Younger horror fans may not get what all the fuss is about considering the evolution of the found footage genre over the last two decades, but The Blair Witch Project was a legitimate cultural phenomenon when it first arrived in the summer of 1999. Indeed, it’s one of the genre’s most influential films and also one of the most profitable after earning almost $250 million at the box office on a budget of $200,000.
Of course, it’s an incredibly scary movie as well, and one that still holds up to this day. In fact, even the Master of Horror himself, Stephen King, has trouble watching it. Speaking in an interview for Eli Roth’s History of Horror, the author admitted that when he first sat down to check it out, he couldn’t even make it through to the end as he found it “too freaky.”
“The first time I saw [The Blair Witch Project], I was in the hospital and I was doped up,” King said. “My son brought a VHS tape of it and he said, ‘You gotta watch this.’ Halfway through it I said, ‘Turn it off it’s too freaky.’“
Presumably, many people would’ve had the same reaction as King did, especially when the film first released and the genre wasn’t as saturated as it is today. But like we said above, The Blair Witch Project remains a very creepy piece of work and one that will still give you the chills when you sit down with it, even if you’ve already seen it.
Of course, the movie also spawned a couple of follow-ups, none of which could match up to the original. And while it isn’t clear if Stephen King has ever decided to give it another chance, it’s interesting to know that even one of the genre’s most respected names was spooked by the film.
Tell us, though, are you a fan of The Blair Witch Project? And if so, did you make it through to the end when you first saw it? Let us know below.