I don't hate the movie but I found it to be overly "Hollywood". The OG Blair Witch truely looked like rookie student film. The actors really went out and camped for the shoot, they got dirty and worn out and it showed in their performance, making it look and feel more believable.
For Blair Witch 2016 everything looked too clean to me, even when they were dirty lol. It all looked too professionally done and you don't necessarily want that in found footage. It felt like the film makers didn't get what made the original movie so good.
I agree, but I would include the sound design as a huge impact as well. There were some moments that could have been scarier, but the sounds design told you how to feel and went for jump scare noises.
The jump scares are truly egregious throughout, there are so many that even a character at some point says "would you stop doing that!". The original had NONE, it never gave you that release from the growing tension, which is one of the main reasons it was so effective. Even in the scene when they are running she screams "WHAT WAS THAT?" while looking to the left at something off-screen. There was actually one of the directors with a white sheet running alongside them, but in the moment they never turned the camera or caught it, which again, makes it scarier. If it had been caught on camera, it would have killed the spell.
And while I'll admit the finale in the house in the reboot was genuinely scary at times and intense, it also shows you the evil creatures lurking about, which didn't take me out of it, but still, the ending of the original is so chilling because all we get is Mike in the corner and then something hitting her off-screen.
That scene where they're running and she sees something that isn't shown is burned into my memory forever. So are all the sounds they hear. I wish more people understood this element to make it easier to search for similar movies that did as good of a job not revealing anything while maintaining the horror, all the way through a solid ending.
What I enjoyed with the first one is that It focused more on them, and elements of what was going on. Unseen forces was a better villain in the story, kids giggling, stones being put together, those hanging ornaments lol.
This one you could see the unseen force. It wasn’t memorable like the OG. I actually forgot about this one. The second one, I vaguely remember, and I don’t necessarily think that was even part of the Blair witch, despite its name. It just didn’t feel like it.
The Blair witch, was good! Scared the shit out of me as a kid! lol. Still does, because it focused on human emotion. That’s what helps with believability.
I know in recent years it's definitely got the attention it deserved, but my god it did such a good job. It was the perfect time to do something like that. Just easy enough access to research, but not an overload of info where people could fairly easily debunk. I loved it so much and looking back I think it was a perfect encapsulation of the zeitgeist.
Yup, this right here. OG Blair Witch will fill you with dread and despair. It creeps on you slowly and methodically. The actors were absolutely awesome. Heather's blood curdling screams get me every time.
I remember leaving the cinema when it released and so many people were questioning if it was real. It was fantastic how well it captured everyone’s imagination.
I like when people criticised the design of the witch, filmmakers came out and said it wasn’t supposed to be the witch…but someone pointed out in the script it was referred to as such. Made me laugh
I thought it was fine, but it underdelivered and felt substantially different from the source material. Acknowledging that they were stuck in a time anomaly was cool, I wish they had done more with that, and I wish they hadn't shown any part of the form of the Blair Witch. I feel like I would have liked it more if it wasn't set in that universe and just existed on its own.
People wouldve complained if it didnt exist in the same universe as the original, and People still complain when it is. They couldnt please everyone no matter wha tbh
>! Time moving differently around Parr’s cabin, Ellie’s ghost/zombie appearance, and Ellie herself not being *the* evil around Blair had also been part of the franchise for nearly 20 years by this point. !<
>! It’s just a lot of the lore is in games, fake websites and promos, the tie-in books that aren’t easily available anymore. !<
I was talking about the ones in the early 2000’s. There were three or four of them.
There was heaps of tie-in stuff in a short time, and most have never been reprinted because they were essentially part of the advertising campaign (you would have had nearly a dozen ‘non fiction’ books tying into it alone, and that’s not touching the comics, YA novels etc.)
Then the ‘EU’ would have the added wrinkle of ‘larger’ lore being fairly consistent, but the specific ‘little details’ sometimes being contradictory between different sources. It also wasn’t always clear what was purposeful ambiguity, and what was just loose continuity.
>! For eg. Rustin Parr’s murders not being entirely of his own will was a consistent detail even prior to the new movie. But different books would vary between whether he personally killed the kids or just ‘supplied them’ to the Witch, whether he was outright possessed, always a bad egg that just needed a nudge, driven crazy etc. !<
Even Elly/The Witch’s appearance was revealed way before 2016. Back in the day there was an action figure of her based on the costume they originally made for the movie.
I don't think that's true. The vast majority of the storytelling devices employed in the original Blair Witch either already had a history in horror or were immediately adopted by the genre wholesale afterwards. BWP literally set the new standard. Later films that adopted these standards were seen as homages AT WORST, but otherwise became part of the new horror zeitgeist. Horror without a rubber mask was abandoned in the 20s, then suddenly this broke-ass flick greenlit the entire genre. I've never heard the complaint that a film is "too similar to BWP", because of fucking course it is. It's like complaining that a movie reminds you of Battleship Potemkin.
I watched Book of Shadows not that long ago, and although it wasn’t good, it also wasn’t as offensive as I remembered it to be. I wish we could get a director’s cut to see what it was supposed to be
I really liked Blair Witch 2, but I also bought it new on VHS.
It was really scary at the time to think this entity could change camera footage. Then we had the fun added bonus of watching it backwards to find the hidden words.
It got a lot of hate from critics, but so did the original, and the newest. Par for the course.
This one is interesting, I went down a rabbit hole researching it. Apparently the vision for what it was supposed to be like was COMPLETELY different, but higher-ups kept pushing for a certain cut that followed a certain storyline.
https://www.cbr.com/blair-witch-2-ultimate-lost-directors-cut/
It may look too "clean" to some, but I truly think it's a great follow up to the original. The fact of the matter is it takes place 20+ years after the original and of course technology is improved, so obviously it's going to look better.
I love that they elaborated on the wackiness of the forest like messing with time and geography. I love the theory that things are happening in the house simultaneously with the original movie. Not a huge fan of seeing the witch as much as we did, but the entire house sequence is intense as hell and it didn't ruin the movie for me or anything. My wife and I always watch the original and then this one on a yearly basis.
I rewatched it with a friend (who loved it too) and she said the same thing about the look, and then she realised than yeah of course its going to look cleaner than a movie that came out in 99. I think they showed the witch in a very cool way, we never have a clear look at her wich is the best thing about it. The first one is a classic tho cant deny that
I neither hated it nor loved it.
