The horror film "The Witch of Blair": reviews, actors

Bright and lively movie sketches about the youth, going on a dangerous weekend, during which everything starts to get fucked up, do not lose their popularity and relevance. Therefore, this theme does not cease to take the creative minds of filmmakers for the last half century, a convincing example is the film "The Witch of Blair" (1999) and his sequel "The Witch of Blair" (2016).

Original ribbon

In the domestic rental ultra-low-budget ($ 22,000) and super-profitable ($ 248,639,099) horrors "Witch of Blair" received an adapted title with the subtitle "Coursework from the Other World." Perhaps, the domestic distributor simply did not like the word "project". In the original, the painting was called "Project on the Witch of Blair."

Immediately after the release of the tape at a low rating IMDb: 6.40 received the status of a cult and was included in the list of the most successful horror, taking the honorary sixth position between "Alien" and "Child Rosemary". This fact caused a mixed reaction to the movie community, as the "Blair Witch" responses were mixed. Aggressive critics characterized the work of young filmmakers and screenwriters Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Mayrik as not only a practically not terrible, but sometimes frankly boring picture.

Plot

The film "The Blair Witch" has an uncomplicated plot, according to which in early October 1994, a trio of film students Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael S. Williams go to the thicket of the forest in Maryland to film a documentary film - a coursework based on a local legend. The legend is inspired by the history of the life of a witch from Blair. Since then, no one else saw the guys and only after a year they found the films they shot, which, in fact, are offered to the attention of the spectator who came to the horror show "The Witch of Blair".

Reviews of the highlight of the picture determined not the content, not artistic merits, not an acting game, but the very method of transferring the terrible. According to the definition of movie experts, the picture is not a visual series, but the emotions experienced by the beholder, subconsciously putting themselves in the place of characters. That is why the horror "The Witch of Blair" (released on January 25, 1999) had a strong impact on the audience.

Missing

In the context of the advertising campaign, all the artists involved in the production of the film on IMDB.com were noted as "missing, supposedly dead." By the way, the actor's ensemble of the tape "The Witch of Blair" received sympathy from the respondents. The very creators of the project have heavily burdened the burden on their shoulders, leading them far in their film searches.

In addition, that the performers had to act as operators, they had to constantly improvise. Several times during the filming day the directors wrote down their "wishes" on separate sheets, neatly folded them and gave each actor in the hands so that others did not suspect what was written from colleagues. So the authors managed to achieve a tremendous effect of confusion and loss among the characters of the horror "The Witch of Blair."

Reviews of such creative methods of work are very controversial. Separate contributing authors, not appreciating the innovation of the directors, accused the actors of turning their characters into typical heroes of a category B movie that only run, loudly yell, fall, in general, go all kinds of crazy. Particularly striking was the fact that in this atmosphere of fear and despair, the characters are prudently continuing to shoot, never having tried to get rid of the equipment.

Actors' Ensemble

Despite the authors' notifications of their tragic and sudden death, the actors of the tape, bearing the same names as their heroes, were subsequently actively filmed in many films.

Heather Donahue, who gained worldwide popularity after participating in the "Witch", later starred in projects "Beyond the possible", "Stolen", "Morgue." Most recently, the singer was seen among the cast of the ensemble "In Philadelphia is always sunny."

Joshua Leonard before taking part in the horror Sanchez and Mayrik managed to take part in the production of The Blur of Insanity, and then until 2005 he was actively filmed. In his filmography there are the following tapes: "Military diver", "Live from Baghdad", "Worse does not happen", "House of fear", "Podstava", "Ax" and "Graduation". Next, Leonard decided to try himself in the field of directing and shot the short film The Youth in Us, but still returned to the role of the actor and played one of the main roles in the tape "And Laughter and Sin" (2009)

For Michael S. Williams was not the debut film "The Witch of Blair." Actors-colleagues noted his professionalism. On the account of the artist of the tape "Battle in the desert", "Aliens", "Without a trace", "In short," "Sally" and others. After the end of the shooting process of the "Witch" he returned to the series "Law and order", which left for the time of production.

"The Witch of Blair" (2016)

Fashion for pseudo-fanatical in the genre of horror, largely set by the authors of the "Witch" in 1999, in our time inexorably coming to naught. The director's reception, named found footage, frankly bothered the viewer and does not seem so original, creating a feeling for the reality of the action that is taking place. However, the patient is more alive than dead, and 15 years later the franchise still said a new word - there was a "Witch of Blair" in 2016 with the subtitle "New Chapter".

The third in a row

Formally, the new "Witch" is the third part, although the second one, which has been criticized for nothing, is remembered only by certain filmmines, so the film of 2016 in terms of the plot is quite an independent product that does not require additional knowledge from the first tapes. Simultaneously, the brightest young horrormaker of our time, Adam Vingard ("You are the end!", "Guest", "Z / L / O"), showing an enviable creative, boldness and ingenuity, manages to insert a lot of references to the original horror, but they Very thin, not conspicuous. But, despite the accuracy in the work and the professionalism of the creators, "Blair Witch: The New Chapter" received a low rating of IMDb: 5.40 and a lot of criticism from professionals and lay people.

The second in meaning

On the background of the new horror is a direct continuation of the original picture.

In 2015, James Donahoe (James Allen McKune), watching Youtube movie from the hut's hut, notices in one of the frames a mirror with the reflection of the missing sister. The guy has been looking for any clue for years to come to the trail of the sister who was missing in the woods (the main character of the first picture). James immediately decides to go on her quest, he is accompanied by a friend, a filmmaking student Lisa (Calista Hernandez), and Peter's best friend (Brandon Scott) with his girlfriend (Corbin Reid). Already upon arrival at the destination, their expedition is replenished by two more participants - specialists in local beliefs (Wes Robinson, Valori Kerry), acting as guides.

Advantages of the picture

Among the advantages of the tape "Blair Witch from the New Chapter", critics called casting more often than others. All the young talents who took part in the production of the project are little known to the audience. In the famous paintings, only Valori Kerry, who played the secondary role of the vampire in Twilight, was seen. Therefore, during the viewing, the viewer does not have an associative plan and the impression that the heroes of other paintings run through the forest. At the same time, all the actors have enough professionalism, they behave adequately and realistically both in everyday episodes and at critical moments. Therefore, the characters of the film cause the beholder, if not sympathy, then sympathy is unequivocal.

Summary

Authors of the new "Witch" know perfectly well how to make the viewer afraid: the teenage heroes became twice as many, and their cries are heard twice as much. To all, the new film significantly expands the mythology of the sinister witch, the beholder receives new information, although the finale brings the viewer more questions than answers. Maybe the authors leave the trilogy a chance to become a quadrology? Time will tell.