The Blair Witch legend, one of the most terrifying modern tales, originated from a simple horror film.
The Blair Witch Project (1999), masterfully written, directed and edited by Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, is widely regarded as one of the most frightening documentary-style horror films ever made.
This film not only pioneered the ‘found footage’ genre in horror cinema – a style later adopted by blockbuster hits such as the Paranormal Activity series – but it also stands as one of the most successful independent films ever, initially produced on a budget of $35,000–$60,000, with final costs escalating to between $200,000 and $750,000 after marketing and post-production.
The faux-documentary revolves around three students, portrayed by Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams, who embark on a trek into the Appalachian Mountains near Maryland’s Burkittsville to create a documentary about the Blair Witch – a local urban legend.
Currently available for free viewing on BBC iPlayer for the next 16 days, the myth of the fictional Blair Witch was conceived by Sánchez and Myrick in 1993. The director-editor pair crafted a 35-page screenplay, with the dialogue intended to be improvised, reports the Mirror.
Production commenced in October 1997, with principal photography of The Blair Witch Project spanning a mere eight days in total.
Nearly 20 hours of material was filmed for the documentary-style production, which was subsequently cut down to 82 minutes. The picture made its debut at midnight on 23 January 1999 at the renowned Sundance Film Festival, where it garnered enthusiastic praise, before its distribution rights were purchased for $1.1million.
Following its cinema release, it became an unexpected success, taking nearly $250million at the worldwide box office. The Blair Witch Project regularly features on lists of the most terrifying films ever made, and frequently tops rankings as the greatest found footage picture of all time across numerous prestigious publications.
Yet despite the film’s commercial triumph, the three principal cast members reportedly remained impoverished until they took legal action against the studio that bought its rights, ultimately securing a settlement valued at $300,000 in 2000.
Boasting an 86 per cent critics approval score on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary-format production is extensively praised by critics. One reviewer said: “[The Blair Witch Project is] the most effective and unsettling horror movie in quite a long time. Just to clarify: after seeing this, you will not sleep well. Invest in a night-light.”
Whilst another added: “The Blair Witch Project” is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. Not the goriest, the grossest, the weirdest, the eeriest, the sickest, the creepiest or the slimiest… Just flat out the scariest.”
One critic said: “No sequel or remake will ever match the power of what The Blair Witch Project managed to do a quarter of a century ago. “Another reviewer said: “I could tell you the story – give away every detail – and The Blair Witch Project would still freeze your blood.”
Audiences have been equally captivated by the film, with one viewer saying: “This movie is pure horror, it’s the scariest movie I have ever seen in my life, at the end, I was terrified. It all connects – the legend and the film.
The Blair Witch Project is a masterpiece of pure terror, horror and suspense. Daniel Myrick is a genius!!
“A further audience member praised: “Absolute classic, one of the most raw horror films out there.”
