Overall Rating
 Awesome: 9.09%
Worth A Look: 14.69%
Average: 8.39%
Pretty Bad: 7.69%
Total Crap: 60.14%
10 reviews, 83 user ratings
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| Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 |
by Chef ADogg
"Here we go again."
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In my time here as a reviewer of movies, I've been known to like more than a few pictures generally considered "inferior," or "bad." My four-star ratings for trash like "End of Days" and "Big Daddy" have brought me quite a bit of stinging criticsm, and I'm okay with that; everybody has their guilty pleasures--I'm just a tad more vocal about mine. My method has always been to call 'em as I see 'em, and it hasn't failed me yet. Having said that, I'm going to have to call this one a surprising and effective horror picture that works well both as a sequel and a stand-alone suspense product.The trick, I think, lies in seperating "Book of Shadows" from the killer, all-encompassing hype of its 1999 predecessor, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez's "The Blair Witch Project." "BWP" was a strangely successful DIY thriller that showed nothing, implied everything, and channeled audiences into wildly seperate camps. That was, perhaps, the film's largest triumph--to extract such an enthusiastic reaction (positive or not) from an audience weened on the mechanics of conventional horror pictures. All this, and for under the cost it takes to cater one day of most big budget Hollywood FX-fests.
So, to answer the million dollar question on the minds of all those who loved "The Blair Witch Project" (and even those who looked upon it with the kind of intense scorn most often reserved for Barney, Michael Jackson, and Kathie Lee Gifford): Does "Book of Shadows" expand on the potential hinted at by the first film?
Helllllll no.
This is neither as groundbreaking nor as mind-bending as its brilliant predecessor; it takes the conventional Hollywood approach to scary stuff and displays every gory detail in vivid Technicolor, with a Dolby digital soundtrack. Yet, the structure of the film is interesting, and certain individual scenes work well enough to pull the loose ends together into a decent, fairly respectable package. "Book of Shadows" also works on a basic, visceral level--it's frightening if you just go along with it, and there's something to be said for that approach when the ride is as pleasantly trippy as this.
The film was directed by noted documentarian Joe Berlinger. I haven't seen his "Paradise Lost" series, and thus cannot really comment on his true-tale skills with any accuracy, but he shows a steady hand when it comes to laying the fictional smack down. "Book of Shadows" is unconvincing and hokey throughout, but the "suspension of disbelief" factor is nonetheless strong enough to render the results spellbinding. When the final scenes roll around, the picture is, in its approach, almost as good as the best documentaries; Berlinger works all the angles simultaneously, offering many observations and few answers. Because this is a Hollywood movie, the strings of the plot are tied together and an ending of sorts is presented. Because Berlinger is a filmmaker with big ideas and a penchant for all things twisted, the knot is slippery and subject to further examination.
Berlinger is also spot-on with his actors, coaxing performances at once taut and funny; the film is sprinkled with a few instances of brilliant comic relief that turn to ice in record time once we are able to grasp the meaning of the final scenes. These, in part, are what make the movie such a chilling experience--watch closely as one major character faces a hostile convienence store clerk, and the shape this encounter takes on later in the movie. When we first witness the scene, it is deeply potent, hilarious in its flurry of pent-up agression. Ponder it later, as "Book of Shadows" comes to its abrupt close, and wait for the shivers.
At this point, I should make it clear why I haven't mentioned the plot. The architecture on display in "Book of Shadows" is deceptively simple: Berlinger basically cops the jerky back-and-forth narrative that has been employed by movies as wonderful and diverse as "Reservoir Dogs" and "Citizen Kane," a tactic which could be viewed as simple cinematic thievery. But audiences interested enough to scratch the surface will be rewarded with a spooky pop structure that unravels endlessly, doubling back upon itself with boundless joy. I don't want to reveal even the most minor plot elements of "Book of Shadows," because they all come into major play before the final credits roll. In that way, the "Blair Witch" sequel is the shiftiest suspense creation since "Scream;" it is at once a goofy, self-referential joke-piece and a serious thriller that very nearly busts with its own big ideas."Book of Shadows" can be interpreted in so many ways that some audiences may simply lose interest trying to decipher its intricate puzzles. A film like this appeals to a very specific taste--a love for movies that drop grand ideas with a hokey, genre-picture flourish. I enjoyed "Book of Shadows" immensely, from start to finish, and recommend it to anyone who saw the first film, regardelss of reaction. It's certainly not for all tastes, but if you're receptive to its odd charms, it could be one of the best movie experiences you'll have this fall.
 del.icio.us 
link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=4528&reviewer=123
originally posted: 11/01/00 15:45:58
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USA
27-Oct-2000 (R)
DVD: 13-Jan-2001
UK
N/A
Australia
11-Jan-2001 (M)
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