The Blair Witch Project: Difference between revisions
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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In [[October]], [[1994]], student filmmakers [[Heather Donahue]], [[Michael C. Williams|Michael Williams]] and [[Joshua Leonard]] travel to [[Burkittsville, Maryland]] to film a [[Documentary film|documentary]] about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. According to myth, a woman named Elly Kedward was accused of [[witchcraft]] in [[1785]] in the Blair Township (Currently known as Burkittsville). Following her death, residents experienced signs of supernatural phenomenon, most notably the disappearance of many local children. These were later attributed to a local serial killer who would, allegedly, kidnap two children at a time; he would then take them to his basement, force one to face the corner and then kill the other. |
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[[Image:The blair witch project 3.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Symbols left by the Blair Witch]] |
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Shot in a mixture of color and black and white, with shaky handheld camera movements and either daylight or the flat glare of the camera's light during night scenes, the footage includes material that was intended to be used in the documentary, but the bulk of the film shows the experience of the three students as they wander through the woods. Occasionally, the view switches out to a kind of "mood footage" (footage of the environment without characters) while the audio track continues. |
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The filmmakers visit Burkittsville, where they interview local citizens in regard to the Blair Witch. The students then hike deep within the woods; eventually, a number of unusual events begin to unfold. Mysterious sounds from the woods awaken the filmmakers, and they eventually awaken to realize three piles of stones have been placed outside their tent. They eventually become lost in the woods, and after several hours of hiking, they realize they have returned to their original starting point. |
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Soon after setting out, they become hopelessly lost; their situation worsens when Michael, feeling that it is useless, kicks their only map of the area into the river without telling the others. Over a period of several days, a number of terrifying, unnerving, and possibly [[supernatural]] events occur. In one scene, the crew hikes for more than half of the day only to end up in the same spot where they had started. |
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Believing the group's map to be useless, Michael tosses it into the river, causing great anger and frustration among the group. As the group begins to grow increasingly paranoid, Michael disappears one night. Shortly afterwards, his removed teeth appear outside the tent within a bloody rag. Over time, Heather and Josh begin to grow increasingly cold, worried and hungry, and in the film's most iconic sequence, Heather records an apology to the trio's parents, claiming responsibility for the various hardships they have endured. |
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It is implied that all three students die, and there is some internal evidence within the film as to how and why, but much of the [[plot (narrative)|plot]] is open to the viewer's interpretation, including the finale; few concrete indications are given as to the eventual fate of the three filmmakers. The final scene features a distraught Heather finding Michael in the basement of an old abandoned house, head down, facing a corner, as told in the Blair Witch fable; then Heather seems to drop the camera. |
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One night, the frightening sounds become unbearable, so Heather and Josh flee into the woods; after running blindly, they eventually discover an abandoned house. The duo enters the home and searches for people, but are haunted by the sounds of screaming. Josh runs downstairs to the basement, where he is apparently knocked unconscious. Heather flees to the basement in search of Josh, only to find Michael standing in the room, facing the corner; Heather is apparently knocked unconscious as well, and the footage finishes as the camera battery dies. |
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==Release and reaction== |
==Release and reaction== |
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Revision as of 22:20, 17 August 2007
| The Blair Witch Project | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Daniel Myrick Eduardo Sánchez |
| Written by | Daniel Myrick Eduardo Sánchez |
| Starring | Heather Donahue Joshua Leonard Michael C. Williams |
| Distributed by | Artisan Entertainment |
Release dates | July 30, 1999 (USA wide) |
Running time | 86 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$25,000 |
| Box office | $248 million est. (as of July 26, 2004) |
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 low budget independent horror film, financed and distributed by Artisan Entertainment. The narrative is presented as a documentary pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film features Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams all as themselves.
It tells the story of three young student filmmakers who get lost in the woods while filming a documentary about the eponymous local legend. After being terrorized by an unseen presence for several days, they mysteriously disappear. Neither the students nor their bodies are ever found, although their video and sound equipment (along with most of the footage they shot) is eventually recovered, several feet under a building foundation that was laid at least a century earlier.
The release of the film on July 16, 1999 came after months of publicity, including a ground-breaking campaign by the studio to use the Internet and suggest that the film was a real event. It was very positively received and went on to gross over US$248 million worldwide.[1]
Plot
In October, 1994, student filmmakers Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard travel to Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. According to myth, a woman named Elly Kedward was accused of witchcraft in 1785 in the Blair Township (Currently known as Burkittsville). Following her death, residents experienced signs of supernatural phenomenon, most notably the disappearance of many local children. These were later attributed to a local serial killer who would, allegedly, kidnap two children at a time; he would then take them to his basement, force one to face the corner and then kill the other.
