Greetings, and welcome back to October Horror Fest! Tonight, we venture into one of the most influential horror movies ever created. NOT just because of how it revitalized the horror genre, but how it created an entire subgenre by itself, a subgenre that would go on to become one of the staples of horror. This film is recognized for its revolutionary greatness, and I am SHOCKED that I haven’t watched it yet. Hold onto your hats, dear readers, as we venture into the forest, the mysterious, and the project that holds too many secrets to count. (By the way, happy two weeks! It is SO crazy that we are already two weeks in I can’t believe it). Without further ado, sit back, relax, turn off the lights, grab some Candy and Popcorn, and let’s review…

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Our tale begins with one of the most iconic opening texts of all time in movies, stating that in October of 1994, three student filmmakers set out into the forests of Burkittsville (formally known as Blair), and disappeared while filming a documentary. The following footage that we are about to see was found one year later…

We begin our tale through the camera of Heather, one of our three filmmakers. Most of the movie is our filmmakers bickering and having classic 90s fun, so it REALLY increases worldbuilding and fear when it all goes wrong. Heather meets up with her friend Josh, and is newly introduced to another student named Mike. Our trio set out to Burkittsville to create a documentary about the folklore story of the Blair Witch, their documentary being entitled The Blair Witch Project during filming. Once arriving in the town, they interview locals on the Blair Witch, and get all kinds of information, ranging from ghost stories to people that say they were personally attacked by the witch. However, the MOST important piece of evidence given to our trio by the filmmakers is the story of Rustin Parr, a man who lived in the forest and kidnapped seven children in 1941. Soon after the abductions, he murdered them all in the basement (okay William Afton), killing the children in pairs while one of the children stood in the corner of the basement, facing the wall.

Our trio begins to hear even more stories, like a child from 1888 who disappeared for three days, only to return saying she saw a woman who “didn’t touch the ground”. Others say the forest is cursed. Since our teens are 90s kids, they obviously want to find out as much as they can, and hike to Coffin Rock, a place in the forest where five men were ritualistically killed in the 19th century. Shortly after they were found, their bodies disappeared. Our trio sets up camp in the forest on the first night, and everything SEEMS fine. However, the next day, our mysterious events begin. The trio find an old abandoned graveyard (not creepy at all), where manmade piles of stones named cairns are littered everywhere. Josh, of course, accidentally knocks one over (GREAT). On night two, our trio hears sticks SNAPPING outside of the tent (something I love about this film, besides creating the found footage genre, is how it builds suspense. It’s SO good and I believe this is a horror film everyone has to see at least once in their lives). The next day (I know there’s a lot of days going on here, the film takes place approximately across eight), our trio sets out into the neverending forest once again, however, they fail to find the car. They head back to the camp after dark, and once again hear the sounds of twigs snapping outside. They wake up, and find three cairns right outside of their tent. (once again, GREAT).

On this day, we REALLY get into the loss of sanity for all of our teens. Heather goes to look for her map, only to find out she doesn’t have it. As the pair cross a river with a fallen log across it, Mike just happens to drop the bombshell that he KICKED THE MAP INTO THE RIVER. He believes it was useless, as they are stuck in the forest. However, this INFURIATES Heather, and the trio goes into an all out fight, as they fall deeper and deeper into confusion and despair. Using Heather’s compass, her only real tool for navigating left, the trio head south for almost the entire day. However, on their way, they discover stick figures hanging from trees all around them, the classic icon of the Blair Witch (this creeped me out big time). They set up camp, and tonight, if the events going on were a five on the creepiness scale, well, turn that scale up to eleven. In the middle of the night, our trio awakens to the sound of INHUMAN GROANING outside the tent, as well as the ghostly sound of children laughing. Yeah, if you are in a horror movie, those two sounds are the TOP of the list of sounds you do NOT want to hear.

