There is a great deal of information online about this film, if you're interested in finding out more. The original official website has evolved in recent years but still looks much the same as it it did in 1999. There are a number of scholarly articles (and at least one scholarly anthology) about it as well. The one I mentioned in class, on the film's influence on aesthetics in contemporary horror cinema, can be found here. For an interesting feminist analysis, this essay by Linda Badley is very interesting. The DVD contains yet another "fake documentary" which explores the folklore of the Blair Witch, in "Curse of the Blair Witch."
How does this film hold up as a milestone in documentary? Is it possible to see it as a groundbreaking film both for the horror and documentary genres?
The Blair Witch Project is a milestone in documentary because it was such a huge unintentional social experiment. The entity that was this film became such a phenomenon that it is hard to ignore. It forced the audience to question what they believed to be real, and put their trust in these filmmakers. For this reason it is an important documentary. Within the horror genre, the Blair Witch Project is, in my opinion, a one time scare. The first time you see it, there is an eerie feeling swirling in the back of your mind the entire time, culminating in the final scene where you really do question what you're actually seeing. In subsequent viewings you become less engrossed in the story and the fear, and more intent on studying every move trying to see the little things the camera catches, but you aren't sure are actually there. This has been an element of horror cinema for decades, but the Blair Witch definitely brought it back full force.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to watch this film now because I remember when it first came out I was 7 years old and my siblings who were in their late teens had seen it already and told me I could not see it because it was just too scary. I remember the first time I saw this movie being so scared because of all the hype and then when it was over I was just left a bit bereft. Even now after having seen it numerous times and knowing the outcome hoping that it would have scared me more. With that being said, I think the concept of the found footage documentary is brilliant if it is executed correctly. Perhaps it is because I saw this movie much later than when it was released that it lost its scare factor for me but when I saw the recent found footage film Paranormal Activity, I was much more engaged in the plot and enjoyed the film.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best parts about this film is the acting. Part of this is due to the fact that the cast didn't always know what was going on or what was going to happen in the process of their filming. But the other beauty is being able to find actors who can improv so realistically that the audience buys into it. Fun fact, Mike, from the film graduated from New Paltz. Overall this isn't my favorite found footage documentary but I can understand why it is a milestone, because without this movie then we never would have had films like Paranormal Activity and The Last Exorcism.
I, like many of my class mates, saw this movie for the first time when I was about 10 years old. Back then, I remember being scared because the person I watched it with told me that this was real. I'm not sure if they knew that it was fake and chose to trick me because I was young and it was fun to see a child frightened, or if they truly believed, like many people at the time, that it was real. If I look at this film as a documentary, there are definitely some aspects that I find more intriguing than in the standard documentary form. I appreciate how there's no interviews or intentional B roll. It's all right there for you to see. Very honest. It may be filled with jump cuts, but I like those when they're used correctly. The fact that there's no music score definitely has an effect. It's terrifying. When we watch a typical Wes Craven or Rob Zombie horror flick, we know when we're supposed to be scared because the music tells us. I'm not bashing horror movies, in fact, they're one of my favorite kinds of movies to watch. And there's something beautiful about eerie music playing as a killer jabs a knife or ski pole through his victim. However, with the Blair Witch Project, this is not the case. We don't even see the Witch. We hear her through the darkness and THAT is what brings the realistic effect to the movie. Also, we didn't talk about this in class, but i believe that she may have even have been present within each character at a certain point in the movie. For example, when Heather and Josh are freaking out over the loss of the compass, Mikey stays out of it and only gets angry as if he has no idea how the compass actually gets lost. Later, he appeared to me as possessed when he admits that he kicked the compass into the river. That must have been fun for the actor to actually be able to act in the movie. Which brings me to my next point, the making of the film itself.
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating how they filmed this movie. The actors controlled the camera with no real direction from the director other than some notes and a slight script that he gave to them in a basket. What a creative way to get a certain effect to be portrayed in a movie. it definitely shows that these actors were basically own their own. With such a small budget, they executed it perfectly. If they had a hollywood budget could they have made it better? ....... Maybe? All I know is that if they did have a professional budget, the movie would not be the same. It probably wouldn't have been as successful as it turned out to be. And I think THAT says a lot. The fact that it became such a hit BECAUSE this movie was made on a small budget; with a small cast; in a non descriptive place ( until the end at the house); and by college students. As a college student, I'm honored to share the same title/occupation as the creators of this film.
I first heard of this movie years ago, my cousins tried getting me to watch it but I believed them when they told me the event actually happened and that terrified me. Personally, I really enjoyed the movie. It's much different than your typical horror movie and the precursor to films like "Paranormal Activity." I think the movie is evidently and undeniably a milestone in documentary. It's such a simple yet innovative 'documentary." The nothing that 'happens' in the movie (lack of gore, blood, guts etc.) makes it more effective. It gives off a, "Damn, why didn't I think of that?" thought. The idea of 'found footage' worked really well and almost eliminated the idea that there was actually a director, producer etc. behind the film. In regards to what Jonathan Bulla said, if the producers had a Hollywood budget, I don't believe the movie would have the same effect.
