WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:03.480 Hello everybody, and welcome to a brand new episode of 2 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:07.839 Second Take Cinema, coming at you from the Glorious Impala 3 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:12.039 Film's headquarters in sunny South End on Sea. I am 4 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.239 your host, Jamie Evans, joined as per usual by mister 5 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:20.039 Rory Jocelyn. That's me, and today we are giving a 6 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:24.320 second take to one of the most successful independent movies 7 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:29.079 of all time. Light your campfires, prepare your s'mores or 8 00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:32.560 whatever campfire based snack you prefer, as we give a 9 00:00:32.600 --> 00:01:35.200 second take to The Blair Witch Project. The Blair Witch 10 00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:40.000 Project is a nineteen ninety nine American psychological horror movie, written, 11 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:45.719 directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, starring 12 00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:51.319 Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard. This film 13 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:55.680 had a total budget at the end of everything of 14 00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:00.959 about two hundred thousand dollars. However, the actual production budget, 15 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:04.920 I have always heard and my research seems to indicate, 16 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:09.759 was actually more in the thirty thousand dollar range. Oh really, 17 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:11.840 I thought it was fifteen I thought it was, but 18 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.240 my most recent researcher said thirty thousand, which, if that 19 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:19.439 doesn't just send you a message that even this movie 20 00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:24.599 that has no crew except for two directors and three actors, 21 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:28.039 still cost thirty grand just to film it, so in total, 22 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:30.520 it had a budget of two hundred thousand dollars and 23 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:34.319 grossed a whopping two hundred and forty eight point six 24 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:37.159 million dollars at the box office. 25 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:39.240 That was a record at the time, wasn't it in 26 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:40.599 terms of profitability? 27 00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:43.680 Yes, it was the most successful independent film of all 28 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:47.639 time until it was dethroned by Paranormal Activity, which I 29 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:50.879 believe was made for only fifteen thousand right. The Blear 30 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:54.120 Witch Project drew a claim from critics, with the review 31 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:57.039 aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a score of 32 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:00.759 eighty six percent based one hundred and sixty five reviews 33 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:05.879 from critics. The website's consensus reads full of creepy, campfire scares, 34 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:09.280 mock doc The Blair Witch Project keeps audiences in the 35 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:13.080 dark about its titular villain, proving once more that imagination 36 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:17.240 can be as scary as anything on screen. The Blair 37 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:22.000 Witch Project's found footage technique received near universal praise, although 38 00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:24.240 this was not the first film to use it. The 39 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:28.319 independent film was declared a milestone in film history due 40 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:31.759 to its critical and box office success. Roger Ebert of 41 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:34.639 the Chicago Sun Times gave the film four stars and 42 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:38.560 called it an extraordinarily effective horror movie. Peter Travers of 43 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:42.000 Rolling Stone called it a groundbreaker in fright that reinvents 44 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:46.159 scary for the new millennium. And Todd McCarthy of Variety, Oh. 45 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:48.240 That's certainly proven true. Look how many movies are like 46 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:50.280 this now? None of them? 47 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:54.639 And Todd McCarthy of Variety said, an intensely imaginative piece 48 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:58.080 of conceptual filmmaking that also delivers the goods As a 49 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:01.319 dread drenched horror movie, The Blair Witch Project puts a 50 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:04.039 clever modern twist on the universal fear of the dark 51 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:07.000 and things that go bump in the night. However, some 52 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:10.599 critics were less enthusiastic, with Andrew Saris of The New 53 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:14.360 York Observer deeming it overrated as well as a rendition 54 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:17.560 of the ultimate triumph of the sun Dance scam, make 55 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.560 a heartless home movie, get enough critics to blurb in 56 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:24.680 near unisons scary and watch the sucker's flock to be fleeced. 57 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.079 A critic from the Christian Science Monitor, I'm. 58 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:31.040 Glad we're going for the real Real Good Film Journals. 