To say that The Blair Witch Project was a game changer for marketing and horror as a whole is an understatement. The 90's flick came out of nowhere, convinced everyone it was a true story and as a result birthed a legion of found footage horror which today is now a fatigued joke.

Adam Windgard is back and he is a true master of horror with films like You're Next and The Guest under his belt. This man knows suspense and to anticipation for The Woods was already highly slated to be one of the scariest films of 2016 but last night it was revelead that The Woods was something else entirely, it's a BLAIR WITCH sequel, or remake, the sentiment coming out of the screening is mixed.

Being part of the audience I'm sure people shat a brick and squealed with delight BUT when you're not part of that audience, seeing that holding screen, it all feels kind of wet. Damp. Uninteresting. Yeah the initial hit of news items and facebook shares are high but there's still a touch of confusion as to what The Blair Witch will actually offer.

So, is this revelation a markting fail focusing on a small group of fans. The Blair Witch Project is still notorious and memorable for a generation of horror fans. Would this have benefited from just hitting cinemas and people discovering it for themselves?

Marketing by misdirection and word of mouth? Don't look at the opening weekend but have the press shit a brick upon release that there's a new Blair Witch addition and it's actually good? Holy shit man, this is awesome.

Or do you create a marketing campaign that worms its way into the very fabric of communities? Fuck screenings and just lay it out on the table at release but throw the Blair Witch symbol all over the show. Hide it in posters, create a fly posting campaign with physical versions of the twigs intertwined. Put something tangible out there, be the Pokemon GO of horror and have people find it.

Find a place to put a giant talisman and set the thing on fire. Be the thing that people talk about before they even know what they're talking about.

Everyone loves a mystery and while we're excited it seems like the distributor has just blown their load.

Box clever, this could have been something so much more than a one hit among the press and horror fans.