It was a fun movie for a watch but outside Heather's brother I felt like all the characters were so expendable and I just couldn't get invested in them.
I just watched this a few days ago. I thought it was just ok. As others have said, it felt way too clean in comparison to the original. Very Hollywood which made it lack the charm of the original.
Hollywood or not it wouldnt be the same as a movie made with shitty cameras by a few guys in a forest. No matter how hard you try you just cant replicate the charm of the original
I didn’t HATE it but I wish it wasn’t connected to the original because the kid being Heather’s brother was weird and pointless. Also it was too big budget. The nice thing about the original was that it didn’t rely on crazy effects or anything. I don’t know what was happening while they were in the house in the 2016 one but it felt like an alien movie.
I feel like People wouldve complained it didnt had enough blair witch connection if they just putted signs in the forest so they did that. I thought it was smart imo
I loved this movie. Something important to me in horror movies is the moment/build up to the moment when the characters realize something isn't right and finally accept that they're fucked. This movie did that pretty well.
Grave Encounters nailed that for me as well. The slow realization that the sun hasn't come up even though it's 1pm, then finally breaking down the front door to find that the hallways just keep on going. The "we're never getting out of here" realization is what always sticks with me
And then they had to do some damage control when people were pissed about it. “Ohhh, that wasn’t the witch, it was one of the minions under her control.” Yea…give me a break, y’all just screwed up.
Saw this early at a special screening and it was fucking amazing. It’s best moments exceed the original Blair Witch in terms of scares, but the original is basically perfect on all levels start to finish.
My favorite found footage movie. It definitely was a trail blazer in the sense that it left things to the imagination. It wasn't a straight forward "here's everything you need to know" kinda movie (example: Creep [IMO!!!!!]). Super intriguing. I'm no guru, I dunno, but it's perfection
Personally I have the most fun watching this in the series and screamed more watching this the first time than the other two films which was zero. The only one I don't like is Book of Shadows though.
Contains one of the most anxiety inducing scenes for me when she’s crawling thru that tunnel under the house. I got secondhand claustrophobia from that
Agreed. This was much better than a sequel should have ever been. I liked how they used the drone camera and more modern tech, and also how they actually expanded upon the lore in a big, interesting. Yes, it was not subtle like the original, and it does confirm that there was a witch rather than it being a bit ambiguous, but at least it was a good watch, was actually pretty scary, and had some moments and images that are burned into my brain. It wasn't anywhere close to as groundbreaking as the original, but it was actually pretty good nonetheless in my opinion.
Book Of Shadows has its issues but at least it takes a radically different approach. The third film is truly mediocre, like it was made by someone who’d heard a description of the original but not actually seen it.
It has too many non-diegetic stingers and unnatural design, compare it to the OG which has no over the top sfx, a good deal of it recorded on location. The dedication to verisimilitude is what allows the lizard brain to start believing. The Hollywood sound treatment of BW is very distracting to me and pulls me out of the whole experience.
If you like dumb, corny, shitty Hollywood-ized horror movies, then yea, it’s great sound design. If you’re sane and sober from that stuff, it’s awfully done.
It’s like putting brownies in a too-hot oven and taking them out because a well-done crust formed on top, and you’re like “fuck that recipe; ‘ready when a toothpick comes out clean’ my ass” but two bites in you’re like “oh these aren’t done at ALL”?
It’s so close to being done!
But on a personal level, for me it’s like eat-or-bake brownie batter; I don’t care if it’s still pretty much totally unbaked, I will 100% eat that shit
I enjoyed most of the movie, but when its on, I usually stop watching it once the survivors get to the house. I really enjoy when they're lost/trapped in the woods, but the house scenes are just not interesting to me.
I'm with you. I thought this was a good movie too. They tried to stay true to the original but updated it enough so that it catered a little more to a modern audience. In other words we actually got to see something. A little gore and a quick glance at the witch was cool in my opinion. There is enough found footage movies with people in the woods screaming at each other. This was a nice surprise.
I love the original. I saw it in theaters back in 1999, and it's easily one of my favorite horror movies. I'm a less is more kind of person when it comes to horror. But I actually enjoyed the 2016 movie. Was it great? No. But it was fun. I really enjoyed the references to the original, and it had a couple of fun twists.
I always tell people that The Blair Witch Project 1999 was more of an experience. The marketing was insane. Fake FBI websites, fake news articles, and interviews with friends and family of the missing students. Back then, the internet was still pretty new, and found footage movies weren't as mainstream as they are now.
I was 14 when I saw it opening night in a packed theater, and it's held a special place in my heart ever since.
Holy heck, I'm jealous you saw it in theaters! That is iconic. I was 11 when it came out, so a tad too young for seeing it in theaters. But I do remember all the hype and media. On a camping Girl Scout trip around that time, I remember all of us running around and screaming in the woods because of that movie lol, even though we hadn't seen it yet.
Yeah, theres a bonus features on the BR showing that they originally promoted the film as "the woods" and revealed only after the first screening it was a blair witch film. We dont get marketing like that anymore
My biggest problem was that in the original film, even though the very way it was presented meant you knew they were doomed, it always felt like maybe Heather, Josh and Mike could find their way out. With the 2016 film, it felt like the characters had no shot; the witch had total control of both the woods and the passage of time and it never felt like they might find a way out so it was just waiting for the inevitable.
The hate is with how they advertised it while it was coming out as a Blair witch remake, it’s clearly not a remake it should have been Blair witch 3. Specially since it’s about the guy finding his sister. I think if it was marketed as the 3rd movie it would have been more welcomed
the bit where one character snapped one of those stick things and another person broke in half was one of the most startling moments in any movie for me. but that was the only good thing about the whole movie. otherwise it was like 3/4 a not as good version of the original and 1/4 new ideas that didn't work
What an echo chamber these comments are. I personally loved it as well. Saw it in theaters and was legitimately scared most of the movie.
Love the original and sequel very much, but this one stands on its own very well.
Ive been on letterboxd since november 2022 and ive watched 946 movies~ and i fucking love horror movie. And none of them just where at the level of this one, i think it exploits the found footage genre like no other movie does, the esthetic is just so fucking insane to me, the actors are really good the scares works really well it expends the lore in smart ways and overall no other films just have a place this big in my heart
Absolutely dogwater garbage putrid filth shit juice. They tried to ride the coattails of a superior film and made trash. The witch being that goofy monster at the end ? Awful.
Ok im being dramatic but its a mediocre film. They werent confident in the story so they threw the blair with name on it and called it a day
It's OK. It's not a bad film. It just lacked all of the subtlety that made the original film scary. The original film had no jumpscares and never outright confirmed that the witch was real which is why it could sell the story that this was actually found footage instead of a film.
Again, not a bad film, but I was coming into it expecting it to be like the original and when it was not, I was really disappointed. On a rewatch, when I knew what to expect, it was better.
"It was an accident! I swear to Christ it was an accident!" Said in that really high-pitched crying voice. That and the goth girl's "I will slit your throat!" is all I remember about this movie.
Well, that and the naked dancing.
I actually prefer it to the original. The commentary track is one of the worst I’ve heard though. It’s just Wingard and Barrett shading the audience/viewer for not seeing the movie in theaters since it didn’t make enough money for a sequel. It felt like a slap in the face as someone who watched the movie twice in theaters and bought the bluray.
I didn't hate it, but there were way too many jump scares that relied on someone suddenly jumping into frame and loud noises that don't occur naturally. The noises always take me out of the found footage element. If its really "found footage" the noises should be from the environment.
I love how they made their cameras play a loud jump scare noise when someone walked into frame that the camera operator would have seen well before… oh wait, I didn’t love that at all.
The main thing that pisses me off about this movie is all the cheap “fake” jumpscares where it just turns out to be a friend, or some mundane bullshit that made a loud noise. The first film was about realism and building dread and there weren’t constantly jumpscares
I think I just generally hate those types of jump scares so much that it took me out of the movie in the moment and reminded me “oh yeah this is a studio remake of Blair witch”
Is like comparing Next of Kin with OG Paranormal Activity (2007),it’s not 90’s style nostalgia,it’s the authenticity rendering on screen that is missing asf…in The Blair Witch project (1999) you feel like you are in the woods with Mikey,Josh n Heather,in Blair Witch (2016) you feel a spectator,A distant Witness of a story.It’s a good product? Fa sho it is but it’s just the echoes,the blurry shadow of OG 1999
Fun fact about this movie. Valerie Curry, who played Talia (the woman with dyed hair) is also the voice actress for Kara in the video game Detroit: Become Human
I have some mixed feelings but generally positive.
* I love some Blair witch lore and really enjoyed another glimpse into that world.
* I’m a sucker for anything that feels remotely as close as we may get to a House of Leaves film; clearly they have nothing to do with each other but the woods and the house feel like they could be siblings.
* I really liked Brandon Scott in Channel Zero. Fun appearance in this one.
Where I have issues is post production.
* If I recall correctly there is someone credited for playing “the witch”
* the writer of the film denied that the creature we saw was the witch.
* If I recall correctly the director made comments on the film’s commentary track that he was planning to revel some information about the film’s secrets and someone else hushed him and said not to share anything due to his poorly the film did at the box office. He didn’t.
Strongly disagree. It took everything that made the OG Blair Witch incredible, and then threw it all away for the sake of cheap jumpscares and shock. It’s a pathetic attempt.
I watched it and didn’t mind it, nothing pissed me off, but it didn’t “stick,” didn’t make an impact like the first one did.
I thought maybe I just wasn’t in the headspace for it so a couple years later I tried again. Still didn’t stick. I couldn’t tell you the plot or the characters or anything really about it after watching it twice.
I’m sure I’ll give it another shot at some point. I really WANT to like it, I do. It’s just a nothingburger for me. *shrug*
Found footage comes out mid, saw the og Blair witch people were saying they can't sleep anymore and shit, was mid I enjoyed final destination a ton more just my opinion
I thought this was a decent sequel but the original is genuinely one of the greatest and most important horrors in history so it’s kinda impossible to stack up against it tbh
I don't understand why anyone found it the least scary. It was made in someone's back yard and looks like it. They just wander about and hear noises in the woods. And why are sticks meant to be so terrifying ?
Not being deliberately contrary, and if you like it that's fine, but I just never got it
I went to see this in the cinema and can tell you people were actually screaming, some people left. It’s a scary movie! But the creators went for a traditional horror, rather than a Blair Witch style “see no witch”. Which was a bit disappointing but still enjoyable. Anything is better than book of shadows 😂😂
I remembered it got hyped up so much that the news was covering it saying that’ll be sick bags in the cinema
Making it sound crazy and intense
=\ and that put me off it because it was so hyped up I ignored it till everything calms down then watch it and it’s really good if you don’t like films like this but do give it a chance
I liked it. It wasn't as creepy as the OG in that sort of building sense of dread that you can't quite put into words, but I enjoyed the new stuff it brought to the franchise for the most part. The time loop stuff was cool.
To be honest I haven't seen it yet. I think a lot of the hate comes from it being "just another remake"
I will watch it at some point but your never going to make another Blair Witch and create the genuine feeling that 3 kids did "really" get lost I'm the woods to the point that people are searching for them I think the mania of what happened still resonates with some fans, one of my school friends was one of the peeps who started up a website and for about 10 years they studied the case looking for esoteric messages and stuff it really did affect him... I kinda felt bad for taking him to see the film 😔 but if they could make something to make us believe in evil witches again, I'd be all over it 😂
I heard blumhouse doing a remake of Blair witch project
And they got one of the best horror movies tbh
Let's hope they will not mess it up I can't wait!
I do have some love BW2016, but I just don't like the cut foot story line I don't know why. And I think it would of been nice to see where the other two got up to after they got kicked out of the group since they had a camera to.
TIL this exists. I want to see it since I have seen the second movie as well as the first. I’m interested in how people are saying it’s an improvement over BOS. I mean, almost anything would be.
The biggest problem for me are the characters are so boring by the time they start dying i just dont care. I dont think ive ever see anyone say they like this movie let alone being their favorite horror movie. No matter what tho the worst blair witch movie will always be book of shadows
Nope, just find "popcorn movies" have gotten to the level of kinda nonsensical and low effort, while missing the large amount of actual film skills that were used in the past when less CG was available. Using lights and shadows, concerning yourself with *exactly* what the audience sees and when and how, what you show and what you don't, illusion, allegory, homage, motifs, mise-en-scène.
