The Blair Witch Project

I bought this movie for $2.99 at Newbury Comics three and a half years ago; it was the second-oldest DVD in my backlog prior to my viewing it today. I'd never seen this film before. When it came out back in 1999, many people raved about it. "It's the scariest movie I have ever seen," said some of my peers. Admittedly, these frightened people were just eleven or twelve years old. But then, back in 2006 when I bought it for the low low price of three dollars, my girlfriend scoffed at me, saying, "That was one of the worst movies I've ever seen." Several other reviews I had heard agreed with hers. "It's about some dumb kids who run around in circles in the woods shitting themselves," was the general gist from the anti-Blair Witch crowd. So which side of the fence have I just fallen on, having just viewed the film myself for the first time? Did I like it or did I hate it? I certainly had a strong opinion one way or the other. Alright, it looks like I can't build suspense half as well as the movie could, so I'll come right out and say it: I thought it was an excellent movie. Even if you neglect the fact that it was made by a few broke college kids (which certainly adds charm to any movie - see: Clerks), it's easy to say that everyone involved did a great job. The grainy VHS-quality doesn't detract, but rather, it adds an element of rawness to the film. I likened it to Cloverfield (naturally), only without all of the glitz, special effects, and professional touches. There really wasn't much to dislike about this flick, as it was short, memorable, and solid throughout. Most impressively, it was scary without resorting to cheap tricks such as things popping out at you or ominous music. We never once see the antagonist and only barely and vaguely hear her (him? it?). Yet, for the final hour of the film, we're just waiting around for the triad of college kids to die, and I for one was doing so in a state of moderate anxiety. (They're still alive? Oh, no!) It's officially been ten years since The Blair Witch Project came out, and in my book, that means we should be able to definitively answer the question, "Does it stand the test of time?" And, yes, it does. It holds up. It feels more timeless than dated. Two hours ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd ever be saying that about this college project of a film. Well done.