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Reviews
The St. Francisville Experiment (2000)
Not superb, but not horrible
For a blatant Blair Witch ripoff, overall it's pretty well done. It relies almost completely on surprise for its scares, though, as opposed to the creeping dread in TBWP.
I had a couple of problems with the movie, the first being that the supposed "psychic" girl was a horribly bad actress. She could hardly project "I'm reciting lines" more if she were holding her own cue cards. Second, I was really disappointed that it wasn't a documentary; I picked up the box on impulse, expecting something rather like MTV's "Fear" series. Instead, I got rather blatant staging of scare events. It's obvious from the get-go, when the events that are supposed to shock the audience are anticipated and framed just a little too perfectly. The too-good shot composition continues throughout the film, and pretty much did away with any residual "hey, this could be real" thoughts I'd been having.
Still, it's an interesting little trip, and, although the ending is hokey and unrealistic, I reckon it's worth a rental.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Do whatever it takes to see this film.
I live in Lubbock. The premeire of BWP was in Austin. I drove 400 miles, each way, to see this film. The lines were the longest I'd ever seen, and it took over an hour to get to the front of the line.
It was worth every freakin' second of effort.
Never has a film given me the stone-cold creeps as this one. Sleep after viewing does not come quickly or easily. You'll be discussing the characters' situation and the quick, brutal ending for hours. Negative reviewers are just trying to look smart. Forget them, see the film, and never forget it.