As a seasoned film enthusiast who’s been around the block more times than I care to remember, I can honestly say that The Blair Witch Project was a cinematic phenomenon that left an indelible mark on me and the industry at large. Back in 1997, these young filmmakers, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, were just graduates knocking around ideas for a film. Little did they know they would create a masterpiece that would change the game and spawn a whole new genre of horror films.
Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez, Heather Donohue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard likely had no inkling whatsoever that their small-budget independent film would skyrocket to success, pioneer a new genre, and revolutionize movie marketing with the release of The Blair Witch Project. Now available as a limited edition 2-disc set.
1997 saw Myrock and Sanchez, film school graduates with creative minds buzzing, brainstorming a film concept. They were avid fans of Leonard Nimoy’s TV series ‘In search of…,’ which delved into topics ranging from extraterrestrials to Big Foot, and they aspired to create something similar. Their shared vision was to discover an isolated cabin in the woods and build a story around three students investigating the Blair Witch myth – a Maryland legend about a witch living in the forest who allegedly kidnapped children, murdered them in her basement, while another stood cornered, facing the wall. The students sought advice from locals who tried to dissuade them from exploring the legend, sharing tales of missing children, a floating old woman, and the gruesome fate of five men who had been ritually sacrificed. True to form, these three students ignored such warnings and ventured into the woods. Their adventure quickly took a chilling turn as they became lost, one student vanished, and eerie twig figures started appearing in their campsite. The story culminates in an unnerving climax.
The three actors were informed they’d be filming in secluded woodlands, using their own cameras and ad-libbing dialogue for unanticipated situations created by the directors. They recorded numerous hours of footage, which was condensed into a feature-length documentary that premiered at Sundance. Filming expenses averaged between $30,000 – $50,000 initially, but production costs eventually swelled to approximately $500,000. Artisan quickly acquired the distribution rights for this project.
The filmmakers had struck gold with their unique approach to promoting the fictitious documentary, as it managed to captivate audiences in a truly exceptional manner. They created a brief promotional video for the production, claiming that the footage used in the documentary was shot by three missing students (the actors adopted their real names for their roles). This supposedly lost footage was said to have been discovered years later.
The documentary was shown at a handful of college campuses and together with the 160 million internet hits (unheard of at the time) and positive word of mouth plus a trailer that was shown with screening of The Phantom Menace saw the film go viral before the film being released in July 1999.
The remainder is a tale of legend. The movie, remarkably, soared in popularity, eventually becoming one of the highest-grossing films ever with $248 million at the global box office against a minimal budget. However, despite its success, the three actors were paid almost nothing and had to resort to legal action just to secure a modest compensation.
In the year 2000, a follow-up titled “Book of Shadows” was released, which turned out to be a disappointing, misguided attempt at a sequel that ended up costing significantly more and earning far less. In an unexpected turn of events, a superior reboot emerged in 2016, directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett. Despite its financial success, it wasn’t enough to warrant any additional films.
Yet, the impact of this movie was profound and enduring, sparking a wave of found-footage films. Some, like “Rec” and “Paranormal Activity,” were highly commendable. However, many other attempts followed suit, often made on a shoestring budget in pursuit of box office gold. Unfortunately, these productions frequently disregarded the genre’s principles, resulting in subpar films that would more appropriately end up in landfills rather than entertaining audiences.
This exclusive two-disc Blu-ray edition of The Blair Witch Project, distributed by Second Sight, is renowned for its exceptional treatment of vintage movies. It’s packed with an impressive collection of additional content and supplementary materials, and this particular release incorporates these extras as well.
- A new Second Sight Films restoration from the Hi8 videotapes and 16mm film elements, supervised and approved by the Producers and Directors
- 2-disc edition includes restored and remastered Original Theatrical Cut and Festival Cut plus original-release version
- The Blair Witch Documentary: a new feature-length Second Sight Films production
- New audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
- Directors’ and Producers’ audio commentary
- Deleted scenes including previously unseen video and 16mm footage
- The Blair Witch Project: Analogue Horror in a Digital World by Mike Muncer
- Curse of the Blair Witch
- Alternate Endings
- Cannes 1999: archive Directors interview
- Trailers
Limited Edition Contents
- Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Timothy Pittides
- 184-page hardback book with archive production materials and new essays by Stacey Abbott, Becky Darke, Adam Hart, Craig Ian Mann, Mary Beth McAndrews, Dr. Cecilia Sayad, Pete Turner and Heather Wixson
- Heather’s Journal
- 3 collectors’ art cards
This release boasts several appealing aspects, but what truly shines is the extensive documentary chronicling the origin, production, distribution, promotion, and impact of the film. The price of the disc seems negligible compared to this comprehensive piece. While a new commentary has been added, the original audio from the director and producer continues to be the most captivating listen. The deleted scenes are worth exploring if only to grasp why they were wisely omitted. The alternative endings may differ slightly from the one in the final cut, but the latter, used in the final version, was appropriately chosen as it aligns nicely with the witch folklore narrative.
There’s no doubting the influence of the Blair Witch Project which stretches on even to today and its influence can be seen in recent releases such as Late Night with the Devil. But The Blair Witch Project was that rare example of lightening in a bottle where everything came together exactly at the right time making it seemingly impossible to be repeated in a media savvy age dominated by social media- but let’s be honest who wouldn’t like to see a bunch of influencers disappear in tot eh woods unable to get a signal for their Instagram accounts. But this 2 disc edition, like so many releases from Second Sight, is a must buy.
Here’s The Blair Witch Project trailer……
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2024-11-02 03:24