Movie popularity prompts anti-witchcraft movement The Layman Online Tuesday, September 14, 1999 Pastors and members from several congregations met gathered recently in Burkittsville, Md., the setting for "The Blair Witch Project," to pray that occult activity does not increase as a result of the unexpected success of the low-budget, independent film, Charisma Magazine reports on its web site. "This movie is a legend, but there's a power behind it," Cheryl Black, one of the organizers of the prayer effort, told a reporter for the magazine. "It's like a ploy of the enemy to create an idea and cause it to infect the consciousness of millions. People are traveling here from all over. The curiosity in witchcraft is being stirred. There has been a draw toward the occult and the supernatural. We wanted to come together and stake our claim on the land and say no to the enemy." Since "The Blair Witch Project" was released, Burkittsville has been inundated with visitors looking to retrace the steps of the mock-documentary's three students who supposedly were missing while researching the history of local witchcraft. Extra sheriff's deputy patrols were ordered, and police have fielded inquiries from around the world from people convinced that the disappearances were real. Made by film students from Florida for just $30,000, "The Blair Witch Project" has taken more than $125 million at the box office, making it one of the most profitable movies of all time.

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