broomcloset
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Blair Witch Part Deux
2000-10-30 - 02:26:22
So I went to see Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows last night.
Yes, I can hear you scolding. ;)
I knew it was going to be nothing like the first one (which I loved, by the way) and I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be good. I guess I wasn't disappointed.
As far as scary movies go, it wasn't half bad. If you let yourself be taken into the story and have some concern for the characters (the later being more difficult) then there were some thrills and chills. Mind you, the people giggling behind me kept me rooted in the real world. :) The movie itself seemed to keep in mind that it shouldn't be taken too seriously and managed to keep the schlock factor down, though it didn't demonstrate the same skill in this area that Scream did.
One of the things I appreciated most about The Blair Witch Project is that it really had nothing to do with witches. It was about 3 young film students that ventured into the woods and never returned. Sure, they headed into those woods because of a local myth about a so-called witch, but I felt that "witchcraft" never entered into the story.
Unfortunately, BW2 did not remain true to this original vision.
In BW2 we have a slightly hippy earth-child named Erica who is the obligatory Wiccan in this story. She spends the first part of the movie lamenting the misunderstood nature of Wicca, using phrases and sound bites you can find on any Wicca 101 web page. While nothing particularly incorrect was stated in Erica's mini-rants, I do wish more research - and possibly better dialogue authoring - had been done into Wiccan belief systems so Erica's character could be played with more depth than the "insta-witch" that was portrayed.
The bright spot of this movie was Kim, the fabulous (though possibly also obligatory) goth character. While there were some inconsistencies in the portrayal of Kim, I'd chalk that up to the occationally banal dialogue. Give the woman some credit! Not every teeny plot point needs to be reiterated, Mr. Script Writer (who, it wouldn't surprise me, probably got his start writing the soaps). Other than that, Kim was full of wit and just the right amount of goth angst - no overacting done here. How refreshing! And of course the wardrobe was to die for. ;)
Wow, is it just me or have a moved right into pretencious critic mode?! Eeek! My apologies! :)
Okay, so to sum up: I am glad I saw the movie; it was a fun little ride. Not for hard-core Blair Witch fans necessarily, unless you're not expecting much and have a deep appreciation for not-so-good movies. :) Want to see it on the big screen? Worth it, on cheap night. Bring your own snacks. Popcorn is waaaaaay too expensive at the theatres.
Blessed Be!
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