Bring on the Witch

If there’s a movie I reference a lot it’s THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT a film that, for me, nailed so much of what I love about movies. With an innovative marketing plan that stretched the bounds of the film past the screen and a deceptively easy premise, the film deserves the legendary status it (sorta) has. Even if you don’t like the film you have to give it props for essentially just taking three people, giving them cameras and sound equipment, putting them in the woods, and telling them a witch is after them. That’s oversimplifying it, obviously, but that’s essentially what the film is. It’s the believable frustration and fear of the actors and an innate fear of the woods that many of us have that sets the stage for a movie that could have been a campfire story. 

With news hitting that there are plans to remake/reboot the series it’s set my mind reeling. 

Oh, GOODY!

Let me start by saying that while word is coming out that the previous cast and crew involved in the original film aren’t involved with the new film/s yet I’ll offer this – just wait. It’s just coming out, it’s early in the process, and a lot can change. For the actors, there’s not much for them to do unless they were bit actors in a scene or two. While it’s disgusting they never got the money they were owed by studio Lionsgate (owners of Artisan, who produced the film), there’s no real place for them with a new film. For the creatives, I’d think they’d be brought on in some capacity and think that will still happen. 

My proof?

Look at HALLOWEEN. 

That’s my comp. 

With Blumhouse involved they will want to tap into the power of the original and that lore. I would wager they’ll make a sequel that could be seen as a first film but which connects to the original. If they do that then they’ll want the ‘street cred’ of that original group. They may go with a different story and just want some input from those folks but I think they’ll get them involved. 

It only makes sense. 

This is a property that hasn’t had a ‘hit’ since the first. I may love all three films and there may have been a LOT of secondary lore created but the fact is that they have one movie to really work from and that’s where they’ll start. That’s what the base will be built from. They may mention the other films’ happenings but it’s doubtful. Again, like HALLOWEEN they’ll build from that first film and go from there. 

Will it be found footage?

No way. 

THOUGH, I think it’ll utilize some found footage. Maybe as part of the story. But you can’t beat what was done in the first and they won’t try. It will immediately have people judging it against that first one and that’s a problem. They deal with that with HALLOWEEN, and it will happen again, but you don’t have to encourage that comparison. 

So what will the story be?

I am hoping they won’t go too current with ‘influencers’ or some such heading into the woods to debunk the myth. I have watched SO many found footage movies that lean on that and some are good but most are painfully bad. 

I’d like to see a story like a kid or kids or SOMEONE goes missing and that draws us into the woods. The recent game hit on that and it was powerful. Heck, have a kid disappear for a while and then re-appear, unchanged, long after, talking about how a kind woman took care of them. Heck, you could imply that it was Heather from the first film.

 Oooooo! 

There’s a lot you can do and there’s SO much lore that’s been created that I hope they dig in and use it and create something scary and memorable. And me, I’d show the witch, but she’d be inspired by the idea of Lovecraftian horror in that, at this point, she’s far beyond what we can comprehend and we can’t fully take what she is in. She’s one with the woods but she has avatars that serve her and fill the woods as her foot soldiers. 

There’s a lot you can do. 

Get the location right. 

Get a scary story. 

Cast actors, not stars. 

Cast ADULTS not teens. 

People can roll their eyes all they want and bemoan ANOTHER remake or whatever but the fact is that 1. Welcome to horror movies, pal and 2. There’s still blood in these veins if they can do this right. 

I for one, cannot WAIT. 

Bring on the witch.

…c…

(PS – I have my own haunted woods stories with witchy creatures. They’re pretty rad).