Janawari, 1999. ISundance Film Festival. Ifilimu elisha eliyinqaba elishaqisayo elivela kuDan Myrick no-Eduardo Sanchez lisethelwe ukwenza umdlalo walo wokuqala emhlabeni. Amalambu afiphele eshashalazini futhi emizuzwini engu-81 elandelayo, izethameli zahlala zicwile ekuhlolweni kokuqala kwe Iphrojekthi ye-Blair Witch.

Umshini wokukhangisa weMyrick / Sanchez wawusuvele usebenza eSundance ngalowo nyaka. Baphathe le ndaba njengeyiqiniso, bekhombisa amakhono abo okulingisa kule nqubo.

Ekupheleni komkhosi, i-Artisan Entertainment yayisithenge amalungelo okusabalalisa i- Iphrojekthi ye-Blair Witch ngemali eyi- $ 1.1 million, obekufanele ngabe ishaye izingqondo zabo kubhekwa isabelomali sefilimu esilinganiselwe esilinganiselwa ku- $ 60,000 kuphela.

Isinyathelo esilandelayo, empeleni, bekuwukuthi ungayithengisa kanjani le filimu kuzethameli ezinkulu.

UMyrick noSanchez babuyela emsebenzini futhi benza inqubo yamasiko besebenzisa ithuluzi elisha elicwebezelayo ebelizenzela amagagasi alo ngaleso sikhathi: i-intanethi.

Ngo-1999, ukuxhumana nge-inthanethi nezindaba kwakuseyizinsana engxenyeni enkulu yabantu. Izinjini zokusesha bezingcolile, futhi izithombe neminye imidiya kungathatha imizuzu embalwa ukulayisha. Ingxoxo ye-IRC bekungukufutheka, futhi ezinyangeni ezimbalwa nje, igama elithi Napster lizoqala ukuhlebezwa phakathi kwabangane.

Kwakuyisikhathi esihlala sicwebezela nge-nostalgia.

Uma ungene ku-inthanethi futhi wasesha ku- "Blair Witch," ubungafanele ukuthola izibuyekezo njengamaposta nezingxoxo ezaziwa kakhulu manje “Ezilahlekile”, “izindaba zezindaba,” neminye imibhalo eyenziwe ngokucophelela ngabasunguli befilimu ukuze banikeze inkohliso yokuthi ifilimu yabo, empeleni, iyenzeka.

Abaningi kamuva bangaphikisa ukuthi lokhu kwakungalungile, kepha kimi, kuyisibonelo esihle sokukhangisa ngobuhlakani esifanele indawo emlandweni eduze kwezihlalo ezidlikizayo zikaWilliam Castle namathambo entanta kanye nencwajana kaHitchcock yokuthi ungathengisa kanjani Psycho.

Ngasekuqaleni kwehlobo lonyaka we-1999, i-buzz isiphenduke ukuduma futhi ngoJulayi 1, 1999, u-Artisan wadalula Iphrojekthi ye-Blair Witch emhlabeni. Ekupheleni kwenyanga leyo, isidingo besesikhulile ukuze ukukhishwa kwabo okulinganiselwe kwandiswe, futhi kungakabiphi, ifilimu enesabelomali esilinganiselwe yaba enye yezikhangiso eziphumelele kunayo yonke, yenza imali engamaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-248 emhlabeni jikelele.

Ephepheni, lezo zinombolo ziyamangalisa, kepha lokho kwahumusha kanjani ekwamukelweni kwefilimu?

Ngamafuphi, abagxeki othandekayo ifilimu nokubuyekezwa konke bekukuhle.

Ngisho noRoger Ebert, obenengxenye engaphezu kwesabelo sakhe esilinganayo sezithupha kulolo hlobo kumashumi eminyaka wanikeza ifilimu izinkanyezi ezine ukubhala:

“Ngoba imicabango yabo isishiswe wukukhuluma ngabathakathi, onogwaja kanye nababulali bezingane ehlathini, ngoba ukudla kwabo kuyaphela nemisi yabo ayisekho, bona (nathi) baningi mhore besaba ukwedlula uma bebevele bejahwa ngumfana othile kumaskhi we-ski."

Izethameli, nokho, kwakuyindlu ehlukene phakathi.

Ngokwami, ngikhumbula kahle ngenkathi ngithatha abangani bami abakhulu, uJoe noMatt, ngahamba ngemoto amakhilomitha angama-60 ngaya eMesquite, eTexas nasenkundleni yemidlalo yaseshashalazini eseduzane eyayikhombisa ifilimu ukuze sizibonele yona.