59 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:34.600 A critic from the Christian Science Monitor, said that while 60 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:37.399 the film's concept and scares were innovative, he felt it 61 00:04:37.399 --> 00:04:40.240 could have been shot as a thirty minute short, since 62 00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:43.839 its shaky camera work and fuzzy images get monotonous after 63 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:46.759 a while, and there's not much room for character development 64 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:50.360 within the very limited plot. R. L. Schaefer of IGN 65 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:54.000 scored it two out of ten and described it as boring, 66 00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:58.120 really boring, and a Z grade low rent horror outing 67 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:03.759 with no real scares into a genuine big budget spectacle. So, 68 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:06.199 as always, we'll start this by talking about when we 69 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:08.560 first saw the film and gave our first take to 70 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:14.439 the film. I saw this one relatively early on when 71 00:05:14.519 --> 00:05:19.279 I was first getting into horror movies. Yeah, I could 72 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:23.639 only have been thirteen or fourteen when I saw this, 73 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:27.480 and I got it on DVD, And interestingly enough, I 74 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:30.959 actually got a new experience watching it this time because 75 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:34.639 my original DVD copy was actually in. 76 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.800 The wrong aspect ratio, so widescreen. Yeah. 77 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:39.639 So when I first put this on, I was like, 78 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:43.240 why is it a tiny box in the middle of 79 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:45.279 my screen? What's going on here? I did a little 80 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:47.439 bit of research and it turns out that the original 81 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:51.879 DVD pressings of this film, the film was artificially blown 82 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:54.639 up in post yes to fit the full screen. 83 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:56.720 Yeah. So this would have been filmed on camcord is 84 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:58.600 in ninety seven, so they would have all been standard 85 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.399 deaf they would have been there probably would not have 86 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:02.480 been digital either. 87 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:04.920 No, it was a herd. They used two cameras. One 88 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:06.879 was a high eight yeap and the other was a 89 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:08.360 sixteen millimeter. 90 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:12.199 Right, okay, so sixteen millimeter film, so that's that. To 91 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:14.759 be fair, that accounts for a decent filmic, grainy look. 92 00:06:15.560 --> 00:06:20.000 The high eight would have been a essentially looked like 93 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:25.639 a videotape, miniature videotape and again not not great in 94 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:29.680 cinematic levels, but for what they were going for, absolutely 95 00:06:29.720 --> 00:06:33.000 makes sense. Yeah, because of that, because of the era, 96 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:35.680 because it was pre two thousand, it would not have 97 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:36.399 been widescreen. 98 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:40.040 No, whereas this was a new DVD because my actual 99 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:42.639 old DVD I had to get rid of it got 100 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:45.759 disc rot. Oh okay, I think that's what it's called. 101 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:48.079 There's just like a blemish in the middle of the disc. 102 00:06:48.199 --> 00:06:51.560 Yeah, it's basically where it's not been sealed properly. Oxygen 103 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:54.360 gets in and decays the data, right, Yeah, there's a 104 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:56.199 coating on the underside of all of you discs. 105 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:58.160 But yeah, so this was interesting because I got to 106 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.160 see it in its original aspect ratio for the first time. Yeah, 107 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:03.279 which was interesting, a little bit of getting used to. 108 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:05.160 But when I did, it had a little charm to it. 109 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:05.720 Yeah. 110 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:08.519 But no, I saw the film when I was about fourteen, 111 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:11.639 still young enough and still early enough in the internet 112 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:16.160 age that I'm not sure I ever fully bought into 113 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:20.560 the hype it being true. Yeah, I remember distinctly. 114 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:23.319 It was more towards the late nineties at that because 115 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:24.920 by the time of the early two thousands it was 116 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:26.759 well known that it was certainly by the time they 117 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.480 made a sequel. Yeah, and you're like, fuck off that it's. 118 00:07:29.399 --> 00:07:31.879 Not really the thing. I remember thinking when I watched 119 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:33.759 it the first time. I've got a load of friends 120 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:36.800 who were older than me who insisted it was real. 121 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:40.000 They were like, yeah, they actually found these tapes out 122 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:43.879 in the woods. And I remember watching it and the 123 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:45.839 whole time there was a little bit of me. There 124 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:47.560 was part of me going yeah, yeah, this is real. 125 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:49.639 But there was always this little voice in the back 126 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:52.240 of my head going, even at fourteen, going, if this 127 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:55.759 was real, it wouldn't have come out in a cinema 128 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:58.439 because this would be police evidence. 