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Movie might be more aptly named "The Blair Wretch Project" From staff and wire reports You may want to pick up an extra bag with your popcorn at the concession stand before seeing the "The Blair Witch Project," which is stirring up more than fear among some motion-sick moviegoers. The low-budget horror thriller, mostly shot with shaky hand-held cameras, is raking in millions around the country and opened last week at theaters in Medford and Ashland. But it's not a favorite of theater workers who have to clean up the mess left by those who get queasy watching the movie's often herky-jerky, first-person perspective. "The first weekend someone threw up in the women's restroom, the men's restroom and in the hallway," said Kris Monroe, manager at Lefont Plaza Theater in Atlanta. "It's not pleasant to clean up. One guy -- he was really cool -- he threw up in the restroom and he just came out and asked us for a mop." "We have had a couple people throw up," said Lee Fuchsmann, director of operations at Coming Attractions, the company that operates the Varsity Theatre in Ashland. "It's a very strong reaction. I liken it to `The Exorcist.' I was managing a theater then (1973), and people actually fainted. I couldn't believe it." Fuchsmann says at least the Varsity customers made it to the lobby. "Fortunately or unfortunately," she said. "I'm not sure which." A manager at Tinseltown in Medford declined to comment. The independent film, which has taken in $80 million since its release, follows three student filmmakers as they venture into the woods to track the legendary Blair Witch. The mock documentary features footage supposedly shot by the students and discovered in the woods a year after their disappearance. Unlike many horror films, blood or gore is minimal. The scenes that make people sick involve quick switches from close-up ground shots to views of the tree tops. And throughout the film, which runs one hour and 27 minutes, the picture is often grainy and out of focus. News of the queasy reaction to the movie didn't surprise producer Robin Cowie, who said people had panic attacks during the initial screening and at the Sundance Film Festival. "We've heard different analysis of why it happens. Some simply may get a little motion sickness, that combined with the tension and the pace of the film," Cowie said. "It's such an intense roller-coaster ride. The buzz we're hearing is it's sort of a challenge to see if you can get through it." Dr. Helen Cohen of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston explains: "If you're sitting still, you fool your system into thinking that you're moving if objects are being moved back and forth in front of you. You assume that you're moving." For viewers, especially those up front in the theater, their entire visual field is filled up by the screen. They have no visual cues to tell them they are not moving, she said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA