Paranormal Activity AU R... Oct 23, 2009
Realism is the key in a film like this ; akin to Rec, The Blair Witch Project or Cloverfield ; is in the amateur, off-the-cuff camerawork. Brands that fall into shot (the unintended ones, anyway) are blurred out as they might be if this were aired on television, and the ad-lib approach to the dialogue gives the delivery and reactions a naturalism that draws you in. (IGN FilmForce)
'Wild Things' gobble up weekend box office Oct 20, 2009
The film, reportedly made for a paltry 11,000 dollars, has earned comparisons to 1999 hit "The Blair Witch Project" and focuses on supernatural goings-on in a suburban San Diego house. Last week's number one movie, "Couples Retreat" starring comic favorites Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman, scored 17. (Yahoo! Asia News)
'Wild' film top at US box office Oct 20, 2009
The film - shot in the style of a documentary - is said to have made a box office impact due to word-of-mouth interest and has been compared to 1999 hit The Blair Witch Project. US BOX OFFICE TOP FIVE 1 Where The Wild Things Are - $32. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
'Wild Things' Tops Box-Office Oct 19, 2009
"Paranormal Activity" might have a shot to duplicate the success of "The Blair Witch Project," a 1999 Sundance Film Festival discovery that rode Internet buzz to a $140 million domestic total. "When you have a movie playing this well and it has such a broad appeal, it certainly tells you that is a possible outcome," said Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount. (Fox News)
Wild Things creates rumpus at box office Oct 19, 2009
Paranormal Activity might have a shot to duplicate the success of The Blair Witch Project, a 1999 Sundance Film Festival discovery that rode Internet buzz to a $140 million domestic total. Box office results. (MSNBC -- News)
How Net activity boosted 'Paranormal Activity' Oct 17, 2009
We have the advantage with all these digital tools of allowing word of mouth to spread much faster than before," said Amy Powell, senior vice president of interactive marketing for Paramount Pictures Corp., which is sending "Paranormal Activity" into wide release in more theaters today. Skeptics, however, say the "Twitter effect" on box office results is overstated. "If someone decided they want to see the movie, they're going to see it, regardless of what they're seeing people tweet about it,"... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Filmmaker aims to bolster independent film industry Oct 17, 2009
Other recent examples include Napoleon Dynamite which cost $400,000 to make and grossed more than $46 million in theaters worldwide; Little Miss Sunshine, which cost $8 million and grossed more than $100 million; The Blair Witch Project, which cost less than $1 million and grossed $249 million; and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which cost about $5 million and grossed $369 million. That s not counting the many other revenue streams for a movie, including cable, DVD and on-demand outlets, which have... (Nashville Business Journal, TN)
Paranormal Activity Oct 16, 2009
While it s by no means the same game-changer that The Blair Witch Project was in its day, Peli s debut is nevertheless a clever and inventive piece of horror minimalism that shows you don t need a gigantic budget, flashy special effects or buckets of blood to scare the crap out of people. As an added bonus, Paranormal Activity also makes for a great date movie -- it s practically guaranteed to leave her clutching your arm and suggesting other things to do besides go home and go to sleep. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Halloween Movie Guide 2009 Oct 16, 2009
That combined with the aggressive viral campaign has drawn comparison to 1999's The Blair Witch Project. This is movie for those looking for something a bit unconventional. (Suite101.com)
"Paranormal Activity" an Abnormal Success Oct 15, 2009
Another indie horror tale, 1999's The Blair Witch Project, became the biggest hit ever discovered at the Sundance Film Festival as months of online chatter pushed it to a $140 million haul. Preceded by similar Web patter, 2006's Snakes on a Plane wound up fizzling, fans deciding it was more fun to sound off about the movie online than to actually see it. (CBS News -- Entertainment)
'Couples Retreat' checks in with $35.3M Oct 13, 2009
The studio began two weekends ago with midnight screenings in 13 cities, the movie building buzz online much as The Blair Witch Project did 10 years ago. Like Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity is fiction shot in documentary style as a young man tries to record strange doings and apparitions in the house he shares with his girlfriend. (KHOU.com, TX)
Has Hollywood's hand been forced? Oct 13, 2009