129 00:07:58.720 --> 00:07:59.839 Yeah, and it would be. 130 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:04.040 In lock up somewhere. Then I did watch because on 131 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:06.959 my DVD it also had for anyone who doesn't know, 132 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:08.600 although I don't know anyone who doesn't know. At this 133 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:12.920 point this film had that extra budget they got given 134 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:17.279 for marketing, they actually mostly spent it making fake documentaries 135 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:20.040 that further blurred the line as to whether this was 136 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:23.240 real or not. And those were on the DVD and 137 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.439 I remember watching them and they were from the History Channel, 138 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:30.199 and being young and naive and History Channel hadn't completely 139 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:33.759 ruined its credibility at that point, I was like, yeah, 140 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.759 exactly with ancient aliens. I remember watching these documentaries and 141 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:39.000 being like, oh shit, no. 142 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:40.279 It must be true. 143 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:44.840 The channels covering it, or at least the witch must exist, 144 00:08:44.919 --> 00:08:48.399 Like maybe these kids didn't go missing, but the legend 145 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:50.960 of the Blair Witch must be a real legend. It's not. 146 00:08:51.480 --> 00:08:53.360 It's completely invented for this film. 147 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:56.080 Nice it is done well with that, because that's gone 148 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:59.679 into the horror lexicon, hasn't it. Yeah, So they did 149 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:02.720 a good job been setting up establishing a franchise. I 150 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:05.399 just don't think it's one They could actually sequalize him, 151 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:06.120 though they tried to. 152 00:09:06.279 --> 00:09:09.360 No, and I did as part of the build up 153 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:12.679 for this episode doing my job properly, I actually tracked 154 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:15.519 down and watched all of those documentaries again. Okay, so 155 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:18.919 I got to relive them a little bit, which was cool. Okay, 156 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:20.519 how about you do you remember the first time? Oh? 157 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:22.799 And I will just say as well, I actually watched 158 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:28.559 this in a tent at night. Not this time, but 159 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:30.759 when I watched it eight years and years and years ago. 160 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:32.159 I watched it in a tent at night. 161 00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:34.240 See that changed the circumstance a little bit. 162 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:36.320 It adds to it a little bit. Yeah, it does 163 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.559 add to it a little bit. Yeah. Do you remember 164 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:39.679 the first time you saw it? 165 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:42.799 I have seen it before. I actually can't remember when. 166 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.399 It would have been over ten years ago, easily. It 167 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:48.000 was a long long time ago, and it was out 168 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.519 of curiosity. I can't remember if someone showed it to 169 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:53.120 me or if it was just out of curiosity. At 170 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:55.399 some point I came across watching this film and I thought, 171 00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:56.879 you know what, I'll give it a try, and I 172 00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:58.639 watched it all the way through. To be fair, it 173 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:00.840 didn't work for me. Why I didn't work for me 174 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:04.039 It is similar to yourself when you were fourteen. Logically 175 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:08.159 it can't be real, and unfortunately, once I hit that level, 176 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:10.919 it doesn't work. I remember when I was in university 177 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:15.120 doing theater plays. There was a we went and saw 178 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:18.000 a horror play in London and there were it was 179 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:19.879 really creepy, like the lights were off and they had 180 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:22.480 like all these people who were able to like hang 181 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.200 upside down and just move really quickly. It was called 182 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:29.600 Tropicana the play, and you'd get like it would you 183 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:32.080 get all this strobe lighting and you just see women 184 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:34.399 walking at you and then just disappearing before they get 185 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:36.519 to you, and they must have just had some epic 186 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:39.279 speed getting themselves back onto the roof and things like that. 187 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:42.200 Fantastic bit of work. All the girls I was with 188 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:47.639 absolutely petrified. I wasn't at all scared because the reason 189 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:50.240 was it's not me being who and I fucking are bad, 190 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:52.840 not that at all. Literally, it was just a case 191 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:55.840 of well off paid to see a performance. They're not 192 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:00.240 allowed to touch me by law, And knowing that that 193 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.360 was the law meant that anyone who comes straight at me, 194 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:06.440 if they so much as touched me, I could go 195 00:11:06.519 --> 00:11:09.639 rup sing like and they're not gonna murder me. I'm 196 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:11.480 not gonna They're not gonna charge me ten pounds or 197 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.000 whatever for entrance fee to then murder me. 198 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:17.279 Now theater in London only ten pounds that were. 199 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:19.679 Back in Dame. I'm lying it probably was to be fair. 200 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:21.399 I went with the university, so that I think it 201 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:24.200 might have been ten pounds, but it was probably subsidized. 