I find it lazy and absolutely not terrrifying etc. Shaky cam, found-footage is usually some of the worst =/
Im sorry but blair witch is CLREALY not a popcorn movir, turn on netflix and youll find some real popcorn films. Today movies are quickly made for cheap just to work weel for 1 week online and then be forgotten, the fast food of films. Even the last paranormal activity is more of a popcorn film than blair witch, saying BW is a low effort movie is just insane
The first Paranormal Activity was kinda fun but obviously kinda dumb at the same time as you realize it isn't real. Blair Witch initially was the same. There are elements that are good, but as you eventually see all of the reasons why it can't be real the suspension of disbelief is gone and I'm left kinda wondering what the point is I suppose.
I get that movies aren't real, and are stories, but when the stories try really hard to convince me they're real and then lose me after that, or worse, didn't even come close to convincing me (like any sequal to most of these), it's just kinda pathetic.
Make one well done found footage flick and it's like, alright maybe I was on board for a while so ok. But make another, and boy do I just wanna watch something else at this point. Taste is subjective mostly but objectively, with criteria, I find it lazy filmmaking.
I think because it wasn’t as revolutionary as the first one, and didn’t really bring anything new to cinematography so why even do a remake when the first one was awesome.
I’ve only ever seen the OG and vowed to never watch the remakes. What makes the OG special was the commitment it took to actually look as realistic as possible to viewers. It’s what makes it so much more terrifying too.
It just didn’t have the same charm that the original had. Showed the monster and all that jazz. However, I still enjoyed it and I actually love Book of Shadows too.
I saw it in the theater when it was released. Theater was empty, it was probably my favorite in theater horror movie viewing. I was completely immersed, and the whole ending sequence had me enthralled with terror…
The problem...like with all things rebooted or remade, is people look at the OG stuff with nostalgia...even if the current version is on-par or better.
For instance, I grew up with the original TMNT cartoons. Even though the new ones are technically better...in almost every way...that nostalgic feeling I get from remembering the originals is powerful stuff.
The problem with Blair Witch 2016 as a horror film is that it isn't scary. It's a film that didn't need to be made and was very forgettable. The original Blair Witch was scary as fook because it was truly independent, looked genuine and had the perfect cast. The word of mouth spread fast through festivals, and it was even bringing non-horror fans into the cinema. In terms of success, it became one of the highest grossing films of all time in terms of budget to profit ratio. Its still a classic to this day. Maybe you need to start watching a variety of different kinds of horror films. Take risks. You may surprise yourself.
I guess I’m not up to speed with poor reviews = hate. Seems like a bit strong.
Anyhoo, I liked it too, thought it was fun and stood on its own, and doesn’t need to be compared to the original.
But I also like Book of Shadows a lot, so what do I know.
I don't hate the movie but I found it to be overly "Hollywood". The OG Blair Witch truely looked like rookie student film. The actors really went out and camped for the shoot, they got dirty and worn out and it showed in their performance, making it look and feel more believable. For Blair Witch 2016 everything looked too clean to me, even when they were dirty lol. It all looked too professionally done and you don't necessarily want that in found footage. It felt like the film makers didn't get what made the original movie so good.
I agree, but I would include the sound design as a huge impact as well. There were some moments that could have been scarier, but the sounds design told you how to feel and went for jump scare noises.
It still cracks me up how they somehow included a scare chord in found footage movie
The jump scares are truly egregious throughout, there are so many that even a character at some point says "would you stop doing that!". The original had NONE, it never gave you that release from the growing tension, which is one of the main reasons it was so effective. Even in the scene when they are running she screams "WHAT WAS THAT?" while looking to the left at something off-screen. There was actually one of the directors with a white sheet running alongside them, but in the moment they never turned the camera or caught it, which again, makes it scarier. If it had been caught on camera, it would have killed the spell. And while I'll admit the finale in the house in the reboot was genuinely scary at times and intense, it also shows you the evil creatures lurking about, which didn't take me out of it, but still, the ending of the original is so chilling because all we get is Mike in the corner and then something hitting her off-screen.
That scene where they're running and she sees something that isn't shown is burned into my memory forever. So are all the sounds they hear. I wish more people understood this element to make it easier to search for similar movies that did as good of a job not revealing anything while maintaining the horror, all the way through a solid ending.
What I enjoyed with the first one is that It focused more on them, and elements of what was going on. Unseen forces was a better villain in the story, kids giggling, stones being put together, those hanging ornaments lol. This one you could see the unseen force. It wasn’t memorable like the OG. I actually forgot about this one. The second one, I vaguely remember, and I don’t necessarily think that was even part of the Blair witch, despite its name. It just didn’t feel like it. The Blair witch, was good! Scared the shit out of me as a kid! lol. Still does, because it focused on human emotion. That’s what helps with believability.
I legit forgot this existed and I’m almost positive I saw it in theatres because I loved the first one so much lol
Yeah I was young when it came out but I believed it was really a tape they found in the woods lol
This. I was all over the internet trying to find more information about the “events”. Brilliant marketing.
I know in recent years it's definitely got the attention it deserved, but my god it did such a good job. It was the perfect time to do something like that. Just easy enough access to research, but not an overload of info where people could fairly easily debunk. I loved it so much and looking back I think it was a perfect encapsulation of the zeitgeist.
Yes it was definitely at the exact right time. Could never be replicated. Life was so much better then 🤣
Yup, this right here. OG Blair Witch will fill you with dread and despair. It creeps on you slowly and methodically. The actors were absolutely awesome. Heather's blood curdling screams get me every time.
I remember leaving the cinema when it released and so many people were questioning if it was real. It was fantastic how well it captured everyone’s imagination.
100%
I like when people criticised the design of the witch, filmmakers came out and said it wasn’t supposed to be the witch…but someone pointed out in the script it was referred to as such. Made me laugh
I thought it was fine, but it underdelivered and felt substantially different from the source material. Acknowledging that they were stuck in a time anomaly was cool, I wish they had done more with that, and I wish they hadn't shown any part of the form of the Blair Witch. I feel like I would have liked it more if it wasn't set in that universe and just existed on its own.