A few of the cinema's more tangled web campaigns Blair Witch Project: To many of us, the internet was still unnervingly new when material began surfacing online in 1999 referring to an "incident" in which three young campers went missing, leaving only their video equipment (including, fortuitously, their spooky footage) behind ... Considering The Blair Witch Project wasn't released until 1999, and was barely filming in 1997, I think you have your dates a bit mixed up there ... Blair Witch... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
'Couples Retreat' leads weekend box office Oct 12, 2009
Paranormal Activity" was acquired by former Paramount partner DreamWorks at 2007's Slamdance Film Festival with the idea that writer-director Oren Peli would re-shoot it on a bigger budget.But after audiences responded well to a test screening, Paramount decided to sneak "Paranormal Activity" out in a manner befitting its raw, independent roots. The studio began two weekends ago with midnight screenings in 13 cities, the movie building buzz online much as "The Blair Witch Project" did 10 years... (The Clarion-Ledger)
A Horror Film Phenomenon: Paranormal Activity Oct 11, 2009
Movie Review of 'Paranormal Activity', a Horror Film Phenomenon - TIME. " This weekend, PA has expanded to all-day runs on 159 screens in 44 cities, and according to early reports, it's headed for a box-office breakout perhaps the highest three-day gross of any films showing in fewer than 200 venues. "Look out cuz there's a freight train coming," an executive from a rival studio told Deadline Hollywood's Nikki Finke, "and Paramount is going to make a TON of cash on this pickup. (Time.com)
Paranormal Activity as good as they say Oct 11, 2009
In the spirit of The Exorcist, a film it deserves comparison to more than The Blair Witch Project, Oprins premiere makes quick work of physic and physical defenses. Neither a show of strength nor disbelief can protect you against something invisible, intangible and unconcerned with its lack of credibility. (McKinney Courier-Gazette, TX)
Paranormal Activity will scary you silly Oct 10, 2009
LOS ANGELES - The no-budget ghost story Paranormal Activity arrives 10 years after The Blair Witch Project, and the two horror movies share more than a clever construct and shaky, handheld camerawork. Like its predecessor, Paranormal Activity has been making waves through a viral marketing campaign that has been building positive buzz through early, sold-out college town screenings and Internet chatter. (MSNBC -- News)
In ‘Paranormal Activity,’ they don’t get it, until they do Oct 10, 2009
A Blair Witch Project -like sensation at the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival, the movie has since been streamlined by 10 minutes by Paramount Pictures, which has looked to build buzz with a series of midnight screenings. Unlike Blair Witch, which captured the panic of being lost in dark woods, Paranormal Activity finds mild unease and shocks in an underfurnished home. (Boston Globe)
'Paranormal Activity': Fright Nights, By Kurt Loder Oct 10, 2009
It's frankly borrowed from the 10-year-old "Blair Witch Project." But whereas that picture blew up on the basis of Internet hype (the supposedly "found" footage in it was initially claimed to be real), this one isn't trying to sucker you; it only seeks to creep you out. And unlike "Blair Witch," which fell short at the end, "Paranormal" delivers. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Watch scary 'Paranormal Activity' with the lights on Oct 9, 2009
Think The Blair Witch Project meets and then dial it up a few notches, and you have an approximation of the subtle but terrifying atmosphere of Paranormal Activity. A straightforward faux-documentary style and unfamiliar but believable actors infuse the film with a fear factor that is all the more powerful. (USA Today -- Life)
'Paranormal Activity' now playing in the Boston area! Oct 9, 2009
"Paranormal Activity" -- which is being compared to "The Blair Witch Project" if "Blair Witch" had lived up to its hype -- is opening Friday, Oct. 9 in more theaters, including several in Massachusetts. I considered going to the midnight screening tonight in Danvers, but considering how everyone who watches this film loses sleep for a few days, I want to try tomorrow in daylight hours. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Hollywood braced for budget cuts; Studios set to tighten belts in after big budget flops... Oct 7, 2009
Paranormal Activity, a horror film in the mould of the Blair Witch Project, has been selling out midnight screenings in a handful of US cities and looks set to become a bona fide hit when it is released across the US by Paramount this month. EDITORS CHOICE. (The Drudge Report)
Blair Witch Sequel News Oct 5, 2009
IGN: Blair Witch Project Sequel News ... Blair Witch Project Sequel News ... October 2, 2009 - Hard to imagine that it's coming up on ten years since The Blair Witch Project first hit theatres, revitalizing the horror genre with its raw, low-budget presentation and sizeable scares. (IGN FilmForce)
