Written and Directed by: Teddy Grennan Starring: Sam Brooks, Tu Morrow, Tommi Rose, Michael Weaver, Conner Ann Waterman, and Joshua Leonard World Premiere 2024 Nashville Film Festival Saturday, September 21 – 9:00pm https://nashfilmfest.eventive.org/schedule/66bfee43e7941d0026769250 When Otto’s derailed on his way to becoming the city’s youngest detective, he stays in the police business as a bioremediation specialist …
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The post Mystery Thriller Catch A Killer: World Premiere 2024 Nashville Film Festival Saturday, September 21 – 9:00pm. appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 9/24/2024
- by Janel Spiegel
- Horror News
The botched video transfer of “The Blair Witch Project” still haunts producer Mike Monello 25 years later.
The iconic horror film, which propelled the found footage genre into the 21st century, apparently has never been released as “intended,” according to Monello. A limited edition re-release with the correct version will be out on Blu-ray in November 2024 via Second Sight Films.
“In 1999, theatrical films didn’t originate on video, so there was no codified process for putting them out on video. So they did it like all films back then: They transferred the 35mm negative to video,” Monello tweeted. “Unfortunately, the 35mm negative is Not the actual camera negative. As a result, the version released for all forms of home video is incorrect. The colors, the motion, the strange rounded corners, it didn’t look like a home video, and it didn’t look like film.”
Monello added that the upcoming edition...
The iconic horror film, which propelled the found footage genre into the 21st century, apparently has never been released as “intended,” according to Monello. A limited edition re-release with the correct version will be out on Blu-ray in November 2024 via Second Sight Films.
“In 1999, theatrical films didn’t originate on video, so there was no codified process for putting them out on video. So they did it like all films back then: They transferred the 35mm negative to video,” Monello tweeted. “Unfortunately, the 35mm negative is Not the actual camera negative. As a result, the version released for all forms of home video is incorrect. The colors, the motion, the strange rounded corners, it didn’t look like a home video, and it didn’t look like film.”
Monello added that the upcoming edition...
- 8/27/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Blair Witch Project has been back in the news big time, and this time, no one is questioning whether it’s real or not.
You may have heard that the production company Lionsgate announced that they’re teaming up with Blumhouse to reimagine (read: reboot) some of their horror classics, starting with The Blair Witch Project, and in addition to predictably mixed internet reactions about the prospect of a new/old film, the announcement also kicked up some old resentments among the original stars. Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard wrote an open letter to Lionsgate requesting residuals, input on how their images are used in the franchise going forward, and a grant for young filmmakers.
What may come as slightly more surprising is that since The Blair Witch Project came out, dozens of Blair Witch properties have come out without the direct participation of Donahue, Williams,...
You may have heard that the production company Lionsgate announced that they’re teaming up with Blumhouse to reimagine (read: reboot) some of their horror classics, starting with The Blair Witch Project, and in addition to predictably mixed internet reactions about the prospect of a new/old film, the announcement also kicked up some old resentments among the original stars. Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard wrote an open letter to Lionsgate requesting residuals, input on how their images are used in the franchise going forward, and a grant for young filmmakers.
What may come as slightly more surprising is that since The Blair Witch Project came out, dozens of Blair Witch properties have come out without the direct participation of Donahue, Williams,...
- 8/23/2024
- by Pacific Obadiah
- bloody-disgusting.com
The found footage horror classic The Blair Witch Project is returning to Blu-ray with a new release from UK company Second Sight, and it’s set to be a first-of-its-kind offering.
The 2-Disc Limited Edition set includes a new Second Sight Films restoration from the Hi8 videotapes and 16mm film elements, supervised and approved by the Producers and Directors, which presents The Blair Witch Project as it was meant to be seen for the very first time.
The Blair Witch Project production designer Ben Rock explains over on Twitter, “If you’re a fan of The Blair Witch Project, this edition is a first of its kind. The original sources have been re-digitized including a first-ever proper transfer of the 16mm. And there’s a new doc by Jed Shepherd interviewing all of us who made the film.”
“The version you’ve seen was transferred (hi-8 & 16mm) to BetaSP in 1997, edited in standard def,...
The 2-Disc Limited Edition set includes a new Second Sight Films restoration from the Hi8 videotapes and 16mm film elements, supervised and approved by the Producers and Directors, which presents The Blair Witch Project as it was meant to be seen for the very first time.
The Blair Witch Project production designer Ben Rock explains over on Twitter, “If you’re a fan of The Blair Witch Project, this edition is a first of its kind. The original sources have been re-digitized including a first-ever proper transfer of the 16mm. And there’s a new doc by Jed Shepherd interviewing all of us who made the film.”
“The version you’ve seen was transferred (hi-8 & 16mm) to BetaSP in 1997, edited in standard def,...
- 8/23/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The summer of 1999 had big things planned for the supernatural horror genre. In the midst of high-budget blockbuster movies emerged a small Indie movie named The Blair Witch Project. Directed by two University of Central Florida students, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the movie drew inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 masterpiece Jaws.
Joshua Leonard in The Blair Witch Project (1999) || Artisan Entertainment
Initially many studios dismissed it, considering it a risky venture. However, The Blair Witch project brought in an incredible $248.6 million worldwide, despite having a $60,000 shooting budget. Further, the movie continues to haunt the audience even after 25 years of its release.
How Steven Spielberg’s Jaws inspired The Blair Witch Project
The movie, which tells the tale of three student filmmakers named Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard, was a major factor in polarizing the found-footage horror genre. To document the Blair Witch legend, the three of them head into the Maryland woods.
Joshua Leonard in The Blair Witch Project (1999) || Artisan Entertainment
Initially many studios dismissed it, considering it a risky venture. However, The Blair Witch project brought in an incredible $248.6 million worldwide, despite having a $60,000 shooting budget. Further, the movie continues to haunt the audience even after 25 years of its release.
How Steven Spielberg’s Jaws inspired The Blair Witch Project
The movie, which tells the tale of three student filmmakers named Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard, was a major factor in polarizing the found-footage horror genre. To document the Blair Witch legend, the three of them head into the Maryland woods.
- 7/15/2024
- by Sakshi Singh
- FandomWire
Horror was in a bit of a funk in the late 90s. Then 25 years ago, in July 1999, The Blair Witch Project came along and changed everything.
In a 1996 article published in The Philadelphia Enquirer, film critic Desmond Ryan bemoaned the state of mainstream films. Citing such films as Independence Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, and that year’s hurricane thrillride Twister, Ryan argued that Hollywood had become more interested in special effects than logic or character.
“It all began,” Ryan wrote, “when Twister’s killer tornadoes sucked up everything in their path – tractors, cows, common sense, continuity, plausibility, and the quaint notion that movies should have characters you care about.”
By the end of the 1990s, the horror genre appeared to have descended into a creative funk of its own. Of the horror films released toward the end of the decade, many of the most high-profile examples were remakes or sequels in somewhat tired franchises.
In a 1996 article published in The Philadelphia Enquirer, film critic Desmond Ryan bemoaned the state of mainstream films. Citing such films as Independence Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, and that year’s hurricane thrillride Twister, Ryan argued that Hollywood had become more interested in special effects than logic or character.
