Curse Of The Blair Witch (1999)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Curse Of The Blair explores and examines the mysterious disappearances of Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams, after their journey into the Black Hills Forest to record footage for The Blair Witch Project documentary. 

My Thoughts- Is this real? Did the legend of The Blair Witch destroy this quiet little town in Maryland? Curse Of The Blair Witch looks and feels like a real documentary. The presentation is spot on, and the talking heads are phenomenal. 

Bill Barnes (Bill Dreggors), a Burkittsville historian, easily steals the show here. Dreggors is an excellent fit for the old timer, who’s also a great storyteller. Bill Barnes is a bit crusty, but it’s not to the point, where he’s yelling and shaking his fist, because a bunch of kids are on his lawn. No, Barnes is the old dude, who still has some fire left in him, and it’s easy to crack a smile, or laugh during some of his segments.

Lucan Johnson, a self-proclaimed Wiccan, is a close number two for the best interviewees throughout the documentary. Johnson is eccentric. He comes off as a weirdo, and there’s a chance you’ll think he’s completely full of BS, but Johnson strongly believes in his words. 

Curse Of The Blair Witch is a damn good mockumentary. News clips, interviews with professors and other experts, and family members sharing stories. There’s a strong effort to bring authenticity and a sense of realism to produce a “real” documentary. Curse Of The Blair Witch also does a good job of humanizing and adding more depth to Heather, Josh, and Mike’s personalities. And it’s no real surprise if you’ve seen the movie, but Mike’s brother reveals he was a rebel with some anger issues during his younger years. 

You’ll also learn more about Elly Kedward (the witch) and Rustin Parr (Frank Pastor). Parr eerily looks like a normal guy, and there’s some good black and white footage from Parr’s arrest, his trial, and Parr’s explanation for what happened in the woods. 

Curse Of The Blair Witch is an informative and thought-provoking mockumentary about a small town that just couldn’t escape decades of black clouds, and a series of bizarre and violent events. Remember, they never found the bodies, so the case is still open, adding another mysterious and haunting layer to the mockumentary. 

It’s worth checking out for Heather, Mike, and Josh’s backstories, and more in-depth explanations for the origins of Burkittsville and The Blair Witch curse, if you’re a fan of the films. I honestly wish I could go back and watch this one without any knowledge of the films. Whether you believe in supernatural stuff or not, Curse Of The Blair Witch is more than capable of at least planting some seeds of curiosity. Also, ending the mockumentary with a missing persons flyer featuring Heather, Mike, Josh, and contact information for the local authorities, was a nice touch.

Curse Of The Blair Witch is available on You Tube, and you can check it out below, if you’re interested!

Rating- 6/10 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Heather (Rei Hance), Josh (Joshua Leonard), and Mike (Michael C. Williams) travel to Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary about The Blair Witch during Halloween season in 1994. Titled The Blair Witch Project, Heather leads the trio into the woods to shoot the documentary.

The group runs into a series of setbacks and mishaps, but they’ll have bigger problems to worry about. After a handful of strange occurrences, it’s clear Heather, Mike, and Josh are not alone in the woods, because someone or something is following them, watching, and waiting for the right moment to strike…..

My Thoughts- My one big complaint about The Blair Witch Project? Too much bickering. Yes, I get it. Heather, Mike, and Josh are scared. They’re frustrated, tired, hungry, cold, and they’re alone in the woods, while a witch is hot on their trails. But all the screaming, finger-pointing, and arguments eats up way too much time here. Occasionally, you’ll get the feeling the movie is picking up some momentum, but everything comes to a screeching halt, because Josh has to scold Heather for being a terrible human being.

If we’re putting the spotlight on the main trio, you can tell Heather is a good person, but she also pushes too hard. She wants to get the documentary done, feeling it’ll be the crowning achievement in her life, because she doesn’t have anything else to look forward to. The big problem is, she recklessly threw the group into a meat grinder, without any real backup plans, or an escape route.

Josh tries to be the glue that holds everything together until he finally reaches a breaking point with Heather. Mike? He’s a hotheaded asshole, but Mike actually has a few tranquil moments, when he realizes pouring more gasoline on already roaring fire will only make things worse.

I’m old enough to remember, when The Blair Witch Project was first released. The buzz, the hype, people questioning whether it was real or not. I HAD to see it. Decades later, my opinion on it hasn’t really changed. Lots of shaky cam, the movie hits one too many dull stretches, and while I understand the justifiable reasons behind it, all the constant arguing and fighting drives me nuts. Also, you can point to more than one scene, where there’s really no reason to record anything at all. Please, focus on protecting yourselves, and finding a safe place to hide!

