Sasquatch Mountain Thank You
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 10th, 2006
Here’s a message to Cryptomundo viewers, from the writer/actor/producer behind the just broadcast Bigfoot narrative fiction seen on the Sci-Fi Channel the night of September 9, 2006.
Loren, the work that you and people like you do in “The World Of The Highly Un-researched” is a blessing to us filmmakers in many ways.
Much like the western genre, Cryptozoology is an area that borders on myth and reality at the same time and generates so much intrigue and possibility that it makes the storytelling almost automatic. As an actor/director/writer I find so much drama, conflict and passion (all areas of great storytelling) from the experiences and ideas that emanate from these pages and the minds of those like yourself as they try to unfold all these mysteries. Ever since I was a child, Sasquatch and Loch Ness have fascinated me and being able to write about this fascination in my business has been a real treat. Maybe my small way of contributing something positive back to the community.
Michael Worth and Lance Henriksen on the set of Sasquatch Mountain.
Devil On The Mountain (a/k/a Sasquatch Mountain) was a genre film that attempted to dig a little deeper into that representation of it’s main subject: Bigfoot. Even if just in keeping him more true to our understanding rather than reinvent him as some savage monster, though a story based on action and at times horror, both my director Steven R. Monroe and I wanted to honor as much of the “heart” of the Bigfoot community as possible in the creation of it.
Sequences that offered many winks to those in “The Know” were cut (e.g. interviews at Willow Creek after the annual Bigfoot parade, Lance’s rejection by the community as a kook ala’ Patterson, a discussion of the importance of the beast in everyone’s life).
I like to think enough was still there to give the Sci Fi crowd their movie and yet keep the legend represented in a truthful way. A few of those little touches (e.g. our Sasquatch actor “Tiny” Ron was shown the Patterson footage a dozen times so he could get the stride right, the distinction between Yeti and Sasquatch) luckily remained to color our “star” appropriately.
The Sasquatch fan in me feels the ultimate film on the Big Guy is still waiting to be made. The power, history and mystery of these “Apes In America” has yet to be tapped and brought to life on celluloid in the dramatic form. And maybe, just maybe, with any luck I’ll have a hand in that. And if so, I can promise you one thing Loren, you will be the first one I’ll be calling after I type ‘Fade In, Scene 1:’.
Keep on digging everyone. The more we find, the more we understand.
– Michael Worth, actor/writer Sasquatch Mountain
Please click on image for a full-size version
Thank you Michael for visiting and sharing your words. Dear Commenters…If you cannot say anything polite, please refrain from leaving your remarks here, which will just be deleted.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Hi Michael Worth – Your new movie Sasquatch Mountain is great. I watched it 2 times last night. I’m definitely going to watch it again this Thursday.
So do you have any new layouts of how the dvd cover is going to look? Yes, I hope you do write more Sasquatch movies that are true stories or experiences, for example, the Albert Ostman Bigfoot kidnaping story would make a great movie. 🙂
I liked the movie more than most Sci-fi originals, but it’s just that, a sci-fi original. But, as I said, better than most.
I enjoyed the movie last night. 🙂
What’s the story behind the audio that was playing during the end credits? Was that a real recording that was being played or was it done for the movie?
I liked parts of it, but could definitely see the influence of the “Powers That Be” for more gore, and “scary’ stuff. Somehow “Legend of Boggy Creek” still remains the Heavyweight Champ of sasquatch films. I missed the semi-documentary feel and the eerie chills of the re-enactments. of that film.
When you are expecting folks to get torn apart it’s somehow anti-climactic when they do. But when you’re unsure of what’s going to happen, then even a close encounter could be very nerve racking and very fine film makers can pull it off if given the chance. Too bad you weren’t given this opportunity, but I’d still say you came close in some scenes. When the sasquatch comes through the door of the cabin was pretty cool though, as the separation line between the realms of the mysterious and the ordinary are finally crossed. I liked that a lot.
The 911 call is one of the tracks from the Sierra Sounds CD Volume 2.
This Washington resident made the 911 call at night after his German Shepherd was hurled 35 feet over a fence. His Shepherd was old and settled in for the night, unlike his other two younger aggressive dogs. These two dogs would not leave his side that night but the Shepherd took off after sensing a presence. The man went outside to look around, heard his dog squeal, then a heavy thump and immediately saw his dog sailing over his fence landing about 35 feet from where he was tossed. He didn’t know who or what could have done it.
Peter Byrne and Ron Morehead interviewed this man after he made his second 911 call three weeks later. This time, while he was working late in his garage, his sensor lights came on. His garage door was closed but it had eye-level windows and he saw this creature standing 10’ away, looking at him. It ran out from his yard, onto a dirt road and in front of an oncoming car. The car had to swerve to miss the creature.
An advertisement was placed in the local paper seeking anyone that may have information leading to the driver of the car that night … no response.
The CD is available on the Sierra Sounds website.
That 911 recording is absolutely brill!
I missed Sasquatch mountain as I have only an antenna.
Can’t wait for the DVD!
I enjoyed the movie much better than the Beast of Bray Road movie. Keep up the good work. I might suggest using Loren as a consultant on future movies, but I am not sure if you did on this one or not. I will be looking for more from you.
Thank you, Craig.
I’m assuming that his dog being thrown 35 ft. then is what the man is referring to when he said that his dog had been killed last week?