“It all began,” Ryan wrote, “when Twister’s killer tornadoes sucked up everything in their path – tractors, cows, common sense, continuity, plausibility, and the quaint notion that movies should have characters you care about.”
By the end of the 1990s, the horror genre appeared to have descended into a creative funk of its own. Of the horror films released toward the end of the decade, many of the most high-profile examples were remakes or sequels in somewhat tired franchises.
- 7/11/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
In October 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkitsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later, their footage was found.
That brief but iconic introductory text and the narrative that followed would captivate millions for decades. When “The Blair Witch Project” hit theaters in summer 1999, moviegoers were enthralled by the ill-fated fictional journey of three would-be documentarians — Heather Donahue (Rei Hance), Josh Leonard (Joshua Leonard), and Mike Williams (Michael Williams) — hunting down the truth behind a local Maryland myth. It was shocking; the analog realism of the then-obscure found footage genre instilled in viewers the sense that what they were witnessing was the last record of a real tragedy. The illusion was made even more palpable thanks to a marketing campaign that embraced the early internet with a rudimentary website, missing persons posters of the characters, and a TV mockumentary companion, “Curse of the Blair Witch,” that preceded the film’s release.
That brief but iconic introductory text and the narrative that followed would captivate millions for decades. When “The Blair Witch Project” hit theaters in summer 1999, moviegoers were enthralled by the ill-fated fictional journey of three would-be documentarians — Heather Donahue (Rei Hance), Josh Leonard (Joshua Leonard), and Mike Williams (Michael Williams) — hunting down the truth behind a local Maryland myth. It was shocking; the analog realism of the then-obscure found footage genre instilled in viewers the sense that what they were witnessing was the last record of a real tragedy. The illusion was made even more palpable thanks to a marketing campaign that embraced the early internet with a rudimentary website, missing persons posters of the characters, and a TV mockumentary companion, “Curse of the Blair Witch,” that preceded the film’s release.
- 7/1/2024
- by Dalvin Aboagye and Conor Rooney
- Indiewire
The Blair Witch Project would have broke the internet when it came out, if there was internet back then. The independent horror film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and then began raking in profits in the theaters. Plus, there were VHS sales and all that creepy Blair Witch merch, and then multiple spinoffs and sequels. Ironically, the crew that played dead after the release to ensure the movies’ success, barely saw a dime of those proceeds.
The Blair Witch actors have been embroiled in legal battles with Artisan for off and on for decades. The actors did get paid, but it was literally crumbs compared to what millions of dollars that the film made due to contracts they signed at the beginning of production.
What Happened To The Blair Witch Stars
It’s hard to believe there’s anyone out there who hasn’t seen Blair With Project. But,...
The Blair Witch actors have been embroiled in legal battles with Artisan for off and on for decades. The actors did get paid, but it was literally crumbs compared to what millions of dollars that the film made due to contracts they signed at the beginning of production.
What Happened To The Blair Witch Stars
It’s hard to believe there’s anyone out there who hasn’t seen Blair With Project. But,...
- 6/14/2024
- by Amanda Austin
- Celebrating The Soaps
The Blair Witch Project trio condemns Lionsgate's 'reprehensible' treatment: 'We were being cut out'
Let’s take a ride in the way-back machine and step out in 1999, when a little independent film called The Blair Witch Project became an iconic film. We won’t argue about whether or not it was the first found footage film, instead stating the indisputable fact that it was the most successful one (not to mention one of the most profitable independent films) of all time.
At the heart of The Blair Witch Project were three unknown actors: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams. It was each of their first films, and none of them expected it to become a massive hit.
The production was unique in that the actors were encouraged to improvise most of their dialogue. There was a screenplay, but it mostly contained the events that were to take place, and there were times when only one of the actors knew what was going to happen next.
At the heart of The Blair Witch Project were three unknown actors: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams. It was each of their first films, and none of them expected it to become a massive hit.
The production was unique in that the actors were encouraged to improvise most of their dialogue. There was a screenplay, but it mostly contained the events that were to take place, and there were times when only one of the actors knew what was going to happen next.
- 6/13/2024
- by Carla Davis
- 1428 Elm
For the trio of actors who almost singlehandedly turned "The Blair Witch Project" into a cultural phenomenon and one of the most terrifying horror films of the last quarter century, what should've been the dream roles of a lifetime have instead turned into a living nightmare.
In the late 1990s, young and up-and-coming performers Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard found themselves joining an extremely low-budget indie production that was then titled "The Black Hills Project." The concept was simple: The three leads would be filming approximately 10 minutes of footage as part of a fictional horror documentary, playing the part of student filmmakers searching for evidence of a local legend known as the Blair Witch, and who vanished without a trace in the Maryland woods. Not only were the three required to sign off on clauses that would allow filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez to use their...
In the late 1990s, young and up-and-coming performers Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard found themselves joining an extremely low-budget indie production that was then titled "The Black Hills Project." The concept was simple: The three leads would be filming approximately 10 minutes of footage as part of a fictional horror documentary, playing the part of student filmmakers searching for evidence of a local legend known as the Blair Witch, and who vanished without a trace in the Maryland woods. Not only were the three required to sign off on clauses that would allow filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez to use their...
- 6/13/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
The Blair Witch Project cast came out against Lionsgate after the announcement of a new reboot at CinemaCon this year. The year also marks the 25th anniversary of the project, and the cast now goes into detail about how they struggled after their massively successful independent film. Haxan Films hired Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard for different roles in 1997.
A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
The three actors were intimately involved in the film, even learning to operate the camera and the sound recording equipment. Their real names were used in the film, which was not something they agreed to. When the film became a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival, Artisan Entertainment bought the film for $1.1 million.
The Blair Witch Project Cast Struggled Due to The Secrecy of Their Role A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the directors of the film,...
A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
The three actors were intimately involved in the film, even learning to operate the camera and the sound recording equipment. Their real names were used in the film, which was not something they agreed to. When the film became a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival, Artisan Entertainment bought the film for $1.1 million.
The Blair Witch Project Cast Struggled Due to The Secrecy of Their Role A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the directors of the film,...
- 6/13/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
Back in April, it was announced that Lionsgate and Blumhouse Productions have made a multi-picture pact that will see Blumhouse reimagining horror classics from the Lionsgate library – and the development and production of a new The Blair Witch Project is the first project on that slate. That announcement has inspired the stars of the original film – Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams – to start speaking up about the fact that they have never been properly financially compensated for the roles they played into turning the original film into a massive hit that spawned a franchise.
Made on a budget of $35,000, The Blair Witch Project was purchased by Artisan Entertainment for $1.1 million and went on to earn over $248 million at the worldwide box office when it was released in 1999. Donahue, Leonard, Williams, who used their own names in the film and improvised the dialogue while being paid $500 a week during production,...
Made on a budget of $35,000, The Blair Witch Project was purchased by Artisan Entertainment for $1.1 million and went on to earn over $248 million at the worldwide box office when it was released in 1999. Donahue, Leonard, Williams, who used their own names in the film and improvised the dialogue while being paid $500 a week during production,...