@ The Movies: Halloween Flick Picks Oct 2, 2009
"The Evil Dead" (1981): Long before the "Spider-Man" movies made him an A-list director, Sam Raimi redefined the horror film genre starting with "The Evil Dead," a far more frightening "lost in the woods" movie than the much-ballyhooed "Blair Witch Project.". The trilogy follows the exploits of the wisecracking, square-jawed anti-hero Ash (the always-entertaining Bruce Campbell), who finds himself in a heap of trouble when he and his friends happen upon an ancient "Book of the Dead" in a remote... (KERO 23, CA)
There is some truth in Paranormal Activity Oct 2, 2009
Much like The Blair Witch Project, to which the film is being compared, trades on its cinma vrit realism, the conceit that you are seeing real documentary footage of what happened scary scenes and all. Real ghosts aside, the film is realistic in some ways. (MSNBC -- Environment)
'Paranormal' marketing Sep 24, 2009
IS Paranormal Activity the next Blair Witch Project ... IS Paranormal Activity the next Blair Witch Project. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
A look at this fall’s movies Sep 13, 2009
It could be The Blair Witch Project meets a very existential Out-of-Towners ... The trailer for this thriller is a hoot: actress Milla Jovovich solemnly warning us that what we re about to see is based on actual case studies before trotting out fake real videotape a la The Blair Witch Project. (Boston Globe)
Lionsgate Executive Vice President and General Sales Manager David Spitz Re-Ups With Studio Under New Long-Term Agreement Sep 5, 2009
During his tenure with Lionsgate and its predecessors, Spitz has made important contributions to the successful distribution of such hits as the SAW franchise, the most successful long-term horror franchise in history with grosses exceeding $667 million in worldwide box office; the Tyler Perry franchise, which has grossed nearly $370 million in domestic box office; CRASH; FAHRENHEIT 9/11; and the independent blockbuster phenomenon THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Other successes include the smash... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Art House Cinema planned at Mattoon Public Library Sep 2, 2009
What about The Blair Witch Project or The Passion of the Christ. And who can forget last year s sleeper Slumdog Millionaire. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Reviewed: 'District 9' Aug 29, 2009
Perfecting the ragged handheld documentary style introduced by 'The Blair Witch Project' and refined by 'Cloverfield', it combines on-the-ground footage with news reports and talking head interviews to create an alternate Johannesburg that seems staggeringly real. That authenticity is only reinforced by the treatment of the aliens themselves. (iAfrica.com)
REVIEW: 'District 9' uncovers a great new sci-fi world Aug 21, 2009
Borrowing a page from "The Blair Witch Project," Blomkamp shoots this like a documentary. The conceit works -- until it goes into areas where you know a crew wouldn't. (Sioux City Journal)
The Witch legend Aug 11, 2009
In 1999, The Blair Witch Project set box offices alight, becoming one of the most profitable movies in cinema history ... After eight months in post-production, trimming 19 hours of footage into a digestible 90 minutes, The Blair Witch Project was shown at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Top 10 Best Micro-budget Independen... Aug 2, 2009
Blair Witch Project (1999). Budget = 35, 000 (2009: 45, 220). (Suite101.com)
Local man to appear in feature length film Jul 31, 2009
Josh Leonard, who previously performed as himself in The Blair Witch Project, stars in the new movie Humpday ... After The Blair Witch Project, Josh made numerous appearances in various television shows. (Daily Collegian, PA)
The Fives: Sturgis rally news you can use -- gas prices, H-D slump, crackdown at Bike Week and more Jul 29, 2009
com, they were able to do it with the Blair Witch Project, so why not Easy Rider. Well, do you recall how good Blair Witch II was. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
'Blair Witch Project' Cast And Crew Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary Jul 15, 2009
Blair Witch Project' Cast And Crew Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary ... Heather Donahue in "The Blair Witch Project" ( Artisan Entertainment ) ... "We really had no idea what we were doing," said "Blair Witch Project" co-director Daniel Myrick to 00003A0A MTV News in June 1999, little more than a month before his indie horror film swept into theaters, scared up $250 million at the worldwide box office. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Recalling the films of 1999 Jul 12, 2009
The Blair Witch Project ... The success of the docu-hoax The Blair Witch Project inaugurated industry-wide panic that the old, expensive way of making movies was dead. (Boston Globe)
This week?s DVD report (July 12) Jul 12, 2009
