Update: Legend of the Sandsquatch
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on May 19th, 2007
You may remember from last year when I posted details about a movie that was in production entitled Legend of the Sandsquatch here on Cryptomundo.
From the artwork and descriptions of the movie that were available online at the time, myself and most of the folks who commented here at Cryptomundo were pretty harsh regarding the movie.
Our comments regarding Legend of the Sandsquatch prompted the co-writer and key special makeup effects creator, as well as one of the actors from the movie to register and comment here regarding our comments.
Here is what co-writer and key special makeup effects creator Tom Devlin had to say:
Hey Guys, as co-writer and creator of the Legend of the Sandsquatch, I just want to assure you that this is a B-Movie- not to be taken so seriously. And furthermore, we are not attacking your precious sasquatch. This is some other creature, one I made up. The title is even a joke. The ditsy character in this film lets the word sandsquatch slip out and it sticks. I don’t really know why you attack the idea so much. We all seem to have one thing in common: the love of the unexplained. Rather than just criticizing what you haven’t seen, when we finish editing I will send you a copy. Maybe you will like it??? And as far as real jobs go- I love my fake one! There is nothing better than creating the fantastical for a living. Check out www.1313fx.com and tell me if you would want a real job.
Hats off to the site- if you weren’t bad mouthing me I would probably be an avid viewer. -TD
I replied to Mr. Devlin, who never followed up on his promise to send a copy of the movie, with the following:
Mr. Devlin,
You are correct, I, nor the other folks here commenting, have seen your film.
I guess I was coming from the position of just having to suffer through Abominable last weekend. I realize, no one held a gun to my head and forced me to watch it. However, I did feel compelled to watch it just as I am about any film, documentary, etc. about Bigfoot in particular and cryptozoology in general.
After watching Sasquatch, Sasquatch Hunters and now Abominable, I feel that it is about time for someone to produce a realistic Bigfoot movie.
As far as the Sandsquatch not being Sasquatch, but some other creature that you made up, the quotes I listed in the post were taken from Fangoria’s website and attributed to yourself, “You’ve heard of Bigfoot,” he says. “And you’ve heard about the Yeti. Well, what about their long-lost counterpart who took off to the desert? Ah, yes. He’s not just a Sasquatch. He’s a Sandsquatch.” or from websites with official info about the movie, “What’s a Sandsquatch, you ask? Why, he’s the hairless, desert-dwelling cousin of everyone’s favorite Gigantopithecus, Bigfoot.”
As far as my sarcastic remark about hardly being able to wait for the movie, I will rescind that and will accept your offer of a review copy and will post my honest opinion here on Cryptomundo after viewing the film. -Craig Woolheater
Well, I never noticed the two, count ’em, two trailers for the movie that were uploaded to youtube eleven months ago, roughly a few weeks after my initial post here on Cryptomundo about the movie.
I never noticed them, that is, until I noticed a NEW TRAILER! (emphasis their’s) uploaded to youtube four days ago.
And while Mr. Devlin states above that the movie has nothing to do with our “precious Sasquatch”, he was quoted elsewhere, as I noted above, that it was. Legend of the Sandsquatch just looks like a bad movie. From the looks of this, it’s a good thing that Mr. Devlin did not follow through and send a review copy. It’s doubtful that I could have sat through it.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
I only have two comments at the moment.
1. Why on Earth does that thing look like Gollum?
2. Why is there an emperor scorpion in an apparently American desert?
Schlocky and derivative, yes, but not as horrible-looking as I expected, though the fact that “Sandsquatch” was apparently the best they could come up with title-wise (because a character in the movie said it and it stuck???) pretty much seals their doom. Or should I say “dumb”.
Next!
Good Grief!
Why bust on the guy for trying to make a living?! I agree, i didn’t realize that ya’ll were expertize movie critics along with being professors of the exact science of cryptozoology. You don’t like it when thousands upon thousands of people crack on our common interests, and I can bearly sit through one of your articles, Mr. Woolheater.
Hey qumrum! I suppose you saw the trailer. Sounds like you enjoyed it because you didn’t post anything deragatory about it except for your diatribe on how everyone here were “expertize ” movie critics along with being professors of the exact science of cryptozoology. I can “bearly” sit through your incessant ranting. Don’t take this personally as it’s only constructive criticism. The same goes for Mr. Devlin’s movie trailer.
A suggestion for Tom Devlin. Submit your movie trailer to Fox’s “On the Lot”. A new reality series similar to “Idol”. You may get lucky.
Raptorial- It’s funny that out of all the totally unbelievable things happening in this trailer, you picked out the emperor scorpion being out of place! 🙂 Probably just the only scorpion that anyone had on hand to use in the film and I guess they figure the people who see this aren’t going to be too discerning about the unrealistic aspect of the creatures living in the desert! The crew probably didn’t know any better either.
I can totally see this as being meant to be B-movie schlock and get the impression that the makers don’t mean for this too be taken so seriously. I think the title is probably meant to be cheesy. Come on, this isn’t a contender for the Academy awards here people. I get more upset when a movie is trying to be serious but is bad than when it is obviously meant to be corny, like this one seems to be.
A few things that are funny to me are
A) the creature does not look very threatening at all. Since when is an emanciated, sunburnt, bald guy supposed to be intimidating? Again, that might be comic genius if it is meant to be funny.
B) The head says “help me!”. Uhh, it’s a little too late for that, pal.
C) I like the way the creature in the end scene has a perfectly stealthy chance to pounce, yet it ducks back into the shadows. Very cheesy! 🙂
I am going to need a bigger gun I think.
Actually, Craig, I approve of stuff like this, even if it’s bad, (sometimes, ESPECIALLY because it’s bad!), if only because it sows seeds of curiosity that might lead to deeper interest.
I myself, for instance, first became dimly aware of what we nowadays might refer to as the cryptid universe when, as a kid munching my breakfast, I turned the cereal box round to look on the back.
“Why’s this picture show a dragon stickin’ its head out o’ water – dragons don’t live in water do they?”
Me Mum answered, “I think that’s supposed to be something called The Loch Ness Monster…”
“The Loch Ness wha’…?”
The rest, as they say, is history.