You Miss have a new subscriber. I'm not sure how I missed your channel. I'm always looking for new horror reviewers to follow, and there aren't many female voices there. Thank you for repping us female horror fans. 😎
One of the greatest examples of how important it is to have a vision, yet not tunnel vision, and how sometimes throwing most of your efforts away can be beneficial for the final product.
remember my first time watching the tree bridge scene. I'll never forget it. It's a river, so if you were walking in circles you'd come from the opposite direction, but they don't- it's the same side every time. When reality sets in what do you do? real question. Middle of nowhere. No phone. Walking for hours in a loop. You see 'We're stuck' moments in horror movies all the time, but this one just hit different. I love this movie
I have always loved this movie. I saw it twice in theaters when it originally was released. I never really realized until I got older. Josh, Mike & Heather are really good actors.
These actors get NO CREDIT. When this was released I remember everyone liked the movie... but.... it was treated like a baby movie... like an NYU film student movie.... It was never given the respect it deserved or that a drama with a typical budget and well known and established actors would get... It was never treated as a real movie, if that makes any sense. It was treated more like a lucky novelty film. And every reviewer was keen to point out its 'low budget', which was often a backhanded compliment as if to say... and it looked like it, too. But the dialog was what sold me on the film. It was so natural and so realistic. They spoke the way real kids would speak. It was some of the best dialog. And the reason... it wasn't scripted by some hacky cornball established Hollywood writer (most follow every trope and every cliche for safety sake). I think this movie deserves more credit to the actors... and not just people wowed by its domestic or worldwide box office gross.
Oh, and the producers were smart to NOT go for cheeseball 'special effects'. If a movie needs 'special effects', it's usually because it stinks. Special effects are often (not always, but often) a pretty dress on poop.
this movie was on my radar before it even released. I stumbled upon a website about it, then I saw the SyFy documentary before it came out. When this movie dropped I went and saw it alone. I was 17 and it was the first movie I saw alone in the theaters. The theater was packed. I couldnt believe how much hype there was around this film. After I saw it I knew it was special. I then took my mom to see it the next week and it was just as packed in the theaters. It was one of those experiences that you will never forget.
Despite how campy it looks now due to the market’s saturation of found footage films, it still has one of the most tense atmospheres of any others in its genre
@Formerly Paul I may have misused the word, not really good at english. The ending left many viewers in confusion asking questions and needing more explanation that it left us with. Overall it is still such an entertaining movie that I would occasionally come back.
I agree. This movie was genius in it's simplicity & build up to it's release in the theatres. Billed as possibly a true story, I wondered if that wouldn't qualify it as a snuff film, just where Heather, Josh and Mike disappeared & were still not accounted for. I felt better when I found out it was a work of fiction. One evening, arriving home from work, I turned on what was once know as the Sci-Fi channel and just about shit myself when I saw what looked like the movie, only to find out quickly, it was a mini-doc called, 'Curse of the Blair Witch'. The movie was sold out everywhere and before one could book on-line. Awesome hype and when I finally saw it, I was not disappointed. Still, my favorite film of '99 and there were lot's of awesome ones released that year!!
I was only a toddler when this movie came out, but I remember reading years later that the studios and directors kept the immersive marketing for the movie going by not having having any of the actors do appearances until the movie was out. No talk shows for promotion or any of thay. Idk how true it was but if so, that's straight dedication
This film is a masterpiece and I rank it as one of the greatest movies ever made; regardless of style or genre. It affects me every single time I watch it. That final sequence always makes hairs stand up on my arms and my heart rate increase. I've watched it hundreds of times and every time I watch it I appreciate it more and more, and when I find out how this movie was made I'm blown away at the creativity, ingenuity and originality (I know there were found footage films before, but this perfected the genre in my opinion). I love this movie and if I were to ever make, star or be associated with a film like this, it would be a badge of honour on my career.
😶 agreed. this movie is a true classic. not just in horror, but creative filmmaking overall. scary af. i don't care what anybody says. blair witch is the best horror movie ever made.
The Blair Witch OST (which was presented as a mix tape found in their car) was AMAZING- such an interesting mixture of industrial, goth rock, and darkwave stuff! I remember it introducing me to a lot of new music as a kid
I watched the film again a few days ago and it still kept me entertained, and that ending, with the house and the handprints... one of the creepiest endings ever, and it didn't even need to "scare" us with loud noises and CGI faces.
I always had the idea that it was just some boring movie about people walking around in the woods for some reason. Around Halloween last year, I saw it on tv and decided to watch it, and it kind of blew me away with how entertaining and effective it is despite just being people walking around in the woods. I definitely got some newfound respect for the film and filmmakers, and I'm glad I got to see this video to appreciate it even more.
I have seen so many horror movies, and TBWP is still probably the only one that really stayed with me in the 10+ years that passed since I first saw it. Also, I love found footage horror a little bit too much so I’ve seen a lot, but TBWP is the only movie that gives a good motivation for why the camera is still rolling (and that explanation contributes to the dread even further): looking at reality through a screen helps Heather detach herself and deal with the situation psychologically, which... fair. True. I have never seen a FF horror motivate itself with a valid argument since.
