Monday night horror! - The Blair Witch Project (1999)

In my opinion, I feel there is something very unique to this film. It's not one of your normal horror films, but instead it is merely recorded through an analogue video camera. Like, the whole film is. You could call it a documentary, but it is not very factual, but it is, very frightening!

To any of you guys who dislike horrors which make use of personal handheld recordings to compile the film, I must say, I was impressed with what I saw in this movie. Most of my friends were telling me to give it a watch, but until about a year ago, I was never going to watch it. I usually dislike horrors of this kind, which use handheld equipment, but I was very, VERY impressed with this. In fact, I was overwhelmed.

I usually feel there is no proper plot to any of these types of horrors, but the plot was clear through this film especially, and there was a fantastic eerie atmosphere sustained through the whole 81 minutes it lasts.

Anyways, the film is directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez (yes that's right, 2 directors!), and is set in October 1994. It revolves around three student filmmakers - Heather Donahue (Heather Donahue), Joshua Leonard (Joshua Leonard), and Michael Williams (Michael C. Williams) - who camp out for a couple of days to shoot a documentary about the famous local legend - Blair Witch. In the forests near Burkittsville, Maryland, the legend still lives that many children in the 1940s had vanished, and from this many seem to avoid the forest. Through curiosity, the small group set out deep into the woods with merely a few cameras and some camping supplies. The first 'strange' thing they come across is a small pile of stones which appear to have been artificially laid out in order to symbolise something. However, later, the small group admit to themselves they are lost and have no sense of direction in getting out of the woods. This merely worsens, as throughout the next few nights, the three teens begin to hear creepy and eerie sounds within areas in the forest the have not yet explored. However still, due to the inability of the group to find their way out of the forest, one of the group members seems to have disappeared, and the other 2 realise they are currently being stalked. Stalked, perhaps by the only thing they were looking for.

Again I will admit I am not a big fan of documentary horrors, but this film genuinely scared the crap out of me! I believe the eerie silence and atmosphere is absolutely crucial to the overall fear I felt whilst watching this, as well as the few jump scares that you will witness, which are (as usual in every horror) completely unexpected! 

Also, I will have to say, after watching this, I will never go near a forest myself unless with a few other people due to watching this film. Whilst watching the movie, I also felt as if I was part of the investigation, as at many points I actually began to suggest things in my mind that could be the cause of what was happening. 

This film in my opinion gives you a proper 'eye-witness' experience of the investigation due to how attached I felt I was to it. Surprisingly enough, it also does not occupy many special FX which I find are essential for a great horror, but this seemed to be more original and 'casual' if you like, and truly remarkable!

I was also impressed with this film in terms of originality, as most horrors nowadays attempt to frighten us through the use of 'jump scares' by using very high levels of sound. However, without the eerie atmosphere established in this film, it would be nothing. It really spooked me at some points, due to the dead silence of the woods, casually broken by faint and creepy sounds in the distance.

I would seriously highly recommend this to you guys, and feel it would make a brilliant addition to your top horror movies! Absolute masterpiece!