August 17, 2023

#08 - Directors of The Blair Witch Project (Dan Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez)

1 hour 20 minutes

Venture into the depths of the Black Hills Forest as both directors of “The Blair Witch Project”, Dan Myrick and Ed Sanchez, join us on this episode of Talks From The Crypt to uncover the secrets behind one of the world’s most influential horror films of all time.

Hear exclusive behind-the-scenes stories that turned a low-budget indie film into a global phenomenon.From its inception to the legacy it left behind, learn about the creative process that brought worldwide attention to an entirely ‘new’ subgenre of horror: found footage. Explore the threads that link "The Blair Witch Project" to other iconic films, including "Cannibal Holocaust", “Faces of Death”, “Man Bites Dog” "Paranormal Activity", and "Cloverfield".

Go beyond Blair Witch as we touch upon their inspirations from classics like “The Omen”, “Jacob’s Ladder”, “The Shining”, and “Amityville Horror”. At the end of the episode, Dan and Ed respond to the world's most controversial myths and rumors that have entangled the film for 24 years.

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Talks From The Crypt – https://instagram.com/talksfromthecrypt / https://talksfromthecrypt.com

Ed Sanchez – https://instagram.com/sanchezonthemic / https://haxan.com

Dan Myrick – https://instagram.com/dan_myrick / https://gangofrobots.com

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Teaser

00:17 – Introduction

00:58 – Dan and Eduardo's Reunion

01:51 – Discussing "The Blair Witch Project" After 24 Years

03:22 – Blair Witch's Popularity & Impact

05:27 – Trailblazing Viral Marketing: “Paranormal Activity” & ”Skinamarink”

06:53 – Internet's Early Days: Misinformation and New Standards

09:22 – Found Footage Pioneers: "Cannibal Holocaust", "Man Bites Dog", "Faces of Death"

13:01 – Coming Up With ”The Blair Witch Project” – One Idea Started It All

15:44 – The State of Collaboration in Film Industry

18:28 – Why Ed & Dan Stopped Collaborating After Blair Witch

23:07 – Dan and Ed's Individual Contributions to Blair Witch

25:32 – Future Collaborations Between Dan and Ed?

27:15 – Reflecting on Their Working Relationship

28:40 – Casting and Selling Fiction as Reality: How They Convinced the World That Heather, Mike, and Josh Were Dead & The Casting Process

32:23 – Doubts Surrounding ”The Blair Witch Project’s” Success

34:36 – The First Screening: Sundance 1999

37:15 – The Moment They Realized “The Blair Witch Project” Redefined Horror

41:09 – Selling the Blair Witch IP: Any Regrets or Creative Control?

43:00 – Satisfaction with Selling the IP to Artisan

45:15 – Blurring the Lines Between Fiction and Reality: Influence on True Crime

49:07 – Could ”The Blair Witch Project” Be Pulled Off Today?

51:50 – Thoughts on Later Found Footage Films: ”Paranormal Activity”, ”Cloverfield”

53:04 – Favorite Horror Subgenres and Films: “The Omen”, “The Shining”, ”It’s Alive”, ”Amityville Horror”

56:57 – Dan & Ed's Current Projects

1:00:37 – The Challenges of Indie Filmmaking

1:02:27 – FACT OR FICTION - Dan and Ed respond to the world's most controversial myths and rumors surrounding ”The Blair Witch Project” (Crypt Notes)

1:02:54 – Crypt Note 1 – Alternate Endings & Fate of the Characters Explained

1:04:50 – Crypt Note 1b– Insight into the Film's Original Cut: ”The Blair Witch Project” Ending Explained

1:08:41 – Crypt Note 2 – The Bundle of Sticks Contained Actual Human Teeth and Hair

1:09:26 – Crypt Note 3 – An 'Actual Witch' is Seen In The Movie

1:12:34 – Crypt Note 4 – Heather Donahue’s Mother Received sympathy Cards from people who believed her daughter was actually dead or missing

1:12:50 – Crypt Note 5 – The actors were given less and less food each day of shooting to promote discord between them on-set

1:14:20 – Crypt Note 6 – One of the cameras was bought at Circuit City and was returned after shooting wrapped

1:15:08 – Crypt Note 7 – The safety word on-set was "Taco"

1:17:50 – Crypt Note 8 – The Blair Witch Project is a snuff film, Mike and Josh lured Heather into the woods to murder her

1:18:53 – Outro

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