Witching Hour.

• Author: Walker, Jesse
• Position: Review

The summer's least likely blockbuster, The Blair Witch Project, is also the latest sign of one of today's most promising trends: the democratization of filmmaking. The picture, which reportedly cost just $50,000 to produce, wasn't simply made outside the studio system: It took such independence for granted. Its plot, after all, involves three ordinary people who set out to make a low-budget movie, with tools that most Americans could easily borrow or buy.

This matter-of-fact independence infects the picture's style. Here at last is a fictional film that actually feels homemade - something Hollywood has tried many times...