Beast of Bray Road Movie Not a Crypto-Study
Posted by: Loren Coleman on July 10th, 2006
Beast of Bray Road Movie Not a Crypto-Study
No Crypto-angle in Beast of Bray Road Movie on Sci Fi Channel on Saturday, July 15, 2006, at 9 PM EDT
A Guest Blog by Linda Godfrey
Well, it isn’t the worst slasher/monster movie ever made, but that is about all I think this movie boasting it is "based on a true story" could claim for itself. A cryptozoological study, it is not.
And please let me make it clear again, I had absolutely nothing to do with it, other than inadvertently providing them an already publicized title to use without permission (granted, you can’t copyright a title), and the context of a werewolfish creature in the small town of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
If you enjoy Hollywood depictions of seeing human beings ripped apart, mangled and eaten in as many different ways as possible, you will like this movie. Never mind that in the dozens and dozens and dozens of witness reports I’ve now recorded from all over Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and other states, not one person has reported so much as a scratch from this creature, although the Manwolf often was in a position to do some harm if it had wished. The standard discovery scenario for the actual creature seems to be startle, intimidate, and escape. Elkhorn did not have a spate of missing persons around the time of the Bray Road reports, either. This is all fictional hogwash in the movie.
I also object to the portrayal of everyone from Elkhorn as beer-guzzling, foul-mouthed, tattooed hicks. Certainly we have people who fit some or all of those categories to some degree, but so does New York City. The typical Elkhornian is just your average, Middle American small town resident. If anything, we are probably more urbane than people would expect, since much of the population has come from the affluent Chicago suburbs in recent years. We are located only an hour between the cities of Madison and Milwaukee, and have some of the best restaurants anywhere.
I do understand why someone wanting to make a horror movie about The Beast of Bray Road would want to fictionalize it. It’s tough to create horror where there is none. You pretty much have to make that part up. I only wish they would stop saying it’s based on a true story (if so, then they had better pay the publisher for movie rights), and that they hadn’t portrayed Elkhornians in aggregate as a white trash werewolf smorgasbord. The poor acting makes it hard to even feel sorry for any of the people who are pulverized and eaten. You want to hand the creature some salt and pepper.
Predictably, I recommend you read the book and its sequel, Hunting the American Werewolf, instead. I think fact is always scarier than fiction.
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Linda Godfrey’s blog is available at her Beast of Bray Road website.
Visit there to read more on what she has to say about the illustrated Hippie Bigfoot (below).
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.
One inconsistency she might want to clear up is that Godfrey’s intro states the witness had her impression while horseback riding, while the text from the subject states:
“Then, (and for some reason it felt like this came from my right, the side of my CAR that was toward the hills and mountains),” (my emphasis on car).
Otherwise, an interesting account to add to the mythology of interactions between humans and “other beings”.
Yes, of course, I’ve already fixed that discrepancy in my blog. Duh!! I looked at my correspondence again and realized I was mentally transposing a different part of the same witness’s initial email where she said “I ride my horses out into the woods a lot and I really, really, really don’t want to run into one; it would be taller than I am when I am sitting on my horse…” Thanks so much for pointing it out. – Linda
Linda’s HUNTING THE AMERICAN WEREWOLF is a fascinating read, it’s a shame there aren’t more movies out there made which stick to the truth instead of turning already mysterious facts into poor fiction.
The ‘beast’ of Bray Road has fascinated me for years and I’m sure that the answer lies in the human psyche rather than the woods of Wisconsin!
I wonder if the “beast” has anything to do with the Michigan dogman legend?
Never heard of Linda’s book. I am going to put it on my list to read.
Linda – I wanted to say that I love it when you are on with Ian Punnett. The two of you make not only for an interesting show, but also very entertaining!
As for the movie The Beast of Bray Road, it is horrible and I don’t mean that in a good way!
Lesley, thanks so much for the very nice comment. Ian is a great host who makes it easy to be relaxed.
Harleyb, I do believe the Beast and the Michigan Dogman are the same type of of canid creature. Michigan is the sightings hot zone at the moment, and I’ll be making a trip there very soon to investigate some new ones.
– Linda
ohhhhh, new sightings! Yay!
Hey there Linda! I’m just now about 2/3rds of the way through The Beast of Bray Road–it’s really a good, entertaining and factual feeling read…hard to put those two characteristics together in one book, so my compliments. I also like the way you seem to anticipate questions the reader might have concerning the Beast and the sightings, and address them accordingly.
I’ll keep tabs on your blog from now on, and I’m looking forward to reading about new sightings!
Looks like I’ll be skipping that movie after all…drat. 🙂
Thanks, Drat, I hope to be posting a bunch of sightings on the sightings log soon. I also post things on the reader’s page that are related, or sightings that don’t quite make the grade or don’t respond to requests for more info or verification.
I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from watching the movie, it has a certain rustic charm. I just hope people go into knowing what it is…and is not!
Best, Linda