#3

Agree with ^this. I genuinely can’t think of a more influential film in my lifetime, both in terms of popularising a filming style and marketing.

Good film too :+1:

1 Like
#4

^This

I’m rather conflicted by it.
One the one had, I think the story is a bit ho-hum (I preferred The Last Broadcast), but the atmosphere is pretty creepy. And the way it was created was revolutionary.

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#5

Blair’s not even in it. Rip off.

3 Likes
#6

Liked it at the time, haven’t watched it since.

#7

It was a film that always fascinated me. I was eight when it came out, and I remember being confused as I trusted the marketing’s “claim” of its being “genuine found footage”, but was then bemused by the questions that were raised around that belief: “If the film really happened, then are the several young-adult novels and video game adaptations and other tie-in materials also ‘real’?”

I didn’t watch it in full until I was in my twenties (I’d seen it in snatches throughout my life before that) and I found it really effective (partly down to the aforementioned associations of it representing these weird dualities / contradictions from childhood). I can understand why someone would find it totally boring, but to me that total economy - specifically the deep backstory and mythology that is barely overtly touched upon in the film, but that exerts a huge subtle influence over everything that happens - (and the fact that eerie woods are my bag, admittedly) just sets my imagination off like crazy.

Maybe worth spamming the fact that I sort of parodied it for a ‘30 second horror film competition’ I entered, too: https://vimeo.com/240497960

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#8

Gets blended in my mind with American Pie as they came out around the same time

#9

I recall seeing it at the time (just) underage with some friends, who all thought it was rubbish because there was no gore or blood in it and I was bloody petrified but didn’t let on to them how scary I found it. It took YEARS for me to see it again as a result.

#10

The B-Liar Witch Project*

4 Likes
#11

good film tbh. doubt i would find it as affecting if i watched it now but i still rate it.

i always think of chris rock’s joke about it having a $60,000 budget though (where’d the other $58,000 go!!! etc)

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#12

Love it, watch it quite often. My favourite bit is when they’re buying all the tasty foods in the supermarket and Heather smooshes the camera into the bag of marshmallows in the shopping trolley. Looks nice. There’s also a recipe for what looks like hot chocolate on the packet. Might try and make it someday.

5 Likes
#13

I found it very scary at the time - I remember watching a fake documentary about the Blair Witch on TV which was made as part of the marketing campaign, then going straight to the cinema to watch it - and that really enhanced the experience for me

I think I watched it one more time when it 1st came to Sky movies or something - and I’ve not seen it since. So no idea if it holds up or not. If I ever watch it again I would want to track down that doc and watch it 1st

#14

Aye it’s good. Think it came at the right time in terms of revitalising the found footage genre and using the early days of the internet to create buzz and add to the film’s mythology.

2 Likes
#15

I keep meaning to watch that documentary. I think it’s on YouTube, right?

#16

this is it I think

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#17

As a film it never did anything for me first time, but I saw it for the second time when I was 18/19, while I was tripping absolute tits on mushrooms and oxycodone. Watched it on a laptop, with headphones, in the dark.

Huge mistake. I had trouble sleeping for fkn weeks afterwards. Kept having flashbacks to that image of him standing in the corner and the sound of the kids giggling outside the tent whenever I turned the bedside light off. Brrrr.

5 Likes
#18

^Dunno where that puts me in the poll, appreciated it first time too, just didn’t find it scary until 2nd viewing.

#19

Watching anything’s a bad idea for me, just stick to walking around and following the internal compass or I panic.

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#20

I really don’t know why I watch horror films tbh, I love them and all but they really do a number on me if they’re well done.

#21

saw it when it first came out and really enjoyed it, not watched since as i assumed it would get worse on repeat viewings

#22

Very much this. Imagine its originality/impact is totally diminished after seeing it once, though that first time was great.

1 Like