a $4M period film shouldn’t look like this

#RobertEggers #TheWitch #videoessay
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The Witch (aka The VVitch), directed by Robert Eggers, is one of the most stunningly shot mid-budget indie films out there, as well as one of the most smartly-budgeted period horror movies. Today I'll talk about how Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blashke balanced a very natural shooting and lighting style with savvy filmmaking tactics to keep costs down.
This is a redux of a video I released in April of 2022.
Written & Edited by Danny Boyd

[@LvkeLavish]

“Compromising your vision is different from compromising to achieve your vision”. A great mantra to live by for artists.

[@Jallorn]

Honestly, a mantra to live by for anyone. Life is full of the need to compromise; with physical limitations, with time, with each others' wants and needs.

[@flyingfrogperson9200]

What does it even mean in practice?

[@LvkeLavish]

@@flyingfrogperson9200 the way I interpret it is that if you can’t accomplish what is desired with what you have, you can still do your best to emulate/reinvent it in a unique fashion. I’m a musician & sometimes I have to transcribe something on the fly or learn a melody by ear & I struggle with that. So I end up doing what I can with what I’m hearing & it’s usually not the exact melody but very similar.

[@Radgerayden-ist]

@@flyingfrogperson9200 tradeoffs are a necessity so focus on choosing the correct ones from the get go

[@zenquantum1246]

@@flyingfrogperson9200another more common quote would be, “Don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good.”

[@MapleMilk]

"Scope requires money. Depth, only requires knowledge." That is a great quote, oh my God.

[@mundanestuff]

This script has several really insightful quotes. "Compromising your vision is not the same as compromising to achieve it." "Know your limits. Don't show your limits." "Scope requires money. Depth, only requires knowledge." I need to rewatch this review just to catch nuggets of wisdom being handed out, lol.

[@lumieredufilm]

great words for directors

[@Zombina638]

There is nothing great about it

[@lumieredufilm]

@@Zombina638 😂

[@cubul32]

@@mundanestuff These are basic truths for those who work in cinema. Even at high budgets there are limitations and these truths must be understood and used at all times.

[@AgsmaJustAgsma]

I met one of the producers of The VVitch, Rodrigo Teixeira, last month, and he told me that he was at first hesitant with Robert Eggers' creative choices, but backed the project regardless. After the movie was a success, he immediately went on board to produce The Lighthouse, where he actually fought tooth and nail against potential distributors to keep Eggers' vision intact, and he succeeded.

[@flyingfrogperson9200]

Lighthouse was crap. Very unique and artistic, but still crap.

[@stellaluna92]

Hard disagree, while it might not be everyone's cup of tea, Lighthouse certainly was a great piece of filmmaking (even if I'm not that keen to watch it ever again) @@flyingfrogperson9200

[@bryanflo4500]

@flyingfrogperson9200 what makes the movie crap, in your estimation?

[@Taylor_King]

@@flyingfrogperson9200 no

[@flyingfrogperson9200]

@@Taylor_King but yes

[@ArturoStojanoff]

My favorite thing about The VVitch was the accuracy of the period language, which he took from actual diaries from the time. Edit: changed "accurateness" to "accuracy".

[@dallesamllhals9161]

diaries or trials?

[@larrydavid6852]

@@captainbingo100 a lot of the behviour too

[@ryann6067]

Right, such a great detail. Egers and Co did the same for the dialog in the Lighthouse too

[@TaRAAASHBAGS]

Not nearly enough period pieces are brave enough to do this. I guess they're hesitant to scare the normies off, but they get scared off by anything 1% different.

[@frododododo]

The vitch

[@vividwings]

As a historical costume nerd, I am ASTONISHED this film cost so little and looked so good. So many productions have far more unfocused, poorly researched costumes that cost far more. I don't generally expect historical accuracy from films/TV, nor do I think it's appropriate for all projects, but for this one, the details like the dimples in the fabric that show that the seam allowances were hand-sewn down on the inside are perfect for this one.

[@nathand6467]

My father worked on a few shows as a historical consultant. The biggest thing that gets in the way of historical accuracy, is not knowledge or ability to be historically accurate, its the directors (and sometimes producers) desire to be historically accurate. Often the shows creators are less concerned with historical accuracy, than the look they want their show to have. Often the concern is not what is historically accurate, but what the intended/potential audience believes/expects the setting should look like. And of course many shows want the sexy leads to look sexy, so often hair and make up is just whatever is trendy the week it is shot, and lots of compromises to costumes go along with that. Having to find a history expert and pay them 0.0001% of a budget has nothing to do with if a show is historically accurate or not.

[@I_enjoy_some_things]

So many of these comments praising the “lack of cost” must come from people living in $700,000 single-bedroom apartments in California/Coastal Washington or something. Getting an authentic look costs next to nothing, especially in the south eastern USA. No wonder the high-population places lean left. They have no frame of reference for how free and cheaply you can live if you’re not in a metropolitan area lmao.