Ngalesi sikhathi, iningi lethu lalazi ukuthi le filimu empeleni yayingeyona “yangempela,” kodwa lokho akuzange kwenziwe lutho ukudambisa ukulindela kuzethameli njengoba izibani zacima nefilimu yaqala.

Njengalezo zilaleli zeSundance, mina nabangane bami sahlala sibambe ongezansi ngalokho esasikubona, izandla zethu zazibambe izingalo zethu zezihlalo, kwathi lapho ukuphela kwefilimu ngokungazelelwe kwaba mnyama, ukusabela kwamazwi kwezilaleli esikanye nazo kwehla ezindongeni zemidlalo yaseshashalazini.

“Lokho bekungubuwula.”

“Abakhombisanga lutho!”

"Lokho bekufanele kusabise?"

Akekho nami, uMatt, uJoe, noma mina esathuthe kakhulu. Sahlala lapho sathula simangele isikhashana lapho ngokuzumayo uMatt encike ngokucophelela phambili, wabhekana nathi, futhi wathula wathi, "Ngicabanga ukuthi iyona nto esabisa kunazo zonke engake ngazibona."

Sasima ngabheka izethameli ezazingizungezile njengoba zaziphuma enkundleni yemidlalo. Abaningi babehleka, behleka usulu ngalokho ababekubonile, kodwa njengami nabangane bami, kwakukhona okungaphezulu kakhulu kwabambalwa ababehleli lapho ababebonakala bezama ukuqonda lokho ababekubonile nokuthi kungani lowomuzwa osabisayo wengebhe wawubonakala ubonakala.

Ngenkathi singena emotweni, ekugcineni sithola amazwi ethu, ngibheka ngapha nangapha kumalambu edolobha kanye namakhulu ezimoto ezindiza kuthelawayeka lapho ngifikelwa umcabango.

Iningi lalabo bantu abayihleka ifilimu akudingeki bahambe amakhilomitha angama-60 babuyele engxenyeni esemaphandleni e-East Texas kumnyama kubomvu. Isihogo, iningi labo belingakaze libeke unyawo ehlathini, kungasetshenziswa kangako isikhathi sokukhempa. Babengakaze imicabango yabo ibagcwalise ngokwesaba lapho bevuka ebuthongweni bokulala okuthile xubha indwangu yamatende abo.

Ngikulandisa lokhu kubangani bami abenqekuzisa amakhanda bevumelana futhi senza okungenzeka kube luhambo oluthule kakhulu lokuya ekhaya sisuka edolobheni ebesike saluqhuba ndawonye ngaphambili.

Manje, impela, akubona bonke abalandeli befilimu ababenezizinda ezifanayo nezethu, futhi ngaphezu kwabambalwa ababekhulile babekhulele edolobheni. Ngokunjalo, impela abanye babazondayo babechithe isikhathi ehlathini. Noma kunjalo, kulowo mzuzu, imicabango yami yaba nengqondo ephelele.

Akunandaba, le filimu ngokushesha yaba yingxenye yomlando wesiko le-pop, yalawula okwakuyilangabi elinciphayo "lezithombe ezitholakele" ezishaqisayo, futhi lazala amakhophi amaningi. Isithombe sishiswe ngokungapheli ezingqondweni zethu.

Kungakabiphi, ama-parodies aqala, futhi wonke umuntu kusuka Ibhayisikobho esabisayo to “Charmed” ukhombe ifilimu ngandlela thile.

UDan Myrick no-Eduardo Sanchez baqhubekile nokubhala nokuqondisa eminyakeni edlule Iphrojekthi ye-Blair Witch. USanchez uqondise iziqephu eziningi zikamabonakude zochungechunge oluthi “From Dusk 'til Dawn: The Series” kanti uMyrick ushayela ifilimu elindelwe kakhulu yokuthunjwa kwabokufika, USkyman, kufanele ikhishwe kamuva kulo nyaka.

Kuze kube namuhla, Iphrojekthi ye-Blair Witch yisihloko sokuqala esiza engqondweni uma kukhulunywa ngomenzi wefilimu, futhi uma ufuna ukuqala impikiswano enkulu phakathi kwabalandeli abesabekayo, letha ifilimu ngemuva kokuthi wonke umuntu ephuze noma amabili. Ngokushesha uzothola igumbi lihlukaniswe kungekho osele okumaphakathi.

Kepha mina, ngiyaqhubeka nokujabula lapho ngisusa i-DVD yakudala futhi ngihlala endaweni emnyama ehlathini noHeather, Josh, noMike.