Book Of Shadows - Blair Witch 2
(2000)
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BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 is the sequel to the 1999 thriller THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. The first film's famously effective horror was created in large part with its faux authenticity. Shot on handheld video, the film presented itself as the genuine footage of three students' fatal search for the mysterious Blair Witch. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2, which purports to be a "fictional reenactment of real events," complicates the original's illusion of reality. Tourists have flocked to Burkittsville, Maryland to see evidence of the original film and its underlying mythology. Four of these visitors--Tristan and Stephan, a couple researching a book; Erica, a Wiccan; and Kim, a Goth--join up with town troublemaker Jeff for his inaugural Blair Witch Hunt tour. When they wake up after a night of partying, most of their possessions have been destroyed and they are unable to account for a large block of time. As they piece together memories, inexplicable events spiral to a terrifying climax. Director Joe Berlinger, an acclaimed documentarian making his first foray into dramatic film, creates a disorienting otherworld in which video clips, flashbacks, and visions are indistinguishable from the reality of the present. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 illustrates the often blurry and always terrifying line between truth and fiction. |
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First of all, there is no mention of a book of any sort in this sequel to the phenomenally successful The Blair Witch Project. Second, there are hardly any scares, either. The story begins as a group of misfits interested in the original film sign up for a tour of Burkittsville, where the first movie was set. They spend the night in the woods, then wake up the next morning unable to recall any of the previous night's events. What has happened to the video footage recorded during the night? Why have the group got strange marks on their bodies? And what happened to another bunch of tourists found disemboweled on Coffin Rock that morning? Sadly, the outcome is as predictable as this set up implies. Whether you love or hate the original, there's no denying that it was an innovative idea, brilliantly marketed, which fired many an evening's conversation. The only thing people will say after seeing this sequel is “Can I have my money back?”