[@vividwings]

​@@I_enjoy_some_things That was a weird place to go with this comment? I'm a historical costumer who prides herself on her bargain shopping for very cheap, decent quality fabric. If I don't pay myself for labor, I could make some of these outfits very cheaply... but I am not a professional earning a professional wage for hand-sewing. I'm also buying remnants and deadstock, and I'm not usually on strict deadlines like these costumers are, so I can wait for the right deal on the right fabric. I'm also not making multiples, which is common in film shooting for a lot of reasons, so I need one garment's worth of yardage and that's easier to find in estate sales, clearance, and remnants than it is to find yardage enough for two to four garments from those same sources. I don't have to pay myself for my own fitting time, which productions do have to consider with actors and staff. Then, should it need a repair, I can do it myself- I don't have to have someone with aforementioned specialized sewing skills and costume knowledge on-set in case there's an issue. Even with all that, of course this high-quality costuming fits into the small film budget... but it's several times what it would cost to rent serviceable but not great ones (or make them with modern techniques), and many productions wouldn't prioritize such high-quality costuming with a budget this tight where they clearly made very conscious decisions about where they spent their money. None of us think that these costumes should have cost an impossible amount to make, it's just so unusual to see costuming prioritized this much in the budget. Does that make sense?

[@arowace498]

​@@I_enjoy_some_thingshigh populace areas lean left because they aren't deathly afraid of people who aren't like them. Because they interact with people like that every day. Majority of them are also living in poverty, which means they have no sense voting against their interests going right. What's the point in a low cost of living with no employment? No opportunities. More fear and small-mindedness too. In those rural places. People are talking about it's low budget because they understand the general cost of making film. Not because they have 400k apartments. You're the one who is lacking perspective.

[@theangryambisextress]

@@nathand6467a weird meta-wrinkle i’m noticing more and more lately too is changes in plastic surgery trends (as in, procedures available, procedures possible, procedures possible, and the surprisingly uniform appearance of their results across different faces) - this comment does not intend judgment or to be a jumping off point for it, but i feel like the “no makeup makeup” taking the place of literally no makeup or use of the cosmetic materials and styles of the time of yesteryear feels sooo much more realistic in retrospect now that we’ve seen so many more recent historical dramas with “2016 full beats” and plastic surgery across a noticeable amount of characters (damsel [obviously] comes to mind) idk this is tangential to what the vvitch was able to accomplish (no one was theorizing about anya’s buccal fat back then), i guess my point is just that this still came out within the past 10 years and again due to recent trends it’s hard not to notice how much less realistic more recent, higher budgeted, historically-set films feel because of not only production decisions, but also personal ones (i.e., whichever procedures a particular star pursues when not on screen that show up when they are)

[@franzsperginand113]

I just want to know how Eggers got such incredible performances from children, especially the 2 twins.

[@joeshumo9457]

Reaction, method.

[@zM00Nx]

It's become a habit of mine to pay particular attention the acting of children and young adults in film. As soon as a child or teenager delivers a compelling performance, my expectation for the film goes up significantly. The scene on the water bank with Thomasin, Mercy and Caleb was the exact moment I stopped everything else I was doing and committed my full attention to watching the film.

[@eddierodriguez8463]

beatings

[@experience5988]

Torture and threats.

[@opiktea8176]

@@eddierodriguez8463 so.... method acting?

[@btarczy5067]

Having watched the movie after Anya Taylor-Joy became a star and Eggers a big name at least in critic’s circles I never would have guessed the limits of its production. It’s a remarkable, hideously beautiful movie with an atmosphere that is one of its kind. I‘m far from a horror fan and even I love it. There’s getting startled all the time and there’s feeling cold in summer while watching a horror movie.

[@LuisSierra42]

It's pretty crazy. I read the premise and thought this was going to be another standard horror movie, but it exceeded all my expectations beyond what I thought was possible

[@franzsanders9573]

“Hideously beautiful” is a perfect way to describe The Witch imo. It’s the movie equivalent of wandering through a beautiful forest in the fall while being painfully aware that something is watching you the entire time… and whatever it is, it’s getting closer and closer to you and there’s nothing you can do about it. EDIT: Grammar.

[@seven84]

I didn't really see this as a horror movie at all. More like a story about a family dealing with isolation, and the parents slowing losing their mental state being separated from a society they grew up in. If it would have developed the witch character a bit more, then maybe I would have called it a horror. But looking the movie over as a whole, was closer to the idea of the Babadook. Did any of it happen or was it just hysteria.

[@Brotacon]

I saw this on a Saturday in the central London Picture House on a medium size screen (think maybe 50 seats or less). After the film finished the couple of dozen people in the audience all looked at each other in uneasy silence until one guy just said "Guess I'm going to Church tomorrow, just in case." I miss film experiences like that.

[@LuisSierra42]

@@Brotacon HAHAHA, I sort of felt the same way, like I really came in contact with some satanic entity. It was something else for sure

[@Colemanbentz888]

The Witch is the first English-language film that I needed subtitles for. One of the best timepiece movies out there. From the first 15 minutes of the film I felt this intense level of culture shock realizing how much language changes over time and it makes you feel like if you were transported to that time period you'd probably only understand half of what people are saying despite it still being English.

[@varrick1226]

Me too. First few minutes into the film I had to rewind twice. I figured why not use subtitles as well.

[@shlomophobe5582]

I needed subtitles too . Not because of the language itself, but because of the horrendous audio mixing. The music drowned out the dialogue to an unacceptable degree

[@Colemanbentz888]

@@shlomophobe5582 yeah it wasn't great some people have no idea how to use HDR, you can always set your audio range from high to medium or low if you're watching a movie/playing a game that has that problem. A lot of speakers only support medium dynamic range so you can damage them by using HDR when the audio jumps from 10%-110%

[@Chevalier_knight]

As someone from nottingham the old english wasnt that much diffrent from the way we speak here i knew every word

[@citrus_sweet]

Not for me. But I did watch A Field In England and didn't realize they were speaking english the entire time until I rewatched it.