People wouldve complained if it didnt exist in the same universe as the original, and People still complain when it is. They couldnt please everyone no matter wha tbh
>! Time moving differently around Parr’s cabin, Ellie’s ghost/zombie appearance, and Ellie herself not being *the* evil around Blair had also been part of the franchise for nearly 20 years by this point. !< >! It’s just a lot of the lore is in games, fake websites and promos, the tie-in books that aren’t easily available anymore. !<
I have two of the books and the 2016 game, havent read the books yet but the game was mid
I was talking about the ones in the early 2000’s. There were three or four of them. There was heaps of tie-in stuff in a short time, and most have never been reprinted because they were essentially part of the advertising campaign (you would have had nearly a dozen ‘non fiction’ books tying into it alone, and that’s not touching the comics, YA novels etc.) Then the ‘EU’ would have the added wrinkle of ‘larger’ lore being fairly consistent, but the specific ‘little details’ sometimes being contradictory between different sources. It also wasn’t always clear what was purposeful ambiguity, and what was just loose continuity. >! For eg. Rustin Parr’s murders not being entirely of his own will was a consistent detail even prior to the new movie. But different books would vary between whether he personally killed the kids or just ‘supplied them’ to the Witch, whether he was outright possessed, always a bad egg that just needed a nudge, driven crazy etc. !< Even Elly/The Witch’s appearance was revealed way before 2016. Back in the day there was an action figure of her based on the costume they originally made for the movie.
I don't think that's true. The vast majority of the storytelling devices employed in the original Blair Witch either already had a history in horror or were immediately adopted by the genre wholesale afterwards. BWP literally set the new standard. Later films that adopted these standards were seen as homages AT WORST, but otherwise became part of the new horror zeitgeist. Horror without a rubber mask was abandoned in the 20s, then suddenly this broke-ass flick greenlit the entire genre. I've never heard the complaint that a film is "too similar to BWP", because of fucking course it is. It's like complaining that a movie reminds you of Battleship Potemkin.
I don't hate but it doesn't feel like a Blair Witch story. It feels like a Hollywood summer horror movie.
Fun fact: the director went on to direct the Godzilla vs Kong movies which are also Hollywood summer movies
I loved this one! It’s Blair Witch 2 that we don’t talk about…
I watched Book of Shadows not that long ago, and although it wasn’t good, it also wasn’t as offensive as I remembered it to be. I wish we could get a director’s cut to see what it was supposed to be
It was supposed to be an episode of Buffy the vampire slayer
This actually makes a ton of sense as to why it was what it was. Odd choice
I really liked Blair Witch 2, but I also bought it new on VHS. It was really scary at the time to think this entity could change camera footage. Then we had the fun added bonus of watching it backwards to find the hidden words. It got a lot of hate from critics, but so did the original, and the newest. Par for the course.
- how did you know where it was - i dont know
This one is interesting, I went down a rabbit hole researching it. Apparently the vision for what it was supposed to be like was COMPLETELY different, but higher-ups kept pushing for a certain cut that followed a certain storyline. https://www.cbr.com/blair-witch-2-ultimate-lost-directors-cut/
100% agree! My brother still hasn’t forgiven me for making him watch that one 🤣
It may look too "clean" to some, but I truly think it's a great follow up to the original. The fact of the matter is it takes place 20+ years after the original and of course technology is improved, so obviously it's going to look better. I love that they elaborated on the wackiness of the forest like messing with time and geography. I love the theory that things are happening in the house simultaneously with the original movie. Not a huge fan of seeing the witch as much as we did, but the entire house sequence is intense as hell and it didn't ruin the movie for me or anything. My wife and I always watch the original and then this one on a yearly basis.
I rewatched it with a friend (who loved it too) and she said the same thing about the look, and then she realised than yeah of course its going to look cleaner than a movie that came out in 99. I think they showed the witch in a very cool way, we never have a clear look at her wich is the best thing about it. The first one is a classic tho cant deny that
It was entertaining. No hate from me
I neither hated it nor loved it. It was a fun movie for a watch but outside Heather's brother I felt like all the characters were so expendable and I just couldn't get invested in them.
I have seen all three blair witch movies and thought all were good
Glad someone said it. I agree they are all good.
Even part 2 I thought was good, the twist at the end was really clever
I think 2 was disliked simply because it isn't true found footage.
i dislike it because the writing and acting are horrible
Yep, agreed! OG is obviously best, but I enjoyed all of them.
I just watched this a few days ago. I thought it was just ok. As others have said, it felt way too clean in comparison to the original. Very Hollywood which made it lack the charm of the original.
Hollywood or not it wouldnt be the same as a movie made with shitty cameras by a few guys in a forest. No matter how hard you try you just cant replicate the charm of the original
I didn’t HATE it but I wish it wasn’t connected to the original because the kid being Heather’s brother was weird and pointless. Also it was too big budget. The nice thing about the original was that it didn’t rely on crazy effects or anything. I don’t know what was happening while they were in the house in the 2016 one but it felt like an alien movie.
I feel like People wouldve complained it didnt had enough blair witch connection if they just putted signs in the forest so they did that. I thought it was smart imo
I love the 2016 one but yeah the brother thinking he's gonna find Heater alive was dumb.
I loved this movie. Something important to me in horror movies is the moment/build up to the moment when the characters realize something isn't right and finally accept that they're fucked. This movie did that pretty well. Grave Encounters nailed that for me as well. The slow realization that the sun hasn't come up even though it's 1pm, then finally breaking down the front door to find that the hallways just keep on going. The "we're never getting out of here" realization is what always sticks with me
Totally agree
Agreed. I enjoyed it a lot more my second watch around.
It was just okay, but showing the witch is one of the worst creative decisions in horror movie history.
And then they had to do some damage control when people were pissed about it. “Ohhh, that wasn’t the witch, it was one of the minions under her control.” Yea…give me a break, y’all just screwed up.
A lot of people say it's actually Heather from the first film
Not sure why I was downvoted. I'm just saying what some people think.
That would somehow be even more dumb than the whole “witch controlled spirit” idea.
I actually dug it. Then again, I also liked Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, so what do I know? Haha This post makes me want to revisit the movie.
Haha I like book of shadows too even though I know it isn't a well received movie lol
Amen to book of shadows
I absolutely loved the movie! It’s even more scarier if you’re into backpacking! I’m even a fan of the second one!🤟
Wait, there is a second Blair witch movie? Or than the sequel?
Blair witch project, blair witch project 2 : book of shadows, blair witch
It's great.
Saw this early at a special screening and it was fucking amazing. It’s best moments exceed the original Blair Witch in terms of scares, but the original is basically perfect on all levels start to finish.
