Table of Contents
Photo: ‘The Blair Witch Project’
The Set-Up
In an age of constant connectivity and information exchange, it’s strange to think that – at one point – audiences were able to surrender to whatever they were told. Nowadays, when a movie matches that familiar description, ‘based on a true story’, we scoff. Some films garner a different response. For example, If you were a media consumer in the late 1990’s, there may have been a time where you believed in the tale of ‘The Blair Witch Project’.
Related article: EXCLUSIVE: ‘Dune’ Full Commentary, Reactions, Making Of – Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac
Related article: ‘No Time to Die’ Full Commentary, Behind the Scenes & Reactions, Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Bond
Related article: ‘No Time to Die’ Royal Premiere & Reactions – Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux & More
Related article: ‘Halloween Kills’ Full Commentary & Reactions, Behind the Scenes – Jamie Lee Curtis & More
Related article: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase: “The Importance of Venice Film Festival as the Protector of Cinema”
In the small town of Burkittsville, there lay a cold mystery. In 1994, a trio of students embarked on a journey into the hills of Maryland in hope of teasing out the legend of the Blair Witch from this unassuming town. Within a few days, all three of the expedition members would end up either missing or presumed deceased. A year later, their belongings are recovered, including a camera featuring the footage included in the film. The rest is history.
It’s been just over 20 years since the release, and ‘The Blair Witch Project’ is not only a horror classic and a deeply memorable expansion on the craft, but a lesson in Cinema marketing and pre-emptive intrigue for the ages; let’s examine the development of the mother of all found footage films and why it can’t be avoided when discussing the greatest independent movies of all time.
The Execution
The idea began with the two film students, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, who were then attending the University of Central Florida. After realizing the merit in ‘honest’, documented paranormal footage as opposed to the typical polished, cookie-cutter ghost stories that are so common in big horror films, they set out on a mission to create something much more like real-life and much less like typical supernatural fiction. With a 35-page screenplay roughly outlining the story and a deliberate desire for actors with excellent improvisational skills, the two students would release a print advertisement calling for auditions. Picture this, you’re a young, hopeful actor and you stumble upon this advertisement: “an improvised feature film, shot in a wooded location, it is going to be hell and most of you reading this probably shouldn’t come”, what’s your next move?
Related article: MUST WATCH – The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s Love Letter to Black Lives Matter – VIDEO
Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here.
For Heather Donahue, it was a no-brainer. She attended the audition, which was composed of various flash improvisation prompts with a stress on natural, realistic acting over comedy or melodrama. Narrowed down from a pool of two thousand actors, she and the two other trio members, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, would eventually be selected from the bunch. Together, these talented unknowns would endure the intensive in-character filming process. This consisted of hiking through the woods and utilizing a provided GPS to locate plastic containers which included notes on their character and the developing story. Other than that, it was up to them to craft the honest emotional turmoil and in-group tension that ultimately drives them deliriously through the woods and into the path of the Blair Witch.
While it took only a mere eight days to shoot this film that would captivate audiences with its mysterious legacy for so many years to come, the challenge would lie in the post-production process which actually lasted around eight months. That’s eight months of editing the footage, knitting together the storyline from their improvised content, and ultimately, making decisions that may have changed the course of the plot as we know it. However, these weren’t the only efforts that went into fostering the film’s ‘real’ appearance.
In the weeks preceding the release of ‘The Blair Witch Project’, a TV special titled ‘Curse of the Blair Witch’ would air alongside other paranormal reality series and tourism promotions. Tucked between other, similarly formatted specials, this mockumentary would detail the disappearance of the three student filmmakers and the local legend that they were studying, deepening the lore, nurturing the buzz, and setting the stage for a much more believable premiere. Though it’s been lost to the sands of time, there was even a website (created by co-director Sánchez, of course) dedicated to compiling the local mythology and clues left behind from the lost trio. All of these efforts acted as kindling in the fire of the film itself.
Limited Time Offer – FREE Subscription to The Hollywood Insider
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – The Pay-Off
‘The Blair Witch Project’ would go on to screen at the Sundance Film Festival that year, premiering at midnight with all of the promotional marketing declaring the actors as either ‘missing’ or ‘deceased’. This not only includes the aforementioned TV special and website, but the crew also posted and handed out real missing person leaflets for the three filmmakers, all completely absent from the premiere and public eye for the time being. In the weeks both preceding and following the premiere, the small town of Burkittsville, Maryland – by small, we’re talking about 180 total residents at the time – was inundated with an influx of tourists and occultists alike seeking to experience a piece of the ‘Blair Witch’ legend. As a result, the local cinema would ultimately decide against screening the film.
