How many filmmakers can claim a flotilla of fan Web sites lovingly devoted to their movie months before the actual film even opens? Okay, The Phantom Menace, sure, but I’m talking about an indie film that virtually nobody has even seen yet. I’m talking about The Blair Witch Project, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick’s ultra-low-budget spook show that opens this week, after months of Internet speculation.
The sites below, and many more like them, are the result of the unprecedented buzz surrounding the film, and you can bet that after tomorrow’s opening, the number will almost certainly spiral upward. That the World Wide Web is beginning to have such a profound effect on film marketing is a whole other story we’ll tackle sometime else. For now, go check out these four sites to discover the true meaning of the word “fan.”
The Blair Witch Project Official Site
http://www.blairwitch.com
The first and the best, mainly because it’s by the folks behind the film, this is essentially a Web-based extrapolation of the film’s mythology, including bios on the characters, more “lost” footage and audio bites, and plenty of downloads. Hidden links exist, they say, so if you’ve got time to kill, why not tote that PowerBook out into the woods and see what you can find after nightfall comes?
A&E’s Fanatic’s Guide to The Blair Witch Project
A true fan site in every regard, this lovingly detailed examination of the film and its mythology features an exhaustive FAQ, downloads (including an icon of the film’s witchy mascot, “Twiggy”), and links to the new Blair Witch Webring.
The Blair Warner Project
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/lounge/3027/Blair.html
Remember The Facts of Life? Remember big-boned blonde Blair Warner? This sublime parody of both Facts and TBWP features hapless Blair’s increasingly disjointed diary scribbles as she faces the unrelenting evil in the woods. Beware of Tootie.
The Blair Witch Ate My Balls
http://www.chickpages.com/moviemavens/blairwitch/blairballs1.html
Another in an endless supply of hilarious “Ate My Balls” pages, this one features characters from the film divesting themselves of their … balls. Well, duh. —M.S.
This article appears in July 16 • 1999 and July 16 • 1999 (Cover).