My Roanoke Witch Project | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

My Roanoke Witch Project

Could ties between "My Roanoke Nightmare" and "The Blair Witch Project" be more than meets the eye?

37
My Roanoke Witch Project
Bustle.com and virallocker.com

With the release of Season 6 of American Horror Story, the Internet has been buzzing with theories, connections, and reactions to the premiere episode. It has been tantalizingly said by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk (creators of American Horror Story) that the seasons of American Horror Story are all intertwined and related. Upon watching the premiere of season six of American Horror Story, I began to notice some connections between Season 6 and Murder House, Season 1. I also began to notice some connections to one of the most successful independent psychological horror films ever created: The Blair Witch Project.

A short recap for those who have never seen or heard of The Blair Witch Project: Created by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the basic plot is that three students begin hiking through the woods of Burkitsville, Maryland in the hopes of making a film documentary about the fabled Blair Witch, who supposedly haunts those woods. The film opens by revealing that the three students disappeared and were never found again; only their footage and sound equipment were recovered, which is what the audience watches as the film.

Now that that's out of the way, back to the connections to American Horror Story. First and foremost, the build up to and style of Season 6 was and is very similar to the promotion and style of The Blair Witch Project in 1999: both were shrouded in mystery and confusion and both are fillmed in a mockumentary type style. Unlike other seasons, Murphy and Falchuk took every precaution necessary to keep not only the theme of Season 6 under wraps, but also the actors featured in the season. They only released 12 short trailers, each more confusing and seemingly unrelated to the last. When The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez attempted to make the fictional documentary as real as possible by handing out fake missing-persons flyers and hosting mocked-up interviews with investigators and police officers. Both were a very nice touch.

Now, to the content of these masterpieces. One of the big similarities that stuck out to me during the first episode of Season 6 was the found-footage that mysteriously appeared and started playing in the basement of Shelby and Matt's house. The almost sickeningly shaky footage features a man's voice yelling in the woods in response to swine-like grunts and cries coming from a nearby bush. Shortly afterward, a hairy, half-human, half-pig monstrosity emerges from the brush and the videographer falls dead after an assumed altercation. This image of the half- swine, half-human bears a resemblence to descriptions of the Blair Witch given to the students by Burkitsville townspeople before the students embark on their journey into the woods. One particularly neurotic resident described the Witch as a hairy, half-animal, half-human creature. Maybe the witch didn't have a pig's head, but two strange creatures inhabiting the woods and terrorizing humans are still pretty similar if you ask me.

This next connection is a little loose, but bear with me. In The Blair Witch Project, Heather discovers teeth, hair, a pink object, and bloody scraps of Josh's shirt after Josh (another student) goes missing. So, remember that hailstorm of teeth in American Horror Story? Unnerving and disgusting to say the least, but could this, amongst other odd occurrences, also be related to The Blair Witch Project? Shelby, while she's alone on separate occasions, experiences a hailstorm of teeth and her knife is mysteriously moved from her cutting board directly into the pink cut of meat she has in the pan. Maybe not a direct correlation, but it could be something; we'll just have to see.

Lastly, those damn, creepy dolls. When Shelby and Matt's house is invaded, they go upstairs to find hundreds of creepy dolls suspended from their stairs and their ceiling. Although the "dolls" are designed a little differently, if this wasn't directly inspired by The Blair Witch Project, I don't know what was. During the travels of the three students, they discover a portion of the woods with suspended, human-esque dolls made of sticks. In American Horror Story, the dolls were such an unnerving sight that Shelby leaves her house; I guess she took note of the unwillingness of the film students to end their documentary in response to seeing the dolls.

With that, it's very possible that Season 6 of American Horror Story is largely inspired by The Blair Witch Project. We'll just have to wait and see if the Blair Witch herself makes an appearance.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

185261
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

11529
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

455462
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25101
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments