Three student film makers set out to make a documentary on the legend of the Blair Witch. After entering the woods she is supposed to haunt, none of them are seen again. One year later, the tapes they made are found.

As an example of a film which was to become a victim of its own hype, "The Blair Witch Project" still stands out as an innovative piece of film-making. The dynamics between the three main characters, veering from intense dislike to petrified reliance on each other, makes compelling if uncomfortable viewing. In addition, the handheld camerawork - on both videotape and film - creates a real in-your-face feel that extends the mounting anxieties experienced by the characters to the audience.

Not as terrifying as advertised, and definitely flawed, it is still one of the most original horror films to have emerged in recent years. While it slightly loses the atmosphere in the last third as the hysteria builds, the first part of the film has some genuine moments of horror which raise hairs on the back of your neck, and if nothing else, will keep you out of the woods.

Find out more about the "Blair Witch" at the official site.

Read about the sequel.

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