Internet then was a pretty new thing. And I really give credit to the marketing strategy of this film.. and I mean AMAZINGLY DONE!! This film really scared the hell out of me during its time because the timing was just really perfect. I bet 100% if any reboots or sequels are not as successful as this one. The only time I realised it was not real was when I saw the characters presenting an award. Their budget vs box office was staggering. NO EFFECTS, NO OSCAR AWARDS TYPE OF ACTING... JUST MARKETING. It was pure film brilliance. :)
I really loved the theater experience. I honestly didn’t know what was going on so it was terrifying. The only thing that tipped me off was a little too much drama from the actors. Kicking the map into the creek with a forced giggle felt a little silly. Plus the “It’s all I have left!”...thing just felt very forced. But I was still terrified. The whole theater just sat there in silence at the end for an odd amount of time. It’ll always have a place in my heart.
Agreed, the reveal about the map is the weakest part, acting wise. That's a minor complaint, however, when you take into account that Heather's monologue scene completely blows 99% of scream queen performances out of the water.
Oh, and good point about the year it was released. I sometimes feel like 1999 was the last good year for movies when it comes to classics that all stand so well in their respective genres (whereas today's movies seem to all follow the same formula and try to have a little bit of everything in all of them). BWP, Fight Club, The Matrix, Office Space, Eyes Wide Shut, Being John Malkovich, American Beauty, the South Park movie, The Green Mile, Stir of Echoes, Analyze This, and Toy Story 2.
Apparently there was supposed to be a part where they are running out of the tent or something and you see the white figure in the distance, but the actress didn’t point the camera at it and now we only hear her screaming, “What the fuck is that?”
This movie makes it hard for me to enjoy camping to this day. I live nowhere near New England, but if I woke up out there hearing that sort of stuff I would quite literally shit myself to death.
I’ll never, ever forget the hype and genius of everything to do with this movie in 1999. I was 16/17 and in year 11 at high school and everyone was talking about it and convinced it was real. Seeing “The Curse of the Blair Witch” was so, so good and just set it all off. This is absolutely one of my favourite horror movies/experiences of all time.
I remember seeing this in theaters during my high school senior year in 1999, and all of us seriously thought this was REAL, and seeing it made it that much scarier. Was so cool and I'll definitely never forget the experience. I feel so bad and sorry for young generations these days, as they've never lived in a society where something was fresh, BRAND NEW and exciting, just growing up where everyone is jaded by everything. That being said, the sequel completely SUCKED, but that had more to do with studio meddling than incompetent creators. Films like that and Crow: City of Angels just goes to show why corporate fat cat studios shouldn't get involved if they want a project to succeed.
It really is a great movie. I remember looking at the website in my house, alone one night and getting really creeped out because it was so quiet in my house, websites were rubbish back then too. I wasn't 100% sure how much was real. We actually went to watch the movie at a midnight showing on Halloween ...in England. I don't know the point of that but, whatever, it was fun.
'The Noroi Curse' did such a great job at making found footage horror documentary type of movie without using any jumpscares. I hope CorderyFX will make a video about it one day.
Revently binged the fictional documentary films I could find by Kōji Shiraishi. Noroi, Occult, Cult. I too can highly recommend them. It is a bit ironic that the Blair Witch makers intended to make it more like a documentary with interviews and other footage intercut with the screaming hysterical teens in the woods but decided to only show the kids for more realism. For me it made it all feel more staged. The way Kōji does it makes it all feel more real and unsettling in my mind. Making it look like an actual documentary. You get away with time jumps, cutaways. Tangentical discussions that deepen the world building. Maybe I should get around to watch that sci fi channel documentary. I might actually enjoy that version of the Blair Witch Project. And speaking of Japanese Found Footage films that dispense with the documentary framework however. There's always the first two Guinea Pig Films. They work way better than Blair Witch for me and I think it is mainly because we are in the perspective of the villain. Psycho killers documenting their deeds for their own amusement. Making it much more unsettling for me than screaming kids in the woods.
If you guys haven’t seen Coherence, I would strongly recommend it. Production has some similarities to Blair Witch. Vague directions to the actors, lots of improv, not an ungodly amount of jump scares, but with more of a sci-fi twist. It’s like Inception meets Blair Witch. The dialogue just seems refreshingly believe-able, and some pretty complex plot elements keep you guessing. Check it out!
I think the sheer, raw fear the movie instills in us is due to this primal, thousands years old agony of spending the night in plain darkness, our auditory senses maxed out to hear whatever it was out there that could eat us...it's a fear deep in our DNA and our evolution, to be on max alert in dark foresty places, because that's where the homo sapiens spent countless millennia...
Its refreshing to see some love to TBWP, this movie is something special, one of the scariest and unique movies ever made. And to top it all it is also revolutionary in the way it was made. Maybe it started with a gimmick, but it was so damn effective that it became its own thing and a masterpiece.
I remember watching it in 1999 and being underwhelmed due to the overwhelming hype that surrounded it? 'Is that it?' was my first reaction but having rewatched it several years later I have to say it's improved (and got more unsettling) on every subsequent rewatch.