- 6/13/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Oscar-nominated 2022 feature “TÁR” made a chilling statement onscreen, but the film appears to have sourced one particular audio clip from an iconic horror movie: “The Blair Witch Project,” directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez.
Heather Donahue said during an interview with Variety that “TÁR” used her final scream from “The Blair Witch Project” for a key scene of its own — and without permission. In “TÁR,” the titular composer Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is running in the woods and hears a startling cry from an unseen woman. According to Donahue, that scream was sampled from the 1999 Lionsgate film “The Blair Witch Project,” heard at the very end of the film as her character appears to die offscreen.
Donahue, who now goes by Rei Hance on social media and elsewhere but is attributed as Donahue in the Variety piece, said she alerted “The Blair Witch Project” distributor Lionsgate to the unauthorized...
Heather Donahue said during an interview with Variety that “TÁR” used her final scream from “The Blair Witch Project” for a key scene of its own — and without permission. In “TÁR,” the titular composer Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is running in the woods and hears a startling cry from an unseen woman. According to Donahue, that scream was sampled from the 1999 Lionsgate film “The Blair Witch Project,” heard at the very end of the film as her character appears to die offscreen.
Donahue, who now goes by Rei Hance on social media and elsewhere but is attributed as Donahue in the Variety piece, said she alerted “The Blair Witch Project” distributor Lionsgate to the unauthorized...
- 6/12/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson and Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
In the summer of 1999, Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard were trapped in a strange sort of limbo. “The Blair Witch Project,” their debut feature, had exploded out of the Sundance Film Festival that January to become one of the most influential horror movies of the past 25 years — and, with a $35,000 budget, one of the most profitable independent films ever made. And yet Donahue was still puttering to her temp job in a 1984 Toyota Celica, before it broke down right underneath a billboard with her face on it. Williams’ boss kept asking him why he was still moving furniture in Westchester, N.Y., when he was on the cover of Newsweek. And Leonard found himself serving food to his agent at a catering gig days before he appeared on “The Tonight Show.”
“My agent asked me what the fuck I was doing,” Leonard says. “I said, ‘You know...
“My agent asked me what the fuck I was doing,” Leonard says. “I said, ‘You know...
- 6/12/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
What scares Stephen King? The legendary horror author has made a career (and a fortune) frightening us all with his tales of terror. But what gets under King's skin? What gives him the creeps? "Pet Sematary" was famously sold as the "Stephen King novel that scared Stephen King," mostly because King thought the book was too damn bleak but published it to fulfill a contractual obligation.
But what about horror works by other people? Are there horror movies that give the master of horror the heebie jeebies? As it turns out, there's one movie in particular King has claimed scared him. In fact, it scared him so much that the first time he watched it he requested it be turned off before the film even ended. That film: "The Blair Witch Project," the blockbuster indie horror movie that became a cultural phenomenon when it arrived in 1999.
Read more: The 95 Best...
But what about horror works by other people? Are there horror movies that give the master of horror the heebie jeebies? As it turns out, there's one movie in particular King has claimed scared him. In fact, it scared him so much that the first time he watched it he requested it be turned off before the film even ended. That film: "The Blair Witch Project," the blockbuster indie horror movie that became a cultural phenomenon when it arrived in 1999.
Read more: The 95 Best...
- 5/18/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
"The Blair Witch Project" is back in the news. First, word recently broke that a new "Blair Witch" movie is in the works from Blumhouse and Lionsgate. This was greeted as less-than-ideal information by the folks involved with the original movie, who feel they should be involved with the new film, too, and who can blame them? Then came word that the original cast members of the first film were asking for residuals for the use of their likenesses throughout the franchise.
In short, things seem messy in "Blair Witch" world. Talk about scary! But let's look beyond these recent headlines and back at the franchise itself. As of now, there are three feature films. There are also a handful of excellent made-for-tv faux documentaries that served as tie-ins for the films, but we won't be touching on those here. Instead, we're going to focus on the three theatrical releases: "The Blair Witch Project,...
In short, things seem messy in "Blair Witch" world. Talk about scary! But let's look beyond these recent headlines and back at the franchise itself. As of now, there are three feature films. There are also a handful of excellent made-for-tv faux documentaries that served as tie-ins for the films, but we won't be touching on those here. Instead, we're going to focus on the three theatrical releases: "The Blair Witch Project,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Earlier this month, Lionsgate announced the revival of The Blair Witch Project franchise with a new movie. Now, in the wake of that announcement, the cast from the original film has come forward to decry “25 years of disrespect” from Lionsgate and make new demands ahead of the reboot.
Released in 1999 via Artisan Entertainment, the original Blair Witch Project starred Joshua Leonard, Heather Donahue (now named Rei Hance), and Michael Williams, who used their real names and likeness for the project. Since Artisan Entertainment was bought-out by Lionsgate in 2003, though, the cast has allegedly experienced quite a bit of disrespect, even down to being forced to go to court just to win back their own names (since their Blair Witch “characters” were IP belonging to the production house).
The announcement of the reboot last month was the straw that broke the camel’s back, though. Taking to social media, Leonard began...
Released in 1999 via Artisan Entertainment, the original Blair Witch Project starred Joshua Leonard, Heather Donahue (now named Rei Hance), and Michael Williams, who used their real names and likeness for the project. Since Artisan Entertainment was bought-out by Lionsgate in 2003, though, the cast has allegedly experienced quite a bit of disrespect, even down to being forced to go to court just to win back their own names (since their Blair Witch “characters” were IP belonging to the production house).
The announcement of the reboot last month was the straw that broke the camel’s back, though. Taking to social media, Leonard began...
- 4/22/2024
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Film News
The stars of 1999’s The Blair Witch Project have called on Lionsgate to do the right thing following last week’s reboot announcement.
Earlier this month, we learned that Lionsgate would be partnering with Blumhouse to reboot The Blair Witch Project, the 1999 smash hit that redefined the horror landscape, rocket-fuelling the found footage sub-genre and becoming one of the most successful indie films ever made.
Then came the news that the original film’s creators hadn’t been consulted regarding the new project. Worse still, they weren’t even informed about it, having to find out about the reboot at the same tame as everybody else.
It looks like the core creative trio of Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams are pushing back, with the three filmmakers releasing a public statement in which they propose to be recompensed for payments that they never received because they were too young...
Earlier this month, we learned that Lionsgate would be partnering with Blumhouse to reboot The Blair Witch Project, the 1999 smash hit that redefined the horror landscape, rocket-fuelling the found footage sub-genre and becoming one of the most successful indie films ever made.
Then came the news that the original film’s creators hadn’t been consulted regarding the new project. Worse still, they weren’t even informed about it, having to find out about the reboot at the same tame as everybody else.
It looks like the core creative trio of Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams are pushing back, with the three filmmakers releasing a public statement in which they propose to be recompensed for payments that they never received because they were too young...
- 4/22/2024
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Actors Rei Hance, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams – who improvised most of horror film’s dialogue – claim they didn’t have proper union representation in 1999 and seek residuals
The stars of The Blair Witch Project have called for more compensation for their work in the original film, as well as “meaningful consultation” on any reboots and sequels, after it was announced that the horror franchise is being revived yet again.
