The Blair Witch Phenomenon
The Original Movie that Started a Revolution Still Going Today
Sep 13, 2008
When The Blair Witch Project came to theaters in 1999, it completely revolutionized the horror genre. The building tension, the naked emotion, the reality of it turned people upside down. Not only was it extremely well thought out, it was something completely new at the time. Fast-forward a decade, (give or take a couple years) and the Blair Witch Project still has a huge influence on the movie industry.
That comes as no surprise when one really realizes the genius of that first movie. The production values are very specific but not at all difficult to work with. The movie was made with an extremely low budget, the equipmet was minimal, there were next to no sets to construct, and the filming crew was tiny. But the end product ended up being a convincing and terrifying horror movie.
The Following
And, whenever there is triumph of originality in the film industry, there will inevitably be spin-offs. Not that there is anything wrong with that. In fact, it's a really good thing. There has been a stream of films that have similar production values as the Blair Witch, some successful, some not.
Some movies included in this phenomena:
- Cloverfield (A much bigger scale production.)
- Quarantine (A remake of spanish movie "[REC]".)
- Paranormal Activity (Another smaller production, sure to be almost as legendary as the Blair Witch.)
- Diary of the Dead (The latest in Romeros series.)
The New Generation
Paranormal Activity (http://www.paranormalactivity-movie.com) is an indie film about a couple attempting to document supernatural activity in their home. It shares a lot in common with the Blair Witch Project, but features a new topic and was produced in a much more controlled environment than the Blair Witch. The film has absolutely torn up numerous film festivals, but no theatrical release is planned. Due to its not being backed by any big companies, it might be a while before many people will have an opportunity to see it.
On the other hand, Hollywood has also made use of this renegade style of horror movie. Two major films, Cloverfield and Diary of the Dead, both made use of the guerrilla filmmaking style, and took it to a whole new level. Cloverfield featured some astonishing special effects, and Diary of the Dead was in actuality a very large production.
Art, Outside Hollywood
What all these films have in common is a fresh, intelligent change of perspective on the horror genre. They go to show that art can happen without a handful of money. While some do combine the style with Hollywood aspects, the fundamentals are still the same.
The differences between these films is budget size and distribution. Some great films never make it to theaters (Paranormal Activity). But with all the changes going on in the industry, it looks like we might have some better options in the future.
The bottom line is that guerrilla filmmaking, as in used by these films, has a lot to offer. There are movies outside of Hollywood, and outside of huge budgets. Hopefully this revolution continues, and the industry will hopefully follow in suit.
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