[74], In July 2016, it was revealed at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con that a film The Woods turned out to be the sequel to The Blair Witch Project, entitled Blair Witch. Actor Bruce D. Reed from Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is cast as "Burkittsville Resident #1 (as Bruce Reed)." | [21] Jeff's loft house in the film is actually the Clipper Mill, located on the edge of Baltimore. Michael Mackenzie takes the stand in defence of Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 , an unfairly maligned horror movie that succeeds in going in the opposite direction from the original Blair Witch Project . [37] The fictional documentary charts both the mythology of the Blair Witch alongside Jeff's criminal prosecution for the murders depicted in the film. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. | "[49] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film is "better made than the original, and its writing contains a subtlety and wit the original film lacked. That night, another tour group arrives to camp at the ruins, but are misdirected to Coffin Rock by Jeff and Stephen. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 on mubi.com. [5] Many of the individuals Berlinger interviewed served as direct inspirations for the characters featured in the film. In her hospital room, Tristen sees a young girl walking backward. This is seen for approximately one second until it cuts away again, and the tombstone once again reads "Treacle" for the remainder of the scene. [47], In a review published in The Guardian it was noted: "Everything—and I mean everything—that made The Blair Witch Project a little indie masterpiece has been falsified and trashed in this spectacularly bad sequel. "[62], Artisan Home Entertainment released Book of Shadows on VHS on February 20, 2001. While Tristen rests, the group review Jeff's tapes, which uncover an image of Erica circling around a tree, nude. Viewers could then go to the official Blair Witch website and type the words into a special search box: typing "seek me no further" would play an extra scene from the film, and typing "seek me no further or" would enable them to add their name to a list of people who had also decoded the message. Both the DVD and VHS releases came with a featurette detailing "The Secret of Esrever" ("Esrever" is the word reverse spelled backwards),[65][66] a number of near-subliminal messages in the form of hidden words and images that were placed throughout the film. Weird right? Filming & Production "[30], The original cut of the film also featured Frank Sinatra's "Witchcraft" during the opening credits, but was replaced by the studio with "Disposable Teens" by Marilyn Manson. The film was released in theaters in North America and United Kingdom on October 27, 2000, received negative reviews from critics, but a financial success, grossing $47 million worldwide against its $15 million budget. First one, consisted of rock music, was released through Posthuman/Priority Records on October 17, 2000.[32]. The following morning, Jeff looks outside and sees the front end of his van entirely caved in, to the point that it is undriveable; Kim insists that the accident was minor. Directed by Joe Berlinger. Many are … In this film, a group of four teenagers led by Jeff Patterson go into the Black Hills, the home of the Blair Witch, to see if the legend is really true. [27] Berlinger later stated that he felt the gore sequences added in the film "fought against the ambiguity [he] tried to nurture. Chris Stuckmann 300,569 views. Release Dates [29] Instead, the studio requested Berlinger cut the sequence into isolated vignettes and intercut them throughout the film. [67] The featurette encouraged viewers to watch certain scenes in reverse and/or frame-by-frame in order to decode the "secret", and, through scrambled letters flashed throughout the program, offered five clues to where they could be found: "door", "water", "mirror", "rug" and "grave". Distraught, Erica claims she has no memory of such event, and goes to pray in another room. "[53] Margaret McGurk of The Cincinnati Enquirer noted prominent documentary influences present in the film, comparing elements of the psychiatric hospital sequences to Frederick Wiseman's Titicut Follies, adding: "Even well-versed moviegoers may not catch some of the most interesting aspects of Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. Note: Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard appear in archival footage as fictionalized versions of themselves. Momentum have delivered a featured-packed 2-disc set for this underrated film, although the transfer is unfortunately a standards conversion. Berlinger has stated that he originally made the film with more of an ambiguous tone that focused on the characters' psychological unraveling after their night spent in the Black