Best & Bottom Bigfoot Flicks
Posted by: Loren Coleman on March 12th, 2008
David Coleman (above, no relation) is one of the founders of BijouFlix and author of the novel, Ancient Lake.
Today, he is my guest blogger.
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As a distributor (shameless plug!) of Bigfoot movies, I am biased. But as a lover of Bigfoot films, I can’t help but feel the Best & Worst List is something I simply have to ‘wade’ into however deep the ‘swamp waters’ may be!
TOP 3 BIGFOOT FILMS (with apologies to David Letterman minus two!)
3. THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN OF THE HIMILAYAS — Terrific photography (rent the Anchor Bay widescreen version if you’ve never seen it), good script, taut direction, and intelligent realization of the Bigfoot themes.
2. THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK — A tough call not choosing it number one, as it is the progenitor, but… despite the terrific scares, the sense of documentary realism, and the often ‘mostly true’ aspects, the acting (many actual locals used by Charlie Pierce, the writer, director and narrator) is a bit subpar, and some of the lighting lacks, well… lights? Still great but not as great as…
1. SASQUATCH, THE LEGEND OF BIGFOOT — For overall scares, a truly haunting score, and closest ever to fact over fiction? This hard-to-see 1978 indie film (which also was one of the highest grossing indie films ever released in America) has it all: the Patterson/Gimlin footage, recreation of famous Bigfoot encounters, and the infamous ending wherein the crypto explorers set a wired perimeter around their encampment which the unsuspecting tribe of Bigfeet set off when they invade. Scary, with some minor bad acting but a lot of great cinematography to offset that, this remains my favorite of All-Time Great Bigfoot Movies.
and now, as everyone has mentioned… the harder part:
THE BOTTOM 3 BAD BIGFOOT MOVIES
Yipes, so many films to choose from, so little time in life to watch them all the way through without falling asleep!
3. IVAN MARX’S THE LEGEND OF BIGFOOT — Ivan Marx was one of the early Bigfoot ‘serious researchers’ along with Rene Dahindren and others. Alas, he had a falling out (evidently) and resorted to making this godawful excuse for a ‘documentary’ about Sigfoot. SEE: Ivan Marx don a very unconvincing suit and make his wife shoot footage of him prancing about with the exact same hitch in his recognizably lanky gate as we see Marx as human employ throughout the doc! SEE: Marx fly around killing way too much time ‘in search of’ filler material. Ugh!
2. INDIAN YETI. This is so bad it’s beyond belief and nearly impossible to see — LUCKY you! Bigfoot flick is a lot like HALF HUMAN only was shot in India, has atrocious effects, lasts over 2 and 1/2 hours, and — worst of all! — uses Enio Morricone scores from various spaghetti westerns throughout in ‘unofficial’ (read: stolen!) music cues! So bad you’ll swear off Indian cuisine for a year, which is a real shame, imho! 😉
1. THE SNOW CREATURE. Directed by none other than W. Lee Wilder (Billy Wilder’s brother!) this ‘rank’ effort to capitalize upon All Things Yeti in the 50’s is more padded in running length than the chintzy footage which repeats over and over to pad out the film to an almost unendurable 70+ minutes! While most ‘foot flicks are at least watchable, this one takes all the fun out of the proceedings with plodding pace, non-direction, no story, and a terrible Yeti suit. It is said Billy Wilder often tried to pay his brother not to make films; it’s easy to see why!
HONORABLE MENTION:
For Best Bigfoot Movies: THE SASQUATCH HUNTERS (the comic version made independently not the serious one with bad c.g.i.);
SNOWBEAST (admittedly not great but at least Joe Stefano wrote it — author of PYSCHO screenplay!);
HALF HUMAN (for the great creature effects and cave sequences at the end)
[Footnote by Loren: Half Human is *the* film that got me involved in hominology and cryptozoology; very rare in its original Japanese edition due to the filming of Ainu in this classic motion picture.]
and
NIGHT OF THE DEMON (graphic, bloody, but truly terrifying at times).
