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The Blair Witch Project
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The Blair Witch Project (1999) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 57 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
The Blair Witch Project (1999) -- In October of 1994, three student film makers disappeared in the woods near Burkittesville, Maryland. One year later, their footage was found.
The Blair Witch Project (1999) -- Harry Smith speaks with otolaryngologist Dr. Michael Stewart about how shaky camera work in films like "The Blair Witch Project" and the newly-released "Cloverfield" can cause motion sickness.

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   77,420 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Daniel Myrick (writer) &
Eduardo Sánchez (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Blair Witch Project on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 July 1999 (USA) more
Tagline:
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary...A year later their footage was found. more
Plot:
In October of 1994, three student film makers disappeared in the woods near Burkittesville, Maryland. One year later, their footage was found. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
11 wins & 16 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(185 articles)
Humpday Doesn't Just Mean Wednesday Anymore
 (From FilmExperience. 9 July 2009, 6:00 PM, PDT)

Dead Wood (DVD Review)
 (From Fangoria. 9 July 2009, 1:32 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Cinema Verite Fright... more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Heather Donahue ... Heather Donahue

Joshua Leonard ... Joshua 'Josh' Leonard
Michael C. Williams ... Michael 'Mike' Williams (as Michael Williams)
Bob Griffith ... Short Fisherman
Jim King ... Interviewee
Sandra Sánchez ... Waitress (as Sandra Sanchez)
Ed Swanson ... Fisherman With Glasses
Patricia DeCou ... Mary Brown
Mark Mason ... Man in Yellow Hat
Jackie Hallex ... Interviewee with Child
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language.
Runtime:
86 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR
Company:
Haxan Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When the movie was released the town of Burkittsville, in the hopes of making at least some profit from the film, did its own marketing. During the annual summer carnival the local Ruritan Club featured the "Bur-Witch" sandwich - country fried ham and a fried egg on top of a cheeseburger, nestled in a sesame seed bun, and doused with horseradish. The sandwich was the most popular selling item on the menu two years in a row. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: About an hour in the movie when they lost Josh, Heather's hands and fingernails can be seen. Even though the group has been in the woods for several days Heather's fingernails are perfectly clean. more
Quotes:
Joshua Leonard: Heather, Heather, Heather, if you make me yell at this point... I'm going to yell at you, man. more
Movie Connections:
References Häxan (1922) more
Soundtrack:
Rigors more

FAQ

Whose house are the characters in at the end of the film?
Why was Josh kidnapped and by who?
What were the noises they could hear at night?
more
36 out of 68 people found the following comment useful:-
Cinema Verite Fright..., 25 October 1999
8/10
Author: Donald J. Lamb from Philadelphia, PA

Is THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT a masterful ghost film or a gimmick to create a multi-media event? It is both. The picture, shot on super 8 video and 16mm film displayed in a squared, documentary-like frame, is quirky, annoying, and spectacularly scary. The scenes at night quite frankly scared the hell out of me. The gimmick that THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT is created confusion and wonder over whether or not the footage shot was real life. Now, we all know the truth, but the French term 'cinema verite' is defined by this grisly film.

A guaranteed cult classic, BLAIR WITCH has "Heather, Mike, and Josh" heading off into the allegedly hexed woods of Maryland looking for the Blair Witch or whatever else may exist up in those hills. For most of the film, it is very unclear. The beginning excerpts ingeniously set up the three participants to believe they are a) experiencing the supernatural, b) being played like a fiddle by the suspicious townspeople or c) just completely out of their minds. Its up to the viewer to decide but my money is on option A.

Most filmgoers know that the filmmakers Sanchez and Myrick used their MAC cards and cookie jars to put this phenom together and I commend them. This is a tour-de-force thriller that does indeed seem real. Its all improvised and 'verite' like and the best part about the movie's many chills are based on the basic premise that scares most of us: We are generally frightened by what we cannot see. Many times throughout the film, the screen is completely dark with sudden bursts of screams and grainy scenery. For the sake of the suspense, the film may have been better if we did not know the gimmick. The realism is sometimes smothering.

True, the hand-held camera can make you achy in the head, but the way the actors play off each other is magic and not for the faint of heart. I viewed the film on DVD with someone who was not feeling too well because of the dizzying camera, but somehow the black and white and color and rain blend together and allow Myrick and Sanchez to do what they were attempting to do. Spooking an audience with unseen forces is so effective and I was reminded of Robert Wise's original THE HAUNTING from 1963 with the groans and the cries and the shrieks. A baby's giggle can be heard during one spellbinding scene when the tent the 3 students sleep in takes on a life of its own.

Much has been made about a similar film made in similar fashion by some other young auteurs well before THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT was released. I never saw it and if it was as good as this film we would've seen it. Nonetheless, this past summer shocked and surprised me with the amount of good horror pictures around. In the woods, no one can hear you scream either.

Rating: ***1/2

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
when they're in the tent - turn the volume up !!!!!!!!! d_a_rogers_71
Can anyone tell me why is this movie so scary? diegoavilarodriguez
Scary Real Life Moments 3 alotta_fachina
I..just don't think a witch did it... PhantomWolf123
This really a true story? Tro44
The most overrated movie of all time. chesterprynne
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