Friday, July 30, 1999 | 9:49 a.m.
The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun (Movie Buzzwritten by Thomas Feeney). You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Las Vegas Weekly magazine. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/movies and themovieguys.com.
Grades: Jeff, A; Dave, A.
Starring: Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard.
Written and directed by: Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick.
Rated: R for violence, brief nudity and adult language.
Running time: 87 minutes.
Playing at: Regal Cinemas Village Square 18, Regal Cinemas Boulder Station 11, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Rancho Santa Fe 16, Century Orleans 12, UA Green Valley.
Synopsis: On October 21, 1994, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams hiked into Maryland's Black Hills Forest to shoot a documentary on a local legend, the Blair Witch. They were never heard from again. One year later their footage was found. It documents the filmmakers' harrowing five-day journey through the Black Hills Forest and captures all of the terrifying events that led up to their disappearance.
Jeff: I have to admit, sitting down to write this review of "The Blair Witch Project," I'm a total wreck. This movie really spooked me, and all day long I've been on edge, jumpy and downright paranoid. Ever since its debut at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival "The Blair Witch Project" has sent a wave of praise through Hollywood and it was quickly snapped up by Artisan Entertainment for distribution.
I couldn't wait to see this film. Was it as scary as they claimed it was? Yes, my God, yes. A new chapter on fear has been written in the horror genre -- fear that works on the most primitive level, the fear of the unknown. "Blair Witch" is not your typical slasher film, nor is it a mask-wearing psycho with a chainsaw, but a psychological thriller that will leave you scared of your own shadow hours after the film has ended. Bear with me as I try to put into words my deepest and darkest fears, brought to the surface and exposed by one of the best films of 1999.
Dave: I couldn't agree with you more, Jeff. It is very seldom that an original concept comes to life on screen, creating an unforgettable feeling -- in this case, the feeling of fear -- which an audience can always recollect. It's the sort of feeling that haunts the mind when one swims in the ocean (a la "Jaws"), takes a shower (Hitchcock's classic "Psycho") or when any numerous things go bump in the night.
Now, instead of being frightened by some crazed unstoppable maniac sporting a hockey mask, the next time I take that hike and set up camp in the woods, I'll remember the fate suffered by the three ambitious students whose lost footage reveals the mysterious horror they encountered. What is astonishing is the realism behind the film. "The Blair Witch Project" is a definitive mock-documentary, shot and edited as if this was actual raw footage pieced together and placed before us to make our own interpretations of what really happened during the student project.
Jeff: The fate of these three students -- director Heather Donahue, cinematographer Joshua Leonard and sound engineer Michael Williams -- is all caught on tape and 16mm film. Heather is a determined young woman -- nothing matters but her film. She is obsessed with documenting the legend of the Blair Witch, the evil hag who supposedly lives deep within the woods outside of town. Each character is motivated and possesses strong and different personalities.
Mass murders, death rituals dealing with children and missing persons have all been blamed on the legend, and as Heather begins her film everyone in town seems to have heard the story and has their own account of the legend -- some are recounted in graphic detail. Our team of filmmakers is scared by the stories. But we, the audience, are hearing their fate, in gory detail, unfold -- perfect foreshadowing. Their two-day trip into the woods to find a supposed graveyard turns into a hellish nightmare as they lose their map and their way back to the car, left on the roadside. To make matters worse, someone -- or something -- is stalking them.
Dave: And that is where the horror lies: the cold, dank woods playing host to the crew, each night laying in the tent and hearing unrecognizable sounds that can only be made out as mocking cackles, anguished children or the slapping of sticks and stones against one another. As their journey progresses deeper into the forest they stumble upon an eerie ritual graveyard, a "Wicka" shrine decorated by skeletal dolls made of branches, and finally a deserted house that has aged with the very belief of the Blair Witch legend.
Once lost they begin to slip into delirium but never once do they lose sight of their intent to capture the hysteria they are going through. When at each other's throats over a simple argument or the lack of cigarettes Heather keeps the camera rolling, recording every incident. At first that's intentional but in the end it is "the only way (she) can keep a sane mind."
That sane mind, however, is tested when their blood-curdling pleas and screams fall on deaf ears as this bone-chilling, mind-shocking thriller comes to a conclusion. In a generation where special effects seem too heavily relied upon to make an audience with an appetite for fear intimidated, afraid and down-right scared, "The Blair Witch Project" breaks all the expected barriers and capitalizes on a simple and completely original concept.
Movie Buzz
From the 'How could George Lucas be so dumb' file: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is actually undergoing a title change, some 18 years after its release. According to Lucasfilm, from this point forward the Steven Speilberg-directed/George Lucas-produced film will be forever known as (drum roll please) ... "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." Why the change? Presumably so the upcoming video/DVD release of all three Indiana Jones films will sit on shelves alphabetically. (Sigh ...)
'Tron' reboot?: According to the ZDNet website, a sequel to the groundbreaking 1982 Disney film "Tron" may be in the works. The film, featuring human characters that were transported to a computerized world, was a box office flop when first released. The movie, which pioneered the use of computer-generated imagery, has inspired numerous films including the recent hit, "The Matrix." No word on a script or cast yet, but director John Lassiter ("Toy Story") may be heading up the project.
'Ultimate' thriller: Variety reports that Jan De Bont ("Speed," "The Haunting") is in negotiations to direct "The Adaptive Ultimate," a sci-fi thriller based on a Stanley G. Weinbaum short story about a scientist who gives a homeless woman powers of unlimited adaptability. The Fox film was written by Jon Cohen.
Name That Flick
Last week we asked you to tell us how many films the late Stanley Kubrick directed. Will Cavanaugh was the first to call and correctly guess 13 films. Way to go, Will!
For this week what is the name of the actress who played Witchiepoo in the 1970 "Pufnstuf" movie? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026, or log onto our website at themovieguys.com. Be sure to spell your name and if you're the first to answer correctly, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read.
Be sure to pick up this week's issue of the Las Vegas Weekly to read our exclusive interviews with Ben Stiller and Paul Reubens, stars of the new film "Mystery Men." See you next week!
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