Barnes & Noble

More than a year after three documentary filmmakers "mysteriously" disappeared in the Black Hills of Burkittsville, Maryland, Blair County has become a hotbed for crazed fans of 1999's marketing massacre, The Blair Witch Project. Cemeteries are raided, souvenirs are sold, and the locals are annoyed -- and not just in the real world, because this is also the backdrop for Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. Choosing not to continue the story as seen in the original, Blair Witch 2 cleverly questions its own lore, its hordes of fans, and those capitalizing on it all. The story follows the scary sojourn of five young people on one enterprising local's Blair Witch "tour," from start to -- almost -- finish: During five lost hours of the night, mysterious ritual murder occurs. Heavily anticipated, hastily produced, and highly disappointing at the box office, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is more akin to modern teen horror sequels like Urban Legends: Final Cut than to its groundbreaking predecessor. Helping to transcend total teen horror hell, however, is director Joe Berlinger, who was hired, ironically, for his abilities as a documentary filmmaker. Berlinger (Brother's Keeper) demonstrates surprising chops in the realm of genre moviemaking, adding a hallucinatory feel to the film, while balancing well a charismatic cast of unknowns with the somewhat plain mystery story. The biggest mystery of all, though, is why there is no actual "Book of Shadows." Tony Nigro

All Movie Guide

One of the most financially successful independent films of all time spawns a sequel that at once honors and confronts the pseudo-documentary style of the original in this follow-up to The Blair Witch Project. After The Blair Witch Project becomes a box-office smash, tourists begin to descend upon the small town of Burkittsville, MD, wanting to learn more about the truth and legend of the Blair Witch. Jeff Patterson is a local resident with a checkered past who sees a chance to make some fast money; he inaugurates "The Blair Witch Hunt," offering a tour of the woods where the ill-starred student filmmakers were lost. Four students from Boston sign up for the witch hunt, and end up spending the night camping near the home of notorious child murderer Rustin Parr. The next morning, they discover that they have no memory of a five-hour stretch of the previous night; as the day wears on, they realize they encountered something profoundly evil during their lost night in the woods, which has begun to manifest itself with a vengeance. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 was the first dramatic feature directed by Joe Berlinger, who previously helmed the award-winning documentaries Brother's Keeper and Paradise Lost. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 012236117032
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français, Español
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:30:00
• Sales Rank: 27,963

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