Hills, but Artisan forced him to re-cut the film and re-shoot certain scenes to add more "traditional" horror movie elements, thus creating what they saw as a more "commercial" film. [66] Side 2 (CD) featured three tracks from the official soundtrack, as well as Carter Burwell's full musical score. [75], "The Book of Shadows" redirects here. After drinking and smoking marijuana all night, the group awaken in the morning to find Stephen and Tristen's research documents shredded and strewn through the woods, and Jeff's cameras destroyed; his damaged tapes are uncovered beneath the house's foundation. Forget curiosity. What’s important is the mood and atmosphere that the film creates. [31], There were two soundtrack albums released for Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. The group is as follows; Stephen and his pregnant girlfriend, Tristen, Erica, a wiccan; Kim, a goth and a psychic; and Jeff, their tour guide. Follow Jim on twitter for a chance to win Twitter updates from Jim: JimSterling New episodes of Movie Defense Force appear every other Thursday, only on The Escapist. Book of Shadows revels in glamorizing the acts of mutilation, torture and killing. ", Kaltenbach, Chris (2000). Time Out says. Shortly after, the group discovers Erica's corpse in a closet. [41] After eight weeks, it finished with a total domestic gross of $26,421,314. One thing that "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" shares with its predecessor is that for much of the film, the story isn’t very important. When Kim tries to console her, Erica reveals rash-like symbols covering her body, and proclaims the group has been marked for death. They attempt to call her father at his office but are told by his secretary that he has no children. TMDb Score. ", Morris, Wesley (2000). " "[9] Additionally, Berlinger incorporated elements of real-life subjects and places featured in his 1996 true crime documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,[10] as well as narrative components of the stage play Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello. For Pokémon video games, see, I thought a more interesting way of connecting, Thompson, Luke Y. A bunch of college students decide to take the tour, and wind up in Rustin Parr"s house. The second one, is a film score by Carter Burwell, was released through Milan/Flash Cut Records on October 24, 2000. Movie Defense Force takes up the shield to fight for another mauled victim, this week tackling one of the most loathed horror sequels of all time. Stern, was released, including fabricated police reports and interviews surrounding the events in the film as if they were fact (a similar "dossier", also by Stern, was released as a companion piece to the first film). [36], Beginning on October 18, 2000, a three-day online "Blair Witch Webfest" was launched, which included involvement from artist Marilyn Manson, whose music was featured on the film's soundtrack. They camp for the night in the ruins of Rustin Parr's house, where Jeff has placed surveillance cameras, hoping to capture supernatural occurrences. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Shadows:_Blair_Witch_2 Directed by: Joe Berlinger. However, unlike "The Blair Witch Project", "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" goes the distance and actually shows you something scary. [24] Additionally, the graphic footage of the main characters murdering the foreign tourists was shot last-minute in director Berlinger's backyard after principal photography. [35] The trailer shows a half-naked woman with a twana symbol behind her back, discovering Book of Shadows in the woods, before she is attacked by an unknown man. "[52] Luke Y. Thompson of the Dallas Observer said the film "deserves points for creativity" but is "not entirely successful. The central setting of this film is Burkittsville, Maryland in the present day. Fandango FANALERT® Sign up for a FANALERT® to find out when tickets are available in your area. [69][70][71] The film would be a direct sequel to the first film, would potentially contain the actors from the first film in some context, and would not reference any of the events from Book of Shadows, given the film's status as a film within a film. Songs not included in the soundtrack, but featured in the film include the following: Adapted from liner notes and ABC News article.