The Blair Witch Project was basically a phenomenon when it was released in 1999. The fake horror documentary pulled viewers in while proving to studios that you can entertain audiences and spend very little money. Now found footage horror movies are pretty common, but we can’t forget the movie that started the craze. Here are ten things you probably didn’t know about it.
1. One of the crew members dressed in white and put on a mask to scare Heather, but Josh didn’t catch it on film.
2. It only took eight days to film the entire movie.
3. The movie won a Guinness World Records for “Top Project: Box Office Ratio”.
It only cost $22,000 to make the horror movie, and it made $240.5 million back.
4. The scene where the characters get scared awake by the shaking of the tent was real and unexpected for the actors.
5. The “script” was 35 pages long and had no dialogue so the actors improvised.
6. Actors had to argue their way out of jail in order to audition.
The directors told actors “You’ve been in jail for the last nine years. We’re the parole board. Why should we let you go?” and anyone who hesitated was turned down.
7. The slime covering Joshua’s backpack is KY Jelly.
8. Initially, Josh was supposed to be a love interest for Heather, but the idea was scrapped because it seemed too cliche.
9. The word “f*ck” is said 154 times total.
10. The waitress asking about Blair High School is the director’s sister, Sandra.