You ll recognize The Blair Witch Project, 28 Days Later, and The Silence of the Lambs, among others. Extras: Production featurette. (Boston Globe)
The Blair Witch Project 10 years later Jul 10, 2009
The Blair Witch Project 10 years later- msnbc ... The Blair Witch Project 10 years later ... Heather Donahue gave a face to fear in "The Blair Witch Project.". (MSNBC -- News)
Taking mockery to new heights Jul 5, 2009
and the popularity of "The Office." A mockumentary relative, the found-footage genre, caused a stir with "The Blair Witch Project" as recently as 1999 ... There have been at least two genre-busting shockumentaries: "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon," which follows a nascent serial killer, and the utterly absurd "Big Man Japan," which tracks a gigantic hero who battles Godzilla-type behemoths in Tokyo (neither "Cloverfield" nor "The Blair Witch Project" really fit the pseudo-documentary... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
A DAY TO REMEMBER Jul 5, 2009
"Humpday" concerns two former college buddies, Ben (Mark Duplass, a director in his own right) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard, of "The Blair Witch Project"), who one drunken night agree to perform together in an amateur porn movie. Oh, yes, they're both straight. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Family Values a Winner in Contest for Best Short Video Promoting Marriage Equality Jun 25, 2009
"The People's Choice award of $1,000 goes to Blaire Wedding Project, a spoof of the indie film sensation Blair Witch Project. Blaire Wedding was written and directed by Samantha Lavin, who works as an assistant director for the hit show Scrubs, and produced by Lori Brener, a freelance commercial producer and production consultant.The contest received 68 entries from across the nation, from which 11 were selected as finalists by popular vote. From among the finalists, the $2,500 Grand Prize was... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
'Darkside Chronicles': 'Resident Evil' meets 'Cloverfield' Jun 19, 2009
To augment the tension in arcade shooter Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii, publisher Capcom is borrowing a page from films such as Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project. Based on a quick demo, the results seem to produce a more chaotic, intense experience compared to its predecessor, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. (USA Today -- Tech)
Empire Film Group Taps Industry Veteran David Magedman to Manage Theatrical Releasing Division May 12, 2009
Magedman first rose to distribution fame with the breakout, $140-million USA box office success of ``The Blair Witch Project'' when he managed theatrical operations for Artisan Releasing. Most recently, he was Vice President and senior theatrical release executive for Warner Independent Pictures, where he managed theatrical release activities for more than twenty films, cumulatively generating more than $200-million in domestic box office revenues. (Primezone Releases)
'Tenderlointreon' a hit with young film fans May 2, 2009
For Halloween, kids made their own scary shorts - "Don't Go in the Green Building," about a haunted apartment building in the Tenderloin, and "Stow Lake Witch," an ode to "The Blair Witch Project" about a haunted lake in Golden Gate Park. "We had a full house that night because everyone came to see their friends in the homemade movies, so that gave us an idea to start our own Tenderloin independent film festival," Heath said. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Top 10 Ocean Dramas Apr 18, 2009
At the time of its release, "Open Water" was described as "Jaws" meets "The Blair Witch Project.". Vicious pirates preying on unsuspecting ships off the coast of Africa. (Fox News)
More ways to play Mar 14, 2009
"I am looking forward to the Blair Witch Project of gaming," Gareth Davis, Facebook's head of games platforms, told BBC News. "Just like movies such as Blair Witch and Sex, Lies and Videotape broke out of the independent film scene into the mainstream the same will happen with independent gaming.". (BBC News -- Technology)
Was 1999 The Best Year For Movies? Feb 20, 2009
Reading just a handful of the titles released that year seems like a film festival made in heaven: "Fight Club." "The Matrix." "American Beauty." "Being John Malkovich." "The Sixth Sense." "Office Space." "Magnolia." "South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut." "The Blair Witch Project." "Three Kings." "Election." "The Iron Giant." "Boys Don't Cry." "Run Lola Run." "The Talented Mr. Ripley.". Keep your eyes on this space as we'll run tributes to "American Beauty," "Three Kings" and others, as we try to... (VHI.com -- Music News)
It's Friday ... again Feb 13, 2009
SHOWCASE :: Erie's Entertainment Web Site. Music as a Weapon tour with Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Chimaira, Lacuna Coil to visit Tullio Arena on April 20; tickets on sale Feb. 14. (Erie Times-News, PA)
