek through the wilderness.
The Blair Witch Project is not a perfect film in any way. The film seems repetitive and the performances seem pushed (more so Mike and Josh than Heather). Still I quite liked the film. Sure it was not really scary until the last ten minutes, but the whole film did hold a spooky demeanor. This is no The Exorcist or Psycho. It really goes more into my category of horror films that are so well directed that you really cannot get scared like The Shining. The film is exciting at times and somewhat exhilarating in the outset, but still leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. The directors fill the film with exposition that is clearly mixed in with red herrings to where the film is going.
Maybe I would have loved the film if I had seen it before I had a chance to get hyped and it was unknown to me. All the same, the ending is easily the best ending of the year so far (yes I’m saying that the ending here is better than Eyes Wide Shut, though it is a little close).