I don’t think I caught this until about 2001, around 10. But there was still so much ‘is this real’ they played on during the internet boom where it was the Wild West of not knowing what was real as a young kid. Movie is incredible at depicting ‘hey yes this is fake but the most realistic take on this type of story’ we get no CGI monsters, no beat to beat marks to hit. Probably the coolest blend of real/movie we have gotten from this genre, and is something you can only capture once which for movies has to be well unique
What a fantastic video. I was one of the many who believed it was real. I studied the website and Heather's diary. I bought the book. I played the game. It's in my top 5 favorite horror films.
The thumbnail for this video? FANTASTIC. I already saw this early on Patreon (humblebrag) but I will absolutely watch this a second time when it premiers. Love your stuff man, hoping 2021 is a good year for you!
I love this innovative movie. Perfect flick at the perfect time never saw a movie marketed like that before. Maybe you have to be old enough to have been there for you to get it? Also the filmmakers didn’t treat their audience as idiots. Anything you can imagine is far scarier than spoon fed gore. Great video dude.
I'm curious to know how you view Cloverfield in the found footage spectrum. Because it followed in Blair Witch's footsteps with an ARG. A very in dept ARG with fake social media accounts and all that.
Excellent video 👍 I have to say, about 90% of the information in this video is completely new to me. I had no idea about their marketing with the fake documentary or their website that helped sell the whole 'found footage' aspect of the film. I do remember seeing the missing poster around the time that the film was released and I was totally shocked when I found out that it wasn't real. The MTV Movie Awards was announcing all of the guest appearances and it listed "The Cast of The Blair Witch Project." Then I saw the actor Heather do a Steak N' Shake commercial a month or so after that appearance. It was like finding out Santa Claus wasn't real. BUT to my defense, I was like 12 years old at the time. Young, naive, and no internet access. Looking back I should've known that they wouldn't show actual footage of three missing teenagers being killed or whatever.
My man you flashed a quick shot of Once Were Warriors in that intro and I love to hear you do a piece on that movie. It's so damn raw and hard to watch, but a really engaging and interesting movie.
My favourite movie of all times. The whole project was brilliant and despite starting the whole new genre-you cant replicate what they did. I wish i saw it back in 1999 when some people thought it was real. Then again maybe i would feel betrayed lol . Seeing it way later i had nothing but respect for the whole project.
agreed. far from my favorite but they pulled off something special that was never done before. i remember how mad everyone was leaving the theater because they were so mad at the ending and overall movie.
I was 16/17 when it came out, and so many people did think it was real, before it came out at least. There was a lot of hype for it. I remember being in the uncertain camp... I'm a born skeptic so I was thinking it unlikely it could be real and also be made into a theatrical film, but had some measure of uncertainty that it could be real! I certainly didn't feel betrayed, and I don't think many others did either. This was still the early days of the internet and things like viral marketing campaigns. I didn't have regular internet access until I was 16 and away at college, and it was the same for many of my friends. So we hadn't been 'fooled' by viral marketing and those internet "is it real, conspiracy games" and things over and over again. There wasn't Reddit or 4Chan to hunt down and dox the actors and prove they were alive. Now, the 'is it real or not' thing wouldn't work. People are more cynical and wise to tricks like that, but The Blair Witch was the first big viral trending/word of mouth campaign I can remember at least, so it was still new and fresh. I know I didn't feel betrayed, it helped add to it being a cool movie really. Plus relief that they weren't really dead ;)
@@scarletamazon3455 That is a viewpoint that is hard to have nowadys when you have to "fakeproof" everything and usually you are dissappointed lol. You are absolutely right-my reaction to it would be different too because it was different times. This just convinces me that i wish i saw it back then.
@@annefirethorn3847 I'm glad that you still enjoyed the film enough to make it one of your favourites, even without having been there on the release! Like some of my fondness for it might be from nostalgia, but that newer viewers still get something from it shows that the film still stands on its own merits, which is great!
I had a dream, running in the woods, trying to get away from spooky voices, before deciding to watch the film. I hadn't watched anything prior to this, cos I was working in a pub during the rugby world cup and hadn't much spare time in-between. That was spooky indeed
I was one of those 14ish year old kids that totally believed that the film was real, saw Curse before the movie, and saw the movie on release, before the actors did interviews afterwards. So the film hit as hard as it could for me and it was a great experience.
I watched it on new release blockbuster DVD with my boyfriend back in the day. We had no idea what it was, and it was kinda freaky not knowing if it was real or not. Coz it felt real... But surely couldn't be... right...? 🤣 Then when we found out it was fiction it just made it extra awesome.
And despite the tons of bad found footage movies made since then, there is a surprising number of really worthwhile found footage movies. It's a format or approach that lends itself well to the genre. There's a similar aspect to written horror, where the effect of grounded reality is added to the horror by telling the story through journal pages, letters, 2nd hand accounts, etc. Gaps in the story, an element of mystery, heightens the horror and makes it vastly more realistic.
