It seems like whenever I review one movie, just one movie, I am compelled to review a hundred more.

With my seventeenth birthday coming up in a handful of months, I'll be able to see a wider range of movies. I can legally get myself into R Rated movies at the theaters, and my parents will allow me to see a few movies I've been wanting to see...At least, that's how it's supposed to happen. To be honest, I might as well just be seventeen right now. My parents are already easing their chokehold on what movies I can and can't see. Every time they turn around I'm watching another violent movie. They've become so used to me seeing violence in movies that it scarcely bothers them anymore. If a movie is Rated R for violence, they'll let me watch it, because I've probably seen worse anyhow. Drugs are a nonfactor because I know better than to drink or smoke at this age (or any age, really). Language is a bit of a sore spot, but they're willing to make exceptions for certain movies (such as the one this Review is about). Sex...Well, that is indeed the final frontier. I think if I'm allowed to see three of the four things that up a movie's Rating, I might as well just be allowed to see the last one. But my parents are still a little sketchy on that one. I'm not too bitter about it; they'll make exceptions even then, and I should be glad I'm allowed to watch R Rated movies at all; there are certain PG movies my cousins aren't allowed to see.

When my father offered to let me watch The Blair Witch Project, I happily accepted. Society today comes down hard on modern Horror movies, and despite the pessimistic view of them, it seems like The Blair Witch Project is one of the few that is unanimously loved. I've heard a lot about it and wanted badly to see it. My father noted that the language is pretty heavy in this movie, and I just blew it off with the usual, "I've heard worse." To be honest, though, the language is rather heavy in this movie. High School is a pretty verbose place in this day and age, but even so, there is a lot of swearing in this film. It doesn't bother me at all, obviously; I've learned long ago that this is how most of the world talks and there's nothing offensive about it unless you choose to be offended by it. The constant swearing adds to the realism of the movie, though, and I certainly can't complain about that, since that is the gimmick of the movie.

I actually watched this movie the first time around with a friend. A friend who is easily scared and more oriented toward dramedies. I mentioned this movie in passing to her and noted my anticipation towards it, and she seemed...drawn in. She asked if she could watch it with me, and I agreed, even though I heard that this was one of the scariest movies of all time. I like watching movies with my friends, though. It's fun to have someone to laugh, cry, and scream with, as well as someone to discuss the movie with after the credits roll. She was a little more talkative than I might have liked while watching it, but we both were entranced by it, and by the end, we were in agreement that this was a great movie.

What makes it so great? Well, the cinematography is a big factor of it. But it's what the cinematography does for the movie that makes it such an important part. It makes it nightmarishly real. There's something very close to home about this movie. These are ordinary woods and ordinary people with ordinary personalities and ordinary fears. And then there's the Blair Witch. We're watching it terrorize these filmmakers at a much closer range than with most Horror movies. It's honestly like we're right there beside them as the Witch closes in and teases them with its rituals. The movie preys heartily on the fear of the unknown that most people suffer from. We have absolutely no idea what the Witch wants or how it's doing what it does. All we see is that it has something sinister in mind and it's taking its dear sweet time getting it done. The tension is almost unbearable, and you fear sundown as much as the protagonists do.

I quite enjoyed the protagonists. Horror movies have a knack for turning you against their main characters or something, because for a Genre that relies so much on you hoping for the survival of its main characters, most of the movies do a terrible job of making you connect with the characters. These people, though, they act like people you might know. Friends of yours, or maybe cousins. Maybe even siblings. They act very realistically with their dialogue, thought processes, and decisions. Everything they do is something you can see you or someone you know doing. The Blair Witch Project is crafty like that; it tricks you into wanting them to survive, I guess you might say. Truth be told, only Heather really establishes herself as likeable in this movie. Josh is an alright guy but he downright verbally assaults Heather at one point, and fairly brutally as well. Mike is just irritable, and although he seems like a fun guy when he's in a good mood, his temper is quick to rise and he acts rashly and sometimes frightfully when he's angry. For all their character flaws, though, they're a group of frightened and lost young adults you just want to survive. It may be because you want them themselves to live, or it may be because you just don't want the horrifyingly evil Blair Witch to win, but the movie has you cheering for its main characters in one way or another. This shouldn't be such a challenge for Horror movies, but since it apparently has become one, The Blair Witch Project passed its first test.

Then there's the scare tactics it uses. This is a big part of any Horror movie, since the whole point of them is to scare you out of your mind. The Blair Witch Project has a very minimalistic approach to fear that is reminiscent of Jaws, Alien, and The Shining (which just so happen to be some of the bigger influences on the filmmakers who made this movie. I applaud them for learning from such great movies.). I have nothing against gore, really, but there's just something more frightening about the unknown than the known. This movie confounds you and makes no sense at all, and that's why it's so terrifying. The sticks and stones have a purpose; you can see it in their precision and their careful set-up. But what is it? What's so important about these relics of the Blair Witch? You know there's a reason, but you're left out in the dark. You're seeing them just as the characters in the movie are; no dramatic irony, no hint-hint-nudge-nudge that most Horror movies give you. To me and many others, that is a truly frightening prospect, and The Blair Witch Project exploits that primitive fear extensively.

Forget a 9. After reading over what I've just written and replaying this movie in my mind, it truly does deserve a 10. As a Horror movie and just as a movie in general, it is a potent success. Character, plot, and imagery are all topnotch here. The images in this movie are so raw and blood-chilling that they're scarier than they would be even with proper camerawork. You can see the low budget in the movie, but it doesn't matter at all. The effects are next to nonexistent, and it works so much better for that. This movie keeps you guessing right up until the end, and at the end, when you're really anticipating a full explanation and a reason to stop being afraid of the Witch, all it does is clarify things a small bit and give you even more reason to be afraid of this monstrosity. I can't name anything this movie honestly did wrong. Length is no problem; it works perfectly at the length it is, even if it is shorter than most movies. It feels like forever when you're watching it, to be honest. It's a total nightmare. I've grown past the age where I look fearfully over my shoulder for monsters I've seen in movies, but I was pretty scared while I was watching this movie. If I was in any way vulnerable to scary movies anymore, this would definitely scare me to death. It's masterfully made and manipulative without being pushy, and it's truly just an amazing movie. My friend, afraid of her own shadow, enjoyed this movie, so I therefore recommend it to anyone who knows a good movie when they see one, Horror fan or not. The Blair Witch Project will not disappoint.