Stars: Jeffrey Donovan, Kim Director, Erica Leerhsen, Kurt Loder

Director: Joe Berlinger

Summary: A group of students from a Boston college decide to investigate what really happened to the missing filmmakers in Maryland. So they set up camp and wait...

BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 is the sequel to the 1999 thriller THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. The first film's famously effective horror was created in large part with its faux authenticity. Shot on handheld video, the film presented itself as the genuine footage of three students' fatal search for the mysterious Blair Witch. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2, which purports to be a "fictional reenactment of real events," complicates the original's illusion of reality. Tourists have flocked to Burkittsville, Maryland to see evidence of the original film and its underlying mythology. Four of these visitors--Tristan and Stephan, a couple researching a book; Erica, a Wiccan; and Kim, a Goth--join up with town troublemaker Jeff for his inaugural Blair Witch Hunt tour. When they wake up after a night of partying, most of their possessions have been destroyed and they are unable to account for a large block of time. As they piece together memories, inexplicable events spiral to a terrifying climax. Director Joe Berlinger, an acclaimed documentarian making his first foray into dramatic film, creates a disorienting otherworld in which video clips, flashbacks, and visions are indistinguishable from the reality of the present. BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 illustrates the often blurry and always terrifying line between truth and fiction.

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Sexier and pacier than its predecessor, but still occupying the same psychological horror genre, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2takes up the Blair Witch story one year on from the time when the three student filmmakers went missing in Maryland's Black Hills. Flashbacks and forward leaps are agitatedly and excitedly cut together, drawing us quickly back into the terror territory of the original movie. Once again, to blur the line between fiction and reality, the actors use their own names for their characters. Jeffrey Donovan is Jeff, a Burkettsville entrepreneur making a fortune from selling Blair Witch memorabilia. He has the bright idea of starting Blair Witch tours, but on his inaugural one the malign spirits of the wood make mischief once more.

Director Joe Berlinger previously worked on a real-life documentary about a Wiccan who was executed for murders he may not have committed. Parallels with this story and the plot of Book of Shadowsare clearly visible and the influences cited by Berlinger--Rosemary's Babyand The Shining--shed their demonic shadow throughout. --Lorna Read

On the DVD:the film may have divided critics, but no-one can deny that this special two-disc edition of the Blair Witchsequel is positively packed with added value. Firstly there's the "Secret of Esrever" ("Secret of Reverse") which alludes to ghostly goings on during the filming and then challenges the viewer to find the secret apparitions dotted around the film--although whether it sheds any more light on the plot is open to debate. Director Joe Berlinger's commentary is informative, talking as he does about the personal issues (how he lost some editorial control over the project) and about bringing the myth to life. Book of Shadowsis presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, with a sharp-looking anamorphic transfer and intentional graininess that adds to the overall effect. The audio is also an important factor as the soundtrack uses disjointed voices, screams and the excellent music of composer Carter Burwell to build tension. There are also two "mockumentaries"--"Shadow of the Blair Witch" is about the events that the sequel is based on and "The Burkittsville 7" looks at the grisly murders of seven children by the hermit Rustin Parr. --Kristen Bowditch

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Audio Commentary - 1. Joe Berlinger - Director
Year:	2000
Release Date:	October 21, 2002
Runtime:	89 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	M P 212 D
Label:	The Horror Collection
Keywords:	Book, General, Shadows, Wide, Screen, Witch, Blair, Horror, Occult, Sci, Fi
Genre:	Horror/Occult