[@CinemaStix]

This video is a redux of one of my very first videos on this channel. In light of it being October, the fact that there are quite a few more of you here than there were back then (yay), and, to be entirely frank, my long-needing to get a little ahead and not lose momentum, I thought it a good an opportunity as any to give The Witch another go. So, thank you for watching. And two weeks from, brand new video, on a movie I’ve been looking forward to talking about for AGES. :) -Danny

[@Rohit-ne2el]

You should try giving Tumbad a watch ,it is an Indian horror movie that had budget issues but still created a very compelling movie

[@NMJZ]

I must say, you really have done the redux justice. I get the feeling that you put quite a lot of effort into just your narrative script for it, it's pretty deep!

[@mastafull]

I love this movie and I completely missed your original video, so this was great to see!

[@orconoftime]

Always excited for Eggers' content

[@isabellasantiago6473]

Another incredible detail is that Eggers researched for years to make the dialogue in the film historically accurate, he even used Elizabethan witch pamphlets

[@biazacha]

He also studied actual diaries of relatively common folk from the time, so the dialogue is like someone would talk, not like a dramatized version would.

[@spooksmalloy]

Elizabeth died about 60 years before the film was set, it's set in the Jacobean era and used contemporary documents from England at the time. It's set just after the Lancastrian Trials and at the same time as the Essex Witch Trials, a lot of the "witch signs" and language are taken from Matthew Hopkins and court testimonies.

[@spooksmalloy]

​@@biazachacommon folk didn't keep diaries, most were still illiterat and wasting money on paper for that would be like building a recording studio now to make a podcast about yourself. The writing at the time that survived is mostly pamphlets, court documents and letters from middle and upper classes but Middle English was written phonetically so you can hear the accent of the author in how everything is spelled.

[@commandercaptain4664]

Seems like the only thing he didn't put any effort to was the title.

[@fanniedango9560]

the letter "W" wasn't a thing on that time period, i guess the director took note on that fact.

[@thewheezingdead]

The thing that has shocked me most is that The Room cost $6m.

[@sameaston9587]

The Room had to build all those sets instead of shooting on location, just like a real hollywood movie!

[@LilFiremaster]

I, too, was not prepared for that test.

[@aliensoup2420]

Not so shocking as the idiotic decisions that led to those costs. Wiseau photographed simultaneously with 35mm film and Digital, and he purchased the cameras instead of renting.

[@ryanhall7607]

Shaun of the Dead also cost about $6 million at around the same time but wasn’t made by a madman

[@charlesajones77]

Yeah, and Tommy Wiseau pretty much paid for everything himself, including the cameras. I don't think we've ever been given a straight answer as to how he could afford that.

[@griplimit]

As someone who’s lived in Massachusetts and New Hampshire my whole life it was very refreshing to see a good movie based on folk tales I’ve heard as a child about witches here. I remember being told not to go into the woods by myself as a young boy because a witch might take me away! So The VVitch struck a chord with me for sure.

[@joeshumo9457]

Considering all the gey pron we would see littering the woods near the schools , parks and playgrounds . Your mother wasn’t too far off. I spent six years as a child living from the Maine / New Hampshire border to Cape Cod in the seventies and it was full and f the weirdest people I’ve ever seen in general. New England is just the creepiest place in the United States, hands down.

[@sarahinsf]

@@joeshumo9457 Pfft! Like gay porn readers = pedophiles snatching up kids? And how much of the US did you grow up in as a child? I was raised in the 1970s in rural Maine and Massachusetts and I have seen much more 'weird' in Texas and California as a grown-up....

[@Chef_Alpo]

​@joeshumo9457 I tried for most of my life to get away from Massachusetts, I thought it was boring, dreary and stagnant. Took me till my mid 30s to realize how great New England is and that I'm already in the best place possible, I love it here.

[@mattwho42]

@@Chef_Alpo I might have to move to Ohio for work soon. I miss New England and I haven't even left yet.

[@EnochLight]

@@joeshumo9457 - clearly you haven't been to Florida.

[@sophiaisabelle027]

A well-budgeted horror film consists of a competent film director, a generous amount of staff, and well-rounded actors who do the job well. We all know for a fact that a well written screenplay goes along with this. Not many horror films can achieve this, knowing how extremely rare this happens under a particular circumstance.

[@orangejjay]

To be fair, we're in a golden age of horror right now. There are so many fantastic, well acted, and well directed horror films coming out every year that it's an excellent time to be a horror movie fan. There's just something for anyone who's into the genre. ❤

[@estrellacasias]

And an editor. And editor makes or breaks the film like no other

[@joyc.e.7511]

I don't think it's as extremly rare as you think, at least not anymore. Which is amazing to me. I think part of it is focusing on the creative vision of the film, rather than the same cookie cutter formula of jumpscares. I've also noticed a lot of the good horror movies coming out focus on trauma/grief. Which won't automatically make it good obviously, but when the actors are on point and the team knows the story they're trying tell and tell it in the artistic ways of their choosing, I get chills. Talk To Me is the latest in this. I highly recommend it. It uses violence in such an effective way.

[@cattysplat]

The irony is not many horror watchers demand it either. Mountains of direct to video cheap horror films that come and go but still make money.

[@carolinet5936]

give me a lot of suggestion splease. none of the ones I see are either good or scary enough@@orangejjay

[@jimmerhardy]

Out of nowhere came this period masterpiece, on a shoestring budget. We need more of this, not bloated carnival rides.

[@skippythealien9627]

i saw this movie more than a month ago and that fucking ending is still in my mind and i cannot get it out of my head at all. truly remarkable film

[@jimmerhardy]

@@skippythealien9627 The third time I watched with CC. Lots of nuance is hidden by the heavy dialect. Yes, it's a modern masterpiece.