202 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:27.679 And also I remember that that was not the final 203 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.279 like that that performance it was like a pre yes, 204 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:33.559 So basically they get an idea of whether or not 205 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:36.879 it works without running the risk of an actual audience, 206 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.279 I suppose. But yeah, so things like that. So by 207 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:44.039 the point I'd watched it, I was beyond done with 208 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:46.879 Blair witch as could it be real sort of thing. 209 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:50.440 I hated it when I first watched it. I hate 210 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.840 it now, and I'm not going to be mean because 211 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:58.279 I acknowledged that essentially the reasons I hate it are 212 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:02.639 the reasons it works. So it's not that the film 213 00:12:02.679 --> 00:12:06.240 does the things wrong. Actually it does the things very right. 214 00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:08.200 There's a couple of things that are a bit questionable, 215 00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:12.279 but generally the film does everything right. Really dodgy looking 216 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:16.919 camera footage, horrible shaky cam like up the wazoo, the 217 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:19.799 worst you've probably seen in films, except for maybe that 218 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:25.480 shit quant a Solace, which is even worse. Yeah, egregious wobblycam, 219 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:29.440 horrible visual looks. The sound is not properly balanced. There's 220 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:31.559 bits where it's too quiet, there's bits where it's too loud. 221 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:36.200 It's bits where the sound doesn't really work properly. But 222 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:39.440 all of that adds to the atmosphere that this film 223 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:46.039 generates as being a deep not deep being a being 224 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:49.000 a found footage film, because if you were walking around 225 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:52.440 with a handicam, your audio is only all on board cam. 226 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:54.440 It's not going to be super clear all the time. 227 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:57.000 Certainly if you're filming people at a distance. Certainly if 228 00:12:57.000 --> 00:12:59.600 you're filming them inside moving cars in the middle of 229 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.440 a wood, the footage is going to be grainy as 230 00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:03.960 you walk uping down with it. Because this was before 231 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:11.080 we had those gyroscope handicam balancing things that we have now. Yeah, 232 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:13.440 they save a lot in this sort of a in 233 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:16.200 this sort of vibe. Because yeah, but this for me, 234 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:18.960 I had to watch this in fifteen to twenty minute bursts. 235 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:21.320 I had to keep stopping it because I was getting migraines. 236 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:26.559 It's that bad. So everything it does it does right. 237 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:31.279 I just hate all of those things, and I could not. 238 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:35.559 I would be so pissed off if I'd spent like 239 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:39.559 twelve quid for a cinema ticket. And that's what I saw, 240 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:41.759 was that unprofessional bollocks. 241 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:43.799 Would you not have known from the trailers though, that 242 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:44.600 that's what it is? 243 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:47.120 Yeah, yeah, yeah, I suppose so. And that's that's essentially 244 00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:50.200 why I never watched it until I had the opportunity 245 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:53.200 to see it for free somehow, because again, all of 246 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:55.159 the things that it does, it does really well, it 247 00:13:55.159 --> 00:13:57.159 does really cleverly. And I don't want to spend the 248 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:59.440 whole time ripping on this film because it's not actually 249 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:03.039 fair because again, as I say, the things I despise 250 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:06.279 in this film are things it does for the right reason. 251 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:08.279 Yeah, they're kind of the point of the film. Time. 252 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:11.399 Yeah, so I'm just going to acknowledge now you're not 253 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:13.960 going to hear high praise from me for this film. 254 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.559 But I didn't want to spend the entire review being 255 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:19.919 a Debbie Downer. And going, well, shit, all this shitrov. 256 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:22.120 I wanted to basically get it out there. I hate 257 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:25.000 this film, but I'm going to review it analytically, and 258 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:27.600 I'm going to talk about the reasons it does what 259 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:30.720 it does, rather than whether or not I like that. 260 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:32.960 I'll just get it out of the way. Don't like it. 261 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:38.200 I don't remember the exact time, but I remember dreading 262 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:40.840 watching this film when you brought it up, right, this 263 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:42.480 is one of the few films where you've gone, oh, well, 264 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:45.679 let's try this one. I'm like, oh, fuck off, because literally, 265 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:47.360 I just I knew i'd get ahead, and I did. 266 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:48.279 I got a migraine. 