That trailer left me uncharacteristically speechless...

What a damn GENIUS marketing idea. Not just show the movie but show a preview audience spazzing out over the movie. Just brilliant.

Not only that, but to give audiences a chance to go online and campaign to bring the movie to their town? Everything about this smacks both of where we've been and where we're headed, certainly when it comes to horror films.

Lunatic marketing campaigns are nothing new for the genre. From the crazy radio ads for the original LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT ("...just keep saying to yourself, it's only a movie, it's only a movie...") to the glory days of William Castle putting electric buzzers in theater seats and literally shocking your ass during THE TINGLER. (lampooned so brilliantly in Joe Dante's underrated classic MATINEE)

There's a certain amount of desperation in these maneuvers that demands creativity. Anything to get butts in the seats. I love it!

Blair Witch was no different. I remember talking to grown adults who actually bought it hook, line, and sinker, that The Blair Witch Project was an ACTUAL documentary.

I kept my yap shut. I figured, why ruin it for them, eh?

Scott, re: your recent Twitter posts regarding film marketing...

Go to the Paranormal Activity movie website and take note how predominant TWITTER is and how they are using it to their absolute advantage...

Instead of letting Twitter control them, they're getting an instant handle of the electronic word-of-mouth machine...

Remarkable times we're living in...

One thing is certain, Blair Witch had just about the best Ad campaign ever, and as a genre enthusiast I have high hopes for Paranormal Activity. But the movie damned well have a better ending than Blair Witch.

In the theater I saw Blair Witch in, one audience member upon the ending of the movie, screamed out BULLSHIT!! before launching his cup of soda at the movie screen. I'm thinking he was a little miffed. Perhaps, rightfully so.

If I remember correctly, didn't this project start as a social network? I recall something about Spielberg launching a website back in '07 where they invited users to create profiles and share their own personal ghost stories.

With regards to Jeff, I think there's a real danger in trying to manipulate the so-called "smart mob". Attempts to create personal armies have backfired on a lot companies over the past couple years. Internet users tend to get upset when they feel that the organic landscape of the internet is being 'astro-turfed' (I know, I went there)

There's a couple great blogs that recount instances where this method turned nasty:

http://danzarrella.com/when-viral-marketing-attacks.html

http://www.cio.com/article/443412/The_10_Worst_Viral_Marketing_Campaigns

Still, this attempt to use the internet as opposed to fighting it is definitely a step in the right direction. The movie looks interesting, and I personally wish there were more of these QUARANTINE/CLOVERFIELD/BLAIR WITCH kind of shaky-cam movies being made. They're a great way to revitalize some old premises in a way that feels completely new and exciting.