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‘Blair Witch’ is a Terror in Tune With a Specific Mythos

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Blair

Y’all, it’s time to head back into the woods, to hang onto an old digital camera and to film everything for some reason. It’s Blair Witch time. Honestly, before the big E3 announcement, I wouldn’t have believed that a game based on the infamous found footage trailblazer would have a game attached to the franchise but, we live in special times and here we are.

Blair Witch is based in the world of the Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez 1999 film. The super indie film that changed the genre and made tons of moolah, found a group of film students who traveled out to the Black Hills Forest of Burkittsville to film a doc about the famous Blair Witch. Spoilers, but none of them were ever heard from again.

The Blair Witch game takes place in the same universe as the first film. It follows a war veteran named Ellis and his dog Bullet out to the Black Hills Forrest in search of a missing boy. Armed with nothing but a flashlight, a cell phone and his trusty canine pal, Ellis heads into those spooky woods not prepared for the horrors that lay in wait.

Bloober Team are the folks behind Layers of Fear and Observer. If you are familiar with those psychological mind fucks, you know the direction this game is headed. The game is built around exploration of your surroundings in order to find clues to locate the boy. These are found by searching about, but a lot more can be found and unlocked if you utilize Bullet and his trusty snout.

Blair

Bullet is the needle in this compass. He will lead you in the right direction when he isn’t leading you to candy bar wrappers. You interact with bullet by way of a selection wheel that offers commands like stay close, seek, pet, scold, etc… I mostly spent time petting Bullet or had him seek out clues. I don’t wanna know the monster who chooses to scold the poor dude.

Of course this wouldn’t be a Blair Witch experience if the game didn’t go bump in the night, and don’t worry it does. The further your search takes you, the harder it becomes to discern between what is real and what is in your head. This becomes really tricky when you realize that Ellis has really bad PTSD and it gets revved up when he is away from Bullet and forced to face solitude. Ultimately, this puts you in a place where you aren’t sure if the Witch is making your demons or if you are making your own demons.

I really appreciate Bloober’s approach to Ellis’ PTSD. It’s taken very seriously and with an eye for the actual sort of panic and surrounding psychosis that comes with it. There is a very real terror that lies outside of the supernatural stuff and Bloober did a fantastic job of illustrating that.

Rather you know it or not the game is taking everything you do into account. The innovative mechanic is subtle but its there. Blair Witch isn’t building your fate through dialogue trees and on the fly choices. Instead, it is monitoring the innocuous. The way you treat your dog, the people you decide to ring on your phone, how far you play into what could be psychosis. Everything and every step is changing the games final conclusion in interesting ways.

“Blair Witch is a absorbing

and unnerving experience.”

On my first play through, I got the second to worst ending. And by worst, I mean fucking bleak. I’m not sure if there is a “positive” outcome to be had, but trust me when I say mine was one of the darkest. While on one hand, I could see my ending being the fate of the protagonist in a Blair Witch film, I still want to go back and give it another play through or two in order to explore the woods more and ultimately see how different of an ending I can get by doing a couple of minuet things differently.

What would Blair Witch be without an old digital camera? The answer is, it wouldn’t be Blair Witch. Not to worry, the camera is fully implemented with a creative twist. Throughout Blair Witch Ellis will find video tapes that he can play on his camera. These give clues to what is going on in the world around you but it also has mystic properties. It has the ability to affect the real world. Watching certain sections of the video in reverse or pausing certain moments on tape, transforms objectives in the game. For example, if a door is shut, or a tree is blocking your path, rewinding in video might assist in opening that door or moving that tree. This along with the twisting and adaptive narrative are two mechanics that are very unique to this title and something I wish we could see more of in future Blair Witch titles… if there are any.

I played an early version of Blair Witch, that has since had some updates added for stability and performance. At the time, I played there was a few bugs that affected Bullet’s behavior including a large frustrating bit toward the end of the game that caused Bullet to not follow me. After awhile Bullet was zorped over to me. Needless to say, this was really annoying. Patch notes for the most recent update do address Bullet’s behavior so, I’m hopeful this was sussed out.

Blair Witch is a absorbing and unnerving experience. It fits perfectly into the Blair Witch mythos by exploring the world around the witch without ruining the mystery behind her. Terrifying atmosphere and innovative mechanics make this one a must play for horror fans.

Blair Witch is out now on PC and Xbox One.

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“Mickey Vs. Winnie”: A Horrific Clash of Icons from Director Glenn Douglas Packard and iHorror

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iHorror is diving deep into film production with a chilling new project that’s sure to redefine your childhood memories. We’re thrilled to introduce ‘Mickey vs. Winnie,’ a groundbreaking horror slasher directed by Glenn Douglas Packard. This isn’t just any horror slasher; it’s a visceral showdown between twisted versions of childhood favorites Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh. ‘Mickey vs. Winnie’ brings together the now-public-domain characters from A. A. Milne’s ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ books and Mickey Mouse from the 1920s ‘Steamboat Willie’ cartoon in a VS battle like never before seen.

