at least it tried to be something new...
Added 11/5/2009
4.8 THE FILM ITSELF
7.8 VISUALS
8.5 SOUND
7.0 PACKAGING
4.0 EXTRAS
What can I possibly say about Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing, so I'll keep to short review that tracks the ENTIRE product.
The film itself isn't very good. Good potential, but badly put together. Nothing like the first film, and while I'm very thankful they didn't just rehash the story, this story is terribly clumsy. None of the characters are enjoyable and you don't feel bad for any of them. But at least the film starts off well. The film opens with another "true story" about the town and the legend, but this one is true! It's an interesting beginning that shows the hype and chaos over art passed as truth. I liked this alot, but the movie quickly loses its luster.
The scares aren't very scary, the drama isn't really present and the psychological terror only slightly shows itself off as something done right. Maybe if this wasn't a sequel to (what I believe) is a fantastic documentary / horror movie, it would've scored higher. But it didn't. A letdown to say the least.
The special features are extremely disappointing - minus the exceptional director commentary. The commentary adds great insight into production of the film and Joe Berlinger's fight with the studio over how the movie ended up being pieces together. It's great to hear him talk about how much he hates the version that has been released, especially because his name is still attached. Even though it is just one man in the commentary, he always has something to say and offers alot of great details about the making of the film.
The rest of the special features are short bursts of wasted time. "The Secrets of Esrever" is a three minute blob of cliches as you figure out 'clues' placed in the movie. Nothing more than that. The rest (aside from some music audio with commentary for some scenes) is mundane reading in the forms of production notes and cast and crew notes. The DVD claims that you can flip the disc and listen to the entire soundtrack, but that's not true anymore. The disc cannot be played this way because it is not a double sided disc anymore. I guess it's too much work to redo the cover... but it is a pretty bad film so I understand why they didn't.
If you're a fan of horror movies or collect the films (like I do) then you might find some solace in this film. Or maybe you just want to have the sequel to a terrificly haunting beginning (The Blair Witch Project), but for everyone else, avoid. Nothing memorable here, nothing that stands out. Fell well below my already low expectations. I curiously wait for a director's cut, which sounds much better than this mess.
4.5/10 "POOR"
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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very underrated judging by the critical reaction
Added 11/1/2009
I just watched this movie for like the 3rd or 4th time. I remember renting it after it came out, since I had liked the first, and I wasn't impressed. But then I bought the first and second a little while ago, and in watching it again, I found that it really grew on me, and for some reason actually scared me more the second or third time. I just watched it again, and was still scared. I don't understand the harsh criticism, I will say that the movie has only okay acting really, apart for a few scenes, but it is still pretty adequate. There are a few things that may make you want to immediately turn it off though, like how the people act and talk, and especially that sheriff, who for some reason seems pleased that the horrible things happen at the end. Although I just read that the movie company re-edited the movie, so that may be why it is so poorly received, im not sure. Some of the editing is oddly sequenced. However, definitely give it a chance, and when you watch it again you will pick up what those quick creepy edits are throughout the movie. I definitely think it is a good creepy, psychologically scary movie, although much different than the original. If the director had his way maybe it would have been 10 times better too. Even if you hate the movie, the plot and concept are still pretty original, you have to admit.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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underrated movie
Added 10/18/2009
book of shadows is not as bad as people make it out to be. the problem was everyone expected another blair witch project. lost in the woods, creepy sounds, stick figures, children attacking tents. instead what you get is a wicca/black magic film about a group of fans of bw1 taking a tour through the woods hoping to get a glimpse of the blair witch herself, who after a night in the woods they cant remember spend the rest of there time at the tour guides home. thats all i can say cause anymore and ill will ruin some of the plot and the ending. all you need to know really is while its not the blair witch project 1 it can stand on its own as a good movie.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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When I'd first heard of this movie years ago (when it was going to be released into theaters), I was skeptical but somewhat excited. I'd been told that it was going to be an actual horror movie version of the Blair Witch tales & show some actual spooks & such. Being a fan of schlocky horror movies, I figured that I'd be guaranteed to at least enjoy myself. Being a realist however, I waited for it to come out on rental. Good choice on my part.
The movie surrounds a group of young adults who all decide to go to the site of the Blair Witch movie (which apparently is real in their world). Once there, they are supposed to have all sorts of spooky things happen to them. If this synopsis sounds brief, that's because it's pretty much the entire plotline of the film. The movie's big flaw is that it tries to hard to cash in on the hype of the previous film & the overly cheesy special effects.
As far as what's bad with this film, well... where should I start? You have the stereotypical horror cliches, boring dialogue, bad continuity (when did the BW get the money to build a bigger house?) & bad directing put this movie past the point where it could have been a good cheese flick. The movie crew seemed to be more interested in publicizing that it was a sequel than trying to establish the movie on it's own. If done right, the film could've been watchable. As it is now, the only thing that could ever redeem this film would be if the company paid the MST3K crew to heckle it.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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'Blair Witch Book of Shadows' is no 'Blair Witch Project.' I thought the latter was a unique and wickedly chilling five-star film. Book of Shadows has giant gaps and no explanation, making for a very confusing plot and incomplete story. Unlike the original, nothing about the sequel rings true. I found it to be a big boring "I don't get it." See the original, skip the sequel.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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at least it tried to be something new...
Added 11/5/2009
4.8 THE FILM ITSELF
7.8 VISUALS
8.5 SOUND
7.0 PACKAGING
4.0 EXTRAS
What can I possibly say about Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing, so I'll keep to short review that tracks the ENTIRE product.
The film itself isn't very good. Good potential, but badly put together. Nothing like the first film, and while I'm very thankful they didn't just rehash the story, this story is terribly clumsy. None of the characters are enjoyable and you don't feel bad for any of them. But at least the film starts off well. The film opens with another "true story" about the town and the legend, but this one is true! It's an interesting beginning that shows the hype and chaos over art passed as truth. I liked this alot, but the movie quickly loses its luster.
The scares aren't very scary, the drama isn't really present and the psychological terror only slightly shows itself off as something done right. Maybe if this wasn't a sequel to (what I believe) is a fantastic documentary / horror movie, it would've scored higher. But it didn't. A letdown to say the least.
The special features are extremely disappointing - minus the exceptional director commentary. The commentary adds great insight into production of the film and Joe Berlinger's fight with the studio over how the movie ended up being pieces together. It's great to hear him talk about how much he hates the version that has been released, especially because his name is still attached. Even though it is just one man in the commentary, he always has something to say and offers alot of great details about the making of the film.
The rest of the special features are short bursts of wasted time. "The Secrets of Esrever" is a three minute blob of cliches as you figure out 'clues' placed in the movie. Nothing more than that. The rest (aside from some music audio with commentary for some scenes) is mundane reading in the forms of production notes and cast and crew notes. The DVD claims that you can flip the disc and listen to the entire soundtrack, but that's not true anymore. The disc cannot be played this way because it is not a double sided disc anymore. I guess it's too much work to redo the cover... but it is a pretty bad film so I understand why they didn't.
If you're a fan of horror movies or collect the films (like I do) then you might find some solace in this film. Or maybe you just want to have the sequel to a terrificly haunting beginning (The Blair Witch Project), but for everyone else, avoid. Nothing memorable here, nothing that stands out. Fell well below my already low expectations. I curiously wait for a director's cut, which sounds much better than this mess.
4.5/10 "POOR"
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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very underrated judging by the critical reaction
Added 11/1/2009
I just watched this movie for like the 3rd or 4th time. I remember renting it after it came out, since I had liked the first, and I wasn't impressed. But then I bought the first and second a little while ago, and in watching it again, I found that it really grew on me, and for some reason actually scared me more the second or third time. I just watched it again, and was still scared. I don't understand the harsh criticism, I will say that the movie has only okay acting really, apart for a few scenes, but it is still pretty adequate. There are a few things that may make you want to immediately turn it off though, like how the people act and talk, and especially that sheriff, who for some reason seems pleased that the horrible things happen at the end. Although I just read that the movie company re-edited the movie, so that may be why it is so poorly received, im not sure. Some of the editing is oddly sequenced. However, definitely give it a chance, and when you watch it again you will pick up what those quick creepy edits are throughout the movie. I definitely think it is a good creepy, psychologically scary movie, although much different than the original. If the director had his way maybe it would have been 10 times better too. Even if you hate the movie, the plot and concept are still pretty original, you have to admit.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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underrated movie
Added 10/18/2009
book of shadows is not as bad as people make it out to be. the problem was everyone expected another blair witch project. lost in the woods, creepy sounds, stick figures, children attacking tents. instead what you get is a wicca/black magic film about a group of fans of bw1 taking a tour through the woods hoping to get a glimpse of the blair witch herself, who after a night in the woods they cant remember spend the rest of there time at the tour guides home. thats all i can say cause anymore and ill will ruin some of the plot and the ending. all you need to know really is while its not the blair witch project 1 it can stand on its own as a good movie.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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