[@outoftheforest7652]

I know, Good story telling has been thrown out the window for increasingly sloppy special effects. I watched Guardian of the Galaxy's last film a year ago? and in one of the major fight scenes.. whoever mixed the audio did a lousy job. THey didn't mix the music loud enough, it was too low and you heard all the grunts and punches.. but it dragged the energy down for that type of movie.

[@jimmerhardy]

@@outoftheforest7652 That film was too precious to edit down to be consumable on one sitting. The film was way too long. Too bad.

[@omegazx7236]

4 milions isn't exactly a shoestring budget lol, but I agree that this is a masterpiece

[@MindiB]

The color palette of this film is remarkable, as is the lighting. In fact, the whole thing is visually brilliant. I really enjoyed your sharing some of the technical elements behind this achievement-I appreciate the choices more when I understand them better!

[@liamness]

The look of the film is perfect, I don't see it being shot on digital being a "compromise" at all, but just the correct choice for the story being told. It shouldn't neccessarily follow that if you're making a period piece that you should use film, because guess what, film didn't exist in 17th century New England either! For me, a completely clean image absent of film grain is more immersive and allows you to get lost in a particular sense of place and time. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is another period piece shot digitally that I can think of where it works very well.

[@CellShadedVisual]

Anyone who cares if a film is shot on digital is the same type of pretentious that says “kino”

[@Dogdrule]

Gotta say, as someone who grew up very close to Plymouth, and has been to the Plimoth Patuxet museums that are built on the site of the original Plimoth colony, they NAILED the look and feel of southeastern Massachusetts to a tee, especially the grey melancholy of an overcast late autumn. The location scouting for this film was spot on, and I'd never have suspected it was filmed in Canada.

[@wesmcquillen]

Another movie that uses only natural light and has a very similar look is Come and See. It is about WW2 and is horrifying though, so not one to watch without being ready for it.

[@TeddyRumble]

Shot an an Arri Alexa, no surprise, but it's a camera not known for shooting in low light situations. The color, though, is...superb.

[@Kelnx]

I had no idea the Witch was a low budget film. It was really incredible how it captured that period and those people and I had assumed that all would be expensive to recreate. I've seen a few fan films and indie films that reached this level of polish on probably far less of a budget, but nothing that evoked as much thought and emotion as the Witch.

[@MysterySteve]

"Compromising your vision is not the same as compromising to achieve it" is now one of my favourite quotes

[@lumieredufilm]

great words to say to a director

[@Jsteiner1974]

The writing and the acting made this film stand out for me in a big way. I had no idea that there were such big production budget limitations. Now the film impresses me all the more.

[@SuperMickyChow]

The VVitch will go down in history as a classic of the horror genre, purely because of Eggers' commitment to creating a truly original, atmospheric, immersive and richly detailed vision.

[@musicbyerland]

Aside from all the reasons why this is an incredible film, Harvey Scrimshaw as Caleb blew my mind. Kinda crazy that he hasn't been in much since then.

[@JackTheVulture]

What a VOICE that man has, I was so surprised, and still am when I haven't heard it for a while. And the performance that goes with it, when he finally breaks down? Wow.

[@shayanahmed7132]

Didn't he play a small role in Chernobyl?

[@Vikashpatel007]

I'll be watching the video later when I get some time. But this movie actually was a bit of a horror to make. I remember when it came out speaking to a crew member who said some folks on the movie hated the experience , thought it wouldn't be good. Eggers proved them wrong and he's gone onto some more intense movies. Definitely knows what he's doing with his money.

[@brysimm404]

Am a big admirer of this film. The authenticity of look, tone, story, and character is remarkable - and VERY effective.

[@amanshandilya4328]

So I don’t know if you’ll see this or not, but there is an Indian film called “Tumbbad” it’s an amazing film made on a budget is about $600,000. It is loosely based on the Indian mythology, .Amost every frame of the film is like a painting . It’s still baffles me how they were able to make that film because it contains a lot of VFX shots and the CGI stuff. It’s a product of pure passion.

[@jadexo8003]

Hindi horror? Wow, I'm glad I scrolled down to see your comment, never heard of it but looks amazing

[@amanshandilya4328]

@@jadexo8003 yeah it does have some horror element to it.

[@SteveMcNally-MeanBusiness]

Trailer looks good kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3islI2oiqeMZs0si=s9bHT6FMVsJGcRh4

[@harshals482]

so happy to see Tumbad being mentioned. the moment you start the film, the visuals completely draw you in, as does the premise. the plot might not be mind-blowing (still pretty good imo), but the visuals simultaneously awe you as well as put you on the edge

[@josedorsaith5261]

​@@amanshandilya4328 Could you recommend a good Indian horror movie?

[@rationalthought846]

Edgars has zoomed up to be one of my favorite directors. I love how all his movies do not insult the characters or the audience. There are no stereotyped characters- he respects them even if they are flawed. In the Witch he does not mock the characters spirituality (that would be a Hollywood stereotype) but shows how their failures (Pride, Envy, Sloth, Lust) lead to their demise. I have seen three of his movies and all are superb.

[@gearandalthefirst7027]

Their spirituality IS their flaw, if they weren't paranoid zealots they wouldn't have been put into that situation in the first place and, even if they had, they would not have imploded like they did. Puritanism deserves mockery, it's wasteful, hateful, and insidiously malicious towards both its practitioners and those it seeks to conquer.