I grew up in the 90s and I remember watching a news segment about the movie which got me intrigued. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to watch the movie in cinemas, so when I first watched it on home video, I already knew it wasn’t real. But still, that did not take away from me enjoying and loving the film. Although I knew it wasn’t real, it scared me because it felt real. Plus the fact that I had to use my imagination at what was happening made it even scarier. I’m in my 30s now, and I still love this movie. It’s still just as scary as I watched it as a youngster.
Didn't hate the 2016 one, and it sounds like the earlier sequel was butchered, but I really grew into loving the original. I now appreciate its lack of blueish cgi monsters growing gaping mouths and leaping at the camera! The little girl putting her hand over her mum's mouth is a very subtle 'harbinger'...
Oh man, if you haven't seen it you need to check out Alien Abduction or The McPherson Tapes as it's otherwise known. It was made in 1989 and is the granddaddy of the found footage genre. It's actually pretty good if you like this sort of thing, and holds up a lot better than Cannibal Holocaust.
I remember watching the documentary with my friends, we realized it was all fiction but a tv tiein like that was unheard of and it was just neat. It also added a sense of realism and authencity to the movie itself. You're watching the movie later and you see something they mention and you're like... I remember that from the documentary!! Now actually seeing it in the theater wasn't that fantastic... not because of any problems with the actual film but with other viewers. The sweeping camera work caused vertigo in alot of people and when we went to the theater it smelled of puke so there was lots of careful looking around when it came time to selecting a seat. There was a lady a few rows ahead of us, sitting with a small child, she was quiet as best as I could tell throughout the whole movie after the final scene when it all goes black and the movie is silent all I could hear is this woman weeping. It was wild.
Interesting vid! I liked hearing about the nitty gritty of filming and editing on this. The music on @spookyastronauts part is a little abrasive tho and the pacing is no Cordy. 》8^)
Wow I haven't seen that in years. I remember watching that when I was young it was always on sky moviemax. I thought it was pretty scary. Definitely need to revisit that one
Alien Abduction Incident At Lake County is free to watch on UA-cam and it's been upscaled, probably not going to get a Blu-ray release. Also there's Ghost Watch on BBC that came out before Blair Witch. Also can be seen here on UA-cam. And while I'm at it I'll mention Freaked with Alex Winter because this is my comment and I can do what I want with it.
Saw this in theaters when I was 15. Couldn't sleep that night. I remember the documentary on the sci-fi channel and how they made it seem like this was real. I believed it lol. I was shocked when I saw the actors show up at the MTV awards a month or 2 later. Back in 1999 the internet was in its infancy, so I had no way of knowing about the BTS of the film unless I spoke to people about it who may have known more than me. Haven't rewatched it in years but I'm sure it would still creep me out if I watched it alone at night. The last shot of the film definitely stuck with me for a long time.
Thank you so much for having me on this well-crafted informative master class!
I'm truly honored! Remember kids - STAY OUT OF THE WOODS!
You Miss have a new subscriber. I'm not sure how I missed your channel. I'm always looking for new horror reviewers to follow, and there aren't many female voices there. Thank you for repping us female horror fans. 😎
@spookyatronauts Was not expecting you at all. That totally threw me! 😊#shareduniverse
Crossover
One of the greatest examples of how important it is to have a vision, yet not tunnel vision, and how sometimes throwing most of your efforts away can be beneficial for the final product.
Really impressed by the amount of restraint the filmmakers had.
remember my first time watching the tree bridge scene. I'll never forget it.
It's a river, so if you were walking in circles you'd come from the opposite direction, but they don't- it's the same side every time. When reality sets in what do you do? real question. Middle of nowhere. No phone. Walking for hours in a loop.
You see 'We're stuck' moments in horror movies all the time, but this one just hit different. I love this movie
The first and original BWP is great, but unfortunately there isnt a Nun in the movie. 8/10
There wasnt a nun in The Nun either... 1/10
I have always loved this movie. I saw it twice in theaters when it originally was released. I never really realized until I got older. Josh, Mike & Heather are really good actors.
Heather killed it. She was so damn believable
These actors get NO CREDIT. When this was released I remember everyone liked the movie... but.... it was treated like a baby movie... like an NYU film student movie.... It was never given the respect it deserved or that a drama with a typical budget and well known and established actors would get... It was never treated as a real movie, if that makes any sense. It was treated more like a lucky novelty film. And every reviewer was keen to point out its 'low budget', which was often a backhanded compliment as if to say... and it looked like it, too.
But the dialog was what sold me on the film. It was so natural and so realistic. They spoke the way real kids would speak. It was some of the best dialog. And the reason... it wasn't scripted by some hacky cornball established Hollywood writer (most follow every trope and every cliche for safety sake). I think this movie deserves more credit to the actors... and not just people wowed by its domestic or worldwide box office gross.
Oh, and the producers were smart to NOT go for cheeseball 'special effects'. If a movie needs 'special effects', it's usually because it stinks. Special effects are often (not always, but often) a pretty dress on poop.
this movie was on my radar before it even released. I stumbled upon a website about it, then I saw the SyFy documentary before it came out. When this movie dropped I went and saw it alone. I was 17 and it was the first movie I saw alone in the theaters. The theater was packed. I couldnt believe how much hype there was around this film. After I saw it I knew it was special. I then took my mom to see it the next week and it was just as packed in the theaters.
