Back in 1999, a tiny, amateurish, independent horror film called The Blair Witch Project managed to turn a massive $248 million profit on a meager $600,000 investment, while scaring audiences despite a lack of onscreen violence and gore. So what happened here? Good luck? Good timing? Genuine cinematic skill on the part of directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick? With a new Blair Witch film headed for theaters in a couple of weeks, YouTuber Ryan Hollinger examines the original phenomenon in an installment of his web series Ryan’s Theory entitled “The Blair Witch Project: Why Is It Important?”
Even though Blair Witch was a trendsetter and game changer for cinematic horror, it was far from original. Its pseudo-documentary structure had already been used in films like 1980’s Cannibal Holocaust and 1998’s The Last Broadcast. So what made The Blair Witch Project special? As Hollinger sees it ...
See full article at The AV Club »
Even though Blair Witch was a trendsetter and game changer for cinematic horror, it was far from original. Its pseudo-documentary structure had already been used in films like 1980’s Cannibal Holocaust and 1998’s The Last Broadcast. So what made The Blair Witch Project special? As Hollinger sees it ...