[@rationalthought846]

The father's pride is why they are kicked out of the colony. Paranoia and zealotry are not the same as spirituality- look it up.

[@bahshas]

@@gearandalthefirst7027 yes now say the same thing about the Je- i mean hollywood producers

[@MichaelMike-ob2gb]

@gear Spoken like a true minority.

[@reasonableskeptic5703]

​@@bahshasThat one gets left out all the time.

[@KevinJDildonik]

So many shots in VVitch follow golden rule, baroque-era composition. And yet he managed to do it with natural light. On a limited schedule. On a shoestring budget for this type of film. Oh and he did it with solid period costumes. Including dialect work. Sometimes a director is so good you throw up your hands. Yeah, maybe I could make Clerks if I really put my mind to it and spent a few years refining the script. I could never make VVitch. Especially not on that budget, or that schedule.

[@AW-uv3cb]

Very few movies make me feel like I'm really transported in time (2 I can name off-hand are "Master and Commander" and the 1995 "Persuasions"), but Eggers manages to do it every time. I especially love how his movies are written in a way that, while remaining understandable for modern audiences, still tries to evoke the period both in the word choice, but also - crucially - in the way it reflects how characters of that time might think about their world (the latter is further emphasised by amazing grave performances by the actors).

[@Fedorevsky]

Thanks for mentioning Persuasion (1995). I think this might have passed me by at the time it was released as I can't remember it but something still seems slightly familiar about it. Maybe I will remember it when I watch it.

[@ryanthescion]

LETS GOOOO!!!!! Every cinemastix upload day is a good day

[@Fredrik-iz4ou]

My favourite "witchcraft" film. It seems to be faithful to various medieval popular notions and fears about things many people did not understand while trying to make sense of reality and themselves.

[@swiftxrt]

it's widely considered one of the best movies in it's genres, and for good reason. this YT video maker is just trying to farm engagement on the back of a popular title with a controversial video title. notice how short it is? the creator had no intention of putting any effort into this, he just wanted to farm engagement clicks. this is a trash video.

[@sinamohammadzadeh179]

It's always a pleasure to hear "Hi I'm Danny Boyd and this is CinemaStix"

[@Billbobutters]

Almost as good as hearing “Hi I’m Tony and this is Every Frame a Painting”

[@Google_Does_Evil_Now]

4:3 format is the best in my opinion. For home watchers it gives the most screen. Windscreen works for cinemas because they can keep to 1 floor and just go wide in the seating. They can have another screen above on another floor. Or retail shopping below. Windscreen is cheaper for LCD because it requires 40% less screen to still call it 42 inches, 55 inches, etc. But we lose height. With 4:3 it's way more open to creativity.

[@Shmoffy_]

I’ve been secretly, hoping you would do a video on this movie, let’s goooooooo! We appreciate your work as always ❤️

[@CinemaStix]

:)

[@davep4240]

I watch this movie every year on Halloween eve. It’s simple and yet the drama, the setting and just enough use of terror and languages makes it one of my favorites

[@aliendroneservices6621]

3:34 3:41 "The movie *_The VVitch: A New-England Folktale,_* released in 2015 and directed by Robert Eggers, was shot on digital using *_ARRI ALEXA Plus 4:3 Camera and Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar Lenses, Cooke Speed Panchro Lenses, Panavision Super Speed Lenses_* with Jarin Blaschke as cinematographer and editing by Louise Ford." Jun 16, 2019

[@nocturno7660]

One of the few movies that really scared me, it just seemed so real, during that era the night was pitch black and all encompassing, terrifying doesn't explain it, more like demonic in nature

[@nathanmcgill7249]

This comment is worded like you were alive in the 1600s

[@TeddyRumble]

Folks have no idea how dark the nights were before artificial lighting, just fire and candles.

[@Fjonan]

I mean Wiseaus 6 Million indie flick is also a genre defining horror classic, so there's that.

[@conorjohn490]

I'd argue it reopened the friendly American zeitgeist of verbally greeting a doggie.

[@courtneybrock1]

I grew up in CT, and one of my favorite things about this film is how perfectly Eggers captures Colonial New England. Even if it was shot in Canada…lol. He gets bonus points for making that work. I moved to TX when I was 27, which was a pretty big culture shock. One thing I’ve learned is how many people don’t know how much of Colonial New England still exists. It’s one of the oldest parts of our nation, and there’s still a lot woven throughout the towns. One of my friend’s homes was from the early 1700s and had boarded up fireplaces in every room with a dirt & slate basement. I know there were “secret staircases,” but we never messed with them because they just led upstairs to where her grandparents lived. It’s kind of wild to think it was just their house and not an anomaly. There’s a number of homes from the 1600s and 1700s still maintained and lived in. The combination of historic homes in the woods during the fall created shots authentic enough to have come from a friend’s backyard. Minus the old-timey clothing and religious fanaticism. Or the Devil… Seriously though, the place and time was so spot on, I automatically recognized it as a second wave Puritan colony. Many of them moved from Boston into Western Mass and CT where I grew up. Everyone’s familiar with the Salem witch trials because they were crazy and ground zero for America’s first major moral panic. But most people don’t know there were several Witch trials across CT that took place in the decades leading up to Salem’s fever-pitch. This is the exact window in which Eggers choses to set his story. Post-Mayflower but still Pre-Salem. I love tightly told and beautifully shot horror movies. But starting the film and being whisked-away to “the land of my youth” turned this one to 11.