It was one of those experiences that you will never forget.
Despite how campy it looks now due to the market’s saturation of found footage films, it still has one of the most tense atmospheres of any others in its genre
I happy that the original filmmakers disagree on making a second movie, because the ending of the original movie was one of the best cliffhanger.
@Formerly Paul I may have misused the word, not really good at english. The ending left many viewers in confusion asking questions and needing more explanation that it left us with. Overall it is still such an entertaining movie that I would occasionally come back.
I agree. This movie was genius in it's simplicity & build up to it's release in the theatres. Billed as possibly a true story, I wondered if that wouldn't qualify it as a snuff film, just where Heather, Josh and Mike disappeared & were still not accounted for. I felt better when I found out it was a work of fiction. One evening, arriving home from work, I turned on what was once know as the Sci-Fi channel and just about shit myself when I saw what looked like the movie, only to find out quickly, it was a mini-doc called, 'Curse of the Blair Witch'. The movie was sold out everywhere and before one could book on-line. Awesome hype and when I finally saw it, I was not disappointed. Still, my favorite film of '99 and there were lot's of awesome ones released that year!!
I'm glad that they chose Mike in that position at the end rather than the other choices. I think they made the right decision.
Mike looked like he was taking a pisser in the corner. Movie sucked.
The blair witch project is my favorite films of all time I enjoy watching it and yes even now in 2021 I still watch this film
I was only a toddler when this movie came out, but I remember reading years later that the studios and directors kept the immersive marketing for the movie going by not having having any of the actors do appearances until the movie was out. No talk shows for promotion or any of thay. Idk how true it was but if so, that's straight dedication
This film is a masterpiece and I rank it as one of the greatest movies ever made; regardless of style or genre. It affects me every single time I watch it. That final sequence always makes hairs stand up on my arms and my heart rate increase. I've watched it hundreds of times and every time I watch it I appreciate it more and more, and when I find out how this movie was made I'm blown away at the creativity, ingenuity and originality (I know there were found footage films before, but this perfected the genre in my opinion).
I love this movie and if I were to ever make, star or be associated with a film like this, it would be a badge of honour on my career.
😶
agreed.
this movie is a true classic.
not just in horror, but creative filmmaking overall.
scary af.
i don't care what anybody says.
blair witch is the best horror movie ever made.
Agreed 100%. I still watch it to this day.
The Blair Witch OST (which was presented as a mix tape found in their car) was AMAZING- such an interesting mixture of industrial, goth rock, and darkwave stuff! I remember it introducing me to a lot of new music as a kid
I watched the film again a few days ago and it still kept me entertained, and that ending, with the house and the handprints... one of the creepiest endings ever, and it didn't even need to "scare" us with loud noises and CGI faces.
I always had the idea that it was just some boring movie about people walking around in the woods for some reason. Around Halloween last year, I saw it on tv and decided to watch it, and it kind of blew me away with how entertaining and effective it is despite just being people walking around in the woods. I definitely got some newfound respect for the film and filmmakers, and I'm glad I got to see this video to appreciate it even more.
I have seen so many horror movies, and TBWP is still probably the only one that really stayed with me in the 10+ years that passed since I first saw it.
Also, I love found footage horror a little bit too much so I’ve seen a lot, but TBWP is the only movie that gives a good motivation for why the camera is still rolling (and that explanation contributes to the dread even further): looking at reality through a screen helps Heather detach herself and deal with the situation psychologically, which... fair. True. I have never seen a FF horror motivate itself with a valid argument since.
good stuff, i would say cloverfield (first one) was also amazing found footage and it explained why the guy kept filming.
Internet then was a pretty new thing. And I really give credit to the marketing strategy of this film.. and I mean AMAZINGLY DONE!! This film really scared the hell out of me during its time because the timing was just really perfect. I bet 100% if any reboots or sequels are not as successful as this one. The only time I realised it was not real was when I saw the characters presenting an award. Their budget vs box office was staggering. NO EFFECTS, NO OSCAR AWARDS TYPE OF ACTING... JUST MARKETING. It was pure film brilliance. :)
I really loved the theater experience. I honestly didn’t know what was going on so it was terrifying. The only thing that tipped me off was a little too much drama from the actors. Kicking the map into the creek with a forced giggle felt a little silly. Plus the “It’s all I have left!”...thing just felt very forced. But I was still terrified. The whole theater just sat there in silence at the end for an odd amount of time. It’ll always have a place in my heart.
Agreed, the reveal about the map is the weakest part, acting wise. That's a minor complaint, however, when you take into account that Heather's monologue scene completely blows 99% of scream queen performances out of the water.
Oh, and good point about the year it was released. I sometimes feel like 1999 was the last good year for movies when it comes to classics that all stand so well in their respective genres (whereas today's movies seem to all follow the same formula and try to have a little bit of everything in all of them). BWP, Fight Club, The Matrix, Office Space, Eyes Wide Shut, Being John Malkovich, American Beauty, the South Park movie, The Green Mile, Stir of Echoes, Analyze This, and Toy Story 2.
