Legend of Boggy Creek

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: This film is better than most Bigfoot movies, but it's not the best. I think "Sasquatch - the Legend of Bigfoot" from 1978 is an all-round better and more entertaining movie. I did like the creature from this film, though, and thought it looked convincing. The photography and DVD picture quality were exceptional for a movie of this type. The acting, however, is awful. Overall, I would still recommend this movie as a moderately scary experience from the glorious 70s: Golden Age of Bigfoot.

Rating:
Summary: Fouke Monster Folklore
Review: This is one of the strangest documentaries ever filmed. Vern Stierman was a boy when he first heard the cry of the Fouke Monster. Now he is back in town and telling the story of the elusive creature.

Fouke, Missouri is located in the Southwest corner of the state. It has been the home of monster sightings for decades. The monster has been dubbed the Fouke Monster.

This move is part dramatization and part documentary. Many of the townspeople are played by themselves although Vern is not. The movie chronicles Vern's early encounter (aural only) with the creature and the way locals slowly began to believe that there really was something keeping to the water.

At one point there is some supposition as to what the creature is. It walks upright like a man. It is not a Sasquatch as it only has three toes instead of five. It is not a gorilla as it is orange. It might be an orangutan but doesn't act like one or have the right toes. No final theory is reached other than that enough people have seen it that it must be real.

The film looks like a low budget production and many of the night shots are quite dark. The shots of the creature are usually shadowy or an occasional arm through a window. But the atmosphere is seriously creepy. Modern horror film makers could learn a lot about atmosphere from this one.

This is a wonderful film but it is not a Discovery Channel or Tim Burns documentary. This is more down to Earth. Look for Return to Boggy Creek.

Rating:
Summary: Fouke Monster Folklore
Review: This is one of the strangest documentaries ever filmed. Vern Stierman was a boy when he first heard the cry of the Fouke Monster. Now he is back in town and telling the story of the elusive creature.

Fouke, Missouri is located in the Southwest corner of the state. It has been the home of monster sightings for decades. The monster has been dubbed the Fouke Monster.

This move is part dramatization and part documentary. Many of the townspeople are played by themselves although Vern is not. The movie chronicles Vern's early encounter (aural only) with the creature and the way locals slowly began to believe that there really was something keeping to the water.

At one point there is some supposition as to what the creature is. It walks upright like a man. It is not a Sasquatch as it only has three toes instead of five. It is not a gorilla as it is orange. It might be an orangutan but doesn't act like one or have the right toes. No final theory is reached other than that enough people have seen it that it must be real.

The film looks like a low budget production and many of the night shots are quite dark. The shots of the creature are usually shadowy or an occasional arm through a window. But the atmosphere is seriously creepy. Modern horror film makers could learn a lot about atmosphere from this one.

This is a wonderful film but it is not a Discovery Channel or Tim Burns documentary. This is more down to Earth. Look for Return to Boggy Creek.

Rating:
Summary: what a difference
Review: this new version of LEGEND OF.., WOW, what a difference from the initial crummy release of this movie on dvd. Make sure you get this one, the picture is a hundred times clearer, the sound is so much better, I felt transported back in time, like I was watching it on the big screen. The shots of the monster are super clear and I can't express enough how this clear version makes a huge Total different watching experience then the first dvd release of this classic. For those of you who have the crummy first release of the dvd, with the mysterios white dot in the right corner of the entire movie...guess what....it's gone!!!on this new clearer, so much clearer DVD!!!!

Rating:
Summary: A curious docudrama of a curious 70's phenomena
Review: This one is a classic must-see if you're a 70's horror genre fan. I actually now just saw it for the first time. This is odd for me since I lived through the 70's and was shocked to have never heard of this one until recently.

My biggest criticism is the cheezy "ode to the monster" song. Even the webmaster lady at the Arkansas webpage section devoted to the Boggy Creek creature thought so too. Some would accurately describe this movie as more than a bit dated, and they'd be correct. Another criticism is that some of the scene transitions are brutally abrupt often cutting off the music in mid measure and shocking the viewer without allowing them the chance to psychologically prepare for the transition.

