If you’re a huge horror buff like me, you probably don’t scare too easily, but one of the ways that a skilled film maker can scare even the sceptical movie goer is by turning up the heat with every twist and turn of a movie - and they don’t even need a thermostat like the ones on this page to do it. A site like Thermostat Center might have some great suggestions when it comes wireless thermostats, but they won’t help you in these situations – you just have to sweat your way through it and hope you survive along with the characters on screen.
Of course, that’s what makes the horror move so thrilling. One of the best examples of a horror movie really turning up the heat in our living rooms in recent years was The Blair Witch Project. This ground-breaking movie changed the genre forever and sent more than a couple of movie goers fleeing from their seats in abject terror - now that’s the sign of a good shock film! Here’s why we believe The Blair Witch Project revolutionized the horror film industry.
Shaky Documentary Style
The biggest attraction to The Blair Witch Project for many movie goers was its seeming realism. The way it was shot with a shaky handheld camera made us believe we could actually be watching real documentary footage, and that is exactly what the film makers were trying to achieve. As you watched it you saw a group of friends in a difficult situation trying to survive the unexpected, and you could easily see yourself and your own friends in the same situation. As the movie progressed and the impending feeling of doom became ever present, you felt a sense of dread in the bottom of your gut. That’s what a true horror film means to achieve, and they did it in droves in this film.
Discovered Film
Another factor that made this film so believable was that it was presented as if it were some randomly-discovered homemade movie left behind by a doomed group of young people. In fact, there were many reports when this movie first came out of individuals around the world that believed this was real footage - that was a very scary prospect. It certainly created a great deal of controversy and, unlike for other film genres, a little bit of controversy linked to a horror film is generally a good thing. However, I’m sure there were a few people out there that found it just a bit too real.
That Strange Green Glow
In certain scenes of The Blair Witch Project they also used night vision cameras for added effect. That strange green glow that this type of filming produces always has a powerful effect on people. This was a film produced on a minuscule budget, but they came up with many simple tricks to scare the pants off us, and for the most part they succeeded. Every time I see a movie these days with a night vision scene, the first thing I think about is this movie. There’s no greater compliment than that for a film maker.