TBWP & War of the Worlds
Dustin' Rustin
Post--sorry, I don't have the date. Other than his insistence that
it's a "hoax", he has a good grip on things and there may be a few
details in here that may interest fans.
-----------------------
"The film, "The Blair Witch Project" has apparently convinced many
that the woods around this little town are roamed by a witch.
The film is actually a complete hoax. In fact, the only claim
Burkittsville has in the paranormal is Spook Hill...that, and maybe a
few roaming ghosts from the battle of Crampton's Gap.
The hoax is a very elaborate one. A fake--and somewhat
convincing--documentary aired on television, and there is an extensive
website as well. It details the witch and the three students who
allegedly disappeared while filming a documentary.
Again, the documentary that aired was well crafed. Anyone not from
this area and unfamiliar with Burkittsville might have believed it was
real.
However, I am familiar with the area. During this "documentary", I
noticed several things that told me this was a hoax. First of all,
there is no sheriff stationed in Burkittsville and there never has
been.
Second, there is no general store in the town, either. The only
public business in Burkittsville is the post office.
If you look closely in the "documentary" scenes of the store, you
will see a railroad crossing to the left. Ther is no railroad within
miles of the town. It is, in fact, the general store in Adamstown. I
know this, because I work in Adamstown and I occasionally buy my lunch
at this store.
Third, there are scenes filmed at a small river that is at least 20
feet across. There are no rivers in Burkittsville, only a few creeks
that are only a few feet across. the nearest river is the Potomac,
which is hundreds of feet wide and miles away.
Lastly, the scenes from the "student's film" show the woods as an
even and level terrain. the woods around B urkittsville are along the
mountainside. They are on a very steep and uneven terrain.
The final clue to convince anyone that it is all untrue is the
media. the film contends that three students disappeared on Oct. 21,
1994. I checked the microfilm of the Frederick News-Post for the
months of October and November 1994. There is not a single mention of
three missing students in any of these papers.
Obviously, the directors of this film wanted to make it as
convincing as possible. It is fiction, but then, most movies are. It
is receiving good reviews and said to be one of the most frightening
films in a long time. It is alsom minus the blood, gore, and violence
that makes many horror films laughable instead of frightening. I plan
to see it, if only for curiosity's sake.
If anyone asks me, I'll tell them that it's a hoax. Burkittsville is
a beautiful little town. I'd hate to think it might be trampled over
by hoards (sic) of people who believe that there is a Blair witch.
If the town is lucky, they will only have to deal with curiosity
seekers with lots of questions. So far, the residents seem to be
taking it in stride.
Even still, it might be wise to have extra deputy patrols during
Halloween this year, just in case any die-hard believers visit the
town. All too often, people will only believe what they want to
believe. If they are convinced that this is real, then they may not
believe the truth--that the Blair witch is fiction and not fact.
It's amazing that the directors went to such lengths. They concocted
a complete work of fiction and have been going all out to convince
their audience that it is real. Apparently, it is working, since the
town and local police have been barraged with calls...asking if it is
true. Orson would have been proud."
James McMorrow
Braddock Heights
Dennis Ferguson
Dustin' Rustin <r_p...@burkittsville.org> wrote in message
news:37b4f1c...@news.concentric.net...
> Here's a letter to the editor from the Frederick (MD) News
> Post--sorry, I don't have the date. Other than his insistence that
> it's a "hoax", he has a good grip on things and there may be a few
> details in here that may interest fans.
<snip>
Wow, all that research and the guy never came across any interviews or
reviews that said that the thing was fiction?
Dennis
----
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dfe...@gl.umbc.edu (UMBC)
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