10 Horror Movie Openings That Pissed Everyone Off

9. It's Not Found Footage - Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

Scream 4 Anna Paquin Kristen Bell
Haxan Films

Once The Blair Witch Project became a pop-culture phenomenon and grossed almost $250 million worldwide, the path for a sequel seemed simple enough: rehash the lost-in-the-woods concept again while recycling the innovative found footage style.

But in a move that was both historically brave and stupid, Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 ditched that style and unfolded as a conventionally shot narrative feature, as surely left many fans of the originally irritated within the first few minutes.

Beyond that there's the overly cutesy meta frame narrative, where the film exists in a world where The Blair Witch Project movie came out, and because this is a horror film releasing in the year 2000, of course it has to have a Marilyn Manson song playing over the opening titles.

Though director Joe Berlinger has written much about how Book of Shadows was significantly re-edited during post-production to appeal to the teen market, the decision to abandon the found footage style was deflating enough to make all other concerns feel secondary.

Nothing good happens in these establishing scenes - just an avalanche of infuriating revelations.

In this post: 
Scream 4
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.