ReplyDeleteAs a documentary film, the Blair witch project plays upon an individuals fear of the unknown. It taps into a primal instinct to survive against all odds, and to find a way of escape in a seemingly complex environment. What is interesting about this film is that the fears that it plays upon are the fears of the unknown and getting lost. We never truly see an image of what is hunting and turning these campers around. But what we do experience is the sense of dread, the hunger, the exhaustion and the out right fear that each one of these individuals experienced at every new point of the movie. The lack of shocking gore and blood, gave this film a Hitchcock sort of feel that was a little unnerving because it felt as if it could happen to anyone. I believe hat this film is groundbreaking in the sense that it places real people in unknown situations that evoked real feelings and emotions in times of distress and anguish. In terms of the other documentary s that were viewed this one opens our eyes to a different venue of horror and cinematic experience.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes The Blair Witch Project a milestone in documentary filmmaking is its ability to convince an audience that there is something to fear when in fact there is not. This is what makes the film groundbreaking for both horror and documentary genres. I found this film interesting because it attempts to fear the audience into thinking that three people can be stranded in the middle of the woods searching for the impossible. What drives the film are the unexpected events that occurs. For example, the finding of the tongue and teeth inside Josh's shirt feared the audience of what could happen next. Running out of the tent every night because of something the three students heard also lead to a growing fear. Personally, had I not known this film isn't real I'd be convinced that Heather, Mike, and Josh were three innocent students afraid they were not coming out of the woods alive..
ReplyDeleteThe Blair Witch Project is perhaps the easiest film for me to see as a milestone in documentary. This is because I have been able to watch the impact it has had on the horror film genre. I have watched the paranormal activity films achieve wild success year after year. They are so successful because people go to horror movies to feel scared and these movies are considered very scary. The reason they feel scary is because the found footage style of filmmaking gives the film a stronger sense of realism. The film style gives the audience their own window into whats happening on screen. They are not seeing it through a characters eyes nor are they seeing it through a random location thats purpose is to capture every part of the scene efficiently. The audience gets to experience the film from a perspective they are not used to, a handheld camera. By filming the film through a supposedly personal hand held camera the film feels more real. This style of filming is very successful and was started by The Blair Witch Project making it a sure milestone in documentary and overall filmmaking.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with what other have stated about The Blair With Project. It is truly an obvious display of being a milestone in documentary. The concept of "found footage" was unseen before this film was released and today it is extremely popular. What makes this film even more of a milestone is that it was the most believable found footage/horror film of all time. This is something that can really only be achieved once; by the originator of the genre. It is also groundbreaking in the genre of documentary for the sense that it is documentary through a never-seen-before method. It's unique and convincing tactics and techniques are what make The Blair With Project a timeless classic and milestone.
ReplyDeleteOnce again I agree with everyone in that the Blair Witch Project is such an ground breaking film for it's time because it introduced a new type of horror film. Many horror films of the time focused on gore and imagery to invoke fear in the audience.This film focused on our fears of the unknown and the dark. It also was able to use a new concept of found footage and twist this as a "real" documentary because the use of personal handheld cameras was becoming saturated in society. Many people were now able to create their own home movies or films on their own with personal cameras. This has not been used as a professional film technique yet so that the time was a milestone. Associating a personal camera (the film also did have a student film camera as well)with the filming of the Blair Witch project made it hard for the audience to disconnect with the idea this was a film that was fiction which is very clever.
ReplyDeleteI had never seen this film before because I hate horror movies. I get genuinely scared of everything which is really embarrassing to me because I know it's not real! Anyway, I think that what you told us in class about how they marketed the film by spreading rumors and posting missing person posters was really cool. I read a lot of interviews from the creators and they both said they wanted people to be able to watch it without knowing it was fake so they could go in with an open mind. I have to say though that the only part that scared me through the entire film was when whoever had left the room came back in and made the door screech! That being said, I feel this movie is a really important milestone in documentary because it opened up the possibility to not only create a faux documentary, but to sell it as a REAL documentary which hadn't even been edited. The found-footage mode has taken off since the release of this film and has been used in a lot of successful films. It's a milestone in horror because they let the audience come up with their own monster. Anything the filmmakers could have created could never be as scary as the scariest thing a person could imagine, and they let that happen by just hinting at things and letting the psychological aspect take over. Though I did not really like the film, I appreciate why it is so important and I think the filmmakers did a really god job.
ReplyDeleteI had already seen the Blair Witch Project a few years ago, but unfortunately I already knew it wasn't real. I did enjoy watching it much more this time around, though, because I finally understood the end (I missed that one line in the beginning which explains everything). The Blair Witch Project is interesting because, aside from being the first successful found footage horror film, it was very unusual in its production. The actors in the film were put through extreme circumstances, and this was a big factor in making the film seem realistic. The idea of convincing everyone the footage was real was genius not just because it makes the film all the more terrifying, but because it also worked as a great marketing tactic. The Blair Witch Witch was revolutionary and awesome, as both a documentary and a horror film.
ReplyDeleteI am the kind of person who does not like horror films because they are very cliché. They almost always follow the same story line and there is usually nothing new and exciting. The Blair Witch Project started a genre all of its own and made the use of the "found footage" idea extremely popular. It was interesting to learn that the actors in this movie did not know what was going to happen, but they were given directions on what they should be doing at different points in time. I know that if I was an actor and I was put in the middle of the woods not knowing what would happen, I would need to be given ALOT of money. The marketing strategy that they used was fascinating because they were creating the hype that this film was actually unedited and just found as is. For me, the movie would have been a lot more fun if I went in thinking it was real. Knowing the film was fake, the characters annoyed me because all they did was whine and complain, but of course if I were put in that situation I would probably be the same way. It can be considered a milestone in documentary because it was one of the first films that created this idea of using “found footage”. I wish I could go back and think that this movie was real and watch it then.
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