Blair Witch

[Lex]

Continuing in this bizarre recent tradition of late 90's/early 00's horror cult revival (anyone seen the trailer for the new Ring?) i.e. the era of horror movies I snuck into the cinema to see when I was a young teenager, this one recently surfaced:

As a teen I was really into horror movies and it all kind of started with The Blair Witch Project when I was a child. I wouldn't see the movie until I was about 13/14, but I remember being scared of even the marketing (I was 9 when it all started and therefore young and stupid enough to believe it was actually real, which isn't that much of a leap given the efforts of the producers and marketing to make it appear so, even some adults were fooled).

When I eventually watched it, I came away with that lingering feeling only some good horror movies actually leave you with. I'm well aware of the criticisms of it ("nothing actually happens") but I'd compare it to the likes of Silent Hill 2 (the game ofc); in that it builds excellent suspense and fear throughout. I think you have to pay attention and have a bit of a critical mind to get there, because the final scene is actually super faithful to the backstory that's briefly mentioned in the beginning.

I also think that whether you love or hate the original movie, it was a true original and started a trend that people either love or hate.

Anyway, my judgement on this is reserved for now. But I do think the idea of him going to look for his sister is a great way for this movie to go.

 

[Lex]

It's currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 8 critic reviews), which is interesting.

 

[Lex]

lol triple post but here's a review extract

Here’s the thing about Blair Witch that’s a bit of a spoiler – this is your only warning – Wingard and Barrett are magicians using sleight of hand to distract the audience. It’s pretty clear that the duo know a lot of horror fans were disappointed or underwhelmed by The Blair Witch Project and its finale (no disrespect intended). This film pretends to be that, and while the audience believes more and more that they’re watching a quasi-remake of the original, Wingard and Barrett are preparing a third act twist that’s as intense as any horror film has ever been.

Blair Witch won’t affect seasoned horror fans (as much), but rest assured that it will destroy everyone else. This film will hurt people. It’s the emotional experience that transcends traditional narrative storytelling and ascends to a place of Nirvana. What I mean by this is that, whether they can verbalize it or not, moviegoers understand the basic structure to a story. So, while someone watching Blair Witch may think they know what’s going to happen next, they don’t. The film breaks the mold of traditional horror and pushes the boundaries to the absolute brink.

While the complete annihilation of the narrative will throw viewers for a loop, Wingard sucker-punches them with a flurry of the most intense and jarring sound design in the history of horror, which is going to leave many viewers rattled. The sound is simply one of the many well-designed “props” in this relentless funhouse of terror thats coup de grâce is the claustrophobic tunnel sequence that will have everyone squirming for the exits.

Some will laud it, others will loathe it, but make no mistake: Blair Witch is that game-changer horror fans desperately have been waiting for. It will usher in a new breed of genre films that are targeted at creating an emotional experience above all else. “Scary” is probably an understatement as this may just be the first film since The Exorcist that will leave younger audiences scarred for life.

0_0

 

[Octo]

hmmm

I was actually creeped out by the original too. I mean, even thoughthe hype train got out of control it was a really creepy movie, and compared to the more recent 'found footage' stuff it seemed very real.

'Nothing happens' is because nothing much happens irl. Like even if you spoke to a WW2 veteran they'd tell you that for the most part fuck all happens and then something horrific happens very quickly.

I digress, I don't really like the look of this as it's obviously very slick and polished (in it's style at least) so I don't think I'll be able to suspend my disbelief very easily. That said I've been creeped out by stuff that is generally considered shit so who knows

Although if it turns out that 'omg Heather got turned into a witch?!!1111' I'm gonna be very upset cos thats just lazy.

 

[Octo]

http://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/...ds-horror-game-changer-will-completely-wreck/

I skimmed the comments on that review, apparently there is a big question mark over the reviewers impartiality


Also, I don't know what he means by 'seasoned horror fans' I mean, I've seen a good chunk of horror movies, the well known stuff, some of the 'nasty' stuff. But if anything I'd say that out of all the genres horror has a disproportionate amount of utter crap. Jumpscares and gore are all well and good, but it's the subtle stuff that really stays with you, that creeps into your mind when you're coming back from the toilet at 3 am.

 

[Lex]

Ah yeah I just caught that myself. I'm making my way through all the reviews so far on the Rotten Tomatoes page and they're all pretty positive though. All of them seem to say it's genuinely terrifying, and I haven't seen a movie that's actually creeped me out/ stayed with me in years, so I'm willing to give it a bash since I was a massive fan of the original.

100% need to find someone willing to go with me though, because I'm a pussy like that.

 

[Strangelove]

i keep seeing bus-side adverts for this and didn't realise they were making another one

i too was young when this came out and i think had to wait a while to see it, but i enjoyed the concept. i have to admit i was a little leery of another film because blair witch 2 was kinda shit, and this one does look more produced than the original. but being more of a standard film wasn't what was bad about bw2.

i will give this a go, though, and be cautiously optimistic. it's nice that they went back to the camera-footage style of the original but i wish they had toned down the polish (like camera angles looking like professional camera angles, unless it's a mix of standard film making and handicam stuff).

i usually watch horror films alone though but if i saw it in a cinema would i have to walk home in the dark. i live next to two woods, i don't want that shit

 

[Cthulhu]

 

[Lex]

I'm off to see this tonight

 

[Octo]

I want a thorough report on my desk tomorrow morning

I want it to be good, seems like ages since there's been a proper scary horror.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Having never seen any of these films, this article still very much interested me, especially when they talk about advancing the genre of found footage: http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-blair-witch-both-honors-and-advances-the-found-foot-1786640261




X

 

[Lex]

So.

