Coming October 4th: Snow Beast
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 27th, 2011
Coming to a DVD near you on October 4th, Snow Beast (2011)! Will you be viewing this film?
Snowbeast was a television movie made in 1977. It appears that Snow Beast (2011) is a variation on or slight re-make of that earlier film.
In the Snow Beast 2011 version, Jim (John Schneider, “Dukes of Hazzard”) and his research team are noted to be studying the Canadian lynx every year. This year he has to take his rebelling 16-year-old daughter, Emmy (Danielle Chuchran, You’re So Cupid!), with him. But the lynx are missing. As Jim and his team–with the help of a local ranger (Jason London, Dazed and Confused)–try to find out why, something stalks them: a predator no prey can escape. SunWorld Pictures (from Archstone Distribution) has slotted the PG-13 foray into killer Yeti territory for an October 4th release date.
The 2011 Snow Beast’s director is Brian Brough, the scriptwriter is Brittany Wiscombe, and the main actors are John Schneider, Jason London and Danielle Chuchran.
The 1977 Snowbeast’s lead actors were Bo Svenson, Yvette Mimieux and Robert Logan.
The teleplay was written by Joseph Stefano, who wrote the script for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1960 thriller Psycho. Stefano reportedly used a book by Roger Patterson (famed for his encounter with a Bigfoot in 1967) as his primary inspiration, though no credit is given.
Snowbeast was directed by Herb Wallerstein, a veteran of many television shows such as I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and The Six Million Dollar Man.
The plot is straightforward enough. A ski resort in the Colorado Rockies has its annual winter carnival spoiled by a series of vacationers that are being brutally murdered by an unknown animal. The local sheriff (Clint Walker) believes that the culprit is a legendary creature, a ravenous white Yeti or Snowman. The owner of the ski resort says there is no such being because she doesn’t want to lose her business. Either way, the creature must be stopped as it is continuing its attacks.
1977’s Snowbeast (Photo credit)
In the film’s climax, the Yeti attacks Gar Seberg (Bo Svenson) who shoots it with a revolver. However, the Yeti survives the shots, and, out of ammunition, Gar picks up a ski pole and impales the beast, causing it to fall off a mountain, killing it. Gar and his wife, Ellen Seberg (Yvette Mimieux) embrace happily, while the rest of the group looks on.
Ah, just another Hollywood happy ending, except for the Yetis, I suppose, a la’ 1970s’ jumpsuit-style. I wonder how the 2011 Snow Beast will end?
Thanks for a hint of a tip about this from Henry Stokes.
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.
I actually liked the original with Robert Logan. I remember hiding under a brown fur covered ’70s beanbag, while watching it with my father! 🙂
I will not.
The ’77 version is still a guilty pleasure and is actually one of the better efforts in the genre. Even though it’s basically a furry, upright riff on Jaws, you can’t beat the shot of the beast looking in the gymnasium window and causing mass hysteria!
Will most definitely probably give the 2011 version a look. 🙂
The Yeti on the poster (back view) posture and dimensions as well as white fur look exactly like “the Abominable” from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” Pretty funny. I wonder if a dentist will de-tooth this beastie?! Rest Assured this DVD won’t be on my Christmas list.
Looks cheesy. Though the size and robustness is good, the face just looks like rubber. Then again, the Jaws shark did look fake too, and it was a blockbuster.
Would I see it? Nope, not on my Squatch.
Looks like the Star Wars Wampa to me. Especiallity the scene in the snow cave. Could be fun this movie… but maybe not…
:-/
Cool. Bo Duke. Ashame Jason London’s character couldn’t have been played by Enos. The Yeti in Daisy Duke’s. I’m just saying…