Apparently there was supposed to be a part where they are running out of the tent or something and you see the white figure in the distance, but the actress didn’t point the camera at it and now we only hear her screaming, “What the fuck is that?”
That was her legit reaction to seeing the figure
Just watched the video, looks like my input wasn’t needed. Still an interesting tidbit
Its just an awesome day when Cords uploads.
He really takes his time in making these video for us.
One of my favourite found footage movies of all time
It scared me, back then, and it still scares me today lol 😂
Same with me.
Same 👍🏻
Given a like.... i haven't even started watching the video yet.
This film never gets old i've easily watched it 100+ times
This movie makes it hard for me to enjoy camping to this day. I live nowhere near New England, but if I woke up out there hearing that sort of stuff I would quite literally shit myself to death.
I’ll never, ever forget the hype and genius of everything to do with this movie in 1999. I was 16/17 and in year 11 at high school and everyone was talking about it and convinced it was real.
Seeing “The Curse of the Blair Witch” was so, so good and just set it all off.
This is absolutely one of my favourite horror movies/experiences of all time.
I remember seeing this in theaters during my high school senior year in 1999, and all of us seriously thought this was REAL, and seeing it made it that much scarier. Was so cool and I'll definitely never forget the experience. I feel so bad and sorry for young generations these days, as they've never lived in a society where something was fresh, BRAND NEW and exciting, just growing up where everyone is jaded by everything.
That being said, the sequel completely SUCKED, but that had more to do with studio meddling than incompetent creators. Films like that and Crow: City of Angels just goes to show why corporate fat cat studios shouldn't get involved if they want a project to succeed.
It really is a great movie. I remember looking at the website in my house, alone one night and getting really creeped out because it was so quiet in my house, websites were rubbish back then too. I wasn't 100% sure how much was real.
We actually went to watch the movie at a midnight showing on Halloween ...in England. I don't know the point of that but, whatever, it was fun.
'The Noroi Curse' did such a great job at making found footage horror documentary type of movie without using any jumpscares. I hope CorderyFX will make a video about it one day.
Noroi is a fantastic movie, I'd put the Poughkeepsie Tapes in the same category.
Revently binged the fictional documentary films I could find by Kōji Shiraishi. Noroi, Occult, Cult. I too can highly recommend them.
It is a bit ironic that the Blair Witch makers intended to make it more like a documentary with interviews and other footage intercut with the screaming hysterical teens in the woods but decided to only show the kids for more realism. For me it made it all feel more staged. The way Kōji does it makes it all feel more real and unsettling in my mind. Making it look like an actual documentary. You get away with time jumps, cutaways. Tangentical discussions that deepen the world building.
Maybe I should get around to watch that sci fi channel documentary. I might actually enjoy that version of the Blair Witch Project.
And speaking of Japanese Found Footage films that dispense with the documentary framework however. There's always the first two Guinea Pig Films. They work way better than Blair Witch for me and I think it is mainly because we are in the perspective of the villain. Psycho killers documenting their deeds for their own amusement. Making it much more unsettling for me than screaming kids in the woods.
I just watched the Blair witch right before this and by golly do I have newfound respect for this film
golly !
If you guys haven’t seen Coherence, I would strongly recommend it. Production has some similarities to Blair Witch. Vague directions to the actors, lots of improv, not an ungodly amount of jump scares, but with more of a sci-fi twist. It’s like Inception meets Blair Witch. The dialogue just seems refreshingly believe-able, and some pretty complex plot elements keep you guessing. Check it out!
Love that movie. It has a pretty original plot and really creeped me out.
Can't wait for this one gonna be sick
I think the sheer, raw fear the movie instills in us is due to this primal, thousands years old agony of spending the night in plain darkness, our auditory senses maxed out to hear whatever it was out there that could eat us...it's a fear deep in our DNA and our evolution, to be on max alert in dark foresty places, because that's where the homo sapiens spent countless millennia...
Its refreshing to see some love to TBWP, this movie is something special, one of the scariest and unique movies ever made.
And to top it all it is also revolutionary in the way it was made.
Maybe it started with a gimmick, but it was so damn effective that it became its own thing and a masterpiece.
One of my favorite movies.
Too many people forget how new and original this movie was in its dawn.
A new Cordery FX video is a good day for me.
Just commenting and upvoting, so the algorithm will will stop burying your content. Also, loved the video!
I remember watching it in 1999 and being underwhelmed due to the overwhelming hype that surrounded it? 'Is that it?' was my first reaction but having rewatched it several years later I have to say it's improved (and got more unsettling) on every subsequent rewatch.
Masterclass Cinema is such an amazing series. It's really interesting to learn how these amazing movies are made. Can't wait for more.
