The BLAIR WITCH Is Coming For You

People went BANANAS for Blair Witch (née The Woods) when it was screened at Comic-Con last month, and their enthusiasm pointed out two things (to me, at any rate). Firstly, if you’re past a certain age it’s easy to forget what a formative event the original film was for an entire generation of horror fans. But there are a LOT of 30-year-olds out there who were MARKED by The Blair Witch Project, as imprinted by it as The Thing or The Exorcist did to the generations before them.

Secondly, some of us who privately knew that The Woods was really a third Blair Witch suddenly realized what a smart marketing move the secret (and the timed reveal) was. While some quietly second-guessed the decision to not reveal the film’s title until that July 22nd screening, to these eyes it seemed a confident, clever decision. The team behind Blair Witch clearly believed in their product, and the one-two punch of the title reveal and the screening buzz created a kind of slingshot effect, carrying the movie on eight weeks of anticipation toward its September 16th release date.

We’re about halfway there now, and to mark the occasion here’s a new TV spot for Blair Witch. Where do you guys land on this? Is this required viewing as a result of you having nightmares about Elly Kedward when you were 13? Or are you like me, and just automatically down for the next film from the team that brought us You’re Next and The Guest?

The Blair Witch retuns on September 16th.