The Blair Witch Project producer Mike Monello recently revealed on social media that we’ve been watching the wrong version of the classic horror movie since it was released on DVD bout 25 years ago.
Monello explained on X: “In 1999, theatrical films didn’t originate on video, so there was no codified process for putting them out on video. So they did it like all films back then: They transferred the 35mm negative to video.”
He went on to say: “Unfortunately, the 35mm negative is NOT the actual camera negative. As a result, the version released for all forms of home video is incorrect.
“The colors, the motion, the strange rounded corners, it didn’t look like a home video, and it didn’t look like film.”
Don’t worry, though! In November, a limited edition version of the film, the correct version, will be released thanks to Second Sight Films.
Monello says this edition is the first time the movie has been “properly transferred and released in the way it was intended to be seen.”
But, since the movie is only being released in the UK as a Region B disc, your Blu-ray player needs to be able to play Region B discs.
I imagine at some point the correct version of the film will also be released in the states, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
The Blair Witch Project was kind of a groundbreaking found-footage horror film that follows three student filmmakers—Heather, Mike, and Josh—as they venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to investigate the local legend of the Blair Witch.
The trio becomes hopelessly lost, and as their supplies dwindle, they begin to experience increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. The film’s unique style, which simulates amateur documentary footage, adds a layer of realism that heightens the sense of dread.
The film’s strength lies in its ambiguity and minimalism, leaving much of the horror to the audience’s imagination. The film’s climax, which remains one of the most discussed and debated endings in horror cinema, delivers a powerful psychological impact without showing any explicit supernatural elements.
The movie was a cultural phenomenon, achieving massive success with its viral marketing campaign and redefining the horror genre by proving that atmosphere, suggestion, and innovative storytelling could create intense fear on a small budget.
