#22: In Rustin Parr's House (Donahue; Leonard) - The Blair Witch Project (1999)
No film, I remain totally convinced, has ever suffered from being pre-hyped as 1999's The Blair Witch Project. Released to huge acclaim stateside, the pre-Uk buzz killed the film as loads of people left the cinema disappointed and underwhelmed. "It just wasn't scary" was the refrain I constantly heard coupled with "it made no sense". Since I was working in a cinema at the time, by the moment I actually got round to watching it, my expectations had totally cooled by the constant negativity of customers. Therefore, I was totally unprepared for how damn scary this was.
To be sure, the ending - the scene under consideration here - is by far the scariest part but that's hardly a criticism. Borrowing its tone (in a way) from the likes of Carrie and Halloween (a tone also borrowed by 2008's "Apluser" REC), The Blair Witch leaves you with that horrible, gut-wrenching, feeling of uncertainty about what was going on, with its incredibly eerie interplay between superstition, the supernatural and the reality of a disorienting, limby, wilderness. I still don't have an explanation for what is actually going on in this scene (which I won't explain, because it'll ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen the film), and that is just the way it should be.
Incredibly creepy and unsettling, this is truly an ending that stays with you through that long walk home through the Halloween cold and darkness, up your dark, creaking stairs, and into the refuge of your bedroom not knowing what's lurking there as your shaking fingers uneasily turn out the light. A poor night's sleep beckons...
For those who haven't seen it. Rent it now! And make sure you pay attention to ALL the characters and happenings in the film.
No comments:
Post a Comment