[34]. It feels like it is a part of the Blair Witch mythos. That's because they refer to, draw upon and mimic documentaries, which as a genre represent the least-seen movies in America. After spending a night in the Black Hills of Burkittsville, Maryland, four young fans of the original BLAIR WITCH movie descend into a nightmare realm of murder, madness and perceptions-bending supernatural horror in this eagerly anticipated sequel to … Later, Jeff, Stephen, and Kim are arrested and interrogated by police. Find trailers, reviews, synopsis, awards and cast information for Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) - Joe Berlinger on AllMovie - One of the most financially successful… At the country store, she gets into an argument with the cashier. "[51], Shawn Levy of The Oregonian wrote: "There are moments of pleasure, humor, and [...] terror to be had here. [48] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly awarded the film a C-, calling it "a flat heebie jeebies thriller. Their accounts are contradicted by various video footage: Security cameras captured Kim murdering the store cashier with her own nail file, while Jeff's home monitors show him, nude, hiding Erica's body in the closet; the DV footage Jeff filmed during Tristen's confrontation shows her pleading for her life as they accuse her of being a witch, ending in Stephen pushing her to her death. Obscene expressions. An example of these messages can be seen in a scene early in the film where the main characters are in a graveyard, standing behind a tombstone inscribed with the word "Treacle". Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is a 2000 American psychological horror film, directed and co-written by Joe Berlinger and starring Jeffrey Donovan, Stephen Barker Turner, Kim Director, Erica Leerhsen, and Tristine Skyler. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, storyboard artist (as Helen Williams Ward), special effects coordinator (as Will Caban), fabrication crew: K.N.B Effects Group (as Tamara Carlson), in-show optical process and effects compositor: THDX (uncredited) / optical element Hazeltine colorist: THDX (uncredited), transportation co-captain (as Richard B. Cochin), transportation captain (as Ronald B. Smith), transportation coordinator (as Foard Joesph Wilgis), clearance coordinator (as Ann Noel Applegarth) / product placement coordinator (as Ann Noel Applegarth), assistant: Mr. Berlinger, Baltimore (as Jane L. Burka), assistant accountant: New York (as Nick Infante), insurance: AON/Albert G. Ruben (as Bob Jellen), dailies projectionist (as Martin Kircher), assistant production coordinator: New York (as Meredith Mills), production assistant (as Shanalyna Palmer), production assistant (as Ruben F. Rios II), assistant production coordinator (as Alison Rosa), production executive (uncredited) / studio executive (uncredited). Box office ranking accurate as of April 2018. Additionally, similar to the first movie, each of the main characters retain the first names of their respective actors, though their surnames are changed slightly. Look at the title it seems so tacked on in a last minute manner. Local resident Jeff, a former psychiatric patient and obsessed fan, orchestrates a group tour of locations featured in the film. … Pathetic. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 near you. [29] This compromised Berlinger's original vision of a "linear" narrative that begins "as a lighthearted romp in the woods...almost as a spoof of the [Blair Witch] phenomenon" before descending into a "downward spiral. [66], Much like the first Blair Witch, Book of Shadows also featured a marketing gimmick, although this one centered on the film's video release, fully exploiting video technology. [73] The film went into development hell. "[45] Metacritic reported, based on 34 reviews, a weighted average score of 15 out of 100, indicating "overwhelming dislike". [38] It was released theatrically in on 3,600 screens in six countries[39] – including United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom – on October 27, 2000. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 Critics Consensus. Later, Kim finds a bloody nail file stuck among the bottles of beer she purchased. The group realize Erica is absent, and search the house. [72] In 2011, Sánchez remarked that further development on a sequel depended on getting Lionsgate to approve the idea and for his and Myrick's schedule to match up. Some college students, fascinated by the mystery, join the tour, but after spending the night in an old shack awake to find they have no memory of the previous night's events. Production on Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows began on March 13th, 2000. ", Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, "Interview with Daniel Myrick and Ed Sanchez", "Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows (Original Motion Picture Score)", "Manson Label Releases Blair Witch 2 Soundtrack", "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) – Weekend Box Office Results", "FIVE LESSONS WE HOPE "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2" LEARNED FROM "BLAIR WITCH 2, "Films – review – Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2", "[It Isn't All Bad] 'Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2' Was Almost A Great Sequel", "The Fascinating, Preposterous Ruins of 'Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, "2000 23rd Hastings Bad Cinema Society Stinkers Awards", "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 DVD advertisement", "Eduardo Sanchez Talks Seventh Moon, Plans for Blair Witch 3", "The legend of the Witch lives on: Interview", "The Blair Witch Project 3 Moves Forward Says Eduardo Sanchez", "10 Planned Horror Movie Sequels We're Still Waiting to See", "Blair Witch trailer: Sequel release date set for September", Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Book_of_Shadows:_Blair_Witch_2&oldid=998459546, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The Remake or Sequel Nobody was Clamoring for. [18], The majority of the film was shot over a period of 44 days[19] in the spring of 2000 on location outside of Baltimore, Maryland. ", Mathews, Jack (2000). Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 ignores the formal freshness of its parent film and spooks Halloween audiences with ordinary scares. [37], Book of Shadows had its world premiere at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on October 24, 2000. [65] On March 13, 2001,[65] a double-sided DVD+CD package was released; the disc was marketed as being the "first ever DVD+CD. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000). Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. Actor Jeffrey Donovan from Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is cast as "Jeffrey Patterson." Tristen suffers a miscarriage, and they rush her to the Burkitsville hospital. Starring: Erica Leerhsen, Jeffrey Donovan, Kim Director. The first stop is in the ruins of Rustin Parr's house. Watch Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 movie trailer and get the latest cast info, photos, movie review and more on TVGuide.com. "[28], Additionally, the interrogation sequences which are intercut throughout the film were, per Berlinger's director's cut, arranged as a single eight-minute-long sequence bookending the film. [34] The cyber-convention included a contest whose grand prize winner received tickets to the opening of Manson's tour in Minneapolis, as well as a private screening of Book of Shadows with Manson in attendance. [26], Stylistically, Book of Shadows was the direct opposite of its predecessor: though the film occasionally utilizes the point of view camcorder/pseudo-documentary format used in the first movie, Book of Shadows more closely resembles the glossy, big-budget special effects-laden horror films that Blair Witch was a counter to. Jeff becomes unnerved when he notices a large tree located in the center of the house's foundation, claiming it was not there before. It's just a shame that it failed abysmally. "[40] Roger Ebert, who gave the first film four stars (out of four), gave Book of Shadows two stars, calling it "a muddled, sometimes-atmospheric effort that could have come from many filmmakers" and "not a very lucid piece of filmmaking". Among the changes were a new soundtrack, additional editing, and the integration of entirely new sequences. (2000). [43][44] Internet review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 14% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 108 reviews, with an average rating of 3.37/10. [33] The soundtrack was re-released in 2001 and bundled with the DVD+CD. "[6] According to Berlinger, the character of Erica represented an aspect of this, specifically the frustrations that the Wiccan community voiced after the release of The Blair Witch Project, which some felt misconstrued the tenets of Wicca and showed their religion in a negative light. A group of tourists arrives in Burkittsville, Maryland after seeing The Blair Witch Project to explore the mythology and phenomenon, only to … To cash in on all of the "real world" hype of the events in the first film, a man from Burkitsville, Maryland opens a "Blair Witch Hunt" tour, which shows patrons various locations from the original film. Though Book of Shadows' marketing campaign made no attempt to present the film as a "true story", a promotional "dossier" for the film, compiled by D.A. In November 1999, tourists and fans of The Blair Witch Project descend on the small town of Burkittsville, Maryland, where the film was set. She confronts Jeff, but he denies knowing the source of them. The county sheriff, Cravens, calls Jeff, informing him the other tour group was found disemboweled on Coffin Rock, and threatens him. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. [40], In the United States, the film debuted at number 2 at the box office, earning $13 million during its opening weekend playing on 3,317 screens. Too bad the path it chooses doesn't lead us anywhere we want to be taken. [17] Jeffrey Donovan had also originally auditioned for the role played by Stephen Barker Turner, but Berlinger felt him a better fit for the leader of the group. "[8] He elaborated: "on one hand, Blair Witch 2 works as a standard horror movie...but it also is a meditation on violence in the media, and the nature of fanaticism and obsession...and the dangers of blurring the lines between reality and fiction. [12] The casting period, according to Berlinger, only lasted for six weeks,[13] in New York City. And the motivation behind this dreck is all too clear: pure and simple greed. After she is discharged, the group retreat to Jeff's home, an industrial building that was once a factory. With Jeffrey Donovan, Stephen Barker Turner, Erica Leerhsen, Kurt Loder. [46] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D-" on an A+ to F scale. The film was immediately greenlit upon pitch due to the surprising success of its predecessor, the wildly successful 1999 film The Blair Witch Project. Company Credits Additionally, Roger Ebert, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and Andy Richter are shown in archival news and media footage pertaining to the release of original film. Later while searching through a drawer, Kim finds a set of surveillance dossiers on herself and the others. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is a sequel to the cult film The Blair Witch Project and concerns the reaction to the first film. "[66] Side one (DVD) included the feature film along with audio commentaries, production notes, a live music video, and the "Secret of Esrever" featurette as bonus materials. These images were not included in the theatrical cut of the film, and were rather added specifically for the original home video releases. [14] Originally, Tristine Skyler auditioned for the role played by Erica Leerhsen,[15] while Leerhsen auditioned for the role played by Kim Director. 5:55. I mean, hey, props to you, Book of Shadows tried something totally different to the original. "[54] Chris Kaltenbach of The Baltimore Sun noted that the film "gets credit for avoiding the easy path. While driving away, she swerves to avoid a group of children in the road, and crashes the van into a tree, denting the fender. Find trailers, reviews, and all info for Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 by Joe Berlinger. "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. The children disappear when she exits the van. The site's critics consensus reads, "This sequel to Blair Witch Project is all formula and no creativity, mechanically borrowing elements from the original and other horror movies. [42] Overall, internationally the film grossed $47,737,094. An entrepreneur attempts to cash in on the buzz surrounding The Blair Witch Project by organising a Blair Witch Hunt tour. –Berlinger on his inspiration for the film[2], After the massive success of The Blair Witch Project, Artisan was eager to produce a sequel while the film's popularity was still at its peak. As of 2008, this function is no longer available. Namely, the footage of the main characters murdering the foreign tourists was shot weeks prior to the film's release date, and was incorporated in the film as flash cuts to add more visual violence. "[61] Another retrospective published by Collider noted: "one can see interesting ideas about possession, filmmaking, and belief littered throughout, but the [film's] narrative is overworked to the point that no concept or storyline really gains much momentum. Watch Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at TVGuide.com. [25], Because the original film had been parodied so much since its release, Berlinger deliberately avoided using any shaky camerawork and "the [stylistic] clichés of bad documentary filmmaking," opting to maintain an aesthetic at odds with the documentary form. The exposition scenes featuring the characters camping were shot in Gwynns Falls Leakin Park, and the stone ruins of the Rustin Parr house were constructed out of styrofoam. Meanwhile, Tristen's disposition grows increasingly bizarre. This page was last edited on 5 January 2021, at 13:42. That night, another tour group approaches them and claim the land as theirs. [23], The hospital footage featuring Jeff was shot mere weeks before the film's release at the request of Artisan Entertainment, and was shot on location at the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center on Randall's Island in New York City. [20] The scene featuring Tristen in the hospital was shot at an abandoned sanitarium in Baltimore. The documentary recontextualizes Book of Shadows as being a Hollywood film based upon actual events that happened in the Blair Witch universe. Had Artisan stayed out of the edit bay and let the man do his job, perhaps Book of Shadows could have been something truly special. [56] Wesley Morris of The San Francisco Examiner called the film "throwaway megaplex fodder,"[57] while Melody Moss of Seattle's The Stranger wrote: "This film is so bad, no amount of high-priced marketing tools--glitzy trailers, live