Creature from Black Lake (1976) User Reviews

For it's time and budget, a good Bigfoot film....

[kfb1960 · 5/10 · 30 May 2002]

I remember seeing this movie in the now defunct 'Jerry Lewis Cinemas' chain when I was a teenager. Living in a rural, and I mean rural area, the movie affected my brother and I that summer. My little brother wouldn't go near the woods at our house (all we had around were woods, LOL), and would check all the door locks before going to bed for almost a month because of this movie.

Myself, well, I'd get some goosebumps when I was riding my motorcycle through the woods. But back to the movie. You either love it or hate it. Black Lake does have some slow scenes, but does deliver a punch, especially with Dub Taylor's flashback scenes. Jack Elam made the movie for me, I just wished they had given him more screen-time. I loved the way he chewed up his lines!

The creature is never really seen in detail, just in shadows or blurry footage, but that adds to the suspense. It's available on VHS or VCD from Bijou Flix. Watched it the other day with my wife and teen daughters....and it did scare them.

For its time and budget, a good Bigfoot film IMHP.

Story of a Bigfoot like monster on the loose is best watched at night with the lights out

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 19 February 2007]

Two college students from Chicago decide to investigate the stories of a Bigfoot-like creature in the area around Black Lake Louisiana. Once there they find that no one wants to talk to them about the creature. However they begin to make friends who open up with tales of the creature. They end up in a battle for their lives when the creature comes after them.

Drive-in fare from the 1970's is much better than its reputation would suggest. While certainly not the scariest movie ever made it does have its share of chills as the little seen monster causes mayhem to those who stray with in its grasp. I don't know what my reaction would have been had I seen this is a drive-in back in '76 and then driven home in the rural south. My guess is I would be dreading hearing the creepy cry of the creature (a cry I know my brothers would have loved to imitate to scare anyone who saw the film).

Definitely worth a look for those who don't need their horror films to be slick modern productions. (And recommended for a dark and stormy night with the lights out) 6.5 out of 10 (6 for IMDb purposes)

A Fun Bigfoot Film

[Rainey-Dawn · 6/10 · 8 September 2017]

Nostalgic / Retro value with this one. There we quite a few of these "Bigfoot" films that came out during the 1970s "Bigfoot" craze! This is one of the better one's that was produced during that decade - maybe not the best one made, but it is a fun watch.

A couple of college kids from Chicago are interested in the bigfoot stories coming out of the south. They pack up and head down to Oil City, Louisiana hopped up to find the truth. They end up meeting a few rednecks that refuse to speak of the creature... but a couple of them opened up. I won't give away the ending but I will say - they do encounter the bigfoot.

6/10

Childhood Memory

[eric.flesher · 24 January 2001]

I know, I know. This is an extremely dated, average, run of the mill, low budget, cheesy seventies B class horror movie. However, I saw this film in the theater when I was ten years old and it scared the hell out of me. The creature depicted in the movie kept my brother and I out of the woods for an entire summer. We were convinced that the existence of Sasquatch type creatures was entirely possible and that sudden violent death awaited anyone unfortunate enough to have a close encounter with one of these bad tempered beasts. For nostalgic reasons alone this is still one of my favorite B class horror movies, but don't go out of your way to find it.

MIGHT scare kids

[preppy-3 · 4/10 · 1 April 2005]

Boring, obvious "horror" film about 2 idiots who go to search for the title creature. Obviously this is just another ripoff of the legend of Bigfoot.

I saw this back in 1976 at a local theatre when I was 14. I went because the local paper gave it a positive write up. I also dragged along my 9 year old brother and his friends. Basically they LOVED it. They said it was scary and "cool". I did not agree at all. I was bored and extremely angry--I expected them to SHOW the creature but (except for one half-way clear shot) they don't. You hear it's roar and you might see a hand or a foot but that's about it. In retrospect this was probably a good idea--the unseen is much more scary than what we CAN see. But when you're a young kid you could care less about subtlety--you want to SEE the monster.

This movie came (and went) without a trace. It hasn't popped up on VHS or DVD yet (and hopefully won't). I give it a 4 because it IS an OK monster movie for kids--YOUNG kids. All others--stay away.

No relation to the Creature From The Black Lagoon.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 23 September 2018]

Pahoo (Dennis Fimple) and Rives (John David Carson), students at the University of Chicago, travel to the small town of Oil City, Louisiana to try and find the bigfoot-type creature rumoured to inhabit the local swamps.

Eschewing the pseudo-documentary style of fellow bigfoot flicks The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972) and Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot (1976), Creature From Black Lake is routine drive-in fare with no pretensions: it's aim is to entertain, its pair of affable students providing an hour of lukewarm levity before the film gets down to delivering the sasquatch scares, which it does with varying degrees of success, depending on how much of the manky monkey suit is shown.

Grizzled character actor Jack Elam adds fun to proceedings as drunken trapper Joe Canton, and the film benefits immensely from great cinematography by Dean Cundey.

5/10. By no means a 'classic', but worth hunting down if you're a fan of bigfoot features.

