The original “Blair Witch,” created in 1999, revolutionized the horror movie genre. Being the second found footage movie ever made, “The Blair Witch Project” sparked an entire generation of horror that is still prevalent today. However, in the recent years, studios have found themselves remaking, rebooting, and adding sequels to franchises from the past, and even some more present. This passing weekend, Vertigo Entertainment, known for the remake of “Poltergeist” and the sequels to “The Grudge,” and “Woman in Black,” released the third installment to “The Blair Witch” franchise. Despite its loss of originality, “Blair Witch” proved itself to be just as teeth clenching, heart pumping, and nerve rattling as the first.

The first and second of “The Blair Witch” franchise are from Artisan Entertainment, an indie movie company solely famous for making the found footage horror genre popular. The original was released at the Sundance music festival before being brought to theaters due to its popularity. Artisans Entertainment brilliantly crafted the idea of the lost film students into society for a year prior to the festival to not only advertise, but also convince people it was real. The company put up missing flyers and created fake websites about the urban legend of the witch and the results were unreal. Even before the movie was released to the public, people were already scared, and when the film was released, critics and viewers raved at the new type of horror. The magic of the first movie was that it was new and brilliantly crafted to be heart stopping. No one knew what was going to happen, no one had seen anything like it, and 40% of the nation was convinced the movie was real after seeing it. Now a days, that magic is hard to recreate. The convince of the internet and social media would make it difficult for movie companies to fake the disappearance of even one person, and the mainstream usage of found footage takes away the originality a ground breaking horror movie would need. “The Blair Witch Project” hit all the marks by captivating its audience and frightening all who watched it. Even though the third is just as terrifying, it didn’t leave me wondering if the witch was real or if the students were still lost, even though I was shaking at some parts of the movie, I was aware it was not real. Due to the lack of originality from the first, I was able to predict the plot, but, I was not able to prepare myself for the terrifying scenes the first and third movie create so well. The last ten minutes had me covering my eyes and wishing for the movie to stop.

“Blair Witch” made me jump and even want to scream because of the way the camera puts viewer into the action. Throughout the movie I felt as if I was right there, lost in the woods and being hunted with the other characters. That feeling of dread and being followed the first movie creates so well is made just as much in the third. I was on the edge of my seat almost the whole time. Tension and fear were built heavily throughout the movie, much like the first, and it was all released in the last ten minutes of the film. Outside of the overused and quite dumb jump scares, if this movie had been the first in “The Blair Witch” franchise, it would be much more successful than being released today. If you love horror movies because they make you afraid and never want to sleep again, then this movie is something you and your friend should see. Any fan of the first movie will enjoy the third very much, but having said that, if you hated the first, don’t bother to see the new one, you ill hate it just as much. As long as you don’t mind the lack of inventiveness and the seemingly duplicated plot, you will joyfully be terrified while watching “Blair Witch.”