The Blair Witch Project (1999)

[42041]

The resolution of film cannot be quantified that simply. Different film stocks have different resolving power (and kodak double-x does not compare favorably to a super fine grain color film in this regard), any generation loss will drop your frequency response further, the scanner has its own associated resolution loss (and the chances of them remastering the 16mm footage from the OCN at high resolution, and stitching that together with the video footage are nonexistent), grain could be unbearably coarse even if the resolution is there...

I think that at best you're looking at a marginal upgrade and a more "analog" picture than a scaled DVD.

[Hatter]

I'm stil not very convinced of a release based on a single sentence rumour.

Even if it were coming out, it's not a day one purchase if it's more than $14.99

[JackStraw]

Originally Posted by Beaner666

But that's my point, millions went to see based off of the marketing and the majority were let down when they actually saw it. Obviously people like me and you are in the minority since we are fans, but the "average joe" hates this movie cuz they were sucked in by the marketing and felt let down by the actual film.

The average complaint from the average "hater" goes something like this: "I was told this was the scariest movie ever and all I got was

[Show spoiler]90 mins of 3 kids lost in the woods and at the end of the movie some dude was in a corner.

I should have seen The Sixth Sense instead."

Like I said, I love the film, but ALL of my friends hated it, and the above statement was what I got from most of them.

Because it was marketed as a horror movie when it was really more of a psychological thriller. The first time I saw it I didn't like it. To me there wasn't anything even remotely scary about it but more of three kids lost in the woods.

Gave it a second chance with a different approach and it worked. You can see Heather become a bit more frail and look truly frazzled by the last part of the movie. Instead of watching the movie as an outsider, put yourself behind that lens and suddenly it works.

Horror movie? Not even close.

[nametag]

Originally Posted by JackStraw

Because it was marketed as a horror movie when it was really more of a psychological thriller. The first time I saw it I didn't like it. To me there wasn't anything even remotely scary about it but more of three kids lost in the woods.

Gave it a second chance with a different approach and it worked. You can see Heather become a bit more frail and look truly frazzled by the last part of the movie. Instead of watching the movie as an outsider, put yourself behind that lens and suddenly it works.

Horror movie? Not even close.

Felt like both genres to me - I certainly got scared by it.

[LeBougre]

Hi,

Which studio is editing the title in the US ?
Is it the same worldwide ?

Thanks

[JackStraw]

Originally Posted by nametag

Felt like both genres to me - I certainly got scared by it.

No doubt to you and some it was. Honestly, over the years of talking movies to a lot of people, those that were scared by Blair Witch are truly still the minority. A LOT of folks seemed to hate it, primarily feeling that they were duped by a genius marketing campaign. That was certainly my initial reaction after seeing it. I can watch it today and really enjoy it, but in my mind it certainly wasn't much like the way it was presented when it first came out.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by LeBougre

Hi,

Which studio is editing the title in the US ?
Is it the same worldwide ?

Thanks

I believe Lionsgate has the U.S. rights.

[KrugStillo]

I am intrigued by this. I love this film and I'm all for a BD release however Hi-8camera footage can only look as good as it is. It would be nice however if they transfered the video footage from the source and not the theatrical print. On the original DVD there is a deleted scene and I always thought the quality of the footage in that scene looks much better than the quality of the footage in the actual film. You have to look at it this way, they shot some 16mm footage so in order to have a print they needed to edit the film footage with the video on some editing system (I think they used an Avid) then port that out to film. So all of it, especially the video footage, is a few generations down when watching the actual print master. It would be nice if they re-composited it from the original footage to give it the best possible look it could have. They will probably just make an HD transfer from a print master though which will be interesting to see what kind of a look this will have on BD. It will look better on BD than DVD no matter what but it will be interesting to see the results. I will say it needs some new bonus features so that we can get a better look at the making. At the time the DVD came out all the bonus stuff held back because they were still promoting the mystery a bit. Now they don't need to hold back. There was an issue of Rue Morgue that had an awesome article the making that told you so much more than anything on the DVD did. They are telling all the stories now so this should be good. They better not reformat for 16:9 though I don't think you can even do that with this film. When I saw it in the theater it was a square in the middle of the screen. The prints were prepared specifically that way. They won't ruin it.

[28BlusLater]

Originally Posted by DVDFreaker

Why did you not sell it?

I didn't sell it because I collected DVDs and I thought it was one I might watch again, but never did. Right now it's still sitting on my shelf. Haven't watched it in years.

[28BlusLater]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

I completely agree. I was in college when this was out and all the rage. I saw it twice in the theater and did enjoy it then. Someone gave me the DVD when it came out as a present, and it was watched once (though I keep it because it was a thoughtful present from a nice person).

I think this is one of the most over-rated films of all time - I'm glad fans are getting it on Blu but I honestly can't see myself ever sitting through it again.

Yeah, exactly. Anyways, it's not like the DVD is going to be sold for more than a couple bucks anyways...