The filmmakers visit Burkittsville, where they interview local citizens in regard to the Blair Witch. The students then hike deep within the woods; eventually, a number of unusual events begin to unfold. Mysterious sounds from the woods awaken the filmmakers, and they eventually awaken to realize three piles of stones have been placed outside their tent. They eventually become lost in the woods, and after several hours of hiking, they realize they have returned to their original starting point.
Believing the group's map to be useless, Michael tosses it into the river, causing great anger and frustration among the group. As the group begins to grow increasingly paranoid, Michael disappears one night. Shortly afterwards, his removed teeth appear outside the tent within a bloody rag. Over time, Heather and Josh begin to grow increasingly cold, worried and hungry, and in the film's most iconic sequence, Heather records an apology to the trio's parents, claiming responsibility for the various hardships they have endured.
One night, the frightening sounds become unbearable, so Heather and Josh flee into the woods; after running blindly, they eventually discover an abandoned house. The duo enters the home and searches for people, but are haunted by the sounds of screaming. Josh runs downstairs to the basement, where he is apparently knocked unconscious. Heather flees to the basement in search of Josh, only to find Michael standing in the room, facing the corner; Heather is apparently knocked unconscious as well, and the footage finishes as the camera battery dies.
Release and reaction
The teaser poster and other advertisements for the film were designed to reinforce the 'documentary' concept, leading many people to think the film was an actual documentary, and that the three protagonists really had disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland.[2] To reinforce this idea, the Sci-Fi Channel aired a fake documentary, Curse of the Blair Witch, that claimed to investigate the legend surrounding the movie right before the film's release[citation needed]. The program contained "interviews" with friends and relatives of the missing students, paranormal experts, and local historians. This was done so extensively that the three main actors were listed for a time as "missing, presumed dead" on IMDb.[3]
Cinematic and literary allusions
In the film, the Blair Witch is, according to legend, the ghost of Elly Kedward, a woman executed for witchcraft in 1785 in the Blair Township (present-day Burkittsville). The directors incorporated that part of the legend, along with allusions to the Salem Witch Trials and The Crucible to play upon the themes of injustice done on those who were called witches.[4] The directors were also influenced by The Shining, Alien, The Omen and Jaws for the technique of showing the antagonist as little as possible to create a compelling psychological drama.[2]
DVD release
The DVD was generally well received, though by the nature of the film, it does not exploit the full quality of the DVD format in either video or audio, though the extras were thought to be extensive.[5]
Computer games
In 2000, Gathering of Developers released a trilogy of computer games based on the Blair Witch movie, which greatly expanded on the myths first suggested in the film. The graphics engine and characters were all derived from the producer's earlier game, Nocturne.[6] The trilogy was not particularly well received by critics. The first game, Rustin Parr, was criticized for being very linear but praised for its relentlessly creepy atmosphere, including audio that was faithful to the movie.[7]
In popular culture
The Blair Witch Project's success led to many spoofs and references in other media. For example, a film was produced solely based on the films plot, entitled The Blair Witch Rejects[citation needed] and the The Tony Blair Witch Project[citation needed]. Also, Cartoon Network released a parody of the film entitled The Scooby-Doo Project, the film was also referenced in an episode of The Simpsons, in which Bart and Lisa become hopelessly lost, and Bart asks Lisa if she had "ever seen the Blair Witch Project?".
One particularly frequently referenced moment from The Blair Witch Project is the scene in which Heather points the camera directly up at her face with the camera's light shining in her eyes as she apologizes and claims how frightened she is. Numerous television shows and movies have lampooned this popular scene.
Curse of the Blair Witch
Curse of the Blair Witch was a mockumentary produced for the Sci-Fi channel in 1999. Set just after the events of the original movie, the program incorporated mock interviews with the townspeople, scientists and the students' teachers, as well as mock news clips regarding the search effort for the filmmakers. Historical "evidence", including the legend of The Bell Witch, are used as background material.
References
- ^ "The Blair Witch Project". Box Office Mojo.com. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Klein, Joshua (1999-07-22). "Interview - The Blair Witch Project". avclub.com. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Mannes, Brett (1999-07-13). "Something wicked". Salon.com. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Aloi, Peg (1999-07-11). "Blair Witch Project - an Interview with the Directors". Witchvox.com. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Blair Witch Project, The". IGN.com. 1999-12-16. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Blair Witch Project Interview". IGN.com. 2000-04-14. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Lopez, Vincent. "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr". IGN. September 21, 2000. Retrieved January 11, 2007.