After talking with the locals of Burkittsville they learn of a man called Rustin Parr who murdered children in 1940’s claiming to be haunted by the spirit of a witch hung in the 18th century. Heather, Mike & Josh are out to make a documentary about a local fable, the Blair Witch. A found footage movie long before the fad had been hammered into the ground (although not the first as some would incorrectly say) it makes the outlandish claim early on to be based on a true story. The Blair Witch Project was something of a revelation when it was released in 1999. Turn off the lights, turn off your phone, enjoy the show.In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. Book of Shadows is a great horror film, not quite as ambitious as the director set out to convey in his final cut, but tons of fun for horror fans. After Blair Witch how would it be possible to continue to suggest the possibility of real footage and lost documentary videos falling into the hands of a movie studio? Viewers have now latched onto found footage as a style, but at the time following the release of the first film the idea was simply seen as a gimmick to get people to pay to watch a movie with zero budget.
I would love to experience a true Director's Cut and wonder if it would have been as memorable, because Book of Shadows, as it is, is a fun little flick that deserves better than some of the ratings it's garnered by those wanting more Blair Witch Project. Joe Berlinger set out to make a film with a different feel than what the studio twisted Book of Shadows into, but the end result is nothing to throw in the trash bin.
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