The Blair Witch Project
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Blair Witch Project | |
|---|---|
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| 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 date(s) | July 30, 1999 (USA wide) |
| Running time | 86 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$25,000 |
| Followed by | Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Blair Witch Project is a low-budget American horror film released in 1999. The narrative is presented as a documentary pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company.
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, one by one. 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.
The release of the film on July 30, 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] making it the most successful independent film ever made up to that point (this record was broken in October 2002 with Nia Vardalos' My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and the most profitable film of all time in terms of the ratio of production cost to box office sales.
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[edit] Production
The concept of the Blair Witch was first conceived in 1993[2] by the filmmakers who desired to create a movie where the characters are lost in the woods.[3] The script began with a 35 page outline with no dialogue, as that was intended to be improvised.[2] Accordingly, the directors advertised in Back Stage Magazine for actors with strong improvisational abilities.[4] There was a very informal improvisational audition process to narrow the pool of 2,000 actors.[5][3] The working title for the film was "The Black Hills Project".[6] In developing the mythology behind the movie, the filmmakers used many inspirations. Several character names are anagrams; Elly Kedward (The Blair Witch) is Edward Kelly, a medieval mystic. Rustin Parr, the fictional 1940's child-murderer, is an anagram for Rasputin, if you ignore two Rs.[7] In talks with investors, they presented an 8 minute documentary presenting the Blair Witch legend as though it were real, along with newspapers and news footage.[8]
Filming began in October 1997 and went for 8 days.[9][4] Most of the movie was filmed in Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County, Maryland, although a few scenes were filmed in the real town of Burkittsville.[10][11] Many of the townspeople interviewed in the film were not actors, and some claimed to have heard about the Blair Witch, though the story is fictitious. Actress Heather Donahue had never operated a camera before, possibly accounting for the film's shakiness. Donahue said she modelled her character after a director she once worked with, citing the character's confusion during crisis.[12]
During filming, the actors were given clues as to their next location through messages given in milk crates found with Global Positioning Satellite systems. They were given individual instructions that they would use to help improvise the action of the day.[4] For the revelation of the human remains in the film, teeth were obtained from a Maryland dentist.[4] Influenced by producer Greg Hale's memories of his military training, in which "enemy soldiers" would hunt a trainee through wild terrain for three days, the directors used this strategy of moving them far during the day, harassing them by night, and depriving them of food.[8]
Almost 19 hours of useable footage was recorded which had to be edited down to 90 minutes.[5] The process of editing in post production took more than eight months. Originally it was hoped that the movie would make it on to cable television, and the filmmakers did not anticipate wide release.[2] The initial investment by the three Central Florida filmmakers was about US$35,000. Artisan acquired the film for US$1.1 million and spent only US$25 million to market it.[13] The actors signed a "small" agreement to receive some of the profits from the film's release.[4] Donahue and directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez received $4 million dollars each.
[edit] Synopsis
Film students Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard go missing in October 1994 while making a documentary about the Blair Witch, a legendary creature believed to haunt the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland. Their bodies are never found. A year later, however, the footage the students shot has been recovered, and the film in its entirety is composed of fragments of that footage.
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.
Soon after setting out, they become hopelessly lost; their situation worsens when Michael, in frustration, throws 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.
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 is open to the viewer's interpretation, including the finale; few concrete indications are given as to the eventual fate of the three filmmakers.