[@GonziHere]

Scope requires money, depth requires knowledge. Compromising your vision is not the same as compromising in order to achieve it. I'm a game developer and both apply there. These are absolutely banger quotes.

[@matt.stevick]

i dont know how else to describe it but it is shot so well that i feel like im there in the movie, i can like feel it and smell it.

[@aks5626]

not even a film student or anything but I love your videos so much. Your voice is so soothing to listen to and I am developing a new appreciation for all visual content I watch- and finding goofs in them too 😆

[@CinemaStix]

:D

[@SlyJonesGT]

That clip of the room where he buys flowers feels so much like an AI generated movie scene, right down to the way a computer would think normal people "should be interacting" during a transaction.

[@Bogard2312]

The Witch is one of my all-time favourite movies. It's one of those movies where I believe that watching it on a big screen with great surround sound enhances the experience so much more. It's also one of those movies where not seeing the "witch" all the time just added to the suspense.

[@marcuscorder]

This movie was goddamned awesome. It truly conveyed a sense of terror from the character's point of view.

[@jasenwar]

this is a movie that truly scared me, of course there are jump scares and all that cheap stuff in other "scary" movies but this movie actually scared me and most of all made me feel extremely uneasy and I loved every minute of it

[@Inkdipper]

great work! your videos are always a treat for me. Inspiring and I'm left with a higher appreciation for these films and the respective process by which they're made.

[@AdoreYouInAshXI]

"Scope requires money, depth only requires knowledge" A great quote for filmmakers to keep in mind. Especially future/modern day filmmakers that are/have grown up on marvel brain rot.

[@SuperSubject20]

Eggers actually said on Marc Maron's podcast he was disappointed with the look of The Witch and I cant fathom why. Every frame is inspiring. This shot is my desktop wall paper 5:59.

[@Anicius_]

Send me HD jpeg

[@KimJongUnnie]

Most creators probably feel that way about their work, that they could have done better.

[@UntilChill]

I'm a horror fanatic, and the VVitch is my all-time favorite. It's perfect as a horror movie from start to finish. 🖤🐐

[@GeoffBurt08]

Excellent work here. I'd wondered when "Barry Lyndon" would be mentioned, and it's timing in your commentary was spot on.

[@jacktringoli3299]

The vvitch is genuinely my favorite horror movie ever and is my goto recommendation when anyone asks for a horror movie because of the way that it's distrusting like a regular disturbing horror movie disturbs your flesh but the vvitch disturbs your soul

[@littlesnowflakepunk855]

The Northman is another excellent Eggers period piece, with a similarly insane budget. He had multiple entire Viking age villages built from scratch.

[@coreycasciano3255]

Eggers always makes u feel like your back in those times with the movies he makes, always beautiful cinematography

[@Josh-gv4pt]

Yeah.... nothing more immersive than casting Ethan Hawk, Nicole Kidman, and Willem Dafoe as Scandinavian while doing atrocious Scandinavian accents 😂 The fact that they decided to call it the Northman shows how much they compromised to appeal to a lazy American audience. The movie was shit, and I'm half Norwegian.

[@iamthewizardwhoknocks2845]

The Northman cost 90m

[@littlesnowflakepunk855]

@@Josh-gv4pt I'm a Viking age historian. Its depictions of Viking age Icelandic culture, particularly material culture, and its adaptation of the style of storytelling within some of the more grounded Sagas, were fantastic. He spoke with several Icelandic viking-age historians and archaeologists to make sure he got the important stuff right. I agree the accents weren't fantastic but he did everything else right lmao. As for the name, Amleth is Norse. What's a literal translation of Norseman?

[@kramrollin69]

Well, at least they were Ethnic Northern Europeans. If it was made now days, it would be 3 black Africans and an Indian playing Vikings.@@Josh-gv4pt

[@daftrok]

That roof scene in The Room was wild. I had NO idea it was all green screen.

[@Warstub]

This film was so good. After having seen The Lighthouse on a whim, just because Willem Dafoe was in it, and the theatre I was in was called The Lighthouse Theatre, I wanted to see what Egger's first film would be like. It did not disappoint. The third film, on the other hand... 😕

[@melefth]

Really, I saw No 3 (No1 + No2) in the Overblown Epic, Leicester Square, and was... disappointed! :)

[@I_V_X]

The northman? I thought it was great

[@faaaaaaaaaaack]

Northman was awesome

[@Warstub]

​@@I_V_X For me it lacked a gripping atmosphere. The acting and story I had no issues with, but overall, I felt it was too long. Hard to pinpoint, but coming off the previous two films, The Northman just didn't have a certain flair that I was expecting.

[@tzz89]

@@Warstub I was underwhelmed by the Northman, as well. Just watched The Vvitch last night, having bought it on 4K BluRay - my word, what an absolutely incredible piece of art. Immediately had to purchase the Lighthouse on 4K as well (though I've already seen it, another beautiful piece of film)

[@calebthornblad1831]

He just gave a bride conference via zoom at my dinky New England collage today. Super down to earth, engaged and passionate guy. He gave some truly valuable advice and I’m super honored to have had the chance to be in his presence so to speak

[@sarahlarsen6233]

I remember seeing The VVitch in 2019 and being just totally captured by Eggers and Anya Taylor Joy. Such an excellent film!

[@louc6689]

Thanks for making a short and sweet video and not doing the typical YT "say my point 50 different ways to pad the run time" strategy.

[@carlosdumbratzen6332]

Just recently rewatches this movie so this video fits perfectly. I have my gripes with the story, but on the technical end this is a masterpiece. Normally I hate this grey contrast low look, that alot of modern movies have, but here it works perfectly and watching it with the knowledge it was all done with naturla lighting makes it even more impressive. Also the crew had to be amazing on this one. I wish all historical movies had such great sets and costumes.

