Not Scary, but Innovative and Intense
Rating: 10 of 10 
This movie is actually bigger than the mere film - much more interesting even is how it gained such a strong following and publicity. A giant media hoax - isn't that the most hilarious way to promote a movie? With this strategy, it was even able to outdo Star Wars; and while 'The Blair Witch Project' has the tiniest budget, not only compared to said concurrent, its quality is the better - indirectly proportional to Episode One.
Once you get used to the documentary style and the characters, once the niceties and joking of the first quarter of the film is done, you start to shake your head when you observe how most imperfectly these three guys are prepared for their trip. I was best prepared for it, however, as I just finished a short book on survival in the woods. Every possible mistake you could possibly make, they made too. That's annoying? I guess, it's rather realistic concerning the fact that indeed lots of people get lost in the woods. It could indeed happen to everybody.
When you've given up trying to tell them to do this or that, or to simply follow the creek downhill, you'll suddenly get drawn into the suspense and desperation created by this film. Never have I seen that much real fear and angst in the eyes of an actor - the horror unfolds without any single monster being neccessary. That's brilliant, and it seems like the epitome of the principle of "less is more".
If you have the chance, get the DVD - there's a 44 minute documentary about the missing students on it; that's the real McCoy - the hoax preceeding the release of the film in its most outrangeous and cheeky. Both combined are a strong argument to make you question the reality and solidity of the media - may that be intentional or not.
December 30th, 1999
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