Children of Artemis - Witchcraft & Wicca

Blair Witch Project

In October of 1994, three student filmmakers ventured into the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland to shoot a documentary on the Blair Witch, a mysterious entity said to haunt those woods. The students vanished, and were never seen again. One year later, their footage was found...

The unconventional filming technique creates the documentary feel reminiscent of home movies. The Blair Witch Project opens with the students preparing for their trip into the woods, and some interviews with the town's locals. These moments offer us background into the legend of the Blair Witch and creates the feel of genuine research. The other major asset of the movie is how all of the scares are left entirely to the imagination. You never actually see the witch and the gore-factor is kept extremely low. Instead, you get frantic screams and a camera eye with insufficient lighting that can never quite pinpoint where the action is. If you're able to throw yourself into the moment, you will find that the suggestion of unknown evil lurking in the darkness is far more terrifying than anything Hollywood's special effects could ever create.

The conclusion of the film is easily its most terrifying moment. Screams that are somehow familiar assault the filmmakers from all sides, and the cameras catch glimpses of some soul chilling imagery: strange writing carved into decaying walls, broken rooms that are so empty that you can feel a dark presence right behind you, and an orderly row of small hands imprinted upon the wall. The final scene is so tense and abrupt that it doesn't feel right, leaving you with a wonderful sense of unease. Such genuine fright is practically non-existent in Hollywood, making this low budget gamble one of the scariest movies of all time.