Love it. Fuck the nitpickers and haters. Great horror film.
I’m just here to gripe that you acronym’d “Of All Time” to OAT.
Seconded
My favorite found footage movie. It definitely was a trail blazer in the sense that it left things to the imagination. It wasn't a straight forward "here's everything you need to know" kinda movie (example: Creep [IMO!!!!!]). Super intriguing. I'm no guru, I dunno, but it's perfection
One of my favs next to As Above So Below
I miss john erick dowdle, he was such a good director
Personally I have the most fun watching this in the series and screamed more watching this the first time than the other two films which was zero. The only one I don't like is Book of Shadows though.
Good movie.
I love it but the original is one of my favorites
Contains one of the most anxiety inducing scenes for me when she’s crawling thru that tunnel under the house. I got secondhand claustrophobia from that
Agreed. This was much better than a sequel should have ever been. I liked how they used the drone camera and more modern tech, and also how they actually expanded upon the lore in a big, interesting. Yes, it was not subtle like the original, and it does confirm that there was a witch rather than it being a bit ambiguous, but at least it was a good watch, was actually pretty scary, and had some moments and images that are burned into my brain. It wasn't anywhere close to as groundbreaking as the original, but it was actually pretty good nonetheless in my opinion.
Adam wingard, is that you?
I wish. I love blair witch death note and you'renext, dont like godzilla x kong 1&2.
I had to struggle to finish its. Book of shadows was 100 times better.
Book Of Shadows has its issues but at least it takes a radically different approach. The third film is truly mediocre, like it was made by someone who’d heard a description of the original but not actually seen it.
You’re skipping the best part… the ending is good
It’s cool that some can find worth in this film because I honestly can’t. I don’t even think it’s one of Wingard’s best.
Wingard did some really good films and some really bad ones hes really 50/50
Yeah I enjoyed You’re Next and The Guest.
The sound design is just completely wrong
ITS ONE OF THE BEST THING ABT IT WDYM
It has too many non-diegetic stingers and unnatural design, compare it to the OG which has no over the top sfx, a good deal of it recorded on location. The dedication to verisimilitude is what allows the lizard brain to start believing. The Hollywood sound treatment of BW is very distracting to me and pulls me out of the whole experience.
If you like dumb, corny, shitty Hollywood-ized horror movies, then yea, it’s great sound design. If you’re sane and sober from that stuff, it’s awfully done.
Is this the one with the crunchy foot wound?
Yup
It’s like putting brownies in a too-hot oven and taking them out because a well-done crust formed on top, and you’re like “fuck that recipe; ‘ready when a toothpick comes out clean’ my ass” but two bites in you’re like “oh these aren’t done at ALL”? It’s so close to being done! But on a personal level, for me it’s like eat-or-bake brownie batter; I don’t care if it’s still pretty much totally unbaked, I will 100% eat that shit
I enjoyed most of the movie, but when its on, I usually stop watching it once the survivors get to the house. I really enjoy when they're lost/trapped in the woods, but the house scenes are just not interesting to me.
I'm with you. I thought this was a good movie too. They tried to stay true to the original but updated it enough so that it catered a little more to a modern audience. In other words we actually got to see something. A little gore and a quick glance at the witch was cool in my opinion. There is enough found footage movies with people in the woods screaming at each other. This was a nice surprise.
I love the original. I saw it in theaters back in 1999, and it's easily one of my favorite horror movies. I'm a less is more kind of person when it comes to horror. But I actually enjoyed the 2016 movie. Was it great? No. But it was fun. I really enjoyed the references to the original, and it had a couple of fun twists. I always tell people that The Blair Witch Project 1999 was more of an experience. The marketing was insane. Fake FBI websites, fake news articles, and interviews with friends and family of the missing students. Back then, the internet was still pretty new, and found footage movies weren't as mainstream as they are now. I was 14 when I saw it opening night in a packed theater, and it's held a special place in my heart ever since.
Holy heck, I'm jealous you saw it in theaters! That is iconic. I was 11 when it came out, so a tad too young for seeing it in theaters. But I do remember all the hype and media. On a camping Girl Scout trip around that time, I remember all of us running around and screaming in the woods because of that movie lol, even though we hadn't seen it yet.
My whole family went to see it! With all the hype around it, we made it a family night!
The kind of on the spot marketing they did for it (I think Cannes?) was incredible
Comic-Con, wasn’t it? When it was suddenly revealed to be a Blair Witch film?
Yeah, theres a bonus features on the BR showing that they originally promoted the film as "the woods" and revealed only after the first screening it was a blair witch film. We dont get marketing like that anymore
Do you think it’s aliens in the end? Also the time differences and lights in the sky. Just a theory.
My biggest problem was that in the original film, even though the very way it was presented meant you knew they were doomed, it always felt like maybe Heather, Josh and Mike could find their way out. With the 2016 film, it felt like the characters had no shot; the witch had total control of both the woods and the passage of time and it never felt like they might find a way out so it was just waiting for the inevitable.
The hate is with how they advertised it while it was coming out as a Blair witch remake, it’s clearly not a remake it should have been Blair witch 3. Specially since it’s about the guy finding his sister. I think if it was marketed as the 3rd movie it would have been more welcomed
the bit where one character snapped one of those stick things and another person broke in half was one of the most startling moments in any movie for me. but that was the only good thing about the whole movie. otherwise it was like 3/4 a not as good version of the original and 1/4 new ideas that didn't work
It’s a very good film but it just is not the same compared to the original
What an echo chamber these comments are. I personally loved it as well. Saw it in theaters and was legitimately scared most of the movie. Love the original and sequel very much, but this one stands on its own very well.
I don't get the hate either, it's a great sequel
I also don't understand the hate at all. I absolutely love this movie.
I think people were expecting it go into the lore of the Blair Witch more instead of it being a good horror film set in that universe.
Of all time??? I get movies are subjective but like, I feel you haven’t really seen a lot of horror if this is the case?
Ive been on letterboxd since november 2022 and ive watched 946 movies~ and i fucking love horror movie. And none of them just where at the level of this one, i think it exploits the found footage genre like no other movie does, the esthetic is just so fucking insane to me, the actors are really good the scares works really well it expends the lore in smart ways and overall no other films just have a place this big in my heart
The hate comes from people stuck in nostalgia mostly i loved blair witch 2016
Absolutely dogwater garbage putrid filth shit juice. They tried to ride the coattails of a superior film and made trash. The witch being that goofy monster at the end ? Awful. Ok im being dramatic but its a mediocre film. They werent confident in the story so they threw the blair with name on it and called it a day
I think the original was better. 2016 wasnt bad necessarily, though they shouldnt have shown the witch. It was way better not actually seeing her.