DISHONORABLE MENTION:
For Worst Bigfoot Movies:
YETI: GIANT OF THE 20TH CENTURY (Italian KING KONG combined with Yeti as 15-stories tall!);
THE CAPTURE OF BIGFOOT (Bill ‘THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION’ Rebane strikes out again!); and all kid-friendly Bigfoot movies EVER MADE including but not limited to:
LITTLE BIGFOOT 1 & 2;
RETURN TO BOGGY CREEK aka LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK 2;
HARRY & THE HENDERSONS;
and any other ‘gee, it’s just a lovable, huggable plush toy’ effort in this sub-moronic genre.
Hope you all had as much fun reading about these cryto cinematic master- and minorpieces as I did writing about ’em!
+++ The End + Curtain Closes + DVD player turns off…+
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.
Nice to meet you, David. Thanks for filling in, and for giving us an interesting list.
Dishonourable mention for Harry and the Hendersons?
Boo to that.
I actually like Snowbeast alot (despite the poor costume). Great setting and a Jaws like story to go with it.
@Ouroborus Jay:
Agreed. Harry and the Henderson’s isn’t your typical crazed killer Bigfoot movie, but it’s probably the best movie featuring a Bigfoot ever made.
“Harry and the Hendersons” wasn’t sub-moronic. It was a well-made, well-acted film with a lot of heart and a great message about respecting nature and wildlife. And the late great Kevin Peter Hall as Harry was amazing, as were the costume effects by the legendary Rick Baker.
my faverite movies are all the boggy creek movies, sasquatch the legend of bigfoot, the curse of bigfoot, creature from black lake, the mysterious monsters. thanks bill 🙂
While leaning towards the ‘horror’ genre a few of the bigfoot movies I’ve seen on SciFi channel are worth mentioning. ‘Abominable’ definitely tops the list as a scary creature feature with decent effects, great atmosphere and fantastic plot twists. ‘Sasquatch Hunters’ steps up the horror/gore a bit but still some edge of the seat moments with pure B-movie vibe from these killer bigfeet.
thanks to all the feedback from everyone.
re: HARRY & THE HENDERSONS. it’s funny, but i have noticed there’s a real “divide” amongst cine du sasquatch films, and H&TH seems to be the fault line. whereas many truly love the essential “Spielberg” sweetness and admittedly great costume by Rick Baker, others break with the essentially “bigfoot as pet” idea inherent in the film (though to be honest, it’s clear the real message is quite the opposite; that, in fact, the Hendersons must respect the creature’s need to be in the wilds despite their love for him).
i didn’t mean to offend anyone, honestly, so i hope of course you’ll take my opinions for what they’re worth (which ain’t a lot of if ya don’t agree with ’em!). it’s just, for those of us on the polarized side that prefer the less benign sasquatch cinematic incarnation such as BOGGY CREEK and others? H&TH seems to be poking fun of the concept as much as warmly embracing it. again, just a lone opinion, so thanks for “setting me straight” re: your feelings. i am quite aware of the popularity and enduring cult status of H&TH, so again, points taken to heart.
a note: my thanks to Loren and Craig Woolheater for allowing me to spout off so relentlessly about this admittedly biased subject matter to me. likewise, for including the scans (some provided by Loren) of the various Bigfoot movies. and of course for allowing me to shamelessly promote a book of Bigfoot fiction itself, ANCIENT LAKE.
one hint: if you ever do consider reading ANCIENT LAKE? definitely skip if you’re a H&TH fan. there’s a line referencing it in the book i’m sure ya won’t appreciate! 😉
again, pro and con, my thanks for all who bothered to read, reflect and post!
David,
Thanks for your response. You certainly didn’t offend me, it’s just that there are a few films that I love from my childhood that I sort of aggressively protect, and “Harry” was one of them. And everyone’s entitled to their opinion.
I really don’t know how “Harry” ranks as a “Bigfoot” film, although you’ve definitely put together a good list. I just loved that movie and felt I had to defend it.