[@Schemilix]

I'm from England and I didn't NOTICE the lightning. Since it's overcast and dreary here so often, seeing this video put it into perspective what they'd managed to do and capture. Sometimes art you don't notice, it seems effortless. I like to be reminded the work that goes into the things you intentionally don't notice, so they don't pull you out of the moment.

[@magiv4205]

I was astonished at the quality and accuracy of the costumes in this movie and how all visible seams clearly hand-sewn and most importantly hand-felled (which is unfortunately woefully lacking in many supposed period pieces). To find out it only had this tiny budget is astonishing and makes me proud.

[@Noremac41]

“Scope requires money, depth only requires knowledge” what a fricken great line. Great video! Love your channel. Keep up the good work, brother!

[@biligator]

You chose the perfect clip from "The Room" at the end there. My wife and I quote "You're my favorite customer" to each other all the time.

[@streetrat48]

Probably my favorite horror film of the last 20 years

[@matt.stevick]

oh my heavens this cinematography is absolutely next level stunning jesus christ

[@hughgrection5674]

This film was a masterclass in how to make a scary film without jump scares and gore 😉👍

[@Ten_522]

Not really, because technically there was still some gore (the baby scene, the mum getting pecked by a crow, etc.) and the jumpscares (Caleb and the witch's hand, goat attacking the dad, etc.)

[@jamesmiller2521]

What a story, Cinemastix. I'm so happy to have you as my favorite KZbin channel and I love VVitch so much

[@maisiefrench4424]

Every time I’ve forgotten that The Room exists, someone has to come along and spoil my ignorance…

[@0That_Guy0]

I loved watching this movie, and the lighting really made the atmosphere perfect! And I hope this video blows up more than it originally did - It's another great piece of work!

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

I think he could make a really good adaptation of Turn of the Screw. There are several, The Innocents and the opera version probably being the best, but it's my favourite period drama horror.

[@ThatMackieGirl]

What's your opinion on Haunting of Bly Manor? It's become one of my favorite adaptations even though the setting is so radically different from the original

[@paavobergmann4920]

OMG, the Turn of the Screw, yes, I read that in summer and I had frigging goosebumps throughout, that story is so unsettling.

[@courtneybrock1]

@@ThatMackieGirl ❤ Bly Manor and all things Flanagan.

[@GKFF9872]

I was so lucky to have stumbled into a screening of this movie that had Eggers and Anya answering questions after the movie. Absolutely blown away.

[@Straight0uttaCrofton]

this movie sat on my DVR for months until i finally watched it and i'm glad i finally did because it was damn good

[@lara_xy]

That film looks pretty cool - the shots so calming, even though the story most probably isn't and I am a big fan of the lighting and colours in the movie. As I cannot stand horror / scary movies, I will not watch it, but I still love watching video essays about anything, so I am glad I could enjoy a tiny piece of the movie through this video

[@1972hermanoben]

While it’s fair to say that Eggers struck gold in casting the relative newcomer (to film) Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie were far from being unknown actors, even in the 2010s

[@Shridra]

I remember seeing the trailers for this movie but I've never watched it. Seeing some of the shots in this video have me dropping my jaw at how beautiful they are. Also, I worked on a short period film which was played on TV and produced/directed by my best friends brother. It was a fun experience, and since we had such a small budget everyone did double and triple duty - I did costumes and craft services. The makeup artist was also a small bit character. Things like that. I don't think it could translate to a Hollywood type movie, but it was definitely an experience!

[@rantonerik]

Great video, on a great film! Helps me appreciate The Witch even more.

[@CinemaStix]

:D

[@lplumptree]

1:56 "Know your limits, don't show your limits" so close to the actual Canadian gambling slogan "Know Your Limits, Play Within It" BCLC

[@likaner1]

I saw this movie not too long ago, it was nice to see a new horror movie that wasn’t a rehash or the boring haunted house theme. There’s something creepy about those remote New England woods outside of the city. Same with the beaches in the winter time. Something about the wilderness in that region just hits different than the backwoods south.

[@DaDaDo661]

North American forests put European forests to shame when it comes to horror, it's not just the flora and Fauna, there's a different energy there. You can see it in the Natives mythology and folk tales

[@likaner1]

@@DaDaDo661 I know that energy you’re talking about. Once in a while I’ll have these dreams about being around the Connecticut river by my grandmothers house; exerting tremendous physical effort to navigate the terrain, but at the same time feeling stir crazy. Lost in this oddly familiar forest trying to find my way back before sundown. Everything feels very old, tiring and claustrophobic. I swear there’s a vortex/spirit out there that keeps people stuck in some comfort loop.

[@lou1958]

Wow, that last comparison was staggering. TLDR: Eggers is the man! Love all his work. Just recently watched The Witch and was blown away. The guy executes.

[@CaesiusX]

Excellent essay. Creators like yourself raise the level of the KZbin experience. Thanks for this.

[@kinghappyspoon]

Danny, you are my go-to for cinema analysis. You've got such an eloquent and professional way of portraying the subject, whether it be the movie, the director, the actor or all of the above. I WILL be watching more.

[@00xanawolf00]

This has become one of my favorite horror films. So understated and under appreciated. I watched it after seeing Stephen King’s positive statement about this film. It’s brilliant and gorgeous and the acting is Oscar worthy.

