by Ying-ying Shih
“The most terrifying movie-going experience of the decade.” “Genuinely chilly.” “The scariest movie ever made.” Do these lines strike you as familiar? If you are a moviegoer, you must have read them in all sorts of movie reviews – all of them about the most controversial movie of last summer summer – The Blair Witch Project. The film has stirred a great deal of controversy not only because it is scary, but also because it was produced in a way which might alter the future of the movie industry. Made with merely US$35,000, this movie has brought in US$137 million in the U.S. alone, making it the most profitable movie in the history in terms of net income. No stars, no special effects, not even a script. The success of this movie has astonished everyone inside and outside the business. However, is it truly a movie that deserves so much acclaim? During the summer, a trend for horror movies seemed to flourish along with the growing heat. “The Blair Witch Project” \was the one I looked forward to the most. After all, how can a horror movie lover like me miss “the most terrifying movie of all time”? Not until the end of the summer did the witch finally land in Taiwan. I couldn’t wait to see it. I began my “witch hunt” by reading some excerpts outside the theater which describe the nausea people felt during the movie and the aftershocks people had after they saw the film. I thought this must be it; this is the movie that’s going to bring some real terror. The movie began. At first I was quite bothered by its shaky camera work, and started to miss the steadiness of old-fashioned films. Then I tried to focus more on the plot (if there is one) and to get involved in the spooky atmosphere. Patiently and earnestly, I watched for 77 monotonous minutes (notice this is an 87-minute film). Eventually, the situation started to improve and the feeling of fear gradually developed as the actress began shrieking continually. Just when I was getting ready to be really frightened, all of a sudden the movie ended with a final scream. God knows how shocked I was when I saw the credits on the screen. I guess the most fearful moment for me was when my friend sitting next to me started to tremble fiercely and sink her fingers into my right arm. Perhaps I am being a little too harsh on the Blair Witch. I have to admit that I was quite impressed by the director’s originality, which gave him the idea to produce a movie that looks homemade. The actors’ skill at improvising conversations should also be recognized (though they have also been criticized for their excessive use of four-letter words). In spite of all this, The Blair Witch Project remains an innovative experimental work. Now the film is being shown in major theaters around the world, with dozens of websites marveling at its success. It has even caused the movie industry to question its methods of filmmaking. I wonder how a movie with all its crudity could cause such a frenzy. I’ve been searching for reasons why I was not frightened by “the witch.” Is it because I am not a believer in witchcraft? Probably. Does that mean I am bolder than others? Doubtful. Some people told me that I was not afraid because I knew the story wasn’t “real.” Yet even though people know that most movies aren’t real, they are still moved by romantic movies, fascinated with action films, and scared by horror stories. If I don’t feel a thing about the Blair Witch (like the many people who created anti-Blair Witch websites), it must say something about the movie. I agree wholeheartedly with the film’s director, who said that “real terror is psychological terror.” I also believe that what’s unseen can sometimes be even more horrifying than what can be seen, a theory well demonstrated by this particular film. But somehow, watching the Blair Witch didn’t inspire psychological terror but just made miss the good old days of Hitchcock movies, the time when no special effects were needed to make fear reach into the deepest level of our minds. Next time a movie is labeled “real” or a “documentary,” I’ll surely think twice before I am tricked – or rather bewitched – into buying a ticket. a
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May 2024
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