267 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.200 That's really surprising because I was surprised. I don't get 268 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:56.320 that with this. Yeah, but I'm really prone to motion sickness. 269 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:57.320 Yeah I'm not really. 270 00:14:57.399 --> 00:15:00.200 Yeah, I get motion sickness in cars all the time. 271 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:02.159 I do if i'm watching something. 272 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:06.559 To my surprise, I still really like this film, Okay, 273 00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:09.360 And I was not expected because my thing with Bleir, 274 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:10.879 which I don't watch it regularly. 275 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:13.279 Now it's project I don't think you could. 276 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:15.600 No, And I always thought I always thought it wouldn't 277 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.320 work as a second take at all. I always thought, 278 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:21.759 you know, it's one where it's had done. Yeah, once 279 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:24.200 you've seen it and you know that you never see 280 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:27.600 anything in it, it's kind of over, you know, you 281 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:28.600 know how it ends. 282 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:30.600 You're not going to get a surprise watching it a 283 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:31.159 second time. 284 00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:34.279 Yeah, And don't get me wrong, I will say nothing 285 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:37.639 has ever topped my first viewing of it. I think 286 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.120 because I was young, because the Internet hadn't taken off 287 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:43.600 in the way it is yet, because there was still 288 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:47.120 some doubt as to where like at that age, there 289 00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:51.279 is still some doubt as to well, maybe maybe it's real, 290 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:55.240 Whereas there's not a question in my mind or anyone's 291 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:56.879 mind now because we know it's not real. 292 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.480 Yeah, we know that the actors aren't dead because they've 293 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:02.159 come out, they've spoken about in various interviews, et cetera. 294 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.759 They're trying to sue, aren't they, because they're claiming they 295 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:06.399 never got paid fairly for it. 296 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:09.120 Yeah. I'm not sure what the truth is on that, 297 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:11.279 because they would have agreed to a certain price. But 298 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:14.080 I think it's because because it is their names, and 299 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:17.559 because essentially the filmmaker's got a lot of money once 300 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:19.000 it was a success and they didn't. 301 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:21.399 I actually don't think the filmmakers did either. I listened 302 00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:24.759 to an interview with the filmmakers. I think the distribution 303 00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:28.159 company screwed them right, so they got the bulk of 304 00:16:28.200 --> 00:16:31.080 the money right. Because the two directors have gone on 305 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:35.159 to do other stuff, but never high budget, they didn't 306 00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:37.919 get offered high budgets after this. I fact, one of 307 00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:40.080 them said, and this will sound like a familiar story 308 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:42.120 to you. I remember listening to an interview with one 309 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:43.600 of them. It was only one of them. It was 310 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.960 either Daniel Myrik or Eduardo Sanchez. I think it was 311 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:49.480 Eduardo Sanchez, and he said the problem with having the 312 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:50.679 biggest indie hit. 313 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:53.200 Of all time at that point is everyone expects you 314 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:54.120 to keep being indie. 315 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:57.440 Yeah, is when the studio go cool, time for you 316 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:00.039 to do your next film. You can make it for 317 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:03.720 that amount and you go, no, Only Blair Witch works 318 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:06.920 at that amount because it's so stripped down. If you 319 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:11.359 want people understand, certain scripts require certain budgets. And the 320 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:14.200 reason you make a cheap ass thing like Blair, which 321 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:16.160 because it is cheap ass and it's designed to be, 322 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:20.640 is because you can't get the budgets. Yet once you've 323 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:22.519 made that and made a success, you really. 324 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:25.440 Should get more budgets. Yeah, because you've proven you can 325 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:29.000 make a success. But you're right, there are times where 326 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:33.640 the studios, et cetera, or whoever holds the money basically goes, well, 327 00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:36.480 this has been made for fuck money. The next thing 328 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:37.720 should cost fuck a money. 