Our trio panics, until the entire tent SHAKES (I’m sure this is obvious, but the entire movie is shot in first person, just like is trademark for found footage and analog horror. Seeing through the eyes of Heather’s camera in this scene is a fear I will never forget). In one of the most horrific scenes in the movie for me personally, the trio bolt out of the tent, running through the night while screaming. GOD, I HATE IT AND I LOVE IT. UGH. They finally make it back to their tent after hiding out through the night in the forest, and find that all of their belongings have been rifled through and messed up, and Josh’s equipment is covered in slime (who you gonna call?). By this point, our trio is LOSING their sanity, and losing it fast. It’s hard to put into words how impactful this really is. Shortly after finding their messed up tent, things go from bad to worse. After going south the entire day AGAIN, our trio ends up at the exact same river with the fallen log. Heather breaks down, as Mike continues to lose it. They. Are. Trapped.

We cut to the next morning, where Heather screams for Josh when leaving her tent. That’s right, Josh DISAPPEARED during the night, and our surviving duo try their best to find him, to no avail. Mike and Heather try to comfort each other, but it is very hard when they are both losing their grips on reality. That night, we have even MORE horror, as the duo hears Josh’s agonized and pained screams coming from the forest around them. (These screams felt MUCH too real for my liking, so this was a rough scene for me to get through). Although horrified, Heather begins to think that the screams are the work of the Blair Witch, just trying to get them to leave their shelter. The next day, Heather leaves the tent, as a shaken Mike holds himself and rocks back and forth in the dirt. Heather finds a bundle of twigs, with PIECES OF JOSH’S SHIRT USED TO TIE THEM TOGETHER. When Heather opens it, she finds a bundle of his shirt absolutely soaked in blood. WITHIN IT, SHE FINDS PIECES OF HAIR AND ACTUAL BLOODIED TEETH (i’m not joking, the director actually got teeth from a dentist). Heather LOSES IT, and when she makes it back to Mike, although obviously shaken, she doesn’t tell him what she saw.

That night, Heather films herself giving an apology to her mom, Mike’s mom, and Josh’s mom. (one of the most iconic scenes in all of horror). In some of the greatest acting I have ever seen (and I did NOT stutter, it is perfect acting), Heather takes full responsibility for what she did to herself and the boys. She knows that the Blair Witch, or another evil spirit, is out for blood. And she knows that she will die there. Her terrified expression is the last thing we see before she ends her recording. Our film reaches a climax just a few short minutes later, as Josh’s screams and cries for help can once again be heard. Our duo sets out, only to find the abandoned ruins of Rustin Parr’s house (the man who killed the children). However, this house SHOULD have been destroyed in the 40s, and SHOULD have been inaccessible in the 90s. (hmmmmmmm…) However, there’s no time to think about theories, as our duo ventures into the abyss. Within the house, hundreds of bloody handprints of children coat the walls, as Mike runs throughout the house frantically trying to locate Josh’s voice. A terrified Heather tries to follow him, but Mike is too fast. He eventually makes it down to the basement, where an invisible force attacks our boy Mike, causing his camera to drop to the floor. (Now, it’s time for one of the most iconic horror movie endings of all time.) Heather IMMEDIATELY runs down to the basement, her screeches of Mike’s name permeating the cavernous abyss. However, there is one thing we can see. One thing that is horribly wrong. Mike stands there, in the corner, facing the wall. JUST LIKE HOW THE CHILDREN DIED. Heather continues to wail, until the same invisible force attacks her as well. Her camera drops to the floor, continuing to record, until it cuts to black…

THERE WE HAVE IT! Guys, this movie was made on a 60,000 dollar budget, and grossed 248.6 MILLION in the box office. There are SO many theories on what this film is (only an hour and twenty minutes long btw!) actually meant, and how time travel may be involved. There are theories that Mike and Josh planned it, there are even theories that the tape was sent back in time to try and warn our teens. However, no matter how much discussion still occurs around the movie, one thing is for sure. It changed the world. SO, SO many horror movies following Blair Witch would use its invention of the analog and found footage genres to propel themselves. Movies like Paranormal Activity DIRECTLY utilize the found footage style. I can never thank this movie enough for existing, and I can NEVER thank you guys enough for reading through with me. I hope you enjoyed it, and here’s to the TWO WEEK SPECIAL!!! Before you go, my friends, ALWAYS remember, never trust the forest…