Thanks again.
A Harry and the Hendersons hater? I am intrigued by your ideas sir, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Shriek of Mutilated should be on the worst list.
Although more toward the ‘horror monster movie’ genre a couple of movies I’ve seen on the SciFi channel definitely could be added to the list. The top one is ‘Abominable.’ A creative scary bigfoot movie with moody atmosphere, great pacing and fantastic plot twists. Another is ‘Sasquatch Hunters’ with a bit more gore but some intense edge of seat action which puts these killer bigfeet on solid B movie ground. ‘Sasquatch Mountain’ not as good but a few fun moments.
Still a SHORT flick, by Bollywood standards, you know? 😉
And yes, I admit it! I’m also a fan of ‘Harry & the Hendersons’, you gotta problem with that????? LOL!
hey red pill!
naw, no probs with HARRY & THE HENDERSONS… i mean, no problems that watching LITTLE BIGFOOT and LITTLE BIGFOOT 2 won’t cure! 😉
question: do H&TH fans have a favorite scary Bigfoot flick? while i appreciate your enthusiasm for HARRY, i’m wondering: what’s the flip-side of your cinematic preference in terms of the more suspenseful incarnation of your favorite cryptid?
Come on guys give CryptoHaus_Press a break. Thanks for your reviews. I’ll have to say that I prefer to watch a sasquatch flick that has one who would rip your arms out of your sockets rather than one who farts and the wife and kids laugh. Just look at the Boggy Creek sasquatch. “Boogie woogie”
Well, I admit that I haven’t seen many scary flicks about Bigfoot and the Yeti, CryptoHaus_Press. I suppose they are not that easy to find down here in Mexico 🙁
But I would definitely watch one, provided there was a lovely fear-prone female seated beside me on a comfy couch *wink* *wink* 🙂
Thanks for the movie reviews, as I have not seen some of them, I now have my next vacation planned LOL.
While we are all talking about Harry and the Hendersons, I have to say that at the talk that Loren gave in Belfast, he held up a Harry figure and asked jokingly who it was, I was one of the only people in the room that knew! Boy did it make me sad, all of these kids not knowing about Harry…. but it was great to see lots of kids interested in cryptozoology.
“question: do H&TH fans have a favorite scary Bigfoot flick?”
Oh yes. 🙂 Abominable. On imdb.com, the opinions seem to be quite diverse about the movie but I liked it. Certainly, the creature looked strange (some even used the word ‘retarded’) and in a way, very human-like, but that’s part of the appeal: a crazed, perhaps deranged killer squatch. And, as already’s been mentioned by others, the scenery, atmosphere and acting is good.
GREAT post, Loren and Dave. The one movie I credit for my interest in all things ‘Squatch is The Mysterious Monsters. I saw it a few times in the late-70’s and early-80’s on TV, and did not see it much after that, but one day back in January of 1994, when TBS used to have movies on in the afternoon, I found out that they were running The Mysterious Monsters on there, so I taped it because I was not at home, and made a pretty bad copy of it to another VHS tape. I watched that one over and over again until I about wore it out. Eventually, when I saw a DVD copy on eBay one day, I bid on and won it, and now I own it on DVD. It is truly the classic documentary, with great hosting and narration from Peter Graves (James Arness’ brother) and great re-enactments. And the Bigfoot suits used in the movie were absolutely amazing. Everybody needs to add this one to their collection if they have already done so. And ditto on all the choices on the list.
