The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film written, directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers (Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard) who disappeared while hiking in the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland in 1994 to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. The viewers are told the three were never seen or heard from again, although their video and sound equipment (along with most of the footage they shot) was discovered a year later and that this recovered footage is the film the viewer is watching. The Blair Witch Project is thought to be the first widely released movie marketed primarily by internet. The movies official website featured fake police reports and newsreel-style interviews. Due to this, some people initially thought it was an actual documentary about the missing teenagers. These augmented the movies found footage style to spark debates across the internet over whether the movie was a real-life documentary or a work of fiction. During 2008, Entertainment Weekly named The Blair Witch Project one of the 100 best films from 1983 to 2008, ranking it at #99.In 2006, Chicago Film Critics Association listed it as one of the Top 100 Scariest Movies, ranking it #12. The film opens with introductory text stating that in October 1994 three filmmaking students disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later, their footage was found in undisturbed soil below the foundation of a 200 year old stone wall by an anthropology class from the same university as the film makers during a study in the field. The footage was then handed over to the police as evidence. The police, believing the footage to be a joke or prank, released the films for public viewing. In October 1994 film students Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard set out to produce a documentary about the fabled Blair Witch. They travel to Burkittsville, Maryland, formerly Blair, and interview locals about the legend of the Blair Witch. The locals tell them of Rustin Parr, a hermit who kidnapped seven children in the 1940s and brought them to his house in the woods where he tortured and murdered them. Parr brought the children into his houses basement in pairs, forcing the first child to face the corner and listen to their companions screams as he murdered the second child. Parr would then murder the first child. Eventually turning himself in to the police, Parr later pleaded insanity, saying that the spirit of Elly Kedward, a witch hanged in the 18th century, had been terrorizing him for some time and promised to leave him alone if he murdered the children. He was hanged after being questioned by police and reporters. The second day, the students begin to explore the woods in north Burkittsville to look for evidence to prove that the Blair Witch exists. Along the way, two fishermen warn them that the woods are haunted and recall that in 1888, a young girl named Robin Weaver went missing, and when she returned three days later, she talked about an old woman whose feet never touched the ground. The students hike to Coffin Rock, where five men were found ritualistically murdered in the 19th century, and then camp for the night. The next day they move deeper into the woods despite being uncertain of their exact location on the map. They eventually locate what appears to be an old cemetery with seven small cairns. They set up camp nearby and then return to the cemetery after dark. Josh accidentally disturbs a cairn and Heather hastily repairs it. Later they hear crackling sounds in the darkness that seem to be coming from all directions, but they assume the noises are from animals or locals. The third day, they attempt to return to their vehicle but cannot find their way. They try until nightfall, when they are forced to set camp. That night, they again hear crackling noises but cannot see anything. The next morning (their fourth), they find three cairns have been built around their tent during the night. As they continue trying to find their way out of the woods Heather realizes that her map is missing and Mike later reveals that he kicked it into a creek out of frustration the previous day. Josh and Heather attack Mike in a fit of intense rage. They realize they are now hopelessly lost and decide to simply head south. They discover a multitude of humanoid stick figures suspended from trees. That night they hear more strange noises, including the sounds of children and bizarre morphing sounds. When an unknown force shakes the tent they flee in a panic and hide in the woods until dawn, starting their fifth day. Upon returning to their tent they find that their possessions have been rifled through and Joshs equipment is covered with slime, causing them to question why only his belongings were affected. As the day wears on they pass a log over a stream that was identical to the one they had passed earlier despite having traveled directly south all day and again set camp, completely demoralized at having wasted the entire day seemingly going in circles. The sixth morning, Heather and Mike find Josh has disappeared. After trying in vain to find him, they eventually break camp and slowly move on. That night, they hear Josh screaming in the darkness but are not able to find him. The seventh morning, Heather finds a bundle of sticks and fabric outside their tent. Later inspection reveals it contains blood-soaked scraps of Joshs shirt, as well as teeth and hair, but she does not mention this to Mike. That night, Heather films herself apologizing to the co-producers of her project as well as their families and breaks down crying and hyperventilating, understanding that something terrible is hunting her and Mike. Later, they again hear Joshs agonized cries for help, but this time they follow them and discover a derelict, abandoned house in the woods. Mike races upstairs, following what sounds like Joshs voice, while Heather tries to follow. Mike then claims he hears Josh in the basement. He runs downstairs and after what seems to be a quick struggle goes silent and drops the camera. Heather shouts for Mike but gets no answer. She enters the basement screaming in fear while her camera catches a glimpse of Mike facing the corner, just as Parrs victims had been made to do. Heather then utters a final scream as she and her camera violently drop to the floor. There is only silence as the footage ends.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:26:28 +0000
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