On Saturday, actors Rei Hance (formerly known as Heather Donahue), Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams issued an open letter to Lionsgate, the studio that now owns the Blair Witch franchise.
Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning...
The stars of The Blair Witch Project have called for more compensation for their work in the original film, as well as “meaningful consultation” on any reboots and sequels, after it was announced that the horror franchise is being revived yet again.
On Saturday, actors Rei Hance (formerly known as Heather Donahue), Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams issued an open letter to Lionsgate, the studio that now owns the Blair Witch franchise.
Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning...
- 4/22/2024
- by Michael Sun
- The Guardian - Film News
"The Blair Witch Project" wasn't the first found footage horror film, but it is largely responsible for the explosion in found footage horror films over the last 25 years. A big reason for that? The numbers. Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, "Blair Witch" was shot over just eight days with an initial outlay of just $35,000. It was bought by Artisan Entertainment for $1 million, and the studio spent around $6-8 million marketing it (per The Hollywood Reporter). The movie went on to gross more than $248 million at the box office.
It's a studio executive's dream to land a project like that, and studios have been chasing the high of "The Blair Witch Project" ever since. There have been two "Blair Witch" movie sequels, with another "reimagining" recently announced by Blumhouse and Lionsgate. There have been books, comic books, and video games. It's a full-blown horror franchise that hasn't stopped making...
It's a studio executive's dream to land a project like that, and studios have been chasing the high of "The Blair Witch Project" ever since. There have been two "Blair Witch" movie sequels, with another "reimagining" recently announced by Blumhouse and Lionsgate. There have been books, comic books, and video games. It's a full-blown horror franchise that hasn't stopped making...
- 4/21/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
While 1999’s The Blair Witch Project was a phenomenon upon release, who knew we would still be talking about it 25 years later? More directly, who knew we would be focusing so much on all of the “disrespect” that the studio has for the original cast? At least, that’s the claim that star Joshua Leonard makes, launching a campaign to bring attention to Lionsgate, who acquired Artisan two decades ago and he believes is unfairly profiting from the screams, sweat and tears of the original cast. Now, he is being joined by The Blair Witch Project co-stars Heather Donahue and Michael Williams in their efforts to receive residuals and to be consulted on any future endeavors.
In a joint statement (via Deadline), Leonard, Donahue and Williams are asking that Lionsgate fork over past and future The Blair Witch Project residuals “for acting services rendered in the original Bwp, equivalent to...
In a joint statement (via Deadline), Leonard, Donahue and Williams are asking that Lionsgate fork over past and future The Blair Witch Project residuals “for acting services rendered in the original Bwp, equivalent to...
- 4/21/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Officially announced by Blumhouse and Lionsgate earlier this month, a reboot of The Blair Witch Project is currently in the works, which will be the third follow-up to the original found footage horror classic that changed the game back in 1999. In the wake of the announcement, the original creators and stars have each issued joint statements this weekend.
The Blair Witch Project was created by filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez – along with Haxan Films creative partners Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie and Michael Monello – back in the 1990s, with stars Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard heading out into the woods of Maryland to conjure up horror magic together.
The actors largely improvised their performances and even used their real names in the movie, with the film’s clever viral marketing campaign leading many to believe that they weren’t actually actors in a movie, but rather real...
The Blair Witch Project was created by filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez – along with Haxan Films creative partners Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie and Michael Monello – back in the 1990s, with stars Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard heading out into the woods of Maryland to conjure up horror magic together.
The actors largely improvised their performances and even used their real names in the movie, with the film’s clever viral marketing campaign leading many to believe that they weren’t actually actors in a movie, but rather real...
- 4/21/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Blair Witch Project is one of the best horror/mysteries of all time, even credited by many for changing the face of terror into something unimaginable. Not only do the terrifying events shown in Eduardo Sánchez, Gregg Hale, and Daniel Myrick’s film have the audience trepid in horror, but even bringing those events to life was a helluva task for the cast and crew.
The Blair Witch Project (1999).
That being said, the crew behind the lens actually had some of the most fearsome approaches to shooting the movie. This included the filmmakers literally playing the Blair Witch for the three main leads of the film who end up going missing (in the movie) — something that must have been unarguably brutally scary even for the main actors!
Scare Tactics for The Blair Witch Project Were Beyond Brutal
If you think that The Blair Witch Project is actually one of...
The Blair Witch Project (1999).
That being said, the crew behind the lens actually had some of the most fearsome approaches to shooting the movie. This included the filmmakers literally playing the Blair Witch for the three main leads of the film who end up going missing (in the movie) — something that must have been unarguably brutally scary even for the main actors!
Scare Tactics for The Blair Witch Project Were Beyond Brutal
If you think that The Blair Witch Project is actually one of...
- 4/21/2024
- by Mahin Sultan
- FandomWire
The Blair Witch Project stands as a pinnacle of horror cinema, claiming its iconic status globally. Despite numerous attempts to replicate its groundbreaking style or success, no project has managed to capture its essence.
As the 25th anniversary of the film approaches, the cast of this iconic movie has united to negotiate with Lionsgate, seeking their rightful residuals along with two other crucial demands. Fans are fuming after finding out how the cast had been treated post the mega success, and they’re making sure their frustration is heard loud and clear.
1999 American supernatural horror film, about a fictional legend known as the Blair Witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast Exposes Lionsgate!
Only a handful of projects could ever match the uniqueness that The Blair Witch Project brought to the table. When it first debuted in 1999, it captured the world’s attention like nothing before, and nothing since has surpassed it.
As the 25th anniversary of the film approaches, the cast of this iconic movie has united to negotiate with Lionsgate, seeking their rightful residuals along with two other crucial demands. Fans are fuming after finding out how the cast had been treated post the mega success, and they’re making sure their frustration is heard loud and clear.
1999 American supernatural horror film, about a fictional legend known as the Blair Witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast Exposes Lionsgate!
Only a handful of projects could ever match the uniqueness that The Blair Witch Project brought to the table. When it first debuted in 1999, it captured the world’s attention like nothing before, and nothing since has surpassed it.
- 4/21/2024
- by Sampurna Banerjee
- FandomWire
The stars of The Blair Witch Project have come together with a public proposal to Lionsgate after the studio recently announced a partnership with Blumhouse for a reboot of the 1999 horror sensation.
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams wrote in a statement on Saturday that they’re asking Lionsgate for retroactive and future residual payments, “meaningful consultation” on any future Blair Witch projects and an annual $60,000 grant for “an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film.”
“Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective,” they wrote in part. “Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far unutilized secret-weapon!”
The trio’s...
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams wrote in a statement on Saturday that they’re asking Lionsgate for retroactive and future residual payments, “meaningful consultation” on any future Blair Witch projects and an annual $60,000 grant for “an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film.”
“Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective,” they wrote in part. “Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far unutilized secret-weapon!”
The trio’s...
- 4/21/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The stars of The Blair Witch Project are banding together and sharing a public proposal to Lionsgate after the studio partnered with Blumhouse for a reboot.
