Halloween in Maryland is pretty much synonymous with The Blair Witch Project, and it's easy to see why! It's easily the most famous horror movie that takes place here (although plenty of others, like The Bay and Silence of the Lambs, have scenes or settings here in the Free State). But there may be a few facts that you didn't actually know about this famous flick. Read on!
1. First of all...no, the actors didn't die.
This was all part of the 1999 film's marketing campaign! Missing posters were created of the three leads Josh, Michael, and Heather to make it seem like they truly were documentary filmmakers who had disappeared in the woods in Maryland, when in fact they were (and still are) alive and well. The campaign was so successful that people still believe they actually died to this day.
2. The mythology of the witch was all made up...but the actors didn't know that!
In the film, the three leads venture to Burkittsville, Maryland (a real place) to find out more about the history of the colonial town it was built upon, Blair, and the witch's curse that surrounds it. They're told spooky stories by locals, and read documents about supposed murders and occult activity. But what the stars of the movie didn't realize was that it had all been made up! Blair never existed, and neither did the witch or any of her victims. The real filmmakers planted actors who pretended to be real locals who then passed along the fake information, leading the stars to believe that there were actual legends.
3. You're supposed to actually see the witch
One of the creepiest elements of the movie is the fact that you never see any footage of the Blair Witch herself, meaning that she could be anything -- and could be as scary as your imagination allows. But this was actually an accident! During filming, the camera was supposed to catch a glimpse of a woman in white when the actors are running in a panic out of their tent. However, that footage was never actually captured, and the filmmakers decided not to reshoot.
4. The movie was mostly filmed in Montgomery County
Though the town of Burkittsville is in Frederick County, very little of the filming actually happened there. Most of it is shot in the Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County, and the final scene in the spooky old house was shot in the Griggs House in Patapsco Valley State Park. That house has since been torn down by the state, meaning thrill seekers won't be able to test their bravery by spending the night in the witch's domain.
5. It only took eight days to film this movie
Yep, it only took eight days! The movie was made on a very low budget ($60,000) and over a very brief filming schedule. A brief scheduling delay meant that the film was supposed to be wrapped in only a week, but the final scene ended up being filmed on the eighth day, which was...and no, we're not kidding...Halloween. Doesn't that send a chill up your spine?
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