[edit] Release
The film was marketed heavily via the Internet, and parts of the film were aired on the as to whether the film was real or not.[10] Some also wondered if some of the fan enthusiasm was generated covertly by the film studios.[14] It had an unusually receptive audience at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival where it made headlines as the first film sold.[2][8]
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. The program contained interviews with friends and relatives of the missing students, paranormal experts, and local historians (all fabricated, of course). This was done so extensively that the three main actors were listed for a time as "missing, presumed dead" on IMDb.[5] While attending the Cannes Film Festival, the producers put up missing posters featuring the three stars of the film, which were removed the next day following the actual kidnapping of a television executive (who was later recovered and returned home safely).[6]
[edit] Reaction
The Blair Witch Project grossed over US$160 million in the United States and totaled US$248 million worldwide.[15] The film was featured in the Guinness Book of Records as having the highest profit-to-cost ratio of a motion picture ever, making back over US$10,000 for every dollar spent.[6]
The Rotten Tomatoes website provides links to 102 film reviews for the film, with 84% of these reviews being favorable.[16] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film four stars, calling it "an extraordinarily effective horror film".[17] It was listed on Filmcritic.com as the 50th best movie ending of all time.[18] Critics in particular praised Donahue's apology to the camera near the end of the movie, noting its ability to cause "nightmares for years to come", and which Roger Ebert compared to Robert Scott's final journal entries as he froze to death in the Antarctic.[19][17] Donahue has stated that there was a considerable backlash against the film, which she claims led to her having threatening encounters and difficulty obtaining employment.[20]
The Blair Witch Project is thought to be the first widely released film marketed primarily on the internet.[21] A sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, was released in the fall of 2000 but was poorly received by most critics.[22] A third installment was announced that same year, but as of yet (2006) has not materialized.[23]
[edit] 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 (latter-day Burkittsville.) The directors incorporated that part of the legend, along with allusions to the Salem Witch Trials and The Crucible, to play on the themes of injustice done on those who were called witches.[3] They were also influenced by The Shining, The Omen, and Jaws for the technique of showing the antagonist as little as possible to create a compelling psychological drama.[2]
The Blair Witch Project is somewhat influenced by The Bell Witch legend, a series of disturbing and allegedly inexplicable, real events associated with the family of Adams Station, Tennessee (Robertson County) settler John Bell, between 1817 and 1821. The film may also have drawn upon the story of Moll Dyer, a Leonardtown, Maryland-based witch. Like the "Blair Witch", legend has it that Dyer was driven from her burning home in the middle of a winter night after being accused of witchcraft.
In Chicago, locals believe that the film borrows part of a local legend of a disappearing house in the reputedly haunted Bachelors Grove Woods and graveyard in Tinley Park (Midlothian).
The concept of incorporating the camera and crew into the film's plot is not entirely new. Other films to utilize this technique include the Danish Dogme95 movies, and most notably, the Belgian pseudodocumentary Man Bites Dog. In addition, The Blair Witch Project bears many similarities to the film The Last Broadcast (1998), written and directed by Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler. Both are faux-documentaries dealing with characters who set off into the wilderness in search of legendary figures (in this case, the mythical Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey) and vanish; however, the endings are quite different. It is unclear whether The Blair Witch Project was inspired by The Last Broadcast, or if they were conceived separately in isolation. Cult film buffs also claim a further inspiration for the film is a notorious exploitation film entitled Cannibal Holocaust, filmed in 1979. This fictional documentary tells the story of a filmmaking crew that journeys to the jungles of South America in search of a tribe of cannibal natives, only to end up being devoured by the cannibals themselves.
[edit] In popular culture
Cartoon Network produced a parody in 1999 called The Scooby-Doo Project as part of a Halloween marathon featuring Scooby-Doo. The marathon featured live-action/animated bumpers pre- and post-commercial breaks in which the teen sleuths parody many scenes and bonus material from The Blair Witch Project.
Donohue's confessional scene has been parodied in many films and television shows. The Simpsons has parodied the movie twice: with Lisa re-enacting the scene where Donohue apologizes to the camera, and with Bart and Lisa running away from a school field trip.
In an episode of Trailer Park Boys, J-Roc (Jonathan Torrens) and his pals talk Sam Losco (Sam Tarasco) and Bubbles (Mike Smith) into starring in their amateur porno "The Bare Pimp Project".
In the episode "The Thin White Line" of Family Guy, Brian volunteers as a seeing-eye dog and tries to describe the action in the film to a blind man. He explains: "Ok they're in the woods. The camera keeps on moving. I think they're looking for some witch or something. I don't know, I wasn't listening. Nothing's happening. Nothing's happening. Something about a map. Nothing's happening... It's over. A lot of people in the audience look pissed."
The Blair Thumb is a short film that also parodies this film.
In Scary Movie, a parody of thriller/horror movies, Gail Hailstorm recreates the confessional scene, and involuntarily releases large amounts of liquid mucus from her nose.
In the movie Little Nicky, at the end of movie, The Devil (Nicky's father) is said to have been dating The Blair Witch recently.
In the Robot Chicken episode "Joint Point", the scene in the movie in which the stars are wandering through the old house is shown in the "Bloopers" episode.
In the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, when Borat and Azamat are staying in the Jewish couple's home, Borat records a log of how much danger he thinks they're in while hiding under a blanket, while holding a flashlight under his face, similar to scenes from The Blair Witch Project.
