Blair Witch 2 : Le Livre des ombres

The first Blair Witch was both a phenomenon commercially and creatively. Book of Shadows had the same potential, but was ultimately was let down by its high aspirations. The director could not decide if he wanted to make a straight documentary or a straight movie. In my eyes, the combination of the two cost this movie. The choppy editing had a huge factor in this as well. If only the first hour had been as carefully assembled as the last half hour, this would have been a true masterpiece. All in all this is not a super bad movie and is worth a viewing - just not multiple times. Bottom line: Good story, poor execution. My score: 4/10!

I really liked this film. And like so many other before me, I will say that this isn't a sequel to The Blair Witch Project. This is a seperate movie that is loosely connected. This movie plays with your mind (which I have a tendency to enjoy) and sort of makes you think (for as much a horror movie can): Things are not what they seem, and memory can, at times, be deceiving...and your worst enemy. And as I said in my review of The Blair Witch Project, you need an open mind watching this film. Book Of Shadows shows you the blood and gore that wasn't needed in the first film, which is either a plus or minus--depending on your taste. I thought it was interesting and entertaining. Don't take movies (especially horror movies) so seriously people, it's entertainment, nothing more.

I loved the blair witch project and would have much rather they make a sequel that continued with the original story then made a sequel like this.

I liked this movie but it would have been a lot better had it been by itself and not part of the Blair Witch Project original movie. The plot was a bit hard to follow but I managed.

It was almost nothing like the original but I found it scary and a reasonable movie.

An interesting movie that played well with test audiences was then ruined by studio execs who bizarrely decided to change the movie based on a tiny minority of the same test audience. Any subtlety or nuance is ruined by cliché after cliché and completely misplaced gore, jump scares and the worst CGI you've ever seen. Out on the Internet, there exist some fan edits that get closer to the director's original cut. I suggest you seek one of those out... they all improve upon this mess.

Joe Berlinger set out to make a film with a different feel than what the studio twisted Book of Shadows into, but the end result is nothing to throw in the trash bin. I would love to experience a true Director's Cut and wonder if it would have been as memorable, because Book of Shadows, as it is, is a fun little flick that deserves better than some of the ratings it's garnered by those wanting more Blair Witch Project.

After Blair Witch how would it be possible to continue to suggest the possibility of real footage and lost documentary videos falling into the hands of a movie studio? Viewers have now latched onto found footage as a style, but at the time following the release of the first film the idea was simply seen as a gimmick to get people to pay to watch a movie with zero budget.

Book of Shadows is a great horror film, not quite as ambitious as the director set out to convey in his final cut, but tons of fun for horror fans. Turn off the lights, turn off your phone, enjoy the show.