By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
'Blair Witch' is all toil and trouble
Whats in with Justin
blairwitch
Three young people go into the woods and... a gory movie is made. - photo by Studio photo

"Blair Witch" is the third installment of a series that began back in 1999 with "The Blair Witch Project" and has now spawned two sequels.

It may be considered a slight improvement over the second one, "Book of Shadows," but that may still be giving it too much praise.

This newest chapter follows six kids investigating the events of the first film in the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland. James Allen McCune stars as James Donahue, the younger brother of Heather Donahue from the first film. He’s joined by other friends and a documentary filmmaker who wants to expose the myth of the Blair Witch.

Unless you live under a rock, you know that once these kids enter the woods, they’re bound to be caught by a series of unfortunate events. One girl cuts her foot which leads to a nasty infection and another person goes missing under mysterious circumstances and doesn’t return. If I go any further, I just might spoil the rest of the plot.

Needless to say, it’s that repetition of thrills that inevitably wore me down. "The Blair Witch Project" was a watershed film for the horror genre. It’s a shame its sequel didn’t learn how to equal or surpass it in any way. On the other hand, I can say that it’s photographically made in a style that attempts to echo the original, but that’s about the best thing I can say.

Plus, don’t even get me started on some of the plot developments that are impossible and make zero sense. Overall, it’s too dull, pretentious and repetitive from start to finish and even die-hard Blair Witch fans won’t find anything of real enjoyment. They’ll only go to see it to analyze it and then complain.

Grade: C-

Rated R for language, terror and some disturbing images.

Hall is a syndicated columnist in South Georgia.

Sign up for our E-Newsletters