Writer / director Bobcat Goldthwait puts his own spin on the time-honored Bigfoot / Sasquatch genre while melding it with the popular "found footage" genre in this tale of a Bigfoot-obsessed guy. Jim (Bryce Johnson, "Oppenheimer") and his girlfriend Kelly (Alexie Gilmore, "Definitely, Maybe") go in search of Bigfoot while visiting the infamous title area, where the supposed footage of the thing was shot. Unfortunately, they find that he's all too real.
I have to say that I appreciate all the set-up that Goldthwait puts into this story. Yes, it could annoy the Hell out of impatient viewers, but I feel that this film works in a way that a lot of found footage features don't: the lead characters are actually engaging and watchable, and I wasn't wishing that the camera would just be turned off. Johnson and Gilmore are very good, and unlike the "Blair Witch Project" characters, I thought Jim and Kelly were reasonably sympathetic.
Goldthwaits' minimalist approach really worked wonders for me. Although the **** does inevitably hit the fan, he refrains from showing you much of anything (which, of course, saves whatever money that might have been spent on effects). It's all about atmosphere and suspense, and Goldthwait even manages the seemingly impossible: making a VERY long static shot inside the tent incredibly tense, alerting viewers & characters alike to the presence of the beast through sound.
This does appear to be a pretty divisive film, but if you appreciate the same things about it that I did, you'll like what Goldthwait did with his picture.
Seven out of 10.
I have to say that I appreciate all the set-up that Goldthwait puts into this story. Yes, it could annoy the Hell out of impatient viewers, but I feel that this film works in a way that a lot of found footage features don't: the lead characters are actually engaging and watchable, and I wasn't wishing that the camera would just be turned off. Johnson and Gilmore are very good, and unlike the "Blair Witch Project" characters, I thought Jim and Kelly were reasonably sympathetic.
Goldthwaits' minimalist approach really worked wonders for me. Although the **** does inevitably hit the fan, he refrains from showing you much of anything (which, of course, saves whatever money that might have been spent on effects). It's all about atmosphere and suspense, and Goldthwait even manages the seemingly impossible: making a VERY long static shot inside the tent incredibly tense, alerting viewers & characters alike to the presence of the beast through sound.
This does appear to be a pretty divisive film, but if you appreciate the same things about it that I did, you'll like what Goldthwait did with his picture.
Seven out of 10.