While we’re on this topic I’ve been trying to remember/find a bigfoot movie that I saw like 20 years ago when I was a kid that scared the bejesus out of me. What I recall the main protagonists were two college age guys that were attacked while in their VW van. Also a scene with a breakin in the living room window of a house/trailer (sorta like boggy creek.) And the finale was that the creature was destroyed by setting it on fire. Any ideas???
wow, thanks so much for your diverse opinions and reviews! i had no idea my passion for “Bigfootage” wasn’t just myself! it reads like a lot of ya’ll are BF Cinema fans, too!
some comments since folks asked/commented:
hulksmashnow: y’know, no offense taken, only delight. i like seeing folks defend a celluloid version of their fave cryptid as much as i do when they defend the real-life version. and if you ever read some of the reviews my films i’ve written in the SF and horror genres rec’d from unkind critics? you’d understand: i’m pretty much critic-proof. sticks n’ stones n’ all… 😉
red_pill: you know, you raise a good point: i don’t know of any Mexican ‘Squatch flicks. if any of you know of any, would you kindly post herein and/or email me courtesy of my web site (just Google ANCIENT LAKE or CryptoHaus Press for the URL). i’m a compleatist and would truly like to know of any “south of the border” monstros de foot grande, si?
lupus & djwcaw: thanks for the tip on ABOMINABLE. it’s now on my ‘must rent’ list from my local video store, where i’ve seen it on the shelf. the movie, that is, not the Yeti. 😉
mrbf2007: agreed, MYSTERIOUS MONSTERS is a great ‘foot flick. it’s also got some rare footage of John Green, Robert W. Morgan, Roger Patterson (stock footage), the late Grover Krantz, Peter Byrne and a host of other earlier Bigfooters discussing the P/G film, their investigatory efforts, etc. it was hard NOT to list it, but as i self-imposed three films and kept largely to dramas instead of documentaries — which this truly is — i had to finally drop it. still, you’re right: great flick and definitely one of the best ever made.
and finally:
djwcaw: the movie you’re describing is CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE, which Charles B. Pierce (creator of THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK) once told me over the phone was “borrowed” conceptually by Joy N. Houck (BLACK LAKE’s producer), the regional distributor in the south who briefly released THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK for Pierce. CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE features old-time character actors Jack Elam (HIGH NOON) and Dub Taylor (THE WILD BUNCH) and top-notch cinematography by a young Dean Cundey, who shot HALLOWEEN the same year!
again, my sincere thanks for all of your comments, positive and negative, and if you’ve got more, by all means, please post them! thanks again!
Hmmm, while the face was brilliant, I don’t think the actual costume per se was all that amazing. Pretty similar to King Kong ’76…i.e, great face shame about the body.
Well, seing as Baker did the effects for “King Kong” (and was the guy inside the suit, as well), I guess that’s a valid comparison. Harry still looked cool to me, though.
In response to the question of Mexican Bigfoot film, go here http://www.kgordonmurray.com/monster.html
Scroll down to where you see the paragraph called “Indigenous Creatures.” Here you will find some brief info on El Monstruo de los Volcanes (1962).
At the bottom of the page you will also find it’s poster. The creature in question is a large, white furred beast.
Well like the majority here I also enjoyed H&TH as a kid. Who knows, perhaps its what got me interested in cryptozoology (something had to). Don’t know if I would care for it so much now, I have come to dislike many movies I loved as a child.
The only other movie I have seen on that list is the Ivan Marx documentary. It was brutal. I bought some cheap DVD pack with fifty horror movies in it and for some reason that was included as one of them. I had it on for background noise while doing other things but the moment I sat down I fell asleep for the rest. Doubt I’ll ever try to watch the entire thing.
Another movie to ad to the worst list is “Clawed: The Legend of Sasquach” directed by Karl Kozak. The sas looked absolutely horrible. The movie had virtually no plot and there virtually no gore (I like gore). The best thing in the movie was a shot of a topless actress but she still didn’t make it worth the three or so bucks I spent on it. Speaking of horrible looking bigfoots; Sasquach does have a cameo in the movie “Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny”. The Sasquatch in it (who can fly BTW) is hilarious looking but I guess thats the idea being it is a comedy.
whatever disagreements re: baker’s work, it’s worth noting that he ALSO did the gorilla suit in THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN, as well as GORILLAS IN THE MIDST, Burton’s PLANET OF THE APES, and the non-cgi sequences in the MIGHTY JOE YOUNG redo. he’s also working on the currently stalled but soon to be back in production Universal remake of the Lon Chaney Jr. THE WOLFMAN movie.
