The University Daily Kansas
Thursday, August 24, 2000
Books
Section B • Page 9
Book answers few questions
'Witch' revisited
By Clay McCuistion Kansan features editor
Blair Witch: The Secret Confession of Rustin Parr
D. A. Stern (Pocket Books 151 pages, paperback
Blair Witch: The Secret Confession of Rustin Parr is a far better book than it has any right to be. Novels related to hit movies are generally tepid retreads of cinematic experiences, but D.A. Stern crafts a compelling read.
How much one enjoys the book is probably connected to how much one enjoyed the horror movie, though. This is certainly not a literary experience, and if you're not interested in books detailing the background of movie plots, this novel holds little worth.
The story relates Stern's attempts to discover the real story behind hermit Rustin Parr's supposed murder of seven children in Burkittsville, Md., in the 1940s. Parr's pre-execution confession was given to priest Dominic Cazale, whom Stern befriends while conducting
research about the supernatural, especially Burkittsville's fabled Blair Witch.
Cazale nearly dies in a fire that kills his wife, and the story just gets better from there. Stern receives a packet in the mail from Cazale (sent before the fire) containing a journal detailing, among other things, the evil forces permeating the town.
Cazale's journal comprises a hefty part of the book, and because it is supposedly written by a man going slowly insane, one never entirely figures out what's going on. The author obviously wants to replicate the experience of the movie by never quite revealing whether supernatural forces of evil exist.
Unfortunately, while this low-key approach works wonders in the first part of the book, as one approaches the end it becomes clear that Stern has no intention of actually resolving much. Like the movie, one is left with more questions about the book than one has answers.
— Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Top Fives
"Survior," CBS, 17.9; tie: "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (Sunday), ABC, and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (Tuesday), ABC, both 4.5. "Who Wants to Be a
TELEVISION
both 14.5; Who wants to be a **Bigmonale** (Thursday), ABC, 13.7; "Billion Brother" (Wednesday), CBS, 10.8; "60 Minutes," CBS, 9.9; "The Practice," ABC, 9.2; "Everybody Loves Raymond," CBS, 8.6; "Dateline NBC" (Monday), NBC, 8.0; "Dateline NBC" (Tuesday), NBC, 7.8.
2. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire-
Sunday." ARC. (file)
2. "Wants to Be a Millionaire Tuesday." ABC, (tie)
3. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Thursday." **ABC**
(From Nielsen Media Research)
4. "Big Brother," CBS.
5. "60 Minutes," CBS.
FILMS
1. "The Cell." New Line.
2. "The Original Kings of Comedy." Paramount.
3. "Space Cowboys," Warner Bros.
4. The Replacements, Warner Bros.
5. "What Lies Beneath, DreamWorks."
(From Exhibitor Relations Co.)
MUSIC SINGLES
1. "Doesn't Really Matter," Janet. Def Soul.
2. "Incomplete," Sisqo. Dragon/Def
Soul.
Soul.
2 "Best" Matchbox 20 Love (Gold)
3. "Bent," Matchbox 20, Lava (Gold)
4. "Jumpin, Jumpin," Destiny's Child,
Columbia
5. "I Wanna Know." Ioe. live.
(From Billboard magazine)
ALBUMS
1. "Country Grammar," Nelly, Fo' Reel.
(Platinum)
2. "Oops!... I Did It Again," Britney Spears, Live (Platinum)
3. "Now That's what I Call Music 4,"
Various Artists, Virgin/Capital/Sony
4. "The Marshall Mathers LP," Eminem.
Web/Aftermath. (Platinum)
5. "No Strings Attached," 'N Sync. Jive.
(Platinum)
(From Billboard magazine)
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