I hesitate to mention the movie “The Blair Witch Project” in the first line of this column because chances are half my readers have stopped reading.

The reactions to it have been that strong. Either you loved it, or you puked. I believe the movie “American Pie” has produced the same results with people.

Now I am not a movie critic, nor do I wish to be one. Every movie I like seems to be ripped apart by the critics as every movie I hate receives praise from them.

And after watching “Fargo” on the recommendation of Siskel and Ebert, I’d like to tell them where they could put their thumbs.

So I won’t use my space and your time to reel off a movie review. But I believe there is something about “The Blair Witch Project” that transcends the mere opinions of the critics.

Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, the co-writers, co-directors and co-editors were virtual unknowns prior to the release of “The Blair Witch Project.”

They weren’t child stars, and they had no “inside” connections. But they had an idea.

In an interview posted on the ABC News Web site, Sanchez said that he and his partner “hadn’t been scared at the movies in a long time.” And that they “thought a film that would be completely real would be scary.”

The odds were stacked against them.

Though they had little to no experience, Myrick and Sanchez decided to see what they could do.

In the words of my uncle, they went “nipples to the wind.” Using a small cast and crew, primitive equipment and a limited budget — $35,000 to be exact — they brought that idea to completion.

And I make it sound a lot easier than it was.

They ran into some problems along the way.

According to an article in the Washington Post, they had “no distributor or the backing that a big-studio movie has.” But they didn’t give up.

They gave their already unique movie perhaps the most interesting quality of all. “The Blair Witch Project” is the first truly Internet-marketed film.

Which happens to work when your budget is less then the cost of the cars most Hollywood directors drive.

They had an idea which people told them wouldn’t work. They did it anyway. They ran out of money to advertise their idea. They used what was accessible.

And the result of this unique idea and marketing technique? According to the Washington Post, $100 million in box office receipts in six weeks.

“The Blair Witch Project” will probably be the highest grossing movie of all time.

There is a lesson to be learned from this movie. First of all, you can run a lot faster if you’re not carrying a video camera.

You might not get the run on tape, but you’d have a better chance of escaping your pursuer. But this is not the lesson I want to concentrate on.

Myrick and Sanchez are living the true American Dream. And they earned it!

Regardless of whether you liked the movie or if you had to run to the bathroom in the middle, you have to admire these guys.

I mean, we’ve all had ideas. But maybe yours, like mine, have ended up on the cutting room floor.

In the words of Jerry McGuire, we live in a cynical world. It’s a world that is not too keen on “the newcomer.”

Other than the Sundance Film Festival, it seems that the only way to break into Hollywood nowadays is to take your clothes off.

But because some people still have a clue about ideals and integrity, they refuse to do this.

And the critics are harsh. It takes a lot of guts to show your ideas to other people because tastes differ and someone will probably hate it.

I still find it hard to see my byline in the Daily because I’m afraid of what people will think of my work. You have no idea how damaging a Quick E can be.

And so most ideas remain just that, ideas.

How many best selling novels have gone unwritten? How many breathtaking paintings have gone unseen? How many Grammy-winning songs have gone unrecorded?

Because the odds are stacked so highly, few people take shots anymore. Thus, the American Dream has become something that involves a Lottery Ticket or an appearance on Judge Judy.

But what if an idea was realized?

What if, despite all the negative attitudes, despite all the criticism and despite all the heartache, a person took a shot?

Myrick and Sanchez took a shot, and the dream came true. Regardless of what people think or what the critics say, they have realized their idea. And that’s worth more than all the money in the world.

So the next time you have an idea, do something about it.

Who knows? The stack of odds might crumble, and the people of the world would get to read a new story, see a new painting, or hear a new song.

And they might be changed.

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Jackson Lashier is a junior in English from Marshalltown.