31 Days of Horror Films for Halloween Day 21 – The Blair Witch Project

Okay, I know what you're thinking, "Jesus, really?" Yes, really. A lot of people either didn't get this movie, or got sick because of the camera work. What a lot of people didn't know, was that part of the package for the movie was an A&E special that slid in under the guise of one of their documentaries.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

I hadn't really caught much of the Blair Witch promotional effort until, completely by accident, I caught this TV show on A&E one night. It looked like one of the shows they'd air about weird things and ghost stories, so I watched it. It contains some bits from the movie, but mostly gives the back story for the entire film. What does this mean? You understand all the little bits and signs that appear in the actual film, and the ending makes more sense. Why was that guy standing in the corner as she fell with the camera? What was with the kids and noises in the woods?

Made on an almost non-existant budget, this movie made a ton of money for what they spent. It also launched an entire line of documentary and found-footage style movies that have begun to drive everyone crazy with the hand-held stuff.

If this movie made no sense to you then, get the DVD, watch the "Curse of the Blair Witch" so you'll know what things mean, and then watch the movie again. You'll enjoy it a lot more.