Come on, I mean, everyone's seen The Blair Witch Project, right?! It's an incredibly well known movie. Think of a scary movie, this one springs to mind? Plus, it brought the whole 'found footage' idea back to life. Everyone's seen it.
Nope.
I didn't even know what it was about until I finished watching it for the first time, fifteen minutes ago.
So, let us explore!
(But let's not get lost...)
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My Review!
When Heather sets up everything for a documentary, she is eager to get started, to film everything, and to create a movie masterpiece. She knows the legends, the stories. She knows what people say about The Blair Witch. And she is prepared to go forth and try to find the truth.
Along with two fellow filmmakers, Josh and Mike, Heather sets off to Burkittsville, to question the locals and to explore the areas that hold the secrets to the past. Despite warnings from people, telling them that the woods are haunted, that even those who live there do not go near them, Heather, Josh and Mike continue on. They capture footage, film scenes for their documentary. But everything starts going rapidly downhill.
Camping out in the woods is one thing in itself, but the thought of camping in a wood that holds such horrors at its roots is one that makes me shiver just thinking about it. But without modern GPS, and simply relying on a map and compass to guide them through the unknown, they must put all their faith in the map, and that they know how to read it. And when the trio start to experience interruptions to their nights, sounds and strange things appearing, being lost doesn't seem to be the worst of their problems anymore.
The whole 'found footage' style is one that I am not sure I have seen before in a movie. I have seen a clip of found footage, of a man exploring the catacombs beneath Paris, and that was terrifying itself, especially considering it was real, and that no one knows what happened to him. This film had the same feel as watching that clip, as if it were real, that you know something is going to happen to these three people, that they are not going to resurface, and that a year later, someone will find their cameras, and they will learn of the horrors that unfolded.
One thing in particular that makes this movie seem so incredibly realistic is the acting. There is no exaggeration, no cheesiness, no cheap jump scares. There is simply three young people, arguing over which way to go, and slowly losing their minds as, day after day, they see nothing but trees, and find no way back to their car. Heather's obsession with filming everything completely winds the other two up, being on camera all the time, but it shows how, slowly, they go from three people laughing and shooting a documentary, to three people who have no choice but to stick together, who would rather be anywhere else but where they are, and would do anything to save themselves. The slow progression as, one after another, they start to grow more uneasy, was done brilliantly. From Josh walking off and sitting by himself, away from the others, to Mike sat by himself, slowly rocking back and forth, and Heather slowly mumbling to herself in denial that they are lost, this movie has perfectly depicted their plight.
Something that I loved in particular, was that, if this movie was filmed in the modern day, no one would have any doubt that it was fake, that the whole thing was simply a movie. Modern cameras are far too good, and phones do not have battery that would last long enough for people to walk around the woods filming all day long. But, in the nineties? On cameras that don't have great picture, with times when all you can see is darkness? The equipment used is something to take into consideration when trying to figure out just how this movie made you convinced that it was real.
Just so you know how completely I was unaware of what this movie was about, I didn't know if it was real or not until afterwards, when I looked it up. Throughout the entire movie, I battled with myself, wondering if it was entirely made up, or if it was a recreation of actual found footage. The one thing I was sure of, was that if it was true, it wouldn't be allowed for a film to be made out of it.
I am not the kind of person who strongly believes or disbelieves in the supernatural. I am the kind of person who believes what I see, and always try to come up with a logical explanation for things. And yet, when it comes to the supernatural, I have never entirely ruled out the possibility that things might exist that we have no idea about. I can find no absolute proof that the supernatural does not exist, so I cannot possibly say with absolute certainty that something like this could not happen. I will say for certain, though, if I was told about something called The Blair Witch, and knew about the horror stories of the woods, I would not go camping in those woods. I would stay far away from them, and if I did go near, it would be with trepidation. I do not wholly believe in the supernatural, but that doesn't mean I disbelieve.
And done!
I stayed up far too late writing this. I was going to be responsible, and go to bed early for once. Nope. Didn't happen.
And I think I might stay away from the woods for a while... there is one near me that has a river, and the idea of going there has suddenly become a little bit creepy.
Note to self – if you see cairns and stick figures hanging from trees in a haunted wood? DON'T TOUCH THEM! Turn around, and go home. Don't sleep in woods that may or may not be haunted.
Okay, small rant about stupid horror movie characters over.
Bye!
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