Top 25 Greatest Halloween Films: #25 — 'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)

The hardest part of compiling this list was in trying to define what does and does not qualify as a horror picture. Most every definition out there has a slippery slope that can lead to all kinds of similarly-plotted films that don’t fit the genre. For instance, if you include Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” why not “Silence of the Lambs” and therefore “The Bone Collector,” “Kiss the Girls” and “Se7en?” What’s the difference between a slasher film and a violent thriller like Brian DePalma’s “Dressed to Kill”? And if you include “Halloween” why not “Shadow of a Doubt?” Furthermore, if you stick only to the supernatural, then you have to ask yourself if zombies qualify as supernatural, which I think is a road we’d all prefer not to go down.

Since coming up with this countdown idea, this particular question has consumed my days and nights to the point that what was going to be a Top 31 list is now a Top 25. But then a revelation struck: Who cares? And for the record, that happens to be my favorite revelation.

So what we have here is nothing more than a daily countdown – one film at a time (with a few cheats) – of my favorite scary movies to watch during the season of Halloween. As good as they are, as suspenseful as they are, films such as “Jaws” and serial killer procedurals just don’t qualify. In my mind there’s a certain kind of horror perfect for this time of year when the wind’s cold, the leaves turn brown, and the sky is overcast. Yes, I live in L.A. where the season only change from rush hour to not, but in my own mind I’m twelve years old, living in the Midwest, and my parents have let me stay up way past my bedtime because “Shock Theatre” is on…

#25: The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The concept is genius. We’re watching the found footage of three college students who went into the Maryland woods to investigate an urban legend and never came back. From the start, the premise tells us something awful has happened, which immediately puts a knot in your stomach that only increases as the tightly wound 81 minutes unspool. Most impressive, however, is how well the final moments pay off. Even though the legend’s been fully explained, the ultimate fate of our three protagonists is still a shocker that keeps you frozen in place through most of the closing credits.

Made for $60,000, this phenom went on to gross over $140 million, and that record success had nothing to do with the then unique Internet hype at the time. We go to the movies – especially horror movies – to experience something and “Blair Witch” is quite the experience – a stripped down, brilliantly edited chiller so intense that at times you’re tempted to shut it off and take a break.

The best test of a horror film is how well the scares hold up on repeat viewings and every few years or so “Blair” remains just as unsettling as ever. The movie’s so good in fact that I’ve forgiven it for the travesty that was the sequel and for whatever part it played in starting the truly evil trend of the shaky-cam. Shot using video and 16MM black and white, the wobbly, poorly framed cinematography actually adds considerably to the experience, as does the amateur acting.

Another test of a horror movie’s effectiveness is whether or not the scares stay with you long after the lights come up. Back when we lived in North Carolina, almost daily the wife and I took a three-mile walk in the woods after work. Not so long after seeing “Blair” for the first time, we were a mile from the car when night hit.

Trust me, the scares lingered.

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What Didn’t Make the Countdown: The Shining (1980)

There’s a lot to admire in Stanley Kubrick’s loose adaptation of Stephen King’s absolutely terrific novel of the same name. The story of an alcoholic writer (Jack Nicholson) who eventually loses what’s left of his marbles at a secluded, snowed-in Colorado hotel and then decides to chop his son and wife into pieces has a number of memorable scenes and even a few very real scares. Overall, however, the movie’s a bit of a slog. Granted, a beautifully shot and at times hypnotic slog, but after you’re familiar with the story beats, the only reason for a repeat viewing is to admire the cinematography and the many iconic moments.

In my opinion, the biggest mistake Kubrick made was introducing Nicholson’s character as creepy and off-balance even before the family arrives at the hotel. The heart of King’s story was watching a flawed man, who wanted to use this last-chance caretaker job as a way to better himself, slowly descend into madness. For this reason and a few others, the 1997 television version of “The Shining” starring Steven Weber and Rebecca De Mornay is far more satisfying.