Taglines: Everything you’ve heard is true.
The Blair Witch Project movie storyline. In October 1994, film students Heather, Mike, and Josh set out to produce a documentary about the fabled Blair Witch. They travel to Burkittsville, Maryland, and interview residents about the legend. Locals tell them of Rustin Parr, a hermit who lived in the woods and kidnapped eight children in the 1940s. After spending the night at a motel, the students explore the woods in north Burkittsville to research the legend.
Along the way, they meet two fishermen, one of whom warns them that the woods are haunted. He also tells them of a young girl named Robin Weaver who went missing in 1888. When she returned three days later, she talked about “an old woman whose feet never touched the ground.” However, his companion is skeptical of the story. The students then hike to Coffin Rock, where five men were found ritualistically murdered in the 19th century, their bodies later disappearing. The group then camps for the night.
They move deeper into the woods the next day and locate what appears to be an old cemetery with seven small cairns and set up camp nearby. Later that night, they hear the sound of twigs snapping from all directions but assume the noises are from animals or locals. The following day, they attempt to hike back to the car, but are unable to find it before dark and make camp. That night, they again hear twigs snapping but fail to find the source of the noises.
At morning they find that three cairns have been built around their tent during the night, which unnerves them. As they continue, Heather realizes her map is missing and Mike later reveals he kicked it into a creek the previous day out of frustration, which prompts Heather and Josh to attack him in a rage. They realize they are now lost and decide simply to head south. They eventually reach a section where they discover a multitude of humanoid stick figures suspended from trees. That night, they hear sounds again, including the sound of children laughing among other strange noises. After an unknown force shakes the tent, they flee in panic and hide in the woods until dawn.
Upon returning to their tent, they find that their possessions have been rifled through, and Josh’s equipment is covered with slime. As they continue, they come across a log on a river identical to one they crossed earlier. They realize they have walked in a circle, despite having traveled south all day, and once again make camp. Josh suffers a breakdown while holding the camera, taunting Heather for their circumstances and her constant recording of the events.
Heather and Mike awaken the next morning to find that Josh has disappeared. After trying in vain to find him, they slowly move on. That night, they hear Josh’s agonized screams in the darkness but are unable to locate him. Mike and Heather theorize that Josh’s screams are a fabrication by the witch in order to draw them out of their tent.
Heather discovers a bundle of sticks the next day, tied with a piece of fabric from Josh’s shirt outside her tent. As she searches through it, she finds blood-soaked scraps of Josh’s shirt as well as teeth, hair, and what appears to be a piece of his tongue. Although distraught by the discovery, she chooses not to tell Mike. That night, Heather records herself apologizing to her family, as well as to the families of Mike and Josh, taking full responsibility for their predicament.
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American found footage psychological horror film written, directed, and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. The film tells the fictional story of three student filmmakers (Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard) who hike in the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland, in 1994 to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. The three disappear, but their video and sound equipment (along with most of the footage they shot) is discovered a year later; the “recovered footage” is the film the viewer is watching.
The Blair Witch Project premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 1999, during which a promotional marketing campaign listed the actors as either “missing” or “deceased”. Owing to its successful run at Sundance, Artisan Entertainment bought the distribution rights for $1.1 million, and had an American release on July 14, 1999 before expanding to a wider release starting on July 30.
While critical reception was mostly positive, the audience reception was polarized. Nevertheless, the film was regarded to have popularized the found footage film technique, which was later employed by similarly successful films such as Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield. It became a resounding box office success, grossing nearly $250 million worldwide on a modest budget of $60,000, making it one of the most successful independent films of all time.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Starring: Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard, Sandra Sánchez, Patricia DeCou, Jackie Hallex, Bob Griffin, Mark Mason, Ed Swanson
Screenplay by: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Production Design by: Ben Rock
Cinematography by: Neal Fredericks
Film Editing by: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Art Direction by: Ricardo Moreno
Music by: Antonio Cora
Distributed by: Artisan Entertainment
Release Date: July 14, 1999
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