The Blair Witch Project (1999)

	Directed by: Daniel Myrick Eduardo Sánchez	COUNTRY USA Genre Horror NORWEGIAN TITLE The Blair Witch Project RUNNING TIME 81 minutes
	Produced by: Robin Cowie Gregg Hale
	Written by: Daniel Myrick Eduardo Sánchez

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Heather Donahue	Heather Donahue	½
Michael C. Williams	Michael Williams
Josh Leonard	Joshua Leonard

Review

The Blair Witch Project is undeniably inventive, but its success relies heavily on a particular allure and the audience’s goodwill. The trick that directors Myrick and Sánchez try to pull is all about their creative format, which they employ manipulatively and cleverly, with a hint of flair. The three leads were given just one day’s worth of script at a time, improvising their way through the story with only a 35-page outline to guide them, and with minimal information about the roles of the supporting characters they encountered. Indeed a refreshingly bold approach to filmmaking, but the novelty of it all is no guarantee for success. The documentary-style camerawork ensures a raw, realistic effect, but it’s not without risk. It’s easy to overdo it – and The Blair Witch Project occasionally wears thin, becoming static and grating. The idea of unrefined handheld footage isn’t exactly new (just ask Cannibal Holocaust), and while it can be effective, it’s also taxing, cacophonous.

The horror in The Blair Witch Project is meant to feel immediate and visceral. Instead, the supernatural elements often fall flat, unable to blend seamlessly with the documentary style. The film’s middle part drags, weakening the suspense that the finale desperately needs to work. Myrick and Sánchez need you to stay engaged, not exhausted, but Blair Witch ultimately tires you out. That said, the global buzz that this film has garnered is positive for maintaining artistic balance in cinema. Although this is no masterpiece, it has attracted renewed interest for the medium and this particular genre. Kudos to Robert Redford’s Sundance Festival for taking a chance on it, and hats off to the young filmmakers for pushing boundaries. Like Lynch’s Eraserhead, The Blair Witch Project is a fascinating piece, even if it’s no stroke of genius.