This book contains the synopses and reviews of the darkest films in Lloyd Kaufman’s filmography. The listings are ranked from best to worst.
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Haunted tour participants awaken a supernatural entity while partying in the woods.
United States2000
Feature Film
Realism:
Supernatural
Animals:
Dog
Trickster:
Lurer
Legend:
Urban Legend
Wizards:
Voodoo Sorcerer
Possessor
Necromancer
Writing:
Characters:
Franchise Sequel
The great rural mind-fuck continues…
Ambiance
Editing
Performances
The Blair Witch Project; previous installment, relied on a gimmick so strong that the makers of Part 2 avoided it altogether. In fact, they often allude to it and make it an integral part of the plot but do not use it as a form of editing. Part 1 popularized the “found footage” genre by lying to its audience and was very good at it. Part 2 is more traditional but still worth a watch.
The actors are no longer playing pretend and improvising but their performances allow for great build-up despite sometimes obscured storytelling. Blair Witch 2 stirs up the same fear amalgams Blair Witch 1 did and proves that the original script doesn't only rely on opportunistic viral marketing. We get another terrifying mind-fuck depicting threats that cannot be taken down with weapons.
This is a well written and directed movie that didn't get the care it deserved in the cutting room. The compositing is excessive in places and comes out as more of a nuisance than a clever way to tell a scary tale. The layered narrative isn't needed. Some might hate this sequel as a complement to a game changer in the film industry, but as a stand-alone haunting story it hits all the right notes.
