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Blair Witch 2 - Book Of Shadows - Special Edition 2 Disc Set
Subtitled In: English |
Article Index: [Background Info] [DVD Extras] [DVD Review] [Biographies] [Articles/Resources] [Link To This Article] Looking To Buy? |
Background Information: Blair Witch 2
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Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is the sequel to the movie The Blair Witch Project. It was directed by Joe Berlinger, who previously had only directed true documentaries. The movie failed at the box-office. The story is presented through a series of flashbacks by a group of young adults, who are being questioned at a police station, to their time spent in the woods. They went there looking for evidence of the Blair Witch after seeing the first movie. They ended up staying in a secluded house at the edge of the woods. There is a lot of pro- wicca sentiment in the movies, right up until they start dying presumably from witchcraft, possibly from the still-never-seen Blair Witch. The ones left alive all claimed that that many of them were possessed & killed themselves, while the video tapes the police confiscate all show another version of the events, one where the living ones all killed the now dead ones. The director said that he wanted to leave the end interpretation up to the viewer.
DVD Extras
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DVD Extras: the film may have divided critics, but no-one can deny that this special two-disc edition of the Blair Witch sequel is positively packed with added value. Firstly there's the Secret of Esrever which alludes to ghostly goings on during the filming & then challenges the viewer to find the secret apparitions dotted around the film--although whether it sheds any more light on the plot is open to debate. Director Joe Berlinger's commentary is informative, talking as he does about the personal issues & about bringing the myth to life. Book of Shadows is presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, with a sharp-looking anamorphic transfer & intentional graininess that adds to the overall effect. The audio is also an important factor as the soundtrack uses disjointed voices, screams & the excellent music of composer Carter Burwell to build tension. There are also two mockumentaries--Shadow of the Blair Witch is about the events that the sequel is based on & The Burkittsville 7 looks at the grisly murders of seven children by the hermit Rustin Parr.
Editorial DVD Review
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Sexier & pacier than its predecessor, but still occupying the same psychological horror genre, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 takes up the Blair Witch story one year on from the time when the three student filmmakers went missing in Marylands Black Hills. Flashbacks & forward leaps are agitatedly & excitedly cut together, drawing us quickly back into the terror territory of the original movie. Once again, to blur the line between fiction & reality, the actors use their own names for their characters. Jeffrey Donovan is Jeff, a Burkettsville entrepreneur making a fortune from selling Blair Witch memorabilia. He has the bright idea of starting Blair Witch tours, but on his inaugural one the malign spirits of the wood make mischief once more.
Director Joe Berlinger previously worked on a real-life documentary about a Wiccan who was executed for murders he may not have committed. Parallels with this story & the plot of Book of Shadows are clearly visible & the influences cited by Berlinger, Rosemarys Baby & The Shining, shed their demonic shadow throughout.
Biography: Joe Berlinger
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| Born on 30 October 1961, Joe Berlinger is a documentary film-maker who has created films such as Paradise Lost, Brothers Keeper & Some Kind Of Monster. This Monster Lives, which is about his journey from his demise from making Blair Witch 2 to creating Some Kind of Monster with one of the Worlds most famous metal bands of all time. Joe is married & has four children.
Editors Choice: Blair Witch 2, View DVDology |
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