Blair Witch (2016) opens with brother of Heather Donahue, James, in his room preparing to go to the Burkittsville woods along with friend, Lisa (film student doing a research project on the Blair Witch, and the mystery of the three missing students in 1999), buddy Peter, and Peter's girlfriend, Ashley. In their hotel in Maryland, the four are in good spirits, having attended a club wearing ear cameras recording their activities. They meet up with Burkittsville residents, Lane and Talia, who are a more than a bit creepy (African American Peter responding to Lane's confederate flag is priceless), because they supposedly understand the history of the Blair Witch and know the location of the woods where Heather, Josh, and Mike entered and were lost. All six head into the woods, and the rest of the film has them encountering "something". I already mentioned what the woods produces in the blog post below, but I wanted to give a synopsis just the same. There's some gadgetry involved (again, mentioned previously), a genuine threat (that is fucking loud), panicky running as evil in the woods gives chase, and a rather gnarly aged cabin that nobody wants to find themselves trapped in. That tunnel Lisa finds herself, it is quite squirm-inducing. It is all shot in a blitz of chaos when the threat rears its ugly head in all its form, the woods "coming alive". I think its greatest asset is the sound design. And there's some serious terror that is provoked rather effectively when the chase occurs. The presentation gets rather hectic, with a few camera focuses that aren't static but at least give us a longer look. There's an awkward camera exchange where James and Lisa look into each other's faces, as terror surrounds them, with them in his tent after noises scare them.
The tense dynamic between the four and Talia and Lane is of consequence as the woods produces dishonesty and distrust. Mentioned below in the other BW blog post, Lane becomes a hysterical antagonist, sent off into the wild with Talia by the others (who have GPS, soon to not help them much) as punishment for chicanery. Talia emerges a mess needing their help (Peter soon gone from their midst) while Lane once again flees, believing that any association with them results in his death.
The envelopment of the woods was an important key point of strength in The Blair Witch Project (1999) in terms of how the characters were driven to brink by the lack of escape. Blair Witch, though, literally has the woods becoming a tool for the witch to use against those within its environs. It isn't as much as "loss of direction" with the characters walking in circles but the woods visiting upon James and company perils of an intense atmospheric nature...a monster rampaging through like some giant with quite a gallop and strength, rainstorm that develops out of the blue, trees falling, physical intrusion (the foot injury and the worm/centipede), etc.
Therein lies a problem. Everything is amped up, from the tech to how the woods function. To offer a respite to those who want more and more, not satisfied with what The Blair Witch Project left us, this gives it to you. It is certainly loud and levels you to the point that it leaves this feeling of punchdrunk.
The tense dynamic between the four and Talia and Lane is of consequence as the woods produces dishonesty and distrust. Mentioned below in the other BW blog post, Lane becomes a hysterical antagonist, sent off into the wild with Talia by the others (who have GPS, soon to not help them much) as punishment for chicanery. Talia emerges a mess needing their help (Peter soon gone from their midst) while Lane once again flees, believing that any association with them results in his death.
The envelopment of the woods was an important key point of strength in The Blair Witch Project (1999) in terms of how the characters were driven to brink by the lack of escape. Blair Witch, though, literally has the woods becoming a tool for the witch to use against those within its environs. It isn't as much as "loss of direction" with the characters walking in circles but the woods visiting upon James and company perils of an intense atmospheric nature...a monster rampaging through like some giant with quite a gallop and strength, rainstorm that develops out of the blue, trees falling, physical intrusion (the foot injury and the worm/centipede), etc.
Therein lies a problem. Everything is amped up, from the tech to how the woods function. To offer a respite to those who want more and more, not satisfied with what The Blair Witch Project left us, this gives it to you. It is certainly loud and levels you to the point that it leaves this feeling of punchdrunk.
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