Book Of Shadows - Blair Witch 2 (2000)

Average rating

(48%)

Starring:	Jeffrey Donovan \| Kim Director \| Erica Leerhsen \| Kurt Loder
Director:	Joe Berlinger
Studio:	MOMENTUM PICTURES
Run time:	89 mins
Genres:	Horror
Languages:	English
Released:	October 21, 2002
Also available on:

BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 is the sequel to the 1999 thriller THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. The first film's famously effective horror was created in large part with its faux authenticity. Shot on handheld video, the film presented itself as the genuine footage of three students' fatal search for the mysterious Blair Witch. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2, which purports to be a "fictional reenactment of real events," complicates the original's illusion of reality. Tourists have flocked to Burkittsville, Maryland to see evidence of the original film and its underlying mythology. Four of these visitors--Tristan and Stephan, a couple researching a book; Erica, a Wiccan; and Kim, a Goth--join up with town troublemaker Jeff for his inaugural Blair Witch Hunt tour. When they wake up after a night of partying, most of their possessions have been destroyed and they are unable to account for a large block of time. As they piece together memories, inexplicable events spiral to a terrifying climax. Director Joe Berlinger, an acclaimed documentarian making his first foray into dramatic film, creates a disorienting otherworld in which video clips, flashbacks, and visions are indistinguishable from the reality of the present. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 illustrates the often blurry and always terrifying line between truth and fiction.

Screenshots

Rating of 1 stars out of 5

First of all, there is no mention of a book of any sort in this sequel to the phenomenally successful The Blair Witch Project. Second, there are hardly any scares, either. The story begins as a group of misfits interested in the original film sign up for a tour of Burkittsville, where the first movie was set. They spend the night in the woods, then wake up the next morning unable to recall any of the previous night's events. What has happened to the video footage recorded during the night? Why have the group got strange marks on their bodies? And what happened to another bunch of tourists found disemboweled on Coffin Rock that morning? Sadly, the outcome is as predictable as this set up implies. Whether you love or hate the original, there's no denying that it was an innovative idea, brilliantly marketed, which fired many an evening's conversation. The only thing people will say after seeing this sequel is “Can I have my money back?”

Highest rated reviews

4 out of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Nice Idea, Didn't Work

Steven White from Reading, Berks, 20th January, 2005

Undeterred by bad reviews I decided to rent this film. I thought that the idea behind the film was a clever one, taking again the concept of a documentary but basing it on the previous title. Unfortunately, my interest wore thin fast to the point where half way through the film I switched on Sky. However, after watching the ending to the film, I had a higher opinion of the film. The ending is the only reason I gave this film 2 Stars Instead Of 1. In Finality, Sadly the originally good idea doesn't scare and remains `interesting' and nothing more. It is a shame that they had to make this film as it won't satisfy those who like their horror creepy or those who like it bloody.

Read all highest rated reviews

2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Scare Witch 2

Neil from Watford, 30th September, 2005

Trying to come up with something original after the first movie's unique perspective of being 'real', this sequal decides the best way to do this is to have a group of thrill hunters lose their memory and leave them to figure out what happened. Shown mainly in flashback the young dissafected youths gradually lose their grip on reality just as the viewer begins to lose their grip on this film. The main problem with it is that it is simply not very scarey. After the first had people leaving the cinema in a state of shock this probably had people leaving the cinema in a state of boredom. None of the characters are particularly likeable and its very hard to care what happens to them. The flashbacks and visions which haunt them are neither interesting or frightening and the ending is more of a relief that the film is over than any sort of shock. Another dodgey sequal to stay clear of.

Read all highest rated reviews