In the episode "The Merger" of "The Office", An orientation film is shown. Jim says the video treat reminds him of his orientation film: "The Scranton Witch Project." The viewer is shown a brief clip of that film, which features Michael dressed in black in front of a refrigerator illuminated by a flashlight saying he "gets so scared when people don't label their personal food."
The television program Charmed produced an episode about Lady Godiva called The Bare Witch Project.
One of the subplots of the film America's Sweethearts deals with the production of a (fictitious) major Hollywood film that the two main characters are starring in. When the director delivers the finished product, however, it turns out to not be the science fiction film that was promised but instead a backstage tell-all biopic using hidden cameras on the actors, most notably the film's ill-tempered lead Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones). After it's been screened, it is stated that reviewers are calling it "The Blair Bitch Project."
In the fourth episode of Survivorman, in which host Les Stroud is lost in the swamplands of Georgia's Altamaha River Basin, he parodies Donahue's apology using a nightvision camera.
[edit] Soundtrack
None of the songs featured on Josh's Blair Witch Mix actually appear in the movie. This collection of mostly goth rock and industrial tracks is supposedly from a mix tape made by ill-fated film student Joshua Leonard. The tape was found in Josh's car after his disappearance. Some of the songs featured on the soundtrack (besides the last track, which is the 'song' featuring the famous creepy, industrial-sounding noise heard in the trailers and during the credits) were released after 1994, supposedly after the events of the movie have taken place.
- "Gloomy Sunday" - Lydia Lunch
- "The Order of Death" - Public Image Ltd.
- "Draining Faces" - Skinny Puppy
- "Kingdom's Coming" - Bauhaus
- "Don't Go To Sleep Without Me" - The Creatures
- "God is God" - Laibach
- "Beware" - The Afghan Whigs
- "Laughing Pain" - Front Line Assembly
- "Haunted" - Type O Negative
- "She's Unreal" - Meat Beat Manifesto
- "Movement of Fear" - Tones on Tail
- "The Cellar" - Antonio Cora
[edit] 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.[24] 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, such as the sound of cracking twigs and giggling children heard in the distance as the player-character treads through the forest.[citation needed]
[edit] 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.[25]
[edit] References
- ^ The Blair Witch Project. Box Office Mojo.com (2006-01-01). Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
- ^ a b c d e f Klein, Joshua (1999-07-22). Interview - The Blair Witch Project. avclub.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ a b c Aloi, Peg (1999-07-11). Blair Witch Project - an Interview with the Directors. Witchvox.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ a b c d e Heather Donohue - Blair Witch Project. KAOS 2000 Magazine (1999-01-01). Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ a b c Mannes, Brett (1999-07-13). Something wicked. Salon.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ a b c Trivia for The Blair Witch Project (1999). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Blake, Scott (2000-07-17). An Interview With The Burkittsville 7's Ben Rock. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ a b c Conroy, Tom (1999-07-14). The Do-It-Yourself Witch Hunt. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2006-08-02.
- ^ Corliss, Richard (1999-08-16). Blair Witch Craft. Time Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ a b Kaufman, Anthony (1999-07-14). Season of the Witch. Village Voice. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Filming Locations for The Blair Witch Project (1999). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Lim, Dennis (1999-07-14). Heather Donahue Casts A Spell. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Stanley, T.L. (1999-09-27). High-Tech Throwback - marketing of "Blair Witch Project" - Statistical Data Included - Interview. Brandweek. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ DiLucchio, Patrizia (1999-07-16). Did "The Blair Witch Project" fake its online fan base?. Salon.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ The Blair Witch Project. Box Office Mojo.com (2006-01-01). Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
- ^ The Blair Witch Project. Rotten Tomatoes.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (1999-07-16). The Blair Witch Project. Roger Ebert.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
- ^ Null, Christopher (2006-01-01). The Top 50 Movie Endings of All Time. filmcritic.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Ressner, Jeffrey (1999-08-12). Out Of Nowhere And Into Blair. Time Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Chaw, Walter (2003-08-13). Witchy Woman. Film Freak Central. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Chmielewski, Dawn C. (2006-07-13). When fans hissed, he listened. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ B., Scott (2001-08-21). Blair Witch Project 3 to Happen?. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Blair Witch 3. Yahoo Movies (2006-01-01). Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
- ^ Blair Witch Project Interview. IGN.com (2000-04-14). Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Blair Witch Project, The. IGN.com (1999-12-16). Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