There were things I liked and things I didn't like, but I have to say from the outset that I was so terrified in the cinema with this that I spent most of the time looking at my shoes. Like I tried to look at the screen to glance at it and get an idea of what was going on but genuinely it just felt unsafe to do so.

Ummm... there are annoying cheap jump scares which cheapens the magic of the franchise (the original didn't do this at all) but they kind of die a little bit in for actual jump scares. I only really jumped once, and the scares are well done in the sense that when you think it's safe it probably still isn't. Hard to explain - not like a double jump or anything just genuine fear throughout. I couldn't watch most of it. The sounds were scary enough.

more tomorrow

 

[Octo]

Shat pants out of 10?

 

[Lex]

It's genuinely terrifying, honestly. Like whether or not you like what it ultimately declares about the original movie based on how it goes (there is no ambiguity about whether they just went crazy or if something supernatural is going on), it's uncomfortable in the correct horror way. You are scared to look at the screen and sometimes that's justified, sometimes it isn't. The sound direction is fantastic because that's just as terrifying.

There are a lot of nods to the original. A lot of the same noises. The house was completely faithfully recreated.

Spoiler

General spoilery points

- Follows the same formula as the original with a shitload more jump-scares
- You actually see "the witch"
- There's a horribly claustrophobic segment that gets really creepy when the witch comes after her
- It's faithful to the overall lore
- Supernatural occurence confirmed, because they use a drone to fly up and check where they are. In the same spot at the beginning of the film they see the road and stuff. When they do it again on the second day all they see is trees
- There's some stupid shit that's annoying that I'll get into later
- James (Heather's sister) at one point is chasing after Heather in the house (he thinks it's her, it's probably not) - the witch is chasing him. The main female protag is stood outside the house while he's trapped in there because she didn't want to go in, but then something chases her in and it's fucking terrifying.

idk there's loads more. All of the stuff like standing in corners, time loops (characters that split off reappearing and saying "we haven't seen you for 5 days" when it's been one day for the others etc), taking control of them etc. from the original is there and basically it confirms that in the original they weren't just really bad at directions lol.

I think my biggest oh shit moment came when

Spoiler

they woke up at 7am on the third day and it was still night time. Because the original was very much "things go bump in the night more and more until shit goes down", and while the same thing happens here, on waking on "day 3" after the second "night" there is no morning and there's no respite from that "fuck fuck fuck" feeling everywhere the damn camera looks

.

 

[Strangelove]

The house was completely faithfully recreated.

this is actually really selling it for me, from the trailer i was like, i hope they didn't change the house too much

now i need to find someone to take me to see it

 

[Lex]

They also spend a lot more time in there. Like a lot lot more. I watched an interview where the director was talking about how when they were dealing with sets the house is literally brick by brick remade from the original movie and shots they had from then. It's definitely the "same" house, it feels exactly the same. A shitload happens in there too.

 

[Lex]

can someone else go see this now so we can fucking talk about it

 

[Octo]

Can you babysit?

I might try and mosey along when Freybs is at nursery. Although it would be totally fucking weird to see a film on my own, in the daytime...when there will be hardly anyone in the cinema...

 

[Strangelove]

But that's how I see like 95% of films in the cinema

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I'm planning to see it on Tuesday night. I'm getting all four of my wisdom teeth removed Monday morning, though, so we'll see how it works out.

 

[Tetsujin]

can someone else go see this now so we can fucking talk about it

Movie's not out here yet

I watched the original one on tv many, many years ago. Quite liked it so I intend to see this one.

 

[Lex]

This is such a random bump but that new random game is out (reviews are mixed to positive, I watched a playthrough and it's creepy enough) and I revisited my thoughts on this movie and the original. I've been watching a lot of random YouTube reviews etc and been discussing with people now that the franchise has popped back into people's minds and have the urge to talk about it again.

Having some perspective from the 2016 movie I've realised it had some excellent ideas, I think a lot of it was just really poorly executed. I can still remember how annoying the first 20 minutes of the 2016 movie are from the fake-out jumpscares that IMO just serve to ruin what could be a really creepy and suspenseful tone. The original had this very gritty, real visceral feel that just can't be recreated for someone watching in this new era of technology. I know that people have their problems with the original movie but it still stands to me as a piece of media that genuinely terrified me and still kinda creeps me out (even though I know the movie back to front). The marketing literally made me afraid of trees. The 2016 movie had an excellent final act but overall was just terribly cut.

The game has its own story and gimmicks that kind of fit in with the Blair Witch lore but I suppose it's in an inoffensive way. Having watched a full playthrough it is scary, but the tone isn't the same. Until the final act...

 

[Tetsujin]

can someone else go see this now so we can fucking talk about it

Alright I just saw it and am ready to talk now

Spoiler

The jumpscare shit in the beginning was indeed annoying
Not sure how I feel about showing the "witch" but I guess it was a decent attempt at confirming what is going on and having "creature horror" but still somewhat sticking to the vibe of the original. Tbh at the beginning I was still convinced it might be some mundane shit. Like the noises in the night sounded like someone shooting a bear or something idk
The bit where that one woman's foot got infected with a...worm...thing? Felt kinda random.
I liked the time shenanigans. I guess the footage that they found was actually from themselves then? If I remember that correctly.

It was okay although nothing will really recapture that feeling of the original. Sure as hell was better than that other Blair Witch sequel though.

(I'm just posting here because it's 1:30am and I'm not turning the lights off now o_o)

 

[Makoeyes987]

I seriously loved this game and surprised it hasn't gotten more attention. Kudos to the studio that did this, this was a creative little way to revive the franchise. Love psychological horror games like these.

Btw I loved the fucking dog so much.