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams shared a statement asking for retroactive and future residual payments, want “meaningful consultation” on any future Blair Witch projects and also want the studio to start a grant for aspiring filmmakers.
The trio is asking for residuals “for acting services rendered in the original Bwp, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.”
Donahue, Leonard and Williams want to be consulted “on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc… , in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”
“Our...
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams shared a statement asking for retroactive and future residual payments, want “meaningful consultation” on any future Blair Witch projects and also want the studio to start a grant for aspiring filmmakers.
The trio is asking for residuals “for acting services rendered in the original Bwp, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.”
Donahue, Leonard and Williams want to be consulted “on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc… , in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”
“Our...
- 4/21/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams, stars of the seminal horror film “The Blair Witch Project,” released a public letter to Lionsgate on Saturday asking for more robust compensation for their work on the 1999 blockbuster, as well as “meaningful consultation” on any future “Blair Witch” projects that use their names or likenesses.
The statement comes 10 days after Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced they plan to revive the franchise with a new movie that would provide, in the words of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson, “new vision for ‘Blair Witch’ that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.” Lionsgate did not produce or distribute the original 1999 film. It acquired the property through its 2003 buyout of independent film distributor Artisan Entertainment.
The Lionsgate-Blumhouse announcement sparked a strongly worded response via social media from Leonard, who said that no one had contacted him or his costars about the project in advance.
The statement comes 10 days after Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced they plan to revive the franchise with a new movie that would provide, in the words of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson, “new vision for ‘Blair Witch’ that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.” Lionsgate did not produce or distribute the original 1999 film. It acquired the property through its 2003 buyout of independent film distributor Artisan Entertainment.
The Lionsgate-Blumhouse announcement sparked a strongly worded response via social media from Leonard, who said that no one had contacted him or his costars about the project in advance.
- 4/21/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
“They haven’t talked to any of us,” says production designer of 1999’s The Blair Witch Project, referring to Blumhouse’s upcoming reboot.
On the 10th April, Blumhouse announced that it’s set to make a reboot of The Blair Witch Project, a franchise that began with the found footage original in 1999. Curiously, it sounds as though the people that made the first, sensationally popular film found out about the reboot at the same time the rest of us did.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, production designer Ben Rock said that neither he nor anyone else who worked on the 1999 horror had been contacted by Blumhouse.
“It’s bittersweet, honestly,” Rock said of the new film.
Nor is Rock the only person who sounded blindsided by the announcement. Taking to Instagram, Joshua Leonard – who starred in the original Blair Witch – wrote that he “didn’t know anything about” the reboot...
On the 10th April, Blumhouse announced that it’s set to make a reboot of The Blair Witch Project, a franchise that began with the found footage original in 1999. Curiously, it sounds as though the people that made the first, sensationally popular film found out about the reboot at the same time the rest of us did.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, production designer Ben Rock said that neither he nor anyone else who worked on the 1999 horror had been contacted by Blumhouse.
“It’s bittersweet, honestly,” Rock said of the new film.
Nor is Rock the only person who sounded blindsided by the announcement. Taking to Instagram, Joshua Leonard – who starred in the original Blair Witch – wrote that he “didn’t know anything about” the reboot...
- 4/16/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
The team behind the original 1999 film The Blair Witch Project didn’t know about the plan for a new movie in the horror franchise until it was announced during Lionsgate’s CinemaCon presentation last week. But the filmmakers’ frustrations over their lack of involvement in the future of the series has been building for years.
“It’s bittersweet, honestly,” Ben Rock, production designer on the 1999 found-footage hit, tells The Hollywood Reporter about the planned reboot. He notes that no one from his film, including co-directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, was involved in any significant way in the 2000 sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, or the 2016 follow-up. Rock hopes this will change for the current project that is in the works from Lionsgate and Blumhouse, but so far, no one from the 1999 movie had been contacted or given a chance to pitch, he says.
“I do think that what...
“It’s bittersweet, honestly,” Ben Rock, production designer on the 1999 found-footage hit, tells The Hollywood Reporter about the planned reboot. He notes that no one from his film, including co-directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, was involved in any significant way in the 2000 sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, or the 2016 follow-up. Rock hopes this will change for the current project that is in the works from Lionsgate and Blumhouse, but so far, no one from the 1999 movie had been contacted or given a chance to pitch, he says.
“I do think that what...
- 4/15/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joshua Leonard, who starred in the 1999 horror movie The Blair Witch Project, is speaking out about the upcoming reboot.
Despite its small $35,000 budget, the original Blair Witch Project went on to generate $249 million worldwide.
If you didn’t hear the news, Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced a remake of The Blair Witch Project on April 10 at CinemaCon.
Joshua took to social media on Thursday (April 11) to share his reaction to the news.
Keep reading to find out more…
In a lengthy Instagram post, the 48-year-old actor claimed that he and everyone who worked on the 1999 found-footage film were not adequately compensated.
“A Hollywood insider told the press that we (actors) were paid 4M dollars as a buyout for our ownership points, while in reality, we made 300k… and Never saw another dime,” Joshua wrote.
He continued, “There were many factors that made Bwp a success: timing, marketing, etc. But there was...
Despite its small $35,000 budget, the original Blair Witch Project went on to generate $249 million worldwide.
If you didn’t hear the news, Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced a remake of The Blair Witch Project on April 10 at CinemaCon.
Joshua took to social media on Thursday (April 11) to share his reaction to the news.
Keep reading to find out more…
In a lengthy Instagram post, the 48-year-old actor claimed that he and everyone who worked on the 1999 found-footage film were not adequately compensated.
“A Hollywood insider told the press that we (actors) were paid 4M dollars as a buyout for our ownership points, while in reality, we made 300k… and Never saw another dime,” Joshua wrote.
He continued, “There were many factors that made Bwp a success: timing, marketing, etc. But there was...
- 4/15/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Back in 1999, Joshua Leonard made his acting debut in the now-iconic found-footage film “The Blair Witch Project.” In the last 25 years he’s directed five of his own films and starred in dozens of others, but is still fighting to be taken seriously in Hollywood.
At last week’s CinemaCon, Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced the development of a”The Blair Witch Project” reboot. Leonard’s face was on the press release — but in an April 12 social media post, he said he knew nothing about the project.
“This is My face on a press release for a film being made by two major studios — both I’ve worked for, both I respect,” Leonard wrote on Facebook. “The Weird Part is that I didn’t know anything about it until a friend sent me a ‘congrats’ screenshot yesterday. My frustration is compounded b/c I’ve been trying to get @lionsgate to...
At last week’s CinemaCon, Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced the development of a”The Blair Witch Project” reboot. Leonard’s face was on the press release — but in an April 12 social media post, he said he knew nothing about the project.
“This is My face on a press release for a film being made by two major studios — both I’ve worked for, both I respect,” Leonard wrote on Facebook. “The Weird Part is that I didn’t know anything about it until a friend sent me a ‘congrats’ screenshot yesterday. My frustration is compounded b/c I’ve been trying to get @lionsgate to...