a note about HARRY’s suit and almost all other suits in all other Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti films: none really capture the bulk suggested by the P/G film, per se. almost all feature slimmer, well-built actors beneath the costumes. few feature the barrel-shaped chest and paunchy mid-section, instead preferring a more human-like slim waistline and narrow hips. none (to my knowledge, admittedly incomplete) show the sagging rear end in the P/G film (hey, maybe Bigfoot sits down a lot, y’know?).
the lone exception to this is SIX MILLION DOLLAR man and the Andre the Giant version, but again, Andre’s version is less ape & human mixture than ‘man in a suit’ anatomy (or is that, cyborg in a suit, as the storyline plays out?).
it’s strange to me, in that its the bulk of the P/G sasquatch that is so memorable and source of so much of the debate. take a look at the little picture below this thread that shows the P/G cryptid: it’s got looonnnng arms, but extremely thick torso and legs, too.
now look at Harry and most others: they have slimmer builds, are much taller looking as a result, and — this is key to me — rarely feature the dome-shaped head. they usually feature a wild mane atop and/or rounded, human-like skull.
the final capper? almost all cinematic bigfeet have the brown/orange/reddish coloring and long, shaggy fur. for some reason i cannot fathom, they rarely capture the same key qualities of the P/G film: smoothed down fur, almost oily in appearance, not wildly flying about like the poor critter just stepped on a live wire; black/dark brown coloring not orange or burnt orange (see: Harry, Beef Jerky ads, et al); slim waistline (what, are they now eating Weight Watchers or on Jenny Craig’s plan?); human proportioned arms; thin to only moderately heavy thighs (check out the P/G film’s depiction which has enormous girth in thighs); and — this is key to me seemingly — the facial features, which always seem more like an ape than a cross between human and ape.
i find the P/G film far more eerie and non-human, in short, because it doesn’t have animatronic expressions, doesn’t have all the “lines in the face” that almost all professionally-created versions of Bigfoot do, and has more gorilla-like proportions than the cinematic bigfeet.
a final critique of Hollywood Bigfoot films: none even come close to the weird gait of the P/G film. they invariably walk erect without the slightest slouch like the P/G specimen. even when they do have a strange walk, it’s more akin to a gorilla rising up temporarily (arms thrust back as if in counterbalance, chest thrust out) than the odd, slump-shouldered stride so famous and infamous in the P/G film.
it’s curious that no one ever replicates the P/G film. rather, they more clearly replicate the HARRY image: skinnier, taller, orangish, human gait, etc.
i have way too much time on my hands to be commenting in this depth, clearly, but: i do wonder — why can’t anyone replicate the footage in the movies with any degree of accuracy? just a thought…
I’ve always had a weakness for Snowbeast.
There’s too much skiing, and 1970s-style cheesiness, but who can forget the beast smashing into the auditorium before the coronation of the Snow Queen and Sylvia Sidney lying on the floor moaning, “The crown! The crown!”?
In regard to the question of Mexican Sasquatch movies, go here
http://www.kgordonmurray.com/monster.html
Scroll down to the paragraph entitled “Indigenous Creatures,” and you will find some info on El Monstruo de los Volcanes. A poster appears at the bottom of the article.
