(WARNING: There are spoilers)

The main goal of any horror movie is to scare the audience. I'm not much of a horror fan, quite simply for the reason that I do not like being scared. The unique and original faux-documentary The Blair Witch Project is a horror film, but it doesn't really scare me in the conventional sense (then again, this isn't a conventional movie). That may qualify it as a failure, but it does accomplish something else that's quite extraordinary. Using such primordial fears as getting lost (in the woods of all places), being in the dark, facing the unknown, hearing strange noises, and being chased by a mysterious yet dangerous force, this film has truly gotten into my head and invaded my subconscious. One of the best lines in the movie, spoken by Heather (Heather Donahue) during her unforgettable confessional, just about sums it up for me: "I'm scared to close my eyes. I'm scared to open them." Ever since I have seen this film, I've had more dark dreams about being in the same (or a similar) dire situation than I can even count.

The key to the movie's sustaining effectiveness lies in the fact that it doesn't show us anything substantial, which is unlike most horror films. We never get to see what it is exactly that is hunting the three film students in the woods. We don't even see them getting killed, if they are killed at all (it's just assumed that they are). The only things we do see are a bunch of mysterious rock piles and strange sticks that are tied together to look like people. There's also a small bag filled with blood and teeth, presumably Josh's (Joshua Leonard), the student that inexplicably disappears near the end of the movie. The only sounds we hear are of wood cracking, children's voices, and another voice that sounds a lot like Josh moaning in pain. Consequently, the audience is required to fill in the details with their imagination, making this an "interactive film" of sorts. The filmmakers, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, understood that nothing they could show us would ever be as frightening as what we can cook up in our imaginations.

There are two main theories for what is really going on: either there actually is a Blair Witch, or there are some weird townspeople who are playing an elaborate hoax to scare and/or kill the students (somewhat similar to the 1972 movie Deliverance, which is referenced by Josh). I lean more towards the former because it seems like too much effort for regular people to kill and/or scare the three kids. Still, I don't completely rule out that possibility. A solid argument could be made for both cases. Another possibility that I can think of is that one of the students themselves is in on it. I seriously doubt that though because I don't think somebody can pretend to be a victim for that long without somehow giving it away. There is the possibility, of course, that all three students are creating a hoax in order for them to disappear (for reasons unknown). But, for that to work, they would have to be very good actors because they really seem like they're suffering.

CONTINUED IN PART 2...