THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT SCREENING and Q&A - Journal Entries From Eclectic Arts Media 9/14/26 through 10/13/26
Journal Entries: The Blair Witch Project Screening w/Q & A
From Mark Sugiyama - Eclectic Arts Media
September 14, 2026. Twenty seven years after The Blair Witch Project film was released. Mark Sugiyama spoke with cast member Michael C. Williams about this upcoming screening tour during the spooky season. The livestream interview was short and sweet - much like the film. But Mark had more questions. An inquiry about scheduling a part II was made on his part but it was not to be. Perhaps this will change in the future? Mark had many more questions, many of which have nothing to do with the film. Mark wondered if he’ll get to review the event in Seattle?
October 7, 2026. Mark received notice that he had been approved to review the event in Seattle. This was great news! Mark wondered if there was room to add him to the meet and greet list?
October 8, 2026. Mark received notice that he AND a plus one had been added to the after show meet and greet list. This was even better news! Who should he invite to go back into the woods?
October 11, 2026. The day of the event. Mark was a credentialed reviewer at The 5th Avenue Theatre for their plays and musicals so he knew the building well. It was 100 years old now in 2026. There was a ton of history there including local speculation that it had been haunted since June 16, 1970 after a stagehand tragically fell to their death after not wearing a safety harness in the rafters.
The evening started with the screening of the original film. The audience was vocal at the start but that soon dissipated into silence other than when a few funny moments happened during the film.
Mark saw the film twice in 1999 at the Neptune Theatre back when it was a movie house. That experience brought him back to those two screenings. The film was still unnerving, ahead of its time, and divisive.
As the infamous ending came about and the credits rolled, the theatre filled with loud applause and appreciation from the fandom.
After a short intermission, the moderator asked the crowd how many people were basically first time viewers of the film? A good number of hands went up. He then introduced the three lead actors to the stage - Michael C. Williams, Heather Donahue, and Joshua Leonard.
The cast spent time answering questions that were a mix for the new fans as well as the hardcore cinephiles. The last portion of the Q & A fans were allowed to line up and ask a single question to the cast. They ran out of time so some fans had to return to their seats.
Post Show Meet and Greet
The fans that were considered VIP guests gathered at the front of the theatre auditorium and waited in line to meet the cast. After a few minutes of getting the photo area set up, they each came out and met with each fan.
The cast was gracious with each fan interaction. They got to have a little bit of chit chat with them, get a pro photo opportunity, and something signed if they brought anything.
As Mark waited for his turn to meet everyone, he couldn’t help but look up at the rafters above the stage and wonder how awful that must have been for the stagehand. He had heard it was not during a performance, thank goodness, but that is still a horrendous accident to have happened some 56 years ago.
October 13, 2026. The Blair Witch Project screening and Q & A was quite the experience. Mark never made it home after the event. He was put face first into a corner to await his deserving demise. These journal entries were all that was found on his computer.
On behalf of Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media. Tense and person was changed to honor the memory of Mr. Sugiyama.
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(Photos courtesy of Mark Sugiyama - Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2026)
September 14, 2026. Twenty seven years after The Blair Witch Project film was released. Mark Sugiyama spoke with cast member Michael C. Williams about this upcoming screening tour during the spooky season. The livestream interview was short and sweet - much like the film. But Mark had more questions. An inquiry about scheduling a part II was made on his part but it was not to be. Perhaps this will change in the future? Mark had many more questions, many of which have nothing to do with the film. Mark wondered if he’ll get to review the event in Seattle?
October 7, 2026. Mark received notice that he had been approved to review the event in Seattle. This was great news! Mark wondered if there was room to add him to the meet and greet list?
October 8, 2026. Mark received notice that he AND a plus one had been added to the after show meet and greet list. This was even better news! Who should he invite to go back into the woods?
October 11, 2026. The day of the event. Mark was a credentialed reviewer at The 5th Avenue Theatre for their plays and musicals so he knew the building well. It was 100 years old now in 2026. There was a ton of history there including local speculation that it had been haunted since June 16, 1970 after a stagehand tragically fell to their death after not wearing a safety harness in the rafters.
The evening started with the screening of the original film. The audience was vocal at the start but that soon dissipated into silence other than when a few funny moments happened during the film.
Mark saw the film twice in 1999 at the Neptune Theatre back when it was a movie house. That experience brought him back to those two screenings. The film was still unnerving, ahead of its time, and divisive.
As the infamous ending came about and the credits rolled, the theatre filled with loud applause and appreciation from the fandom.
After a short intermission, the moderator asked the crowd how many people were basically first time viewers of the film? A good number of hands went up. He then introduced the three lead actors to the stage - Michael C. Williams, Heather Donahue, and Joshua Leonard.
The cast spent time answering questions that were a mix for the new fans as well as the hardcore cinephiles. The last portion of the Q & A fans were allowed to line up and ask a single question to the cast. They ran out of time so some fans had to return to their seats.
Post Show Meet and Greet
The fans that were considered VIP guests gathered at the front of the theatre auditorium and waited in line to meet the cast. After a few minutes of getting the photo area set up, they each came out and met with each fan.
The cast was gracious with each fan interaction. They got to have a little bit of chit chat with them, get a pro photo opportunity, and something signed if they brought anything.
As Mark waited for his turn to meet everyone, he couldn’t help but look up at the rafters above the stage and wonder how awful that must have been for the stagehand. He had heard it was not during a performance, thank goodness, but that is still a horrendous accident to have happened some 56 years ago.
October 13, 2026. The Blair Witch Project screening and Q & A was quite the experience. Mark never made it home after the event. He was put face first into a corner to await his deserving demise. These journal entries were all that was found on his computer.
On behalf of Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media. Tense and person was changed to honor the memory of Mr. Sugiyama.
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
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