Out of the box

[attach id="251870" size="medium"]The Blair Witch Project was praised for what were deemed to be ground-breaking filming techniques.[/attach]

I finally got to see The Blair Witch Project. Yes, go ahead, shake your head in derision... I’m very well aware that the movie is a must for any self-respecting movie buff but, truth to tell, I just didn’t have the guts to go watch it at the cinema when it first came out. The hype was so intense, with everyone reporting quasi-heart attacks that I figured best save myself a couple of sleepless nights and give it a miss. Blasphemy, I know.

I had also had the same reaction to The Exorcist, when it was re-released at the cinemas and I still have not seen to this day. I might be extremely curious, but I’m not stupid – when cinema ushers report people fainting or leaving distraught during screenings, I know that this is not the movie for me.

This, despite the fact that in reality I enjoy a good scare or two and have been known to watch the more rubbish horror productions such as The Ring, The Call and other Hollywood remakes of Japanese classics.

I was extremely disappointed that it didn’t have as much of an impact on my psyche as I was led to believe it would

The thing is, of course, that these movies provide a couple of quick, cheap scares, but their kind of horror doesn’t really touch your soul.

Which is why I have no problem watching them. With The Exorcist, I knew that the scares wouldn’t be quick or cheap. Which means that until I actually gather enough courage to see it, I haven’t really earned the title of movie buff.

Having said that, I made considerable inroads in the quest to earn the title this week, with the viewing of The Blair Witch Project. I’m probably going to get lynched big-time but... I was extremely disappointed that it didn’t have as much of an impact on my psyche as I was led to believe it would. The only point when I felt genuinely scared was when it all culminates in the very final scene. And it wasn’t even: “Oh damn now I’m not sleeping for the next couple of nights” scared.

To be fair to the movie, this is probably because I didn’t watch it in a darkened cinema with full-blown sound effects and all. Not to mention the fact that – apparently unlike many of the cinema-goers who went to see the film when it first came out – I was very well aware that this is nothing but fiction. To be honest, I’m still scratching my head about this one; how could anyone have ever believed that these were actually real life events?

There is a name for movies where people actually get killed on screen – snuff movies. And they don’t tend to make it to legal cinemas.

Cut a long story short, the overall impression I was left with after seeing The Blair Witch Project was one of disappointment. I recognise that the film’s main value lies not in the storyline, but in the technique employed, but even so it fails to make it on my top 10 list of super horror movies.

My next step: watching The Last Broadcast, which came before The Blair Witch Project and employs the same found-footage technique. I will let you know how that works out in another column.

rdepares@timesofmalta.com