329 00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:38.519 Exactly it. 330 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:40.640 It's some people don't understand scale yea. 331 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:44.119 To my surprise, though, I think the film still does 332 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:46.039 have a creepy atmosphere to it. 333 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:49.440 Yeah, it definitely had that. I will go into it 334 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.759 as we go through. Sorry, I don't mean to keep 335 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:54.400 cutting on. I will throw positive there is some positives 336 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:57.599 I can throw it this. I honestly didn't remember the 337 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:02.519 build of the trios, slow degradation to madness and falling 338 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:04.880 apart being quite as good as he is in the film. 339 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:07.279 I had to pause it a lot less in the 340 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:11.279 latter half because the story was more compelling. But yeah, no, 341 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.359 I watching it this time, I was like, Oh, I 342 00:18:14.359 --> 00:18:16.519 don't remember it actually being this clever. 343 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:20.240 I love the bit. One of my favorite bits is 344 00:18:20.359 --> 00:18:25.039 when Michael reveals that he's kicked the map into the creek. 345 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:27.920 That's like a villain turn almost, isn't it. And you're 346 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:30.680 just like, oh, because they've gone through the whole thing, 347 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:34.359 haven't they. Basically nobody knows where the map iss, Like, Okay, 348 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:36.440 let's all just chill off, let's all just be friends. 349 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.680 And then he ruins that a little bit later by going, 350 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:41.319 you know, I kicked it into the creek. 351 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.559 And he's laughing hysterically. 352 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:43.279 Yeah. 353 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:45.680 A fun fact about this film, which again shows how 354 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:49.160 amateur it was. I'm sure you noticed he has a 355 00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:52.559 bit of a weird left field pivot after that point, 356 00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:55.799 where Josh starts to go a bit mad instead and 357 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:58.839 Michael's a lot friendlier. I don't know how true this is, 358 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:04.519 but I heard that's because Josh actually couldn't hack being 359 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:06.640 in them because they were legitimately in the woods. That 360 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.759 is where. Yeah, this film, like anything you do like 361 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:12.519 about the dialogue, the credit for that actually belongs to 362 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:13.200 the actors. 363 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:16.119 Yeah, because the directors mostly just oversaw, didn't they. 364 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:18.960 Yeah, only key bits like when she reads the legend 365 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.680 of Coffin Rock were written. Everything else was literally the 366 00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:25.839 actors went into the woods, and the directors were there too, 367 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:27.640 but didn't make contact with them. They would just leave 368 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:30.400 them instructions of where to go each day. Yeah, and 369 00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:32.920 a rough outline of Okay, at this point in the film, 370 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:35.680 you're all starting to turn on each other. Yes, And 371 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:39.440 I'm sure I read somewhere that basically it was meant 372 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:41.839 to be Josh and Heather were the last two, which 373 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:44.200 makes sense because they're the friends at the start, and 374 00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:47.799 Michael's kind of the third along almost yeah, yeah, But 375 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:50.960 Josh couldn't hack it and quit halfway through the film, 376 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.599 so they had to quickly pick only about eight days, 377 00:19:55.640 --> 00:19:58.279 I think. But the directors did do something that I 378 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:01.359 personally would not do, and different directors agree on the 379 00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:04.519 ethics disagree on the ethics of this. As you know, 380 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:06.759 I'm not found of method acting. I'm not frond of 381 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:09.680 method directing either. I love Alfred Hitchcock, as you know, 382 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:12.119 but the way he tortured Tippy Hendron is just wrong 383 00:20:12.279 --> 00:20:16.559 to me. In the girl in the Birds he scene, 384 00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:18.440 you know, because of the attic and the bird swoops 385 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:20.640 at her and attacks her face. Yeah, he made her 386 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:22.960 do that something like one hundred and twenty seven times 387 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:25.160 and then used like the first or second take. 388 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:31.640 That was also something that was stated about Kubrick. Kubrick 389 00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:36.519 with the Girl from the Shining Oh Shelley Devoll yeah, 390 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:41.160 though she also had or has psychological issues, so I'm 391 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:44.359 not sure how much of it came from her anxiety 392 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:46.160 and how much of it was from him. I know 393 00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:48.160 he There was a lot of other people saying he 394 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:50.920 liked to play pranks and do weird shit like that. 395 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:54.599 He used to sometimes so that the maze, the garden 396 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:57.480 Maze was an actual set, it wasn't a real garden maze, 397 00:20:58.039 --> 00:21:00.359 and he used to when crew went in there to 398 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:02.240 try and get in and out from the set, he 399 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:04.480 used to move it around so that they could get 400 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:07.160 out again. So he'd do things like that for a laugh. 401 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:11.640