- 4/15/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Blair Witch Project was a movie that should have been left alone. But such insanely successful films rarely are, with the ultra-indie movie going on to spawn everything from inevitable sequels to tie-in comic books to, yes, video games. Add to that now a “reimagining” courtesy of Blumhouse, which hasn’t exactly been a well received idea from fans – or stars – of the 1999 horror blockbuster.
Joshua Leonard – one of the three stars of The Blair Witch Project, along with Heather Donahue and Michael Williams – is now speaking out against the planned movie (a Lionsgate co-production), particularly as it relates to how the original cast is treated. Linking to a piece in Variety about the Blumhouse venture, Leonard wrote, in part: “The Weird Part [about his likeness being used in the press] is that I didn’t know anything about it until a friend sent me a ‘congrats’ screenshot yesterday. My frustration is compounded b/c I’ve...
Joshua Leonard – one of the three stars of The Blair Witch Project, along with Heather Donahue and Michael Williams – is now speaking out against the planned movie (a Lionsgate co-production), particularly as it relates to how the original cast is treated. Linking to a piece in Variety about the Blumhouse venture, Leonard wrote, in part: “The Weird Part [about his likeness being used in the press] is that I didn’t know anything about it until a friend sent me a ‘congrats’ screenshot yesterday. My frustration is compounded b/c I’ve...
- 4/13/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
From the director of Frozen… no, not that one… the better one, comes a throwback horror film to the days when slashers were filled with blood, revenge, and bewbs. Join JoBlo Horror as we take you down to the bayou with Adam Green’s Hatchet (watch it Here).
Welcome to our horror party, kids, where we take some horror films (good or bad) and make a fun game out of it. I’m Mike Conway, and today we break down all the gory bits of Hatchet, released in 2006. Hatchet follows Ben, a recently dumped twenty-something who was taken to a Mardi Gras celebration with his buddies to get over her ex. When Ben decides there’s too much nudity to be had, he and his friend Marcus ditch the group to find a haunted boat tour. However, when their boat gets stranded, they find themselves being hunted by Victor Crowley,...
Welcome to our horror party, kids, where we take some horror films (good or bad) and make a fun game out of it. I’m Mike Conway, and today we break down all the gory bits of Hatchet, released in 2006. Hatchet follows Ben, a recently dumped twenty-something who was taken to a Mardi Gras celebration with his buddies to get over her ex. When Ben decides there’s too much nudity to be had, he and his friend Marcus ditch the group to find a haunted boat tour. However, when their boat gets stranded, they find themselves being hunted by Victor Crowley,...
- 2/20/2024
- by Michael Conway
- JoBlo.com
Few films have changed the landscape of horror like The Blair Witch Project. Purporting to be recovered footage from a doomed documentary, the story follows three filmmakers who venture into the Black Hills of Maryland to investigate the legend of the Blair Witch. They never return. This lean and mean film was cobbled together from hours of footage shot by the actors improvising fictionalized versions of themselves. Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez made the bold choice to never show the titular monster, elevating the film from a creepy tale set in a haunted woods to one of the most terrifying, profitable, and ambitious horror films of all time. Though her face remains in the shadows, the Blair Witch has become a cultural phenomenon with a legacy that reaches far beyond the real life entities who may have inspired her creation.
Because Heather (Heather Donahue), Josh (Joshua Leonard) and Mike...
Because Heather (Heather Donahue), Josh (Joshua Leonard) and Mike...
- 2/6/2024
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
Yet another trio of Dark Sky Films titles have made their way onto Screambox, joining previously dropped classics Willow Creek, Minor Premise, and The Deeper You Dig (details), as well as Ghost Killers vs. Bloody Mary, Landlocked, and Possum (details), and even Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1 & 2 and Emelie (details).
All of them have a taste for blood…
First, Stake Land, the Jim Mickle-directed vampire classic that set the stage for his cannibal horror We Are What We Are and the Netflix series “Sweet Tooth”.
In the film, “America has fallen. A vampiric scourge sweeps the nation, turning brother on brother and parent on child as the blood-hungry beasts take deeper and deeper hold upon the land. It’s hard for the survivors to know whether to be more afraid of the creatures themselves or the violent religious groups that have sprung up in response, but there is...
All of them have a taste for blood…
First, Stake Land, the Jim Mickle-directed vampire classic that set the stage for his cannibal horror We Are What We Are and the Netflix series “Sweet Tooth”.
In the film, “America has fallen. A vampiric scourge sweeps the nation, turning brother on brother and parent on child as the blood-hungry beasts take deeper and deeper hold upon the land. It’s hard for the survivors to know whether to be more afraid of the creatures themselves or the violent religious groups that have sprung up in response, but there is...
- 12/8/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
The following post contains spoilers about "Killers of the Flower Moon."
The horrors inflicted upon the Osage people during a string of ghastly murders throughout the 1920s are among the worst atrocities ever committed against Indigenous Americans. Anyone familiar with U.S. history during the Old West will know that's saying a lot. Based upon the 2017 book by David Grann, director Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" uncovers the systematic infiltration of nefarious white men into the lives and affairs of the Indigenous Osage Nation after vast deposits of oil were found on their land. The enormous wealth the Osage possessed led to a string of mysterious deaths that were always deemed accidental or never investigated in the first place.
As the murders piled up, men like Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Bill Smith (Jason Isbell) married into Osage families and waited patiently for their share of the...
The horrors inflicted upon the Osage people during a string of ghastly murders throughout the 1920s are among the worst atrocities ever committed against Indigenous Americans. Anyone familiar with U.S. history during the Old West will know that's saying a lot. Based upon the 2017 book by David Grann, director Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" uncovers the systematic infiltration of nefarious white men into the lives and affairs of the Indigenous Osage Nation after vast deposits of oil were found on their land. The enormous wealth the Osage possessed led to a string of mysterious deaths that were always deemed accidental or never investigated in the first place.
As the murders piled up, men like Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Bill Smith (Jason Isbell) married into Osage families and waited patiently for their share of the...
- 10/21/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
The arrival of a fresh, new voice on the indie filmmaking scene is always an exciting event and the latest debut on our radar is that from Chelsea Bo, producer of Joshua Leonard’s Fully Realized Humans and Sarah Adina Smith’s The Drop. Written, directed, and starring Bo, No Right Way is set for a fall festival tour and now we’re pleased to exclusively debut the trailer for the film, following the journey of half-sisters.
Also starring Ava Acres, Eliza Coupe-Marks, Jim Hanks, and Sufe Bradshaw, here’s the official synopsis: “Georgie, a brazen 13-year-old, has her life uprooted when she’s thrust into the guardianship of her half-sister Harper and torn away from her life in Vegas. Harper sees this turbulent time as a window of opportunity to pave a brighter future for her half-sister, but Harper’s self-righteous attempts to protect Georgie only lead to exposing their paralleled childhood wounds.
Also starring Ava Acres, Eliza Coupe-Marks, Jim Hanks, and Sufe Bradshaw, here’s the official synopsis: “Georgie, a brazen 13-year-old, has her life uprooted when she’s thrust into the guardianship of her half-sister Harper and torn away from her life in Vegas. Harper sees this turbulent time as a window of opportunity to pave a brighter future for her half-sister, but Harper’s self-righteous attempts to protect Georgie only lead to exposing their paralleled childhood wounds.
