Intermission: Sequel adopts bigger budget, drops directors

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|bold_on|"Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2"|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Directed by: Joe Berlinger|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Starring: Stephen Barker Turner, Tristen Skylar, Kim Director and Erica Leerhsen|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Rated: R|ret||ret||tab|

By now, the legend of "The Blair Witch" is well-known. In this instance I'm talking about the movie, not the witch herself, although the legend of the witch intertwines deeply with the now-revered business side of this phenomenon.|ret||ret||tab|

A couple of aging down-and-out filmmakers came up with an interesting concept, and with the help of some Internet-savvy friends created a buzz that turned into a cult that turned into an audience who shelled out more than $250 million worldwide for a film that cost less than $50,000 to produce. |ret||ret||tab|

"The Blair Witch Project" attained cult status long before it was released. The official, and various related Web sites had people convinced the film was really a documentary. However, the cult around the film gained my respect a lot more than the film itself. Touted as the scariest movie since "The Exorcist," I was really disappointed with the film.|ret||ret||tab|

"Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" pokes some good fun at the cult surrounding the first film and if you can keep that in mind throughout, it may make the experience more enjoyable as a whole.|ret||ret||tab|

Gone is the lowly budget, replaced with $10 million of Hollywood cash. The directors of the first film are nowhere in sight either, and, in keeping with the spirit of things, a "documentarian" was hired to head "Book of Shadows." Joe Berlinger has done a few interesting nonfiction films, including "Paradise Lost," a story of murder and fanaticism in the American south. His style (at least at the beginning of "Book of Shadows") is a perfect match for continuing the myth that all of this Burkittsville, Md., hoo-hah is for real.|ret||ret||tab|

As this film opens we see a series of "documentary" shots with statements from locals about how their town has been overrun with tourists, sightseers and fanatics since the events that were covered in the first film. All of this has led to a number of cottage industries, including several competing "Blair Witch" tour guide outfitters.|ret||ret||tab|

We follow a few days in the life of one of these groups as the guide takes four interested people to camp in the woods where all of the evil has taken place.|ret||ret||tab|

After a lot of booze and weed, the five wake up to realize they've completely lost track of a good portion of the previous night. When the news flash comes that another tour group has been brutally murdered, questions begin to arise. Thanks to the fact that the tour guide (just released from a mental institution) has more video equipment than a post production company, the quintet settles in to unravel what may have gone on during their "missing hours." |ret||ret||tab|

What follows is more of a haunted house tale than the first film, with a lot more gore and graphic violence. Despite that, I found myself drawn into the story a lot more than I was for its predecessor. Even though a lot of it doesn't make much sense, I think Berlinger did a great job in staying within the confines of the cult of the "Blair Witch," while poking fun at it. My biggest problem, even considering the cast is entirely unknown and untrained, is the fact that the guy playing the sheriff is the worst actor I've ever seen. He makes Criswell (from "Plan 9 From Outer Space") seem like Sir Laurence Olivier.|ret||ret||tab|

"Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" ends as abruptly as the first one, making it easy to set up a sequel. I hear, however, that the next "Blair Witch" product will be a prequel, presumably about the children who were killed and the woman that the townsfolk of Burkittsville exiled (and killed) for being a witch.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

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