Still, The Blair Witch Project has some positives. The strong sense of realism is believable. The grainy picture quality, blooper style footage (e.g. Mike munching on a giant leaf), and interviews with the locals, with Mary Brown (Patricia DeCou) stealing the show as that one old kooky resident, who tells wild stories. 

It’s a found-footage film that gives you the feeling you’re watching real, raw, and uncut footage about three people, who set out to make a seemingly harmless documentary. And you’re getting an unfiltered firsthand behind the scenes experience, documenting the chaos showing how everything devolved into a tragic mess. The Blair Witch Project taking place during Halloween season was a nice touch, and I’m always a sucker for horror films about a small town filled with dark secrets and a troubled past. Some good spooky nighttime scenes, and the finale truly delivers, complete with a strong and eerie cliffhanger. 

Whether or not The Blair Witch Project is overrated or rated appropriately, is something that’ll be debated for a long time. But you can’t deny the overall impact on the horror genre and what The Blair Witch Project did for found-footage films. We’re inching towards a thirty year anniversary for this one, and it’s a movie that’s still remembered and talked about in 2026. You can hate it, love it, or possibly fall somewhere in the middle, but a small team working with a tight budget managed to create a memorable horror flick with a lasting legacy, a truly remarkable accomplishment that deserves recognition.

Rating- 6/10 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Heather (Rei Hance), Josh (Joshua Leonard), and Mike (Michael C. Williams) travel to Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary about The Blair Witch during Halloween season in 1994. Titled The Blair Witch Project, Heather leads the trio into the woods to shoot the documentary.

The group runs into a series of setbacks and mishaps, but they’ll have bigger problems to worry about. After a handful of strange occurrences, it’s clear Heather, Mike, and Josh are not alone in the woods, because someone or something is following them, watching, and waiting for the right moment to strike…..

My Thoughts- My one big complaint about The Blair Witch Project? Too much bickering. Yes, I get it. Heather, Mike, and Josh are scared. They’re frustrated, tired, hungry, cold, and they’re alone in the woods, while a witch is hot on their trails. But all the screaming, finger-pointing, and arguments eats up way too much time here. Occasionally, you’ll get the feeling the movie is picking up some momentum, but everything comes to a screeching halt, because Josh has to scold Heather for being a terrible human being.

If we’re putting the spotlight on the main trio, you can tell Heather is a good person, but she also pushes too hard. She wants to get the documentary done, feeling it’ll be the crowning achievement in her life, because she doesn’t have anything else to look forward to. The big problem is, she recklessly threw the group into a meat grinder, without any real backup plans, or an escape route.

Josh tries to be the glue that holds everything together until he finally reaches a breaking point with Heather. Mike? He’s a hotheaded asshole, but Mike actually has a few tranquil moments, when he realizes pouring more gasoline on already roaring fire will only make things worse.

Long stretches of boredom throughout The Blair Witch Project, but there’s no denying the finale delivers. The final ten minutes or so of the movie are tight, tense, and genuinely creepy. The old abandoned house was the perfect setting. It’s dark, dirty, quiet, and when you see all the strange markings and hand prints on the wall, you’ll instantly know the house is a bad and horrible place, where unspeakable things happened inside. 

The final shot of an emotionless and dazed Mike standing in a corner of the basement, with Heather’s screams in the background before the camera falls to the ground to end the movie really works as a haunting visual. It’s a memorable moment, and it’s a shot that really sticks before the credits start rolling. Genuinely chilling stuff. 

I’m old enough to remember, when The Blair Witch Project was first released. The buzz, the hype, people questioning whether it was real or not. I HAD to see it. Decades later, my opinion on it hasn’t really changed. Lots of shaky cam, the movie hits one too many dull stretches, and while I understand the justifiable reasons behind it, all the constant arguing and fighting drives me nuts. Also, you can point to more than one scene, where there’s really no reason to record anything at all. Please, focus on protecting yourselves, and finding a safe place to hide!

Still, The Blair Witch Project has some positives. The strong sense of realism is believable. The grainy picture quality, blooper style footage (e.g. Mike munching on a giant leaf), and interviews with the locals, with Mary Brown (Patricia DeCou) stealing the show as that one old kooky resident, who tells wild stories. 

It’s a found-footage film that gives you the feeling you’re watching real, raw, and uncut footage about three people, who set out to make a seemingly harmless documentary. And you’re getting an unfiltered firsthand behind the scenes experience, documenting the chaos showing how everything devolved into a tragic mess. The Blair Witch Project taking place during Halloween season was a nice touch, and I’m always a sucker for horror films about a small town filled with dark secrets and a troubled past. Some good spooky nighttime scenes, and the finale truly delivers, complete with a strong and eerie cliffhanger. 