With a final budget of less than half a million dollars (not including the camera the project was filmed on, since they actually ended up returning that in the end), and a comparatively exorbitant box office total of almost $250 million, it goes without saying that ‘The Blair Witch Project’ was a sleeper hit to bring in the new millennium of Cinema.
For those old enough to experience it, the ‘Blair Witch’ phenomena seems like the closest we could (ethically) come to the unadulterated thrill of something like William Castle’s ‘The Tingler’ with just a dash of the hysteria of Orson Welles’ ‘War of the Worlds’. Alright, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. But how many years had it been since the public had had an experience like this? Something to believe in? Even the infinitely gorey ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ wouldn’t quite reach the same calibre of raw infamy, despite films both allegedly being ‘based on true events’. The project went above and beyond to convince audiences of its terrifying legitimacy, and in return, they believed it.
Related article: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase: “The Importance of Venice Film Festival as the Protector of Cinema”
Related article: The Masters of Cinema Archives: The Hollywood Insider Pays Tribute to ‘La Vie En Rose’, Exclusive Interview with Director Olivier Dahan
Related article: – Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY
Even years after the illusion has been broken, ‘The Blair Witch Project’ is a testament to both the genre and the craft. Devoid of any true monsters, the horror of the Blair Witch lies in her anonymity. Instead of fearing the slick skin of a lake monster, or the raving hunger of a zombie, we fear the dark, meaningless corner of an abandoned Maryland basement, the madness of our comrades, and a witch that we cannot see. Now, that’s what I call psychological horror.
——-
By Grace Smith
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Black Lives Matter, in which he tackles more than just police reform, press freedom and more – click here.
An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “The Hollywood Insider fully supports the much-needed Black Lives Matter movement. We are actively, physically and digitally a part of this global movement. We will continue reporting on this major issue of police brutality and legal murders of Black people to hold the system accountable. We will continue reporting on this major issue with kindness and respect to all Black people, as each and every one of them are seen and heard.
Just a reminder, that the Black Lives Matter movement is about more than just police brutality and extends into banking, housing, education, medical, infrastructure, etc. We have the space and time for all your stories. We believe in peaceful/non-violent protests and I would like to request the rest of media to focus on 95% of the protests that are peaceful and working effectively with positive changes happening daily. Media has a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so.”
Ways to support Black Lives Matter Movement to end systemic racism
More Interesting Stories From The Hollywood Insider
– Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY
– Compilation: All James Bond 007 Opening Sequences From 1962 Sean Connery to Daniel Craig
– Do you know the hidden messages in ‘Call Me By Your Name’? Find out behind the scenes facts in the full commentary and In-depth analysis of the cinematic masterpiece
– A Tribute To The Academy Awards: All Best Actor/Actress Speeches From The Beginning Of Oscars 1929-2019 | From Rami Malek, Leonardo DiCaprio To Denzel Washington, Halle Berry & Beyond | From Olivia Colman, Meryl Streep To Bette Davis & Beyond
– In the 32nd Year Of His Career, Keanu Reeves’ Face Continues To Reign After Launching Movies Earning Over $4.3 Billion In Total – “John Wick”, “Toy Story 4”, “Matrix”, And Many More
the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project, the blair witch project
Author
You might also like…
Grace Smith is a film critic and writer with 21 years of formative film exposure under her belt – and a focused interest in horror, surrealism, and substantial Cinema. Grace is passionate about The Hollywood Insider’s mission towards thoughtful and innovative media that expands audience perspectives towards entertainment. As a young writer and film-lover, Grace hopes to inspire readers towards not only broadening their horizons when it comes to cinematic media, but also raising their expectations.
Grace Smith is a film critic and writer with 21 years of formative film exposure under her belt – and a focused interest in horror, surrealism, and substantial Cinema. Grace is passionate about The Hollywood Insider’s mission towards thoughtful and innovative media that expands audience perspectives towards entertainment. As a young writer and film-lover, Grace hopes to inspire readers towards not only broadening their horizons when it comes to cinematic media, but also raising their expectations.