Mickey VS Winnie
Mickey VS Winnie Poster

Set in the 1920s, the plot kicks off with a disturbing narrative about two convicts who escape into a cursed forest, only to be swallowed by its dark essence. Fast forward a hundred years, and the story picks up with a group of thrill-seeking friends whose nature getaway goes horribly wrong. They accidentally venture into the same cursed woods, finding themselves face-to-face with the now monstrous versions of Mickey and Winnie. What follows is a night filled with terror, as these beloved characters mutate into horrifying adversaries, unleashing a frenzy of violence and bloodshed.

Glenn Douglas Packard, an Emmy-nominated choreographer turned filmmaker known for his work on “Pitchfork,” brings a unique creative vision to this film. Packard describes “Mickey vs. Winnie” as a tribute to horror fans’ love for iconic crossovers, which often remain just a fantasy due to licensing restrictions. “Our film celebrates the thrill of combining legendary characters in unexpected ways, serving up a nightmarish yet exhilarating cinematic experience,” says Packard.

Produced by Packard and his creative partner Rachel Carter under the Untouchables Entertainment banner, and our very own Anthony Pernicka, founder of iHorror, “Mickey vs. Winnie” promises to deliver an entirely new take on these iconic figures. “Forget what you know about Mickey and Winnie,” Pernicka enthuses. “Our film portrays these characters not as mere masked figures but as transformed, live-action horrors that merge innocence with malevolence. The intense scenes crafted for this movie will change how you see these characters forever.”

Currently underway in Michigan, the production of “Mickey vs. Winnie” is a testament to pushing the boundaries of the horror genre. As iHorror ventures into producing our own films, we’re excited to share this thrilling, terrifying journey with you, our loyal audience. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to transform the familiar into the frightful in ways you’ve never imagined.

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Mike Flanagan Comes Aboard To Assist in Completion of ‘Shelby Oaks’

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shelby oaks

If you have been following Chris Stuckmann on YouTube you are aware of the struggles he has had getting his horror movie Shelby Oaks finished. But there’s good news about the project today. Director Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin Of Evil, Doctor Sleep and The Haunting) is backing the film as a co-executive producer which might bring it much closer to being released. Flanagan is a part of the collective Intrepid Pictures which also includes Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka.

Shelby Oaks
Shelby Oaks

Stuckmann is a YouTube movie critic who’s been on the platform for over a decade. He came under some scrutiny for announcing on his channel two years ago that he would no longer be reviewing films negatively. However contrary to that statement, he did a non-review essay of the panned Madame Web recently saying, that studios strong-arm directors to make films just for the sake of keeping failing franchises alive. It seemed like a critique disguised as a discussion video.

But Stuckmann has his own movie to worry about. In one of Kickstarter’s most successful campaigns, he managed to raise over $1 million for his debut feature film Shelby Oaks which now sits in post-production. 

Hopefully, with Flanagan and Intrepid’s help, the road to Shelby Oak’s completion is reaching its end. 

“It’s been inspiring to watch Chris working toward his dreams over the past few years, and the tenacity and DIY spirit he displayed while bringing Shelby Oaks to life reminded me so much of my own journey over a decade ago,” Flanagan told Deadline. “It’s been an honor to walk a few steps with him on his path, and to offer support for Chris’ vision for his ambitious, unique movie. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.”

Stuckmann says Intrepid Pictures has inspired him for years and, “it’s a dream come true to work with Mike and Trevor on my first feature.”

Producer Aaron B. Koontz of Paper Street Pictures has been working with Stuckmann since the beginning is also excited about the collaboration.

“For a film that had such a hard time getting going, it’s remarkable the doors that then opened to us,” said Koontz. “The success of our Kickstarter followed by the on-going leadership and guidance from Mike, Trevor, and Melinda is beyond anything I could have hoped for.”

Deadline describes the plot of Shelby Oaks as follows:

“A combination of documentary, found footage, and traditional film footage styles, Shelby Oaks centers on Mia’s (Camille Sullivan) frantic search for her sister, Riley, (Sarah Durn) who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her “Paranormal Paranoids” investigative series. As Mia’s obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley’s childhood may have been real.”

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New ‘MaXXXine’ Image is Pure 80s Costume Core

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A24 has unveiled a captivating new image of Mia Goth in her role as the titular character in “MaXXXine”. This release comes approximately a year and a half after the previous installment in Ti West’s expansive horror saga, which covers more than seven decades.

MaXXXine Official Trailer

His latest continues the story arc of freckle-faced aspiring starlet Maxine Minx from the first film X which took place in Texas in 1979. With stars in her eyes and blood on her hands, Maxine moves into a new decade and a new city, Hollywood, in pursuit of an acting career, “But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”

The photo below is the latest snapshot released from the film and shows Maxine in full Thunderdome drag amid a crowd of teased hair and rebellious 80s fashion.

MaXXXine is set to open in theaters on July 5.

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