Curse Of The Blair Witch

Give Credit Where Credit's Due
It seems like everyone now enjoy's ripping on "The Blair Witch Project", and I don't get it?! It's almost like when you scare the hell out of that kid when you are in 6th grade, and he might have been screaming wide-eyed with fright, only to tell you a couple minutes later "Hey, You Didn't Scare Me", just to repair his pride or ego. When I first saw "Blair Witch", it did scare me, and left me a little rattled at the end.....why? Because when I went to see it in the theater, there was still a strong buzz about the movie that it was either really an aborted documentary, or was a film based on true events...we were supposedly seeing the genuine article. Sure, I may have been duped by a clever marketing campaign that involved TV mocumentaries, internet gossip and radio buzz.....and looking back I think that was great. "Blair Witch" if nothing else, is a wonderful homage to William Castle, who back in the day of "The Tingler" would wire theater seats to shock select members of the audience...

Gave Me The Creeps
I really don't care for modern horror movies....they seem so stupid nowadays (Scream was a recent exception). But I really liked this.

If you like Hollywood cookie-cutter horror movies, this is definitely NOT for you. It's a very unique, experimental movie, one which had elements from my childhood nightmares (getting lost, being in a strange house, etc.).

Why it works, I think, is because so much is unseen or vague, leaving much of what is going on to your own imagination, sort of like Jaws, where the most intense scenes are those where the shark isn't even in sight. Hitchcock understood this concept, that less is more.

Unfortunately, today's viewers (especially younger ones) are jaded by the glut of gore and special effects in modern Hollywood horror movies, which may explain the negative reviews (worst movie ever? Not by a long-shot). Gore is almost non-existent in this movie...but be warned, I believe the "R" rating comes from the use of the...

IGNORE THE STAR RATING HERE...IN THE CASE OF THIS FILM IT IS MEANINGLESS.
This was and is, for me, a most fascinating film on several levels; the film itself being only one of the interesting points. Take a close look at the reviews that have been posted here on Amazon...look at them closely. We are quickly approaching a total of 2,000 reviews and if you check the spread you will instantly see that people are quite divided. It is almost an even split between those who love this film and praise it in many ways, and on the other end, those who absolutely despise everything about this work. I like that...just goes to illustrate the wonderful diversity in taste we humans are blessed with. What if we all liked the same thing? Boooring!

If you bother to read through these almost 2,000 reviews, dating back to 1999, you will note that this difference in opinion has generated a number of "flame wars" amongst our reviewers here. Whoa, talk about striking an emotional chord for a lot of movie viewers and buffs. There simply are not that many films...

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