The Scooby Doo Project: The best Blair Witch parody

In 1999, horror cinema experienced a true revolution with the release of "The Blair Witch Project", a film that, while it did not invent the found footage subgenre, popularized it and showed its economic potential, becoming the most profitable film in history (currently held by "Paranormal Activity"). The phenomenon was such that just three months after its premiere, Cartoon Network aired for Halloween a parody starring the Scooby-Doo characters, in the form of a rather peculiar short film called “The Scooby Doo Project”.

The plot is basically the same as the film, with Mystery Inc. first interviewing the population of a town about a supposed curse in the forest and then going there to investigate, only to get lost. All of this is of course seen through a video camera usually held by Velma, who takes the place of Heather Donahue from the original film.

One of the first things that catches your eye when you see it is the chosen visual style, with 2D characters interacting with a real environment, like in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". An effect they pull off very well, always making it seem like the gang is actually walking through the trees, and with the human characters treating them as if they were equals and not caricatures. And we have a real Mystery Machine 3 years before the live action adaptation!

At the same time, the use of a real forest helps the atmosphere feel almost as unsettling as the original. Because yes, this short film is full of jokes throughout, but it definitely manages to be pretty creepy too. Unlike the series where the characters are scared but the atmosphere tells you that everything will be okay, here the gang really look terrified and desperate, breaking from their usual attitudes and screaming in true terror. 

But beyond the fact that it may have traumatized some people, and that it was perhaps more appropriate for Adult Swim if it had already existed at that time, I repeat that this special is really very funny. On the one hand, we have the typical jokes of the franchise, with Shaggy and Scooby always hungry or the characters entering and exiting doors in a way that breaks logic, but we also have a more meta humor with, for example, the characters complaining that Velma always loses her glasses or Shaggy wondering why when they separate, Fred and Daphne always go together.

Considering the franchise was already celebrating its 30th anniversary in 1999, it's no wonder they started laughing at its recurring gags. You can even see some similarities between the type of humor this special employs and that of the 2000s live-action films written by James Gunn, so it wouldn't be surprising to find out that it was one of the inspirations. And considering how well this short film manages to balance being terrifying and funny, I wish the series that Greg Berlanti ("The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina", “Riverdale”) is developing for Netflix will look to this parody for inspiration

The short's critical reception was very positive, even winning an Annie Award for "Outstanding Animated Special Project," but I feel like when people mention the best of this franchise or the best specials to watch on Halloween, they forget about this short, which completely deserves a place in both categories. It's a great plan for Halloween! you can save the article until October and revisit it then (But if you liked the article I would appreciate your like now haha).

I think the special is a great way to introduce a preteen to horror with a double feature alongside "The Blair Witch Project". The film itself aims to be scary with its atmosphere, so it doesn't have any overly gory or scary imagery, making it suitable for someone around 11/12 years old, and seeing Scooby-Doo and the rest of the gang laughing about the story later on lightens things up even more.After all, a good parody can take the seriousness out of any movie, just ask me, I watched "The Shining" after watching "Treehouse of Horror V" from The Simpsons. 

You can find the special (17 minutes) plus the advertising spots (7 extra minutes) on Youtube.

• If you like theories about movies and series, I invite you to follow me on Instagram where I compile the best ones: @TheBigCinemaTheories
• And if you want to read another of my articles, I have one talking about how I imagine a Marvel and DC crossover: “Wolverine meets Batman: The logical next step”
• Or one with the best details of the new Eggers movie: “Nosferatu: The importance of choosing the right director”