News

Review: BLAIR WITCH

Published

8 years ago

September 11, 2016

In the Summer of 1999, The Blair Witch Project hit theaters and took the world by storm. This shoe-string budgeted found footage horror movie was a critical and box-office smash that kicked off a new wave of ‘recovered’ horror movies. As a kid, I was too young to see the ‘R’ rated hike through the Black Hills myself, but, I didn’t need to when the phenomenon hit from all sides. The Blair Witch Project was a true viral marketing success, utilizing the power of the internet and word of mouth to hook audiences into what many believed was a true story.

I distinctly remember seeing the surrounding documentary, The Curse Of The Blair Witch on the Sci-Fi channel. Setting up the foundation of the surrounding legends and tales of the titular Witch. A mythos that led to several books, video games and a panned direct sequel, Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. The response was enough that plans for anymore sequels were seemingly halted for good. But now, sixteen years after the last film entry in the franchise, we’re going back into the Black Hills of Maryland with the simply titled Blair Witch.

Perhaps one of the most shocking releases this year, if only because of the secrecy and delivery of this entry in the franchise. Stealthily titled The Woods initially, the project was billed as a brand new tale of terror from the director/writer duo of Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett of You’re Next, The Guest, and V/H/S fame. Only for the bombshell announcement at San Diego Comic-Con that it was in fact a continuation of the landmark film.

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Directly linked to the original, the plot follows James Donahue, younger brother to protagonist of the original, Heather Donahue. When strange footage of the house from the first movie is uploaded online, claimed to be from footage found in the Black Hills, James enlists a few of his friends to go into the woods, and see if there are any clues to his sister’s twenty two year long disappearance. Armed with modern, high tech cameras and equipment, will they be able to solve the mysteries of the Blair Witch or vanish like so many before them?

Now, there are many distinct elements and specifics to Blair Witch I feel are better left unsaid. The more blind you are before going in, the better the experience you will have, so this review will be as spoiler free as possible.

To the point; is it scary? This movie gave me nightmares, so hell yes it is scary. The key to its success were on many different fronts. For one, as opposed to Book Of Shadows, Blair Witch returned to the found footage format, but with the addition of today’s modern technology. Go-pros, drones, GPS, and more are used, and make for some unique scenes capturing the weirdness of the woods and the utter despair of the crew. Plus, easier to justify filming everything when the cameras are tiny and can be worn quite easily.

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One thing that had been often criticized with the original was the slow pacing bordering on tedious. Several friends even telling me they only made it halfway through before calling it quits! Blair Witch does not suffer from this problem. Once our wayward heroes make it into the woods, audiences will be hooked in, if only to see what will happen next. There are many homages to the famous scares of the original, from the stick figures and noises in the woods, but with plenty of content that adds to the mythos.

It will be debated whether this entry is equal, if even superior to, the original. While I won’t be discussing that today, I will say that it is leaps and bounds a satisfactory horror movie. This is by no means a “remake” or “retread”. While it may walk familiar ground, Blair Witch sprints screaming beyond anything in the mythology that came before it. And with a larger budget, Wingard and Barrett were able to create some frightening scenes that wouldn’t have been possible for TBWP, but thankfully without becoming FX reliant. The tension building is near flawless, and when it hits the breaking point, it breaks hard.

I cannot recommend this enough. Either as fans of the original, or looking for a seriously good scare this Fall, see Blair Witch, opening this Friday, September 16th!

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News

A24 Creating New Action Thriller “Onslaught” From ‘The Guest’ & ‘You’re Next’ Duo

Published

3 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

It’s always nice to see a reunion in the world of horror. Following a competitive bidding war, A24 has secured the rights to the new action thriller film Onslaught. Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong) will be directing the film. He will be joined by his longtime creative partner Simon Barret (You’re Next) as the scriptwriter.

For those unaware, Wingard and Barret made a name for themselves while working together on films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The two creatives are card carrying horror royalty. The pair have worked on films such as V/H/S, Blair Witch, The ABC’s of Death, and A Horrible Way to Die.

An exclusive article of out Deadline gives us the limited information we have on the topic. Although we don’t have much to go on, Deadline does offer the following information.

“Plot details are being kept under wraps but the film is in the vein of Wingard and Barrett’s cult classics like The Guest and You’re Next. Lyrical Media and A24 will co-finance. A24 will handle worldwide releasing. Principal photography will begin in Fall 2024.”

A24 will be producing the film alongside Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett for Ryder Picture Company, Alexander Black for Lyrical Media, Wingard and Jeremy Platt for Breakaway Civilization, and Simon Barret.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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News

Director Louis Leterrier Creating New Sci-Fi Horror Film “11817”

Published

4 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

According to an article from Deadline, Louis Leterrier (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) is about to shake things up with his new Sci-Fi horror film 11817. Leterrier is set to produce and direct the new Movie. 11817 is penned by the glorious Mathew Robinson (The Invention of Lying).

Rocket Science will be taking the film to Cannes in search of a buyer. While we don’t know much about what the film looks like, Deadline offers the following plot synopsis.

“The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”

“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817‘s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an experience that movie audiences won’t forget.”

Leterrier has made a name for himself in the past for working on beloved franchises. His portfolio includes gems such as Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of The Titans, and The Transporter. He is currently attached to create the final Fast and the Furious film. However, it will be interesting to see what Leterrier can do working with some darker subject material.

That’s all the information we have for you at this time. As always, make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Lists

New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

Published

6 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Timothy Rawles

atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

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When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

^Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

^Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

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A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

_Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

^Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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