I don’t think I caught this until about 2001, around 10. But there was still so much ‘is this real’ they played on during the internet boom where it was the Wild West of not knowing what was real as a young kid. Movie is incredible at depicting ‘hey yes this is fake but the most realistic take on this type of story’ we get no CGI monsters, no beat to beat marks to hit. Probably the coolest blend of real/movie we have gotten from this genre, and is something you can only capture once which for movies has to be well unique
What a fantastic video. I was one of the many who believed it was real. I studied the website and Heather's diary. I bought the book. I played the game. It's in my top 5 favorite horror films.
The thumbnail for this video? FANTASTIC. I already saw this early on Patreon (humblebrag) but I will absolutely watch this a second time when it premiers. Love your stuff man, hoping 2021 is a good year for you!
That movie every filmschool student back then wished he would've come up with.
I love this innovative movie. Perfect flick at the perfect time never saw a movie marketed like that before. Maybe you have to be old enough to have been there for you to get it? Also the filmmakers didn’t treat their audience as idiots. Anything you can imagine is far scarier than spoon fed gore. Great video dude.
The best movie expierence i ever had in Cinema 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
BEST EPISODE EVER!!!!! The Blair Witch Project ROCKS!!!!!
I'm so excited!🖤
My mom watched the documentary and was telling us this was real events. Then when the truth came out she was like well shit.
I'm curious to know how you view Cloverfield in the found footage spectrum. Because it followed in Blair Witch's footsteps with an ARG. A very in dept ARG with fake social media accounts and all that.
Loved Cloverfield i heard we are getting a direct sequel.
I'd love to see a breakdown of this caliber on Peter Jackson's Bad Taste. Pretty much the ultimate homebrew indie film.
Can't Wait CorderyFX! Thanks
Great vid! Really was an intersting watch
Excellent video, Cordery and Emma!! 👏👏👏
Awesome commentary once again. Now, I can't wait to watch Blair Witch Project, again.
Excellent video 👍
I have to say, about 90% of the information in this video is completely new to me. I had no idea about their marketing with the fake documentary or their website that helped sell the whole 'found footage' aspect of the film. I do remember seeing the missing poster around the time that the film was released and I was totally shocked when I found out that it wasn't real.
The MTV Movie Awards was announcing all of the guest appearances and it listed "The Cast of The Blair Witch Project." Then I saw the actor Heather do a Steak N' Shake commercial a month or so after that appearance. It was like finding out Santa Claus wasn't real.
BUT to my defense, I was like 12 years old at the time. Young, naive, and no internet access. Looking back I should've known that they wouldn't show actual footage of three missing teenagers being killed or whatever.
I was saving this video to watch later. Good stuff.
What a fantastic video. Bravo.
This is how you do a video on Blair witch in a way that hasn’t been done before
The cover of Hannibal Holocaust alone is more scary than most horror movies these days.
Hannibal Holocaust? now there's a crossover idea
lovely colaboration, love both of your channels
My man you flashed a quick shot of Once Were Warriors in that intro and I love to hear you do a piece on that movie.
It's so damn raw and hard to watch, but a really engaging and interesting movie.
My favourite movie of all times. The whole project was brilliant and despite starting the whole new genre-you cant replicate what they did. I wish i saw it back in 1999 when some people thought it was real. Then again maybe i would feel betrayed lol . Seeing it way later i had nothing but respect for the whole project.
agreed. far from my favorite but they pulled off something special that was never done before. i remember how mad everyone was leaving the theater because they were so mad at the ending and overall movie.
I was 16/17 when it came out, and so many people did think it was real, before it came out at least. There was a lot of hype for it. I remember being in the uncertain camp... I'm a born skeptic so I was thinking it unlikely it could be real and also be made into a theatrical film, but had some measure of uncertainty that it could be real!
I certainly didn't feel betrayed, and I don't think many others did either. This was still the early days of the internet and things like viral marketing campaigns. I didn't have regular internet access until I was 16 and away at college, and it was the same for many of my friends. So we hadn't been 'fooled' by viral marketing and those internet "is it real, conspiracy games" and things over and over again. There wasn't Reddit or 4Chan to hunt down and dox the actors and prove they were alive. Now, the 'is it real or not' thing wouldn't work. People are more cynical and wise to tricks like that, but The Blair Witch was the first big viral trending/word of mouth campaign I can remember at least, so it was still new and fresh.
I know I didn't feel betrayed, it helped add to it being a cool movie really. Plus relief that they weren't really dead ;)
@@scarletamazon3455 That is a viewpoint that is hard to have nowadys when you have to "fakeproof" everything and usually you are dissappointed lol. You are absolutely right-my reaction to it would be different too because it was different times. This just convinces me that i wish i saw it back then.
@@annefirethorn3847 I'm glad that you still enjoyed the film enough to make it one of your favourites, even without having been there on the release! Like some of my fondness for it might be from nostalgia, but that newer viewers still get something from it shows that the film still stands on its own merits, which is great!
So glad you had spooky astronauts on here. She’s great!
I had a dream, running in the woods, trying to get away from spooky voices, before deciding to watch the film. I hadn't watched anything prior to this, cos I was working in a pub during the rugby world cup and hadn't much spare time in-between. That was spooky indeed
Fantastic collab, both of you. Thank you both so much for your time and effort.