[jjbsn5192]

my whole perspective of why i love blair witch so much is due to the simple pleasures of

its a mind pyschological thriller..
its the sense that you dont ever see the "Witch, or whatever it was"
it leaves it to you imagination to continue the rest of the story..
the true instinct of fear that the 3 of them had was that of being played with..
i think the true fear of the entire progression of film is the fact that

Heather, mike And Josh are lost and cant find a way out.. and its like every night gets worse and worse..

the whole sense of the film is brilliance.. i think alot of people that have seen it that do say negative things about it really dont understand..
with what little you can DO MORE
thats the aspect of the film..

its not CGI influenced.. its the kind of story that plays head games with you..

being that of the scariest film of all time i would say it fits right up in the first 10

theres alot of things you re watch the film to kind of lure into

to find out what else was different or what else was curious
or what aspect was quite made into a different pattern

[The Blu Knight]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

I believe Lionsgate has the U.S. rights.

Awesome, I know they'll do justice to this film on blu.

[LeBougre]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

I believe Lionsgate has the U.S. rights.

Ok, thanks
Hope it will be region free.

[JackStraw]

Originally Posted by KrugStillo

They better not reformat for 16:9 though I don't think you can even do that with this film. When I saw it in the theater it was a square in the middle of the screen. The prints were prepared specifically that way. They won't ruin it.

I don't want them to fill the entire screen left to right. Just fill the screen top to bottom. Don't black bar it.

Enough of that rant for me. I'll pick it up once it winds up in the ten dollar section of Best Buy.

[KrugStillo]

Originally Posted by JackStraw

I don't want them to fill the entire screen left to right. Just fill the screen top to bottom. Don't black bar it.

Enough of that rant for me. I'll pick it up once it winds up in the ten dollar section of Best Buy.

It will probably be $10 the week it comes out at Walmart. That's a standard new release price for Lionsgate catalogue titles.

[KrugStillo]

The slight windowboxing on the DVD is part of the actual print I think. Unless like I said earlier they do a whole new composite of the footage it will probably be there. It's been there since the theater. I think it was added for effect to make the video and 16 footage blend seemlessly. However it was shown on TV and maybe the actual VHS tape had it zoomed in past the windowdoxing but then that was just cropping it. I guess we'll get what we get. I'll be keeping my old DVD because I bet the features will be different and I love the faux documentary on the disc, I think it's called Curse of The Blair Witch. Interesting fact: the footage used in the Sci-Fi docu Curse of the Blair Witch was originally supposed to be the way the movie was. It would have been longer with more of the "found" footage added but generally that was gonna be the idea. They realised they had a stronger film by just leaving it "found" footage mainly and decided to go that route. My Mom said she couldn't watch the movie again because it was too disturbing, she thought it was real. I laughed at her and told her it was fake. She looked at me like I just told her Santa wasn't real. It's funny how some bought the hype of it being real. I think this movie should of just come out small like it was intended. Lionsgate blew up the release for it. The general public wasn't ready for something like this. However I love this film and I still find it scary. I think if you grew up in a woodsy town with lots of trails and loved to tell ghost stories and scare the crap out of yourself and your friends you enjoyed the film. If you have nothing to relate it to I can see why you wouldn't be scared by it. It scared the sh*t out of me first time I saw it in a packed theater on opening weekend.

[brps3]

The film was made on a $50,000 budget. I liked the idea behind it. And it worked well. It made millions.

When it first came out I heard little about it so I went and saw it. It didnt take long to figure out that it was fake.

The way they got lost was rediculous. They couldnt figure out what direction they were going? Uh look up at the sun? Hello?

And supposedly they walked for days and never came across a road? Um okay. Maybe back in the 1800's that would be believable but not today.

There were perhaps a couple of moments it was tense and the acting wasnt really all that bad.

After seeing it I researched it and sure enough it was fake. The kids in the film are alive and well. I must give them credit though, they managed to pull it off.

Not buying though. I seen it in theaters and on tv once. That was enough for me.

[rammsteinfan]

Definitely upgrading if its coming out, has better PQ and is under $15.

[wonkavision]

Originally Posted by brps3

The film was made on a $50,000 budget. I liked the idea behind it. And it worked well. It made millions.

When it first came out I heard little about it so I went and saw it. It didnt take long to figure out that it was fake.

The way they got lost was rediculous. They couldnt figure out what direction they were going? Uh look up at the sun? Hello?

And supposedly they walked for days and never came across a road? Um okay. Maybe back in the 1800's that would be believable but not today.

There were perhaps a couple of moments it was tense and the acting wasnt really all that bad.

After seeing it I researched it and sure enough it was fake. The kids in the film are alive and well. I must give them credit though, they managed to pull it off.

Not buying though. I seen it in theaters and on tv once. That was enough for me.

LOL. Of course it was fake. All movies are fake, no matter what they tell you. Heck, even so called "documentaries" aren't all fact either.

Also, lot's of people in real life get lost in the woods, and yes sometimes for 2 or 3 days. The careful viewer would also realize that they were cursed by the "Blair Witch" and were traveling in circles only to meet their demise.

[Icedburden]

I loved this film. Absolutely cannot wait for it to come out.