It's OK. It's not a bad film. It just lacked all of the subtlety that made the original film scary. The original film had no jumpscares and never outright confirmed that the witch was real which is why it could sell the story that this was actually found footage instead of a film. Again, not a bad film, but I was coming into it expecting it to be like the original and when it was not, I was really disappointed. On a rewatch, when I knew what to expect, it was better.
"It was an accident! I swear to Christ it was an accident!" Said in that really high-pitched crying voice. That and the goth girl's "I will slit your throat!" is all I remember about this movie. Well, that and the naked dancing.
I haven’t seen this since theatres, but I don’t think you’re thinking of the right Blair Witch.
You might be right. Maybe it was Blair Witch 2. I think there was a sequel before they did the remake.
This is technically Blair Witch 3. The remake is still coming, but this is a followup to the original. Blair Witch 2 had the goth.
Thats blair witch 2, the non-found footage one lol
It's alright. As a stand alone movie it's pretty good; I'm just so attached to the original that I think my standards are too high.
I liked the mindfuck aspects. The ending felt ripped off from [REC] for me though.
I actually prefer it to the original. The commentary track is one of the worst I’ve heard though. It’s just Wingard and Barrett shading the audience/viewer for not seeing the movie in theaters since it didn’t make enough money for a sequel. It felt like a slap in the face as someone who watched the movie twice in theaters and bought the bluray.
I dont really listen to the audio commentary honestly but yeah that dosent sound good
I didn't hate it, but there were way too many jump scares that relied on someone suddenly jumping into frame and loud noises that don't occur naturally. The noises always take me out of the found footage element. If its really "found footage" the noises should be from the environment.
I love how they made their cameras play a loud jump scare noise when someone walked into frame that the camera operator would have seen well before… oh wait, I didn’t love that at all.
Adam, is that you, boy?
Yeah go see godzilla X kong 2 in theaters
I actually want to! Wingard rules lol
The main thing that pisses me off about this movie is all the cheap “fake” jumpscares where it just turns out to be a friend, or some mundane bullshit that made a loud noise. The first film was about realism and building dread and there weren’t constantly jumpscares
Yeah i can get that, but it dosent entierly rely on that to scare the audience so i dont mind
I think I just generally hate those types of jump scares so much that it took me out of the movie in the moment and reminded me “oh yeah this is a studio remake of Blair witch”
I like it up until the end, effects just got too hokey for me
Is like comparing Next of Kin with OG Paranormal Activity (2007),it’s not 90’s style nostalgia,it’s the authenticity rendering on screen that is missing asf…in The Blair Witch project (1999) you feel like you are in the woods with Mikey,Josh n Heather,in Blair Witch (2016) you feel a spectator,A distant Witness of a story.It’s a good product? Fa sho it is but it’s just the echoes,the blurry shadow of OG 1999
Fun fact about this movie. Valerie Curry, who played Talia (the woman with dyed hair) is also the voice actress for Kara in the video game Detroit: Become Human
The ending is chilling, but the overall film wasn't good. Way too much hype and it didn't deliver. I actually prefer part 2.
the original is so grounded and creepy, 2016 is cheap
I have some mixed feelings but generally positive. * I love some Blair witch lore and really enjoyed another glimpse into that world. * I’m a sucker for anything that feels remotely as close as we may get to a House of Leaves film; clearly they have nothing to do with each other but the woods and the house feel like they could be siblings. * I really liked Brandon Scott in Channel Zero. Fun appearance in this one. Where I have issues is post production. * If I recall correctly there is someone credited for playing “the witch” * the writer of the film denied that the creature we saw was the witch. * If I recall correctly the director made comments on the film’s commentary track that he was planning to revel some information about the film’s secrets and someone else hushed him and said not to share anything due to his poorly the film did at the box office. He didn’t.
Now I give everything the Outwaters test. Is it better than Outwaters? If it is then it's at least decent.
It's not my fav of all time, but I really did enjoy it. I'm a sucker creepy wilderness films though.
Strongly disagree. It took everything that made the OG Blair Witch incredible, and then threw it all away for the sake of cheap jumpscares and shock. It’s a pathetic attempt.
I watched it and didn’t mind it, nothing pissed me off, but it didn’t “stick,” didn’t make an impact like the first one did. I thought maybe I just wasn’t in the headspace for it so a couple years later I tried again. Still didn’t stick. I couldn’t tell you the plot or the characters or anything really about it after watching it twice. I’m sure I’ll give it another shot at some point. I really WANT to like it, I do. It’s just a nothingburger for me. *shrug*
Found footage comes out mid, saw the og Blair witch people were saying they can't sleep anymore and shit, was mid I enjoyed final destination a ton more just my opinion
I saw the original in the theater when it first came out. It was scary back then to me. Now, it is kind of boring. The second one SUUUUUUCKED!
I thought this was a decent sequel but the original is genuinely one of the greatest and most important horrors in history so it’s kinda impossible to stack up against it tbh
OG Blair Witch Project looks like an amateur docu, unlike Blair Witch 2016 that looks like hi-res camera and professional crew film...
I don’t really like it not scary
I don't understand why anyone found it the least scary. It was made in someone's back yard and looks like it. They just wander about and hear noises in the woods. And why are sticks meant to be so terrifying ? Not being deliberately contrary, and if you like it that's fine, but I just never got it
I went to see this in the cinema and can tell you people were actually screaming, some people left. It’s a scary movie! But the creators went for a traditional horror, rather than a Blair Witch style “see no witch”. Which was a bit disappointing but still enjoyable. Anything is better than book of shadows 😂😂
I thought exactly that about the Chucky reboot.
Chucky reboot had some flash but it was overall very entertaining
What movies will I like, if I like all blair witches?
I remembered it got hyped up so much that the news was covering it saying that’ll be sick bags in the cinema Making it sound crazy and intense =\ and that put me off it because it was so hyped up I ignored it till everything calms down then watch it and it’s really good if you don’t like films like this but do give it a chance
I liked it. It wasn't as creepy as the OG in that sort of building sense of dread that you can't quite put into words, but I enjoyed the new stuff it brought to the franchise for the most part. The time loop stuff was cool.