Hey, about mexican movies, I also found this one too:
http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/54395/
hey david f: thanks for the heads (or is that foot?) up re: K. Gordon Murray’s Mexisquatch flick!
it figures — if anyone would import a Mexican Sasquatch film, it would be the infamous K. Gordon Murray!
my sincere thanks again — i’m already hunting down this elusive monster (movie, that is!). 😉
Speaking of B Movie hairy hominids, here is a highly entertaining review for Demonwarp, a film that explores the tangent of Bigfoot/UFO connections.
http://www.stomptokyo.com/badmoviereport/reviews/D/demonwarp.html
Glad I could shed a little bit of light on Mexi Bigfoot cinema.
david, my thanks again! the DEMONWARP review is hilarious. badmoviereport is one of my favorites; i often draw quotes from their site (with credit to them, of course!) for the films we release through BijouFlix.
red_pill: thanks for the tip re: Mexican Yeti. it’s actually the same film as David recommended, but get this: they used not one but two different titles!
but again, my thanks! if anyone is catching this thread later and knows of more obscure and/or regional bigfeet/yeti films, i would be truly interested in knowing about them. kindly post herein if you will and i’ll respond in like kind so we all get acquainted with what we’ve missed. i’ll return and post updates of newer ones i discover as well so the thread grows and goes on.
again, my sincere thanks!
CryptoHaus Press,
Great run down of the movie suits there. I couldn’t agree more.
Yes, exactly. This is because the latter is by far the easiest to do, while a P/G footage replication has proven impossible so far. Even attempting it would look sillier than the more standard bigfoot representations that they stick to by and large. Same applies to the multitude of hoaxes.
hi lyndon,
the trend even continues in the otherwise hysterical Sasquatch short film “All By Myself” Loren posted earlier: though the thighs are “P/G Correct” the rest of the costume has the usual cinematic conceits: reddish, orange hair; fly-away fur ‘do instead of slick, oily sheen; claws and werewolf-type hands; and of course the mask, which — although modeled a bit on HARRY fame — is still a bit ape-like as opposed to combination of ape/human as the P/G film footage suggests.
also missing, as in most? the pointy head reminiscent of large male gorillas!
but you know, i still found that video funny in a sad way. maybe i’m just a sucker for old 70’s tunes, though, being a child of the 70’s? who knows?
Hi David,
Again you are right. I also found the “All By Myself” video funny too though hehe.
One thing that also stands out to me with these suits is the fact that the heads stick up loud and proud well above the shoulders. Also, their heads are usually considerably large compared to the rest of the body. As you said, the fly away long hair is always present too.
P.S) I have in the past purchased a few DVDs from Bijouflix. I think it’s about time I treated myself to something again.LOL.
lyndon, you wrote:
well, since Loren has very, very generously allowed me to completely self-promote my wares herein anyway… 😉
i wanted to mention a bit about ANCIENT LAKE, my novel (see book cover above). it’s the first in a series of books featuring a “true life” cryptozoological background for a cryptid research team based out of East Texas.
if you really are interested in acquiring some new Bigfoot flicks and reading about a Southern Bigfoot that’s not being ridiculed as a cryptid but given a mythological treatment based on many, many actual sightings and sasquatch folklore, ANCIENT LAKE is something you may enjoy.
i’m also happy to announce that you can get a free Bigfoot DVD along with a signed copy by myself if you order from the CryptoHaus Press web site. the details will appear later today, but if you’re interested:
http://www.cryptohaus.com
the site also has a few excerpts to get a sense of the book, an interview, links, and even a book video promo that’s kinda cool and minutely relevent (in that it lasts under a minute!) for our ‘Bigfoot in Film’ discussion herein.
so if you want to treat yourself, why not make it a ‘double dutch’ combo of DVD/novel? 😉 and don’t forget to tell me how you wish me to sign your book for you if you order, as well.
special bonus: only for folks who participate here on Cryptomundo, i will include a free bonus (act now and get the ginzu knives!) — a CD of Sasquatch sound recordings, plus emergency phone calls taken from real 911 phone calls wherein witnesses call to report ‘in progress’ sightings of our favorite hairy wild man!
you get the book, the DVD, and the CD sound recordings. but wait! that’s not all… 😉 seriously, the free CD sound recording is only for Cryptomundo fans and participants. just mention “Cryptomundo” in the comments box and i’ll include it as a special thanks for Loren allowing me to grandstand herein.
and now, red-faced from self-directing the spotlight onto myself, let’s swing the subject matter back onto Bigfoot flicks, thanks!