Sort By: By Genre  |  By Rating  |  By Year

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

Starring: Jeffrey Donovan, Erica Leerhsen
Director: Joe Berlinger
Genre: Horror
Year: 2000
Rating: 3 / 5

Is it fair to judge a film based on its potential rather than on what it is actually able to deliver? If so, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 will be remembered as a fairly promising thriller, complete with some chilling final sequences. If, however, films are judged merely on the basis of the finished product, Book of Shadows will live on as a cheap knockoff of an innovative idea, trudging along without bona fide actors or a coherent timeline. Director Joe Berlinger takes us one step past The Blair Witch Project, treating it as the phenomenon that it was. What would happen if individuals, eager to understand this phenomenon, descended upon the very place where the ill-fated events took place?

Jeffrey Patterson (Jeffrey Donovan) is the founder of the Blair Witch Hunt, an on-line business dedicated to selling goods related to the Blair Witch legend. Eager to capitalize further on the excitement generated by the initial film's far-reaching popularity, Jeffrey arranges to lead a tour group into the fabled woods. Enlisted for the journey are his friend Erica (Erica Leershen), married writers Tristen (Tristine Skyler) and Stephen (Stephen Barker Turner), and gothic drifter Kim (Kim Director). The five troopers head off into the backwoods of small town Maryland in order to learn the truth about the Blair Witch, but what they find is much more frightening.

None of the primary actors in Book of Shadows has a career to speak of, much like the more successful original film. That being said, all five handle themselves capably, even if they are unable to truly distinguish themselves. They are placed in a rather unique situation, as this film acknowledges the existence of the original, despite calling its veracity into question. The film that was seen by millions in the summer of 1999 becomes the very foundation for the latest quest into the woods. These curious travelers want to understand the phenomenon, and they want to see if its basis lies in fact.

Book of Shadows has some especially chilling moments, as tension mounts for the frightened group. Alas, while the audience surely is thrilled by the goings-on, the impact would have been that much greater had Joe Berlinger not decided to use flashbacks for part of the film. These sequences, which have no real purpose in the narrative, merely serve to let the audience in on who will live and who will die. Minus these distractions, the emotional buildup experienced by Jeffrey and his colleagues would be that much scarier. We would be left to wonder not only what happened, but to whom it happened. As it is, Book of Shadows offers us an intriguing tale, an eerie revelation, and a lot of potential unrealized.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for violence, language, and nudity.
Running Time: 90 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
Comments: Send E-mail