Filmcollege #9: Horror and Zeitgest & The Blair Witch Project (1999)
We dive into the uncanny world of horror cinema through the lens of a modern classic: The Blair Witch Project. Film critic and curator Hugo Emmerzael guides us through the history of horror and illustrates how this microbudget sensation became one of the most influential films of its era.
When it premiered in 1999, The Blair Witch Project not only terrified audiences worldwide but also changed the rules of horror filmmaking. Shot in “found footage” style, it became a viral sensation before social media, perfectly capturing the anxieties of the late ’90s. With its raw style and eerie realism, it tapped into timeless fears while reflecting the social and technological shifts of its time.
This film lecture explores horror as a genre that constantly adapts to the zeitgeist. From gothic castles to suburban nightmares, slashers to supernatural hauntings, horror films reflect society’s deepest fears and embrace new technologies to bring them to life. How do horror films channel collective anxieties? What makes The Blair Witch Project such a landmark in the evolution of the genre? And why does it still chill us 25 years later?
The Blair Witch Project
After the lecture, we will screen The Blair Witch Project (1999), Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez’s groundbreaking debut. Following three student filmmakers who vanish while investigating a local legend, the film blurs the line between reality and fiction, leaving audiences to question what is true and what is imagined. More than just a horror movie, it is a cultural time capsule and a turning point in film history.
- 19:30
Kies tijdstip
- filmspecial
We dive into the uncanny world of horror cinema through the lens of a modern classic: The Blair Witch Project. Film critic and curator Hugo Emmerzael guides us through the history of horror and illustrates how this microbudget sensation became one of the most influential films of its era.
When it premiered in 1999, The Blair Witch Project not only terrified audiences worldwide but also changed the rules of horror filmmaking. Shot in “found footage” style, it became a viral sensation before social media, perfectly capturing the anxieties of the late ’90s. With its raw style and eerie realism, it tapped into timeless fears while reflecting the social and technological shifts of its time.
This film lecture explores horror as a genre that constantly adapts to the zeitgeist. From gothic castles to suburban nightmares, slashers to supernatural hauntings, horror films reflect society’s deepest fears and embrace new technologies to bring them to life. How do horror films channel collective anxieties? What makes The Blair Witch Project such a landmark in the evolution of the genre? And why does it still chill us 25 years later?
The Blair Witch Project
After the lecture, we will screen The Blair Witch Project (1999), Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez’s groundbreaking debut. Following three student filmmakers who vanish while investigating a local legend, the film blurs the line between reality and fiction, leaving audiences to question what is true and what is imagined. More than just a horror movie, it is a cultural time capsule and a turning point in film history.
Rotterdampas is niet geldig.
Hugo Emmerzael
Hugo Emmerzael is a film critic, curator, and programmer. He writes for Filmkrant, MUBI Notebook, Filmmaker Magazine, and Senses of Cinema, and has curated the Forum of the Directors at the Netherlands Film Festival since 2020. He has also served on juries at Cannes, Venice, and Karlovy Vary.
