Should we commend Wingard and Barrett for doing what filmmakers should be doing? Making bold decisions to challenge themselves and their craft? Absolutely. So does Blair Witch fall foul of the supposed curse? Maybe. Ultimately though, the film does miss the mark in establishing the same kind of hysteria that hit our screens back in 1999. It was a bold move and falls in line with the kind of filmmakers that they are and have proven to be, with rightful praise thrown their way for previous films they have released.Ī notable element in my mind that did stand out and raised the worthiness of the film came towards the climax with a knowing nod to the story of Lot.īy this time it really does feel like the current survivors are trying to escape from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. There’s no doubt that Wingard and Barrett had set themselves a difficult challenge to undertake. It would be interesting to chat with someone who hasn’t seen The Blair Witch Project and therefore not been consumed or tainted by the hyperbole that surrounded that film and get their take on it.
WHEN WAS THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT 1999 RELEASED NATIONWIDE MOVIE
Perhaps by viewing the original movie and being so affected by it, my observations and responses to Blair Witch are automatically going to be tainted. The filmmakers also try to throw in all the latest mod-cons to make it feel more like a bunch of present day kids venturing into the woods, armed with drones and the like.īut it does feel a little forced, especially as for me, it treads a little too closely to the original to make it stand apart from its predecessor. So, it’s easy to forgive this little quibble and give in to the suspension of disbelief. There are elements within the movie that feels a little disjointed with the timelines a little, but hey, that’s one of the anomalies within this universe that you could use your BS around, with the Witch’s strange effect on time and space. Yes – I’m looking at you Paranormal Activity.ĭespite this, Wingard and Barrett chose to explore and set the Blair Witch 18 years after the original (and rightfully ignoring Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows, which I think everyone can agree was a complete dud). Is this over-saturation of the sun-genre partly to blame? The premise was to take a look into what the Blair Witch mythology brought to the screens back in 1999 by Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick with The Blair Witch Project, a film that sent shock waves through the horror movie scene and the cinema industry with its bold choice of storytelling through found footage.įound footage was a medium which at the time hadn’t been as widely explored, unlike today where it seems like everyone under the sun has attempted it, with nowhere near the success. The big question really though is did the movie fall victim to the Blair Witch curse? "Adam Goodman, our head of production, believed in the film and championed it from the very first screening.I’D REALLY LOVE to get Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s school of thought on the aftermath of this movies release.įans and critics alike didn’t warm to the film and because of this, Blair Witch is deemed a failure. Paramount chairman Brad Grey said: "What is truly amazing about Paranormal Activity is the depth of commitment from fans who demanded to see it. Made for less than $100,000 (£60,000) and shot in a documentary style, the low-budget horror went on to make $250m (£150m) worldwide. It is a success story to rival that of the Blair Witch Project, which set box offices alight in 1999.
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In so doing, Paranormal Activity has become the top grossing R-rated thriller of the past decade, Paramount said. Paramount Pictures said the film would cross the $100m (£60m) mark at the North American box office on Friday after only five weekends of national release. He also refused to discuss his previously-announced follow-up thriller Area 51, filming in Utah this autumn. I'm not going to comment on anything until it's done," he said. "I'm not discussing the possibility of any future projects. What happens at night while you are asleep, that's a primal fear that everyone has in common."īut he remained tight-lipped about talk of a Paranormal Activity sequel. The film is released in the UK on 25 November.įirst-time director Peli said: "People say it's the first movie that's really scared them in a long time. The film took $22m (£13.5m) in its first weekend on nationwide release at the end of October, trouncing the sixth instalment of the horror franchise Saw.