Whether or not The Blair Witch Project is overrated or rated appropriately, is something that’ll be debated for a long time. But you can’t deny the overall impact on the horror genre and what The Blair Witch Project did for found-footage films. We’re inching towards a thirty year anniversary for this one, and it’s a movie that’s still remembered and talked about in 2026. You can hate it, love it, or possibly fall somewhere in the middle, but a small team working with a tight budget managed to create a memorable horror flick with a lasting legacy, a truly remarkable accomplishment that deserves recognition.

Rating- 6/10 

Analyze This (1999)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major reveals, or major character deaths**

Feared mob boss Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) needs a shoulder to lean on. Paul’s longtime best friend and advisor, Dominic Manetta (Joseph Rigano) is the victim of a drive by shooting. Paul suffers a series of uncontrollable panic attacks and breakdowns after Dominic’s death. Under Paul’s orders, Jelly (Joe Viterelli), Paul’s right hand man, forces a psychiatrist named Dr. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal) to accept Paul as his new patient after a fender-bender.

Dr. Sobel hits a few bumps in the road during Paul’s awkward and unplanned sessions. Meanwhile, Dr. Sobel is trying to balance a series of problems in his life. Ben’s trying to fix a strained relationship with his father, Dr. Isaac Sobel (Bill Macy), and his mother, Dorothy (Rebecca Schull), because Isaac chooses a book signing for his new release over Ben‘s wedding. On top of that, Ben’s anxious fiance Laura MacNamara (Lisa Kudrow) is nervous about the wedding, and her relationship with Ben’s son, Michael (Kyle Sabihy).

Members of Paul’s mob family, including Salvatore Masiello (Pat Cooper), voice their concerns for Paul‘s image and his relationship with Dr. Sobel. Paul is still an emotional train wreck, but he’ll have to pull himself together for a once in a lifetime meeting with every mafia family in the US. Paul’s rival, Primo Sidone (Chazz Palminteri) organizes the meeting. Primo has plans to become the king of organized crime, and a bitter Primo is determined to murder Paul before the meeting.

Dr. Sobel tries to balance problems with his upcoming wedding, and Paul relives the tragic circumstances surrounding his father’s death. But FBI agents complicate Dr. Sobel’s relationship with Paul. The FBI convinces Dr. Sobel to wear a wire with a doctored tape recording, and to add to his growing list of problems, a traitor within Paul’s crew leaks Paul’s location to Primo Sidone during a special dinner one night……

Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal share good chemistry together, as the bickering odd couple. De Niro delivers an entertaining parody performance, as the tough and manly mobster. The routine feels tiresome towards the end, but De Niro’s “sobbing broken man” act is good for a few cheap laughs. Billy Crystal is a nice fit for the uptight and nerdy psychiatrist, and Crystal‘s random outbursts are hilarious. There’s a scene at the beginning with Ben and one of his patients. Ben is tired of Caroline’s (Molly Shannon) non-stop whining. In his mind, Ben imagines himself yelling at Caroline with no mercy to deliver a “tough love” approach.

Palminteri’s screen time is limited to sporadic appearances, but he’s believable as the slimy antagonist with a mean streak. Joe Viterelli provides consistent laughs, as the dedicated and pushy sidekick, and Lisa Kudrow is decent enough as the whiny and nagging fiance. And if you’re wondering, Molly Shannon  appears in the one scene with Crystal at the beginning, and that’s it. Seriously, what happened to Molly Shannon? Anyone remember Mary Katherine Gallagher (or “Superstar!”)?

The reoccurring routine to pull some laughs out of the audience with the irony of a sobbing Alpha Male (De Niro) feels stale towards the end, but I enjoyed Analyze This overall. It’s a consistently funny mob comedy, with Crystal and De Niro forming a memorable duo to produce 90% of the laughs here. It’s a story about the hotheaded mobster, with a soft side, his unlikely support system (Dr. Sobel), and their adventures together during a series of bizarre mishaps. Analyze This is a rare gem from the modern days of Robert De Niro’s career, and if you’re a fan of his career, Analyze This is worth a try.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Analyze This (1999)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Feared mob boss Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) needs a shoulder to lean on. Paul’s longtime best friend and advisor, Dominic Manetta (Joseph Rigano) is the victim of a drive by shooting. Paul suffers a series of uncontrollable panic attacks and breakdowns after Dominic’s death. Under Paul’s orders, Jelly (Joe Viterelli), Paul’s right hand man, forces a psychiatrist named Dr. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal) to accept Paul as his new patient after a fender-bender.

Dr. Sobel hits a few bumps in the road during Paul’s awkward and unplanned sessions. Meanwhile, Dr. Sobel is trying to balance a series of problems in his life. Ben’s trying to fix a strained relationship with his father, Dr. Isaac Sobel (Bill Macy), and his mother, Dorothy (Rebecca Schull), because Isaac chooses a book signing for his new release over Ben‘s wedding. On top of that, Ben’s anxious fiance Laura MacNamara (Lisa Kudrow) is nervous about the wedding, and her relationship with Ben’s son, Michael (Kyle Sabihy).