[@kokomanation]

really good cinematography as I see it from here

[@JuliusCaesar103]

The VVitch is one of the best horror films ever

[@shavedparmesanprosciuttoan4317]

This was really interesting. I don’t know anything much about camera work and never much thought about how the framing and lighting of a scene could change the impact of a film. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

[@PharaoahMonk]

am i the only one seeing Game of Thrones characters thrown around everywhere? i just can't see those guys in other movies now.

[@mimimosa259]

Loved that movie... like you said, beautifully shot, wonderful writing and acting! It's one of those movies that gets under your skin and makes you feel a really visceral discomfort. I haven't been able to watch a 2nd time yet because I get nauseous thinking about it lol

[@TalonsOfFire]

I've seen over 600 horror movies from the past 100 years and this one is without a doubt in the top 3. Never seen anything like it, kind of unbelieveable.

[@veemartini5374]

Can I genuinely ask you what specifically you love about the film that makes you feel it's so remarkable? I really want to like this movie, but I didn't enjoy it. I only saw it once when it was first released, but I just remember being very bored and waiting for something to happen that really shocked me. At the film's end, I recall thinking, "Okay... that was it? Well, alrighty then." Maybe I should rewatch it, but I've never had a desire to watch it again... I just really want to know what it is that so many others see in it that I'm missing, maybe I would understand if someone else points some specific things out to me that they loved about this film. You don't have to reply, I just feel like an outsider of this VVitch club who really wants to know what goes on in the club, I guess....

[@herbthompson8937]

Top 3 wtf?????? You're into talking goats I guess

[@herbthompson8937]

​@@veemartini5374I watched it once, don't think I'll ever watch again

[@TalonsOfFire]

@@veemartini5374 It's not for everyone, especially people who want lots of violence and jump scares, it was more for film buffs, especially ones who like '70s and early '80s ones, and exactly what I personally wanted in a creepy, mysterious, supernatural horror film. Where do I start? The atmosphere and imagery were sublime, really effective and directed, acted at the highest level, so impressive that it was his first feature and with such period accuracy. The ending is so devilish and memorable, really tying it all together. The way the witch's presence is handled is also just right, everything feels so real and intense while being a slow burn. Fantastic script and functions as a really effective, tragic family drama just as much as a horror movie. I love everything about it, including the subtlety that some might see as "boring."

[@TalonsOfFire]

@@herbthompson8937 you know it

[@thenewsilverwolf]

Please talk about 1899 next! The fact that it wasn't renewed was a crime against humanity. Brilliant filmmaking, messaging, all of it! It really bent my mind, I watched it 3 tiems I was so obsessed. Thanks for your videos!

[@dammitally]

When it cut to the flower shop scene towards the end, I busted out laughing. I never stop enjoying how bad The Room is.

[@MasonH24]

Getting "Every Frame a Painting" vibes from this, great job.

[@casandra0]

I remember stumbling upon this movie a few years ago and being constantly confused and disturbed, really conveyed the sense of paranoia well

[@AyanneCZ]

"Scope requires money. Depth only requires knowledge." Such a true, simple and obvious statement, yet I've never heard anyone even come close to voicing it. I'm stealing it now, thank you! :D

[@SM-ce1uy]

this film is so underrated I thought it was so eerie and had a lot of atmosphere

[@MontyQueues]

watched it in broadday light on my computer and still gripped my hands together instinctually

[@daxidol1447]

Literally one of my favourite movies, I had no idea they only spent $4m on it.

[@pessien8474]

And it shows just how much a talented director could actually influence things, and I must say, blumhouse popularizing cheap horror movies was one of best things to happen in this genre, because otherwise, THIS wouldnt be approved by a board of directors.

[@cristinag3157]

Well said!! I love that you pointed out the light snd and dark used within the scenes. I've loved The VVitch since it came out in theaters. None of my friends enjoy it though. They found it boring. I watch this usually in October on a day that is gloomy and chilly. I light candles and curl up. I appreciate his attention to details in the costuming, dialect and even the props used. It transports me to the 17th century. Folklore of witches has always fascinated me so this is a movie that will probably always be a go to for me. 😊

[@401RISaint]

The scene with the boy acting out his pain is some of the finest acting you will ever see. Great film. Amazing dialogue.

[@GopalSingh01]

10× return on investment is what Hollywood lacks right now

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Proof positive that the very best thing that could happen to movies is for the entire studio system to be blown to smithereeens.

[@CellShadedVisual]

A24 has gone downhill though. Have you seen X? That movie is so bad and not even in a fun b-movie way. I hope A24 start putting out quality films like Green Room and Good Time again.

[@jens2049]

​@@CellShadedVisualomfg

[@antidoteify]

High quality production, the materials,the costumes, the building of the house, all the time period set. Amazing. You can see that it's not a prop but the actual object, building, dress..

[@bharlesCabbage]

Maybe because they're not money laundering.

[@christopherjohnson2171]

I never heard of this movie when it came out but I found it last year and even though I predicted the ending rather early I still enjoyed every minute of it. The setting and language were just top notch for the subject matter.

[@toastapprentice]

Holy hell man, I'd no clue it cost only $4 million. Insane feat.

[@mushuable]

A huge thank you. I started to watch your video, within like 3min I was hooked. I just finished watching the movie and I am blown away. This is incredibly good and convincing. I like writing fantasy, and I particularly like all witch related tales. And this was such inspiring material. Plus the movie is 6 days away from being removed from Netflix (at least where I live). Had it not been there Id have been like "heh, nevermind" and would have missed it. So glad I stumbled on this video on time ! Waw.