Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

December 11, 2004

Rated: R Runtime: 90 min Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The surprise hit of last summer was a small independent film made on a shoe string budget called The Blair Witch Project. The film broke new ground with it’s use of the Internet and calling itself a documentary. Combine that with the first person jerky home made video feel, and you’ve got a very unique booger movie. It also made more money than anyone ever dreamed of, so you knew it was inevitable that there would be a sequel. That sequel has arrived just in time for Halloween, and it’s called Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.

We went into this movie with very low expectations. We absolutely loved the original Blair Witch Project, but that gag only works once. It’s a one trick pony. So what do you do for a sequel?

The opening of the movie tells us it is a “fictionalized account of events” that happened in Burkittsville, Maryland where the original movie was filmed after the release of the movie. People have flooded the town looking for memorabilia and to tour the woods where the movie took place. Our story follows 5 people who go into the woods as part of one of the now commercialized Blair Witch tours. And we wont spoil what little plot there is, but suffice to say they find alot more than they expected in those woods.

This is an easy movie to dislike. We conveniently have 5 young people out in the woods this time, but also armed to the teeth with more video equipment than alot of small TV stations own. Without the edge of the first person perspective of the first movie and it’s originality this becomes your typical horror flick that happens to revolve around the Blair Witch legend. And the movie should be judged in that manner, there’s no way this or any other movie can live up to the legacy of the original as that was such an original concept.

However, if you evaluate Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 on it’s own merits, you end up with a nice average booger movie. It makes for good Halloween viewing in our opinion. No, it’s nowhere near as good as the original. But you do get a more normal horror movie this time complete with some bare breasts and alot more blood this time. In the mood for a horror flick at Halloween, go see it, otherwise check this one out on DVD. I doubt you’ll have to wait too long.

Posted by Billy Bob | Filed Under 3 Stars, DVD, Erica Leerhsen, Horror, Jeffrey Donovan, Kim Director, R, Stephen Barker Turner, Tristan Skylar