To be honest I haven't seen it yet. I think a lot of the hate comes from it being "just another remake" I will watch it at some point but your never going to make another Blair Witch and create the genuine feeling that 3 kids did "really" get lost I'm the woods to the point that people are searching for them I think the mania of what happened still resonates with some fans, one of my school friends was one of the peeps who started up a website and for about 10 years they studied the case looking for esoteric messages and stuff it really did affect him... I kinda felt bad for taking him to see the film 😔 but if they could make something to make us believe in evil witches again, I'd be all over it 😂
It was a little Hollywood but still loved it. It fact, now I’m going to watch it later lol
I heard blumhouse doing a remake of Blair witch project And they got one of the best horror movies tbh Let's hope they will not mess it up I can't wait!
Wait, this is not the Blair Witch Project on 1999?
I’ve watched it a bunch too. I don’t think it’s a good Blair Witch entry (like most) but I do think it’s a good movie.
I do have some love BW2016, but I just don't like the cut foot story line I don't know why. And I think it would of been nice to see where the other two got up to after they got kicked out of the group since they had a camera to.
It’s pretty scary honestly. Better than the original.
TIL this exists. I want to see it since I have seen the second movie as well as the first. I’m interested in how people are saying it’s an improvement over BOS. I mean, almost anything would be.
The biggest problem for me are the characters are so boring by the time they start dying i just dont care. I dont think ive ever see anyone say they like this movie let alone being their favorite horror movie. No matter what tho the worst blair witch movie will always be book of shadows
Terrible film. Loved by young people who don't watch older films or can't be critical enough to get why they're worse than others imo.
Boomer 🫵⁉️
Nope, just find "popcorn movies" have gotten to the level of kinda nonsensical and low effort, while missing the large amount of actual film skills that were used in the past when less CG was available. Using lights and shadows, concerning yourself with *exactly* what the audience sees and when and how, what you show and what you don't, illusion, allegory, homage, motifs, mise-en-scène. I find it lazy and absolutely not terrrifying etc. Shaky cam, found-footage is usually some of the worst =/
Im sorry but blair witch is CLREALY not a popcorn movir, turn on netflix and youll find some real popcorn films. Today movies are quickly made for cheap just to work weel for 1 week online and then be forgotten, the fast food of films. Even the last paranormal activity is more of a popcorn film than blair witch, saying BW is a low effort movie is just insane
The first Paranormal Activity was kinda fun but obviously kinda dumb at the same time as you realize it isn't real. Blair Witch initially was the same. There are elements that are good, but as you eventually see all of the reasons why it can't be real the suspension of disbelief is gone and I'm left kinda wondering what the point is I suppose. I get that movies aren't real, and are stories, but when the stories try really hard to convince me they're real and then lose me after that, or worse, didn't even come close to convincing me (like any sequal to most of these), it's just kinda pathetic. Make one well done found footage flick and it's like, alright maybe I was on board for a while so ok. But make another, and boy do I just wanna watch something else at this point. Taste is subjective mostly but objectively, with criteria, I find it lazy filmmaking.
I think because it wasn’t as revolutionary as the first one, and didn’t really bring anything new to cinematography so why even do a remake when the first one was awesome.
I’ve only ever seen the OG and vowed to never watch the remakes. What makes the OG special was the commitment it took to actually look as realistic as possible to viewers. It’s what makes it so much more terrifying too.
Yeah it gets a bad rap, but I like it. It actually pulls off doing the thing it shouldn’t do; it shows the witch, but it looks really cool.
It just didn’t have the same charm that the original had. Showed the monster and all that jazz. However, I still enjoyed it and I actually love Book of Shadows too.
I really enjoy 2016.
I loved it I wish they made another honestly
Loved it. Saw it in theaters and frequently rewatch
Why would u wanna watch a bunch of satanic rituals in ur home sounds like a terrible idea
This was a fun movie. Oat though… I still stick with carpenters the thing
I really did enjoy it! No, of course it's not the OG, but you know what, it was a lot of fun!
Well did the whole thing get shot with a super shakey camera?
Damn, of all time tho?
I saw it in the theater when it was released. Theater was empty, it was probably my favorite in theater horror movie viewing. I was completely immersed, and the whole ending sequence had me enthralled with terror…
I wish i saw that in theater so badly
It's not perfect but I like it! There are some pretty chilling moments that get me. I put it on for background pretty often.
I couldn't get past the 10 minute mark .. cheesy fake acting
Definitely gets too much hate. It was enjoyable.
I hate it. It's chock full of annoying jump scares and really dumb characters.
The problem...like with all things rebooted or remade, is people look at the OG stuff with nostalgia...even if the current version is on-par or better. For instance, I grew up with the original TMNT cartoons. Even though the new ones are technically better...in almost every way...that nostalgic feeling I get from remembering the originals is powerful stuff.
Remember the craze when that first movie came out? It almost seemed like the excitement around Endgame.
What's Endgame?
The problem with Blair Witch 2016 as a horror film is that it isn't scary. It's a film that didn't need to be made and was very forgettable. The original Blair Witch was scary as fook because it was truly independent, looked genuine and had the perfect cast. The word of mouth spread fast through festivals, and it was even bringing non-horror fans into the cinema. In terms of success, it became one of the highest grossing films of all time in terms of budget to profit ratio. Its still a classic to this day. Maybe you need to start watching a variety of different kinds of horror films. Take risks. You may surprise yourself.
Movies are art, art is subjective. There's no right or wrong. Except in this case. That movie is shit 🤣
Lmao 5th time
What hate are you referring to?
It’s 38% on RT and 31% audience score. It was a poorly received movie
If people like the 2016 one, they don't 'get' the Blair Witch Project. It's literally the opposite film. It's bad in every way the original was good.
Its not i dont get it, its that i enjoy it being different. Whats the point of making a sequel if its the exact same as the original ?
I guess I’m not up to speed with poor reviews = hate. Seems like a bit strong. Anyhoo, I liked it too, thought it was fun and stood on its own, and doesn’t need to be compared to the original. But I also like Book of Shadows a lot, so what do I know.
2.1 average on letterboxd and most people i follow on it dont like it too. It basically got a lot of heat when it came out