I was one of those 14ish year old kids that totally believed that the film was real, saw Curse before the movie, and saw the movie on release, before the actors did interviews afterwards. So the film hit as hard as it could for me and it was a great experience.
Saw Curse?
@@thepossessor Yes
Oh he11 yeah! Great to have you back!
Damn good episode, Cordery! DAMN GOOD. NOW I'M FUCKING SCARED. FUCK.
OMG
I LOVE this movie
This was great. Thank you for this
I watched it on new release blockbuster DVD with my boyfriend back in the day. We had no idea what it was, and it was kinda freaky not knowing if it was real or not. Coz it felt real... But surely couldn't be... right...? 🤣 Then when we found out it was fiction it just made it extra awesome.
And despite the tons of bad found footage movies made since then, there is a surprising number of really worthwhile found footage movies. It's a format or approach that lends itself well to the genre. There's a similar aspect to written horror, where the effect of grounded reality is added to the horror by telling the story through journal pages, letters, 2nd hand accounts, etc. Gaps in the story, an element of mystery, heightens the horror and makes it vastly more realistic.
I saw this the weekend of it's release and it freaked me the hell out!!!!
I grew up in the 90s and I remember watching a news segment about the movie which got me intrigued. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to watch the movie in cinemas, so when I first watched it on home video, I already knew it wasn’t real. But still, that did not take away from me enjoying and loving the film. Although I knew it wasn’t real, it scared me because it felt real. Plus the fact that I had to use my imagination at what was happening made it even scarier. I’m in my 30s now, and I still love this movie. It’s still just as scary as I watched it as a youngster.
The acting is fucking phenomenal in this film. They really sold it.
damn this video made have some new appreciation for this film
I have been trying to find this video for so long!
Didn't hate the 2016 one, and it sounds like the earlier sequel was butchered, but I really grew into loving the original. I now appreciate its lack of blueish cgi monsters growing gaping mouths and leaping at the camera! The little girl putting her hand over her mum's mouth is a very subtle 'harbinger'...
Oh man, if you haven't seen it you need to check out Alien Abduction or The McPherson Tapes as it's otherwise known. It was made in 1989 and is the granddaddy of the found footage genre. It's actually pretty good if you like this sort of thing, and holds up a lot better than Cannibal Holocaust.
Idiotic that im subscribed and have notifications on but had no idea he uploaded this until today
Excellent Review CFX and Makes me appreciate the Film and the Makers Even More! Nice One 👌
I remember watching the documentary with my friends, we realized it was all fiction but a tv tiein like that was unheard of and it was just neat. It also added a sense of realism and authencity to the movie itself. You're watching the movie later and you see something they mention and you're like... I remember that from the documentary!!
Now actually seeing it in the theater wasn't that fantastic... not because of any problems with the actual film but with other viewers. The sweeping camera work caused vertigo in alot of people and when we went to the theater it smelled of puke so there was lots of careful looking around when it came time to selecting a seat. There was a lady a few rows ahead of us, sitting with a small child, she was quiet as best as I could tell throughout the whole movie after the final scene when it all goes black and the movie is silent all I could hear is this woman weeping. It was wild.
Brilliant, very informative ...gonna have to watch Curse of the Blair Witch now!
can't wait
Great masterclass episode!
Interesting vid! I liked hearing about the nitty gritty of filming and editing on this.
The music on @spookyastronauts part is a little abrasive tho and the pacing is no Cordy. 》8^)
Wow, I have so much more respect for this movie now
Love this film and love your channel ! This is a good collab too with Spooky Astronauts
I'm so glad I saw this, I didn't even get a notification! Crazy!!
Oh my god boys!
It's da witch! She is scary. Therefore, I am scared!
I still think Alien Abduction and The McPherson Tape deserve a honorable mention as predecessors of The Blair Witch Proyect.
Wow I haven't seen that in years. I remember watching that when I was young it was always on sky moviemax. I thought it was pretty scary. Definitely need to revisit that one
Necronimicom..Cannibal holocaust...les documents interdits..
A lot did it..even in litterature.
Alien Abduction Incident At Lake County is free to watch on UA-cam and it's been upscaled, probably not going to get a Blu-ray release.
Also there's Ghost Watch on BBC that came out before Blair Witch. Also can be seen here on UA-cam.
And while I'm at it I'll mention Freaked with Alex Winter because this is my comment and I can do what I want with it.
Saw this in theaters when I was 15. Couldn't sleep that night. I remember the documentary on the sci-fi channel and how they made it seem like this was real. I believed it lol. I was shocked when I saw the actors show up at the MTV awards a month or 2 later. Back in 1999 the internet was in its infancy, so I had no way of knowing about the BTS of the film unless I spoke to people about it who may have known more than me. Haven't rewatched it in years but I'm sure it would still creep me out if I watched it alone at night. The last shot of the film definitely stuck with me for a long time.
This made me love found footage film, please do a video about As Above so Below or Searching
Me before watching this: Don't we already know everything about Blair Witch Project?
Me after: I did not know ANY OF THIS
haha awesome broski