MovieChat Forums > Blair Witch (2016) Discussion > Jump scares

Jump scares

posted 8 years ago by ech-58328
16 replies | jump to latest

Can we all agree there are WAAAAY too many jump scares for being a sequel to the original film. I would understand a few in the beginning as 'funny' jump scares, but the original film was built on atmosphere and simple scares that far outweigh jump scares.

I will firmly admit that the last 20 minutes of Blair Witch was pretty amazing horror with a wild run through the house, claustrophobic crawls, and the witch doing witchy things. However, the rest of the film was almost laughable with its attempt to build up any atmosphere.

First half, 4/10, second half 8/10

6/10 total for the film

[–] m-oliver510 8 years ago

100 percent there was no atmosphere. Loud loud loud then tents screaming cast members names. The house part was creepy for the first few minutes. By the time they reached the attic I was bored they drew it out far too long it lost any potential tension. I loved the original was excited to see this in a theatre....should have seen Dont Breath.

[–] skyflyerjen-53-760737 8 years ago

I got bored too. First, I got impatient (the person who saw it with me actually laughed because she saw me fold and unfold my arms, as I was getting annoyed), then I just got bored.

[–] rupp30 8 years ago

How many jump scares is everyone complaining about this counting? I got 5 or 6. What the hell am I missing? One with Lisa coming into tent. One with James startling Lisa later and saying "stop doing that" one with lane in the infamous basement, one with Ashley, one with Tara, and I think one other with Peter maybe? Not all that much compared to other horror films nowadays.

Maybe I'm lost. Someone else got a higher count?

[–] kettled 8 years ago

I'm with rupp30 on this. I don't remember there being more than any other horror. Also in a creepy wood hunting your supposedly dead sister and a witch, I think you would be a bit jumpy. I don't understand the loud noise problem either. I liked the noises and the tension, it was like one long sitting of ever building dread for me! I seriously don't get the bad press?! I think maybe people just like to hate on sequels (IMO)

[–] ArigatouNosferatu 8 years ago

The one where she exits the tunnel and turns around the afro guy runs at her and she stabs him in the neck

[–] skyflyerjen-53-760737 8 years ago

Their first night there when Lane went out to pee. They called his name a hundred times and then he decided to pop out of the woods instead of just saying "Yeah, I'm right here."

[–] reaseltbim 8 years ago

this movie didnt need ANY jump scares... the first movie didn't have any jumpscares, thats why it worked.

Jumpscares are cheap and lazy. they are a bad cliche in horror movies that needs to die.

[–] bigdaddyboxmeal 8 years ago

Disagree with the jump scares assertion because, to be blunt, I just don't remember there being many other than when the girl was controlling the drone and two people in quick succession surprised her.

I do agree with your ratings though. The first half felt like a complete retread of the original but without, you know, being the original. The only real build of tension came when they exited their tents and had the wooden symbols tied up (the second time when they were huge and practically enveloped them, not the first). From that point on I thought it was wonderful, but that first half was very unimaginative in building tension up.

[–] reaseltbim 8 years ago

this movie didnt need ANY jump scares... the first movie didn't have any jumpscares, thats why it worked.

[–] ArigatouNosferatu 8 years ago

Yes I agree, but at the same time there was some skin-crawling style horror when the witch was seen moving around like some grotesque caricature. I had to close my eyes.

[–] Wartle 8 years ago

Yes I agree, but at the same time there was some skin-crawling style horror when the witch was seen moving around like some grotesque caricature. I had to close my eyes.

...a shrieking video game monster you barely see makes your skin crawl and forces you to have to shut your eyes? You and I reacted very different to this movie, and that scene very specifically. I watched that scene through rolled eyes because I couldn't believe they were doing something so over the top and ridiculous looking.

[–] ArigatouNosferatu 8 years ago

"you barely see" maybe that's what got me the most, it was very visceral in how it was shot, not showing too much of the actual monster. By the way I'm not referring to when she's spotted in the woods, it's the interior part that scared me the most.

[–] pecinqa 8 years ago

This movie had 5 plus jump scare, that were all the same jump scare. That's far too much in my book. Personally I don't feel a film should use more than 2.

I hate that we even call it a "scare", it's not. It's a human reflex that film makers take advantage of to trick you into thinking something's scary.

It's really the fast food equivalent of a scare.

[–] skyflyerjen-53-760737 8 years ago

Exactly. There's nothing ~scary~ about them. It's simply human nature to be ~startled~. The jump scares were SO prevalent, it was ridiculous.

[–] svalinanikola 8 years ago

Some people here say that it didn't have that many jump scares. That's not the problem, the problem is that through the majority of the movie that's the only type of scares we get.

[–] THE_Hills_Have_Eyes991 8 years ago

The last 15-20 minutes were incredible. Terrifying. The bad thing is the rest of the film was rather bland. Built on false jump scares with no atmosphere. Never got any sense of dread. If the rest of the film matched the finale, it would of been really outstanding.

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