But overall I was able to forgive all of these nitpicky shortcomings, and I found this peculiar and utterly unique movie worth an entire sitting.

To sum it up: Strange, thought provoking and even a bit nostalgic and bitter sweet at times. "Legend of Boggy Creek" left me feeling strangely thoughtful and reflective for days afterward, and for the first time in my life I briefly considered a future trip to Arkansas. Wow, imagine that!

Rating:
Summary: A curious docudrama of a curious 70's phenomena
Review: This one is classic must-see if you're a 70's horror genre fan. I actually now just saw it for the first time. This is odd for me since I lived through the 70's and was shocked to have never heard of this one until recently.

My biggest criticism is the cheezy "ode to the monster" song. Even the webmaster lady at the Arkansas webpage section devoted to the Boggy Creek creature thought so too.Some would accurately describe this movies as more than a bit dated, and they'd be correct. The scene transitions are brutally abbrupt at times often cutting off the music in mid measure.

Nevertheless, I found this peculiar and unique movie worth an entire sitting.

To sum it up: Strange, thought provoking and even a bit nostalgic and bitter sweet at times. "Legend of Boggy Creek" left me feeling strangely thoughtful and reflective for days afterward, and for the first time in my life I briefly considered a future trip to Arkansas.

Rating:
Summary: A fun docu-drama!
Review: When I first saw this in the 1970's, I was truly scared. Upon a subsequent viewing, however, it wasn't scary, but brought back a great memory from childhood. The acting is horrible. The cinematography is awful. The "plot" is scrambled and, at times, incoherent. But I LOVE it!

Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Legend?
Review: When I was a kid, my little brother saw this at the theater and it became his favorite movie (for YEARS!). A movie buff even then, I never had the slightest desire to see it. After hearing him speak of it for so long, I finally got the 'opportunity' to see it maybe 15 years later. It was as cheap and crap as I'd always thought it would be, which leaves me mystified as to what people see in this colossal mess. Just last night I picked up the DVD from the bargain bin - just in case my cynicism got the best of me when I was younger, I could view it more objectively now. But let's call a spade a spade: this is a very bad film with zero production values, zero acting skills, zero sound quality, amateurish lighting, murkish visual style...heck, even the DVD edition is devoid of credibility! Choose Production Notes from the menu to be taken to two pictures beside each other. Huh?!? And there's an actual Photo Gallery on the disc which is very small and adds nothing.

Another review I read suggested holding out for a widescreen version, but don't bother. This film was shot in 16mm, then blown-up to 35mm. An anamorphic (2.35 : 1) print was out there, but it's just cropped, so a widescreen edition would actually be less. Surely someone could have hunted down a trailer, or TV and radio spots for this release. Then at least SOME entertainment value would exist on this disc...

Rating:
Summary: The weirdest movie in the history of filmaking.
Review: You cannot put your finger on this film. While your viewing this you may ask "Is this a piece of garbage? Or is it brilliant?" The weird camera angles, the creepy people, and the way it cuts from documentary to dramatization is astounding. There are some pretty intense scenes in this most significant entry into "Cinema Du Sasquatch" There is a great scene where these girls and a baby are in a run down cabin deep in the woods, the one girl walks outside to get a pail of water from the well and notices some movement from beyond the timber. This particular shot is so impressive it is similar to "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" style of filmaking. The scene follows with with a dynamic episode where the "big ol' hairy monster" is scaring the poor girls half to death. But then that scene is followed by another of the monster walking through the swamp with a nice folk song being sung about him. Its almost like half the film was directed by Tobe Hooper and the other half by Cheech and Chong.
Regardless, for any fan of Bigfoot genre-this is a must!! It is nightmarish, laughable and twisted but above all it is a very, very entertaining film.