- 8/30/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The episode of Revisited covering Hatchet was Written by Emilie Black, Narrated by Niki Minter, Edited by Kier Gomes, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
By the start of the 2000s, there were so many slasher films out there that it was difficult to figure which ones were worth the time and which were not, something that hasn’t changed much since then. However, the mid-2000s saw a few fun surprise slasher films make their way onto screens including films like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and today’s film of interest, Hatchet (watch it Here). Coming from a writer-director who knows the genre and has tremendous respect for it, Hatchet was one of those films most of the public didn’t see coming, one that was a bit out of left field if you didn’t pay attention...
By the start of the 2000s, there were so many slasher films out there that it was difficult to figure which ones were worth the time and which were not, something that hasn’t changed much since then. However, the mid-2000s saw a few fun surprise slasher films make their way onto screens including films like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and today’s film of interest, Hatchet (watch it Here). Coming from a writer-director who knows the genre and has tremendous respect for it, Hatchet was one of those films most of the public didn’t see coming, one that was a bit out of left field if you didn’t pay attention...
- 8/17/2023
- by Emilie Black
- JoBlo.com
Ever since the 1975 horror blockbuster Jaws made us afraid to go into the water, America has had an obsession with sharks. While great whites get most of the attention, any aquatic killer with sharp teeth will usually quench our collective thirst for marine menace. In 1988, Discovery Channel launched Shark Week, a seven day block of programming filled with nature documentaries, celebrity cameos, and aquatic reality TV designed to explore the wide world of sharks. This annual event has been going strong for the past 35 years, working its way into the public consciousness to become a household name. Each summer’s horror offerings usually bring with it one or more films of the Shark Horror subgenre. Featuring the underwater predators as their villains, these movies vary widely in quality and usually sink or swim based on the verisimilitude of their special effects.
As sharks–even the fake ones–are notoriously difficult to direct,...
As sharks–even the fake ones–are notoriously difficult to direct,...
- 7/25/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
Groundbreaking horror mockumentary The Blair Witch Project blurred the lines between fiction and reality as a group of unknown filmmakers created a movie that required a safe word.
University of Central Florida student filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez designed a story outline for the movie and allowed the actors to essentially “become” the characters. That led actors Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard to remain in strict character throughout the eight days of filming – which required a safe word and a very large knife.
Why did ‘The Blair Witch Project’ cast needed a safe word?
The filmmaking duo wrote a 35-page outline instead of an actual script, which may have been why Miramax passed on their pitch. Eventually, Artisan Entertainment moved forward with the project and they began to cast for the film.
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams| William Thomas Cain
Because filmmakers wanted to go full throttle into improv,...
University of Central Florida student filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez designed a story outline for the movie and allowed the actors to essentially “become” the characters. That led actors Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard to remain in strict character throughout the eight days of filming – which required a safe word and a very large knife.
Why did ‘The Blair Witch Project’ cast needed a safe word?
The filmmaking duo wrote a 35-page outline instead of an actual script, which may have been why Miramax passed on their pitch. Eventually, Artisan Entertainment moved forward with the project and they began to cast for the film.
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams| William Thomas Cain
Because filmmakers wanted to go full throttle into improv,...
- 7/14/2023
- by Gina Ragusa
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Two highly-anticipated comedy series are hitting streaming platforms this week, the excruciatingly relatable "Beef" on Netflix and the musical prequel series, "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" on Paramount+. Meanwhile, there are films like "The Drop" and "Mayhem" available to stream that might help viewers get ready for a series like "Beef." Both flicks are exclusive to their prospective streaming platforms, so hopefully you've got Hulu and Shudder in addition to Netflix. There's also the Netflix series "Julie and the Phantoms" and the oft-forgotten "Grease 2" on Paramount+ to serve as the perfect companion pieces to "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies." Last-up, there's also the Prime Video series "Paper Girls" which manages to capture the girl-power energy of the new prequel series while boasting a stand-out performance by one of the stars of "Beef."
Beef Is About To Become Your Latest TV Obsession
Where to Watch "Beef": NetflixWhen...
Beef Is About To Become Your Latest TV Obsession
Where to Watch "Beef": NetflixWhen...
- 4/3/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Longtime readers of Arrow in the Head will probably remember the article series The Test of Time. Now The Test of Time has been revived as a video series, and you can check out the new episode in the embed above! With this one, we’re looking back at the 1999 hit The Blair Witch Project (watch it Here)… and to find out whether or not we think this movie stands the test of time, all you have to do is play the video!
Written and directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, The Blair Witch Project has the following synopsis: Found video footage tells the tale of three film students who’ve traveled to a small town to collect documentary footage about the Blair Witch, a legendary local murderer. Over the course of several days, the students interview townspeople and gather clues to support the tale’s veracity. But the...
Written and directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, The Blair Witch Project has the following synopsis: Found video footage tells the tale of three film students who’ve traveled to a small town to collect documentary footage about the Blair Witch, a legendary local murderer. Over the course of several days, the students interview townspeople and gather clues to support the tale’s veracity. But the...
- 3/21/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Anna Konkle and Jermaine Fowler in The Drop Photo: Hulu Aside from the sudden baby-dropping incident that gives the movie its title, nothing happens in The Drop, a film not to be confused with the 2014 Dennis Lehane adaptation of the same name. To be more precise, The Drop is filled...
- 1/13/2023
- by Luke Y. Thompson
- avclub.com
“The Drop” announces itself with promise and a fine note of unease, thanks to a surprisingly contrapuntal score that signals the darker intentions of director Sarah Adina Smith’s comedy, which is set in motion by an accident that reveals young marrieds Lex and Mani’s anxieties about parenthood — and, perhaps, each other.
Far below an aerial shot, jade-green waves crest and unfurl to the swelling and swirling notes of an orchestra. The patterns are mesmerizing, shape-shifting from recognizable into what might resemble a spider’s web or a membrane (the sort you might see in a sci-fi movie with a fetus floating in uterine tissue). From this beautiful, extended image, cut to Lex (“Pen15” star Anna Konkle) and Mani (Jermaine Fowler) making love and, fingers crossed and sperm willing, a baby.
It’s a bold and amusing veer in tone, intended to signal both the weight and wit to come.
Far below an aerial shot, jade-green waves crest and unfurl to the swelling and swirling notes of an orchestra. The patterns are mesmerizing, shape-shifting from recognizable into what might resemble a spider’s web or a membrane (the sort you might see in a sci-fi movie with a fetus floating in uterine tissue). From this beautiful, extended image, cut to Lex (“Pen15” star Anna Konkle) and Mani (Jermaine Fowler) making love and, fingers crossed and sperm willing, a baby.
It’s a bold and amusing veer in tone, intended to signal both the weight and wit to come.
- 1/10/2023
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
Photo: 'The Drop'
There have been some shows that cover melodramatic stories such as ‘‘The Slap,’ which has been famous for portraying a family drama that shows from one small scene where a male adult slaps a couple’s misbehaving child which causes family tension and other harbored negative secrets. The hit comedic show ‘Pen15’ has this absurd humor of showing two female actresses who are in their thirties that play seventh-grade middle-schoolers and experience their struggles of fitting in as teenagers in the 2000s. In this new full-length comedic film ‘The Drop,’ the ‘Pen15’ star Anna Konkle and Jermaine Fowler (who appear in Coming 2 America and Sorry to Bother You) both play a young adult couple who attend a wedding on a tropical island. One of them holds a newborn baby and accidentally drops it. The baby seems perfectly unharmed, but the witnesses, which are their friends,...
There have been some shows that cover melodramatic stories such as ‘‘The Slap,’ which has been famous for portraying a family drama that shows from one small scene where a male adult slaps a couple’s misbehaving child which causes family tension and other harbored negative secrets. The hit comedic show ‘Pen15’ has this absurd humor of showing two female actresses who are in their thirties that play seventh-grade middle-schoolers and experience their struggles of fitting in as teenagers in the 2000s. In this new full-length comedic film ‘The Drop,’ the ‘Pen15’ star Anna Konkle and Jermaine Fowler (who appear in Coming 2 America and Sorry to Bother You) both play a young adult couple who attend a wedding on a tropical island. One of them holds a newborn baby and accidentally drops it. The baby seems perfectly unharmed, but the witnesses, which are their friends,...
- 1/8/2023
- by Marco Castaneda
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
"The Drop" is a title that could lend itself to any number of things. We've already seen one Tom Hardy movie, for instance, where "The Drop" referred to a money drop by the Chechen mafia at a Brooklyn bar. That movie was a crime drama, whereas Sarah Adina Smith's new Hulu cringe comedy, "The Drop," features a much more "unthinkable, unspeakable" premise.
What if you dropped a friend's baby? It's a horrific idea as a thought and an absolute tragedy in real life, but in "The Drop," it happens. Fortunately, though, the baby is unharmed. Less intact, however, is the reputation of the happy young couple responsible for the titular drop while on an island trip with friends. For them, the repercussions seem to be almost as serious as those in the 2015 NBC miniseries "The Slap," which leveraged a ridiculously star-studded cast to tell a more melodramatic story of...
What if you dropped a friend's baby? It's a horrific idea as a thought and an absolute tragedy in real life, but in "The Drop," it happens. Fortunately, though, the baby is unharmed. Less intact, however, is the reputation of the happy young couple responsible for the titular drop while on an island trip with friends. For them, the repercussions seem to be almost as serious as those in the 2015 NBC miniseries "The Slap," which leveraged a ridiculously star-studded cast to tell a more melodramatic story of...
- 12/13/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
"Some things you can’t take back… like dropping your friend's baby." Hulu has revealed the official trailer for a romantic comedy mishap movie titled The Drop, which originally premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. The film will land on Hulu for streaming in January after playing at festivals this year. In this cringe comedy, a married couple face a marriage test when one of them drops a baby during a tropical island wedding. "Paradise becomes purgatory for our couple as recriminations, passive-aggression and old wounds begin to permeate the island reunion and throw Mani & Lex's future into deep uncertainty." Anna Konkle & Jermaine Fowler star as Lex & Mani, with Jillian Bell, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Robin Thede, Aparna Nancherla, Joshua Leonard, Jennifer Lafleur, and Elisha Henig. Exec produced by the Duplass Brothers. This looks remarkably unfunny and forced, an awkward cringe fest because the writing and performances are so bad.
- 12/12/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Anyone who has held a newborn baby can likely recall a horrifying, intrusive thought entering their head at the worst possible moment: “What if I drop it?”
It’s a valid concern, considering how small and delicate newborn babies are. Fortunately, it’s not a problem that many people actually have to face at any point in their lives. Whether it’s because humans have evolved to protect their offspring at all costs or because we just focus really hard on not dropping them, there just aren’t that many babies getting dropped on any given day.
But that’s exactly what happens in “The Drop,” Sarah Adina Smith’s new Hulu comedy that hails from executive producers Jay and Mark Duplass. The film, which debuts on the streaming service January 13, follows a young couple who think they have their careers figured out and begin making plans to start a family of their own.
It’s a valid concern, considering how small and delicate newborn babies are. Fortunately, it’s not a problem that many people actually have to face at any point in their lives. Whether it’s because humans have evolved to protect their offspring at all costs or because we just focus really hard on not dropping them, there just aren’t that many babies getting dropped on any given day.
But that’s exactly what happens in “The Drop,” Sarah Adina Smith’s new Hulu comedy that hails from executive producers Jay and Mark Duplass. The film, which debuts on the streaming service January 13, follows a young couple who think they have their careers figured out and begin making plans to start a family of their own.
- 12/12/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Hulu has announced that the R-rated dark comedy The Drop from executive producers Mark and Jay Duplass will bow on the streamer on January 13. New stills from the Hulu Original, starring Anna Konkle (PEN15) and Jermaine Fowler (Coming 2 America), can be found above and below.
Directed by Sarah Adina Smith, The Drop follows Lex (Konkle) and Mani (Fowler), a happily married young couple, running their dream artisanal bakery in Los Angeles and excited about starting a family together. A trip to a tropical island resort for a friend’s destination wedding, coinciding with Lex’s ovulation cycle, feels like the perfect opportunity to conceive. But good vibes and high hopes are cut short when, shortly after their arrival to paradise, Lex accidentally drops her friend’s baby in front of all their friends. Paradise becomes purgatory for our couple as recriminations,...
Directed by Sarah Adina Smith, The Drop follows Lex (Konkle) and Mani (Fowler), a happily married young couple, running their dream artisanal bakery in Los Angeles and excited about starting a family together. A trip to a tropical island resort for a friend’s destination wedding, coinciding with Lex’s ovulation cycle, feels like the perfect opportunity to conceive. But good vibes and high hopes are cut short when, shortly after their arrival to paradise, Lex accidentally drops her friend’s baby in front of all their friends. Paradise becomes purgatory for our couple as recriminations,...
- 11/29/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Eleven years after making his feature writing and directing debut with the comedy American Animal (a film he also starred in), Matt D’Elia is ready to make his second feature – and this time he’s making a “genre-bending relationship horror thriller” called A Void. Variety reports that Aya Cash (The Boys) has signed on to star in the film alongside Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project) and Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World).
Set to begin filming next year, A Void will tell the story of
troubled lovers Sarah and Nick, lifelong urbanites and intellectuals, who move from the city to the country to start a new chapter. As their repressed traumas become more evident, so too do the cracks in their relationship. These problems are only compounded when they encounter a mysterious anomaly on their property: An inexplicable black void that, according to all laws of physics, shouldn...
Set to begin filming next year, A Void will tell the story of
troubled lovers Sarah and Nick, lifelong urbanites and intellectuals, who move from the city to the country to start a new chapter. As their repressed traumas become more evident, so too do the cracks in their relationship. These problems are only compounded when they encounter a mysterious anomaly on their property: An inexplicable black void that, according to all laws of physics, shouldn...
- 10/27/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
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