webcasts, star-studded soundtrack CDs--can save it. It really does seem as if maybe, at one point, in the days of yore, there was a really interesting psychological thriller at play, now buried deep within the layers of garbage that Blair Witch 2 ended up being. Book of Shadows Blair Witch 2. "[50] Anwar Brett of the BBC rated the film three out of four stars, calling it "a chilling, highly effective journey made with intelligence and a handful of effective, goose-bump-inducing moments. On September 29, 2000, the film's teaser trailer was released on the internet, available for streaming exclusively on Yahoo!. Seeing this will only taint your memory of the terrifying original. ENTER CITY, STATE OR ZIP CODE GO. The three follow Tristen to the second floor, where she ties a rope around her neck and taunts Stephen, daring him to push her. [66], Additionally, Artisan released a media package called "The Blair Witch Experience," which included the original film on DVD, the Book of Shadows DVD+CD, the three-piece Blair Witch PC game series, and a necklace of the stickman figures featured in the films. [34], On October 22, 2000, the Sci-Fi Channel premiered Shadow of the Blair Witch, a pseudo-documentary following Book of Shadows's protagonist, Jeff and others who are transfixed by the Blair Witch phenomenon. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 often feels like the Blair Witch was an afterthought. Select from premium Book Of Shadows Blair Witch 2 … This sequel to Blair Witch Project is all formula and no creativity, mechanically borrowing elements from … Cast + Crew; Friday, October 27, 2000; R, 1 hr 30 min Horror; Tell us where you are Looking for movie tickets? Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 was released on DVD in Region 1 format on March 13th, 2001 - exactly one year after its theatrical release. Tristen begins chanting about widdershins and speaking backwards; this leads Kim to suggest they play Jeff's tapes in reverse. "[60], In a 2016 article published by Bloody Disgusting, Brendan Morrow defended the film, calling it "an excellent 'descent into madness film'," and noted the studio's intervention in post-production: "In Book of Shadows, Berlinger took his hatred of the first movie's dishonesty and made an entire film out of it, commenting on the danger of blurring the line between fiction and reality. When they confront Tristen, she alternately pleads and goads them; Jeff, convinced Tristen is possessed by the Blair Witch, begins filming the confrontation, attempting to elicit a confession in Erica's death. Book of Shadows opens with a clever recap of the townspeople's reactions to the Blair Witch hype. Find movie and film cast and crew information for Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) - Joe Berlinger on AllMovie "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. The group lies, saying that they wittness somethi… [i], On September 2, 2009, Ed Sánchez and Daniel Myrick announced their intent to produce Blair Witch 3. Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows After spending a night in the hill of Maryland, four young fans of the original BLAIR WITCH movie descend into a nightmare realm of murder, madness and perceptions-bending supernatural horror in this anticipated sequel. [4], While developing the screenplay, Berlinger spent time in the real town of Burkittsville (the setting of The Blair Witch Project) undertaking research and interviewing locals on how the release of the film had impacted their lives. To cash in on all of the "real world" hype of the events in the first film, a man from Burkitsville, Maryland opens a "Blair Witch Hunt" tour, which shows patrons various locations from the original film. | When all of the clues were identified, the hidden words, when put in the correct order, spelled out "seek me no further", plus an extra hidden word, "or". Jeffrey Donovan (born May 11, 1968) in Amesbury, Massachusetts, USA and is a known Actor, Producer, Director. Entertainment UK Cast of 'Book of Shadows Blair Witch 2' greet director, Joe Berlinger, left, before the premiere of the movie in Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 23, 2000. Obscene gestures. The Blair Witch Project avoided gore in favor of Hitchcockian sequences that leave some of the horror to the imagination. In a fit of rage, he pushes her over the balcony, killing her. Later, funeral mourners arrive up in the woods to remember the other tour group that was murdered. 43. Subsequent releases, particularly in digital formats, did not have the clues.[65]. [5] His core theme when composing the screenplay with Dick Beebe was that the evil attributed to the Blair Witch may "be human in origin as opposed to supernatural. "Movie Review: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. I had the pleasure of watching the first movie and this one started up right away on my tv.