DBH Re-Visits: The Blair Witch Project

In this edition of DBH re-visits, I decided to take a step back to re-watch a film that I have found many horror fans to be mixed about. Some of my horror friends say that the tension and realism of the film's premise and acting is what made it so scary to watch. Others though felt that the pace was too slow and there wasn't enough action to keep them interested. I remember when it first came out how I absolutley adored it. I thought it was simple yet effective and wanted to see if I still felt that way about it.

I'm happy to say that I do. The film is one of the most simple horror films I've seen in years. For the most part, your only looking at three people the whole time and there isn't any confusing subplots or out of the blue twists to take away from it's subtle yet effective tone. Although all three main characters are unknown actors, they are so convincing that, along with the great ad campaign for the film, I still felt like it was real even though I knew it wasn't. This film also serves as proof that low budget horror can not only take the big screen by storm, but it can be just as great, if not better, than your average $20 million bloodfest. Another thing that I still found that I liked what how little blood there actually was in the film. The only time you see any of it is in a short 2 second glance at a little bundle of clothe left for the campers to find, presumably containing the teeth and tongue of Josh. Instead of relying of gore, this film does a brilliant job of relying on it's story, it's characters, and the tension and conflict they both bring to the film. I mean we never even see the actual witch, yet the ending is still stuck in my head! Even after not watching the film for close to six or seven months (maybe even longer), it still messes with me everytime I see it. It's just a great film.