Members of Paul’s mob family, including Salvatore Masiello (Pat Cooper), voice their concerns for Paul‘s image and his relationship with Dr. Sobel. Paul is still an emotional train wreck, but he’ll have to pull himself together for a once in a lifetime meeting with every mafia family in the US. Paul’s rival, Primo Sidone (Chazz Palminteri) organizes the meeting. Primo has plans to become the king of organized crime, and a bitter Primo is determined to murder Paul before the meeting.

Dr. Sobel tries to balance problems with his upcoming wedding, and Paul relives the tragic circumstances surrounding his father’s death. But FBI agents complicate Dr. Sobel’s relationship with Paul. The FBI convinces Dr. Sobel to wear a wire with a doctored tape recording, and to add to his growing list of problems, a traitor within Paul’s crew leaks Paul’s location to Primo Sidone during a special dinner one night……

Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal share good chemistry together, as the bickering odd couple. De Niro delivers an entertaining parody performance, as the tough and manly mobster. The routine feels tiresome towards the end, but De Niro’s “sobbing broken man” act is good for a few cheap laughs. Billy Crystal is a nice fit for the uptight and nerdy psychiatrist, and Crystal‘s random outbursts are hilarious. There’s a scene at the beginning with Ben and one of his patients. Ben is tired of Caroline’s (Molly Shannon) non-stop whining. In his mind, Ben imagines himself yelling at Caroline with no mercy to deliver a “tough love” approach.

Palminteri’s screen time is limited to sporadic appearances, but he’s believable as the slimy antagonist with a mean streak. Joe Viterelli provides consistent laughs, as the dedicated and pushy sidekick, and Lisa Kudrow is decent enough as the whiny and nagging fiance. And if you’re wondering, Molly Shannon  appears in the one scene with Crystal at the beginning, and that’s it. Seriously, what happened to Molly Shannon? Anyone remember Mary Katherine Gallagher (or “Superstar!”)?

Who’s the traitor in Paul‘s crew? It’s Carlo Mangano (Leo Rossi), and Carlo is the informant for Primo. Why? With Paul dead, Carlo is free to take over as boss with Primo’s support. But Paul has a breakthrough with Dr. Sobel after a misunderstanding one night. Long story short, Paul was seconds away from pulling the trigger to execute Ben, because Paul was convinced Ben helped the FBI with secret inside information. And Dr. Sobel agreed to wear a wire, because the FBI tampered with a recording of Paul’s voice. In the FBI’s version of the tape recording, Paul announces his plans to kill Ben for his betrayal. Unbeknownst  to Paul, Ben removed the FBI’s recording device at the restaurant.

Anyway, Dr. Sobel pushes Paul to reveal the truth (Paul lied about his father’s death to Ben) behind his father’s death. Apparently, Paul (as a child) noticed something strange (nice dress pants on a busboy/hitman) on the night of his father’s assassination. But Paul was angry at his father, so he never spoke up to warn him. Paul’s father was murdered, and Paul is upset, because he never had a chance to say good-bye.

At the meeting, Paul unceremoniously retires, and he reveals Carlo as the traitor. An enraged Primo (with Carlo’s help) confronts Paul outside. Paul tries to walk away, but Primo’s cowardly act (he tried to shoot Paul after he turned his back) sparks a big shoot out. The FBI intervenes to break up the mess, and Ben accidentally saves Paul’s life (Ben took a bullet in the chest for Paul). To end the movie, Ben visits Paul in jail, and Primo is dead after a successful assassination attempt.

It’s a safe finale, but there’s nothing wrong with that. In the end, Paul finds peace, with some jail time as a small price to pay, Primo’s demise is well deserved, and Paul pulled some strings for a personal and live performance from Tony Bennett (Ben is a big fan of Tony Bennett) for Dr. Sobel and Laura. Everyone goes home (with exception of Paul) with a happy handing, and Dr. Sobel returns to a more peaceful life.

The reoccurring routine to pull some laughs out of the audience with the irony of a sobbing Alpha Male (De Niro) feels stale towards the end, but I enjoyed Analyze This overall. It’s a consistently funny mob comedy, with Crystal and De Niro forming a memorable duo to produce 90% of the laughs here. It’s a story about the hotheaded mobster, with a soft side, his unlikely support system (Dr. Sobel), and their adventures together during a series of bizarre mishaps. Analyze This is a rare gem from the modern days of Robert De Niro’s career, and if you’re a fan of his career, Analyze This is worth a try.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1