The Blair Witch Project was a sleeper hit that surprised horror fans around the world when it debuted in 1999, earning over $248 million dollars worldwide, against an estimated $60,000 production budget. The inventive use of cheap cameras, eerie atmosphere, and blood-curdling quotes ended up inventing an entirely new horror subgenre.
Its premise is simple, and the tension unbearable, which is clearly evident from the performances of the three main leads. Their most iconic quotes are also some of the scariest, either directly, or indirectly. By the time the final act ends, audiences realized there was no hope left for these three.
10 "What He Did Is He Took The Kids Down Into The Basement By Two's, And He Made One Face Into The Corner..." - Local Resident
One of the reasons why The Blair Witch Project was one of 1999's highest-grossing movies was due to its slow build-up that effectively established the main characters and the Blair Witch mythology. When Heather, Mike, and Josh finally made it to Burkittsville, Maryland, they began questioning the locals about the legend of the Blair Witch. Two of the local residents began recounting the story of a child murderer who was responsible for the deaths of 7 children and was later brought to justice.
One of the residents said that the man would force the children to stand and face the corner, which was foreshadowing for the very final shot of the film. The question is whether the killer was mimicking an older tale of the Blair Witch, or if he invented this peculiar behavior on his own.
9 "There Were Two Separate Noises... One Of Them Could Have Possibly Been An Owl, But The Other One Was Like A Cackling." - Joshua
The first night that Heather, Mike, and Josh camped out in the woods, they were still in full-scale filmmaking mode. As such, they didn't pay much attention to or lend much credibility to the legend of the Blair Witch. To them, it was an excuse to film a documentary and go on a hike.
When they awoke the next morning, Josh nonchalantly revealed that he heard noises during the night, which the others did not. He indicated that one of them sounded like a "cackling," which Heather and Mike probably thought was his attempt to scare them. To the audience, it was the first sign of trouble and one of the many indications that The Blair Witch Project would be later considered the scariest found-footage horror film.
8 "Woke Up This Morning, Just Like Two Seconds Ago, And There Are Piles Of Rocks Outside Of Our Tent." - Heather
A chief reason why The Blair Witch Project is one of the best found-footage films of all time is because of the characters' gradual realization that something is stalking them. After a particularly harrowing night in the woods with sounds of cracking trees all around them, the trio was visibly shaken up. It didn't make things any better when Heather woke up to find three piles of rocks sitting outside of their tent, which was an automatic sign that someone had been there.
The intention was to rile them up and scare them into thinking that they were being pursued and watched, and it had the appropriate effect. In addition to being lost, they now realized that someone was actively stalking them, miles away from civilization.
7 "Let's Go, Let's Go! Are You Not Scared Enough?" - Mike
After being traumatized by a night of sheer terror and fleeing into the woods, the trio returned to their campsite to find one of their packs torn open, and a weird stick marking outside the tent. Clearly, someone had been there while they hid in the woods, unable to see what was happening.
As they argued over what to do next, a terrified Mike became irate and asked them if they needed further terror to force them to move on. By this point, their fear was shooting through the roof, and panic was beginning to set in.
6 "No Mike, It's Not The Same Log!" - Heather
Tired and increasingly paranoid, Mike, Heather, and Josh pressed on due south in an attempt to find their way out of the woods. Unfortunately, they ended up stumbling back upon a log they had used as a crossing earlier, indicating they had gone around in a circle.
With all the stress and pressure of the situation, this was one of their most demoralizing moments. Mike began screaming in anger and frustration, while Heather, on the verge of tears, tried to convince him that it wasn't the same log. However, it quickly became apparent that it was.
5 "Okay, Here's Your Motivation. You're Lost, You're Angry In The Woods, And No One Is Here To Help You!" - Joshua
The film is notable for ad-libbing much of its dialogue, as per one of the film's more interesting Blair Witch Project behind-the-scenes facts. That might explain this particular exchange between the group. When it became clear that Heather, Mike, and Joshua were completely lost and unable to find a path out of the woods, it started to take its toll. Infighting began rather quickly, with Joshua holding Heather directly responsible for their predicament.
He attempted to antagonize her by filming her, telling her what her motivation was to film the scene. Unfortunately, Joshua's fragile mental state caused him to go on the attack, and he began listing real-world events that were hitting far too close to home, driving Heather to tears.
4 "Josh! Tell Me Where You Are, Josh!" - Mike
After the infighting between the three bordered on an explosion, Josh ended up disappearing from the group overnight. It was enough to send Heather and Mike into a panic, but they knew they had to keep going and find their way out.
When they camped the next night, they were awoken by the sound of someone in agony, calling out for help. They were too frightened to follow the sound, instead of calling out for what they thought was Josh, while listening to his anguished and muffled cries for help.
3 "Nothing Happened! I'm Just Very Hungry, And Very Tired, And I'm Very Scared, And I Just Want To Go Home, Okay?" - Heather
Heather awoke to find a strange bundle of sticks with a small pouch tied to it, which was revealed to contain what audiences believed was Josh's bloody tongue and several of his pulled teeth. Heather reacted in sheer, abject panic, and the experience left her traumatized.
Rather than scare Mike the same way, she tried to pass it off as nothing more than physical and mental exhaustion. In reality, she was more scared than ever, for it was the first clear indicator that someone or something was out there, and toying with them on purpose.
2 "I'm Scared To Close My Eyes, I'm Scared To Open Them! We're Going To Die Out Here!" - Heather
Heather had come to the conclusion that she and Mike were going to die alone in the woods, either by exposure, or whatever was waiting for them in the darkness. In secret, she filmed herself in her tent late at night with a farewell message and heartfelt apologies to the trio's loved ones.
She also took full responsibility for their predicament and everything that would follow, in the hopes that the footage would be found. Her fear was palpable by that point, and it had robbed her of any sense of hope that she and Mike would get out alive.
1 "Josh? Josh, Is That You Down There?" - Mike
On the final night of their arduous journey, Mike and Heather heard Josh calling out to them. The voice led them to an abandoned and dilapidated old house in the middle of the woods, where they thought Josh was kept. The interior walls of the house were carved with ominous symbols, and what appeared to be the bloody handprints of children on the wall.
Josh ran downstairs into the basement after hearing him down there, only to get knocked down by an unseen assailant. Heather followed in her footsteps with the other camera and stumbled across Mike standing in the corner as she screamed his name, only to get knocked down herself. Heather's final words are more frenzied assurances to herself that whoever she is talking to is not only her friend but human and alive. The abrupt end of the quote, and the movie itself, indicate how wrong she was.
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October 07, 2021 at 02:00AM