By the way, gents, I love the site! I stumbled in here from Loren Coleman’s site which I’d visited because I’ve read some of his books. I’ve had a fascination with Bigfoot since I was a kid growing up in the 70’s watching movies like “The Legend of Boggy Creek” and some documentaries and shows like “In Search Of”. Growing up in Maine it was easy to imagine Bigfeet all around, lurking in the woods.
Definitely a cut above most SF Channel movie fare. Please pass along my/our thanks to Mr. Henriksen, Mr. Howard, Mr. Thomerson and Mr. Wasson for their work and especially to Tiny Ron for probably nearly cooking himself to death in the suit. And of course feel free to pass my email address on to Cerina Vincent!
The ‘squatch suit looked pretty good, and the hostility to guns fits in with alot of lore and theory I’ve heard and read. My major nitpick on the costume is the “bellbottom” look the fur on calves caused.
I almost always cringe seeing film representations of CPR though – I wish people would be more serious about showing it right on screen.
Overall, a worthy effort.
Awww, now I am really upset that I didn’t get to see this movie! I should have had the kids record it for me, but that wouldn’t have been right! I hope it comes out on DVD so I can purchase it!
I really enjoyed this film. Pretty good stuff. My full review of it is here.
Hope you guys enjoy it, including you, Mr. Worth. I really liked your character in the movie too, and that you actually survived all the way through the movie.
thanks man!
I wasn’t expecting a Boggy Creek, but I was hopeful for something better. Especially in light of the interview posted. In my opinion this movie was in the same category as the other Sasquatch movies like “Sasquatch” and “Sasquatch Hunters”. To me the stories have been poorly written. I saw no Bigfoot story within this movie other than it was just a character that popped in every once in awhile. It wasn’t explained well and it was not a coherent story. I also saw a scene in the cabin, in which Mr. Howard was talking to Mr. Henriksen, where a mysterious hand came from behind a door frame and pointed. This seems to show that maybe the shooting schedule was rushed and was not given the time needed to be carefully edited. I understand that because of the powers that be that hands might have been tied and that the movie might not have been done justice as a result of this, but I was dissappointed.
I personally think “Sasquatch Mountain” is the best of the current crop of bigfoot flicks. More suspenseful, better acting, and generally just more well made.
I agree with “sasquatch” about “The Legend Of Boggy Creek”… There’s just something about that film.
Still… We might have to wait awhile for that definitive, great cryptid flick.
Thanks for listening…
Michael, I enjoyed your flick. Some of my favorite actors. Cerina Vincent is a living doll. Thomerson, Henriksen, and Rance Howard were great. Craig Wasson makes a good bad guy. When he called Bigfoot something like a “a giant sack of stink cheese”, I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.
I thought you were perfect for your part.
The one thing I had trouble with is Wasson’s character buying stock all the time. If he has money why is he robbing a bank in Podunk, USA?
Three questions.
How many bullets did Bigfoot take before she died?
Is horse feed something Bigfoot would really eat?
And last, did I hear someone mention afterbirth when he dug around in some blood early on in the hunt?
Thanks for your work. How about another one.
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the comments (all of them). As most know, making a film is no easy task. We all like to think we can do better than the films we saw (and we should) but carrying out that desire in this industry is another story. Sasquatch Mountain (as it has now been dubbed) was from inception to be a “Sci Fi” film. That was why it was funded. So, within that frame work, and within our budgetary restraints, we set out to make the most “sci fi-like” film we could and still give The Big One the personality I believe he deserves.
Yes, there were times where we failed in story or in cinematic design, but I think for all it’s short comings, it manages to at least work on some levels. Yes, we did not have thousands and thousands for an amazing suit, but we made every effort to give it something as close to what we know as possible. I have seen other renditions of Bigfoot that really through me so I wanted something that would at least be a close call.
As for a hand in the shot, I think that must have been one of the actors hands as I have seen the film a hundred times in bits and pieces and we never noticed that. But I’ll have to check.
How many bullets hit the Sasquatch? Hard to tell, but I knew it was going to catch up with him eventually.
I don’t know if alfalfa and grain would be a real Bigfoot snack, but liked the idea of some guy finding out that it was.
As for the afterbirth, the idea was that Eli walks in on the birth. In fact, the point of the whole Bigfoot assault was him trying to protect his new family against the violent humans as opposed to the usual “killer creature stalking prey”. We were going to shoot a mother and baby at the end but could not make it look good enough.
You are right in that Bigfoot was on the “outside” alot. We wanted to try and make it more of a mystery, along the lines of how we percieve it. If we did the usual POV and followed the creature around a lot, we felt some of the mystery would have eroded.
We were up against many things on the production, including time and resources. We are independently funded so had to bite hard during the process. I am going to make the script available on line for anyone to read to see the original story.
I personally was interested in making a “Signs” version of Bigfoot. One where we are waiting and waiting for it to appear and relied more on the suspense than anything, but we had to please the money.
But in that process I tried to add what I could that would connect with the Sasquatch crowd. We even shot B Roll footage (cut from the film) shot in Willow Creek.
As for another one, well if they are happy with the numbers, they will possibly ask for another one. That is how Steven and I got the last one as they were so happy with the numbers from the first Sasquatch film.
As for the “Stinkin sack of bad cheese” line…that was a Wasson improv that remained in the film.
I hope we gave you guys something that though not the ultimate Bigfoot film (that to me would be a dramatization of a true story) was at least a cut above most of the others and gave our “hero” some honor in the end.
Thanks again!