The Creature From Black Lake IS Still Out There, And He Is Mean.

[mikecanmaybee · 3/10 · 21 February 2022]

Firstly, I watched Creature From Black Lake on YouTube and it was unfortunately a bit blurry. I wish I could have seen a cleaner cut because even fuzzy the cinematography and lighting were outstanding for a "B" movie. Our two leading men (Rives) John David Carson and (Pahoo) Dennis Fimple are out to find Big Foot so they can get an "A+" from their University of Chicago Zoology Professor. They head down to Redneckville and question the locals about the Bipedal Animal which gets them on the wrong side of (Sheriff Billy Carter) Bill Thurman. They finally track down (Joe Canton) Jack Elam who has had an unfortunate encounter with Big Foot who pulled Joe's fellow trapper (Woody) out of their boat and munched hm. The film moves along with many fun characters and does build up a good amount of suspense leading to the inevitable confrontation with the hairy beast who we never clearly see unfortunately.

I was not familiar with actor John David Carson but the handsome youngster was pitch perfect in his role as Rives. Unfortunately, Dennis Fimple was so over the top with his exaggerated facial expressions and his idiot stick persona it just about ruined the movie for me. Denis's character was supposed to be a Vietnam veteran but he came off more like the naive aggravating kid from the Culpepper Cattle Company. In totality the film is worth watching however with a very fine performance by sweet thing Becky Smiser who played Sheriff Billy Carters daughter (Becky) in apparently her only film credit. I really like Dennis Fimple as a character actor in other roles, but the late John David Carson is the reason to see Creature From Black Lake.

Lots of suspense

[coughlinm · 7/10 · 25 August 2005]

This movie was to be the last respectful BIGFOOT movie to come out for along time. Hollywood had already begun turning the topic into a pop culture joke starting with the SIX MILLION DOLLER MAN/BIGFOOT travesty. This would eventually lead to the E.T.-ing of our favorite bipedal primate with films like HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS. Hairy hominids just didn't seem very scary following this film. This movie stars one ticked off sasquatch. Even more so than his cousin in the previous film, LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK. The story is about two anthropology students on a trip to investigate a supposed swamp creature in OIL CITY LA. The chills and suspense are plenty, there is a lot of comic relief, especially from veteran actors Jack Elam and Dub Taylor and the acting is miles above The acting in BOGGY CREEK. There is however one major flaw in the script. So much so that I even noticed it when I first saw the movie at age fourteen. You see, in real life most bigfoot investigators spend their entire lives searching for the beast and end up at best finding a few hairs or maybe a foot print or two. I know this is only a Fictional movie but our two main characters seem to be running into this creature constantly from the moment they hit town. This seems even more glaring when you add the fact that most of locals, who presumably have lived there all their lives, have never seen the monster. These two (lucky?) guys have three encounters with the creature, on three consecutive nights, in three different locations, presumably miles apart. You begin to wonder who's searching for who. The movie's continuity would seem smoother if one or two of these three particular encounters were with different characters, and the two main characters show up later to investigate. These issues shouldn't take away from the overall entertainment value of the film, they just seemed obvious to me. If your into all things crypto-, see this movie. Its the last really scary bigfoot flick.

Better than most.

[stemelissa · 5/10 · 14 September 2022]

Pretty good for a low budget B movie in the Bigfoot genre. It is funny, serious, suspenseful-what more can you ask for? Acting is not painfully bad as in some low budget 70's movies, and is actually pretty good, though it was a little gory and violent in several scenes. I would not let children watch it, especially if you are planning a camping or hiking trip in the near future ! I thought that compared to Legend of Boggy Creek for instance, it was a lot more entertaining. And one hundred percent better than Boggy Creek II. Mystery Science Theater's Boggy Creek II is pretty funny and worth watching. All I can say is, watch it!

Sober & tense Bigfoot-adventure . With lots of rednecks!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 10 October 2006]

It's nice to see that "Creature from Black Lake" has quite a few loyal fans around this website. Nice because, even though it's not exactly a good film, it's undoubtedly a charming and spirited piece of 70's low budget film-making. The creators of this film UNOBTRUSIVELY cash in on the contemporary trend of Bigfoot-horror movies, and that's probably what makes it so likable. It's a sober and atmospheric film, practically shot in documentary-style, and it never wants to be overly spectacular or gross. Okay, maybe there weren't enough financial means to show a more impressive creature or to shoot virulent battle scenes, but then still you got to admire director Joy N. Houck Jr. for effectively using the impenetrably dark Louisiana swamplands and their population's restraint attitude. Two students from the university of Chicago head for a remote village in Louisiana to write their thesis about the legendary creature that supposedly dwells the swamps there. Long before they even come face to face with the monster, Pahoo & Rives have to deal with inhospitable rednecks that deny its existence. Just when they consider giving up, a giant ominous figure approaches their tent… I have a soft spot for horror stories that take place in quiet outback areas, but too often these films exaggerate in portraying the locals as perverted and totally brainless imbeciles. The people in "Creature from Black Lake" are genuine rednecks; still they don't come across like retarded stereotypes but more like members of an aloof community that wishes to protect what's theirs. The two leads are very amiable too, since they're common guys with an open spirit towards each other and towards the people they encounter, even when those aren't helpful to them. Equally praiseworthy is the feeling of constant menace lurking from behind the trees. You always expect the creature (or something else that is scary) to jump out from somewhere. This creepy effect is made even more intense with sober music and eerie natural sounds. A slightly higher number of casualties would have been welcome, but I sure ain't complaining. Recommended to fans of atmosphere-driven horror

Great gowns, beautiful gowns

[akoaytao1234 · 5/10 · 27 November 2022]

I would say, the film is not so noteworthy. The story lacks an enticing build-up. It has that weird 70s storytelling that ends the action on a weird full stop of action towards the end. Then the acting is fine. Not really noteworthy.

The cinematography though is glorious AND shockingly above and beyond for a independent film of the time. Apparently the same guy that Spielberg uses at some of his films. This was one of his earlier work apparently. He ultimately won the Oscar for Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

PS: I also got into a weird rabbit hole of researching for John David Carson, who suddenly went dunzo from the film business by 1990. No news or even articles was written about him after that. This is given that he had some big early roles to boot. Apparently, after getting smaller and smaller roles, he went out and became a drunk gambler in Vegas who ultimately turned into destitution. His death was only known when his ex-wife commented about it on her youtube channel and was discovered by a random celeb death boards poster. What sad life.

Very Scary

[garpo · 10/10 · 3 November 2001]

I saw this movie for the first time in the theaters when I was 11. It replaced Jaws as the scariest movie I'd ever seen. Jaws has since replaced it again, but having just watched it 25 years later, it still spooked me. It's shot in a sort of documentary-style graininess, with a menacing score, and an effective use of shadow, which almost always obscures glimpses of the creature. I'd say the performances were exceptional for such a low-budget pic. As lush and gracefully beautiful as the swamp looks, you're always apprehensive seeing it as a constant backdrop because of what lurks within it -- much like the graceful ocean always made you uneasy in Jaws. There are hokey moments of course, but let's face it, you don't want to see this movie before you go camping in Louisana. Thumbs up.

Cheap, yet effective with atmosphere and the sounds worked for it's time!

[blanbrn · 7/10 · 9 June 2020]

Being a "Bigfoot" fan and watching and liking 70's cult films this 1976 simple and sweet made flick "Creature from Black Lake" was a fun little treat to watch. Set in the rural country backwoods swamps of Louisiana where strange sightings have occurred of a big hairy beast which has made the locals quite. Now enter two city slicker Chicago college students and they journey and adventure to explore and hunt for the strange creature! The film was made low budget as you can see the shots are cheap. Still the images are effective as the scenes of attacks are violent chases! Plus the audio and sound recordings are haunting! The feel and atmosphere is spooky with wooded forests and the creature is scary looking and the film moves along just right. Overall for a mid 70's camp like film it worked just fine.

"We're not trying to treat you like a bunch of dumb red necks."

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 5 May 2021]

No you're not. The script does that just fine. So you two can take a few bucks and a camera and head to the swamps and make a movie. That doesn't mean that anybody will come to see it or that nobody will walk out once the film has begun, and if I had gone to see this at whatever desperate theater decided to show it. With dingy photography and headache inducing sound, this hideous monster movie is impossible to enjoy.

If it wasn't for the presence of character actors Jack Elam and Dub Taylor, I'd certainly give this movie a big fat bomb. Two city folk from Chicago head to the swamps to try to find a bigfoot-like creature that has picnickers running away in fear and your ears cringing every time you hear it screech. Once these city folk begin to talk with the locals, it's obvious that they are trying to keep evidence of its existence under wraps, but for what reason since they obviously are afraid of it. I doubt anybody who appreciates modern film technology (or even 1950's movie technology) will be able to stick with it because it is less viewable than the most archaic of family home movies.

Pretty decent 70's bigfoot movie

[lazarillo · 7 December 2007]

Two college students go down South looking for bigfoot. The locals try to warn them off. They get into some mild trouble with local girls, one of whom is naturally the sheriff's daughter. But the real fun begins when bigfoot shows up.

Many of us who were children in the 70's harbor a certain misbegotten affection for bigfoot movies. Many of these were actually "documentaries" or "docudramas" that are pretty hard to find these days. Another one, "Snowbeast", is a pretty decent TV movie. This may be the best, certainly one of the better at least, of the purely fictional, cinematic movies. It's pretty tame like most of these movies were (with the exception of the wonderfully gory "Night of the Demon" and the short-lived "bigfoot-rape" movies), but it has some pretty good suspense and likable characters (including the guy who played "Ponce de Leon in the 70's cult classic "Pretty Maids All in a Row"). It was a local production made in the South by a director with a great affection for the region, who for once doesn't treat small-town Southerners like a bunch of dumb hicks (OK, maybe they really ARE a bunch of dumb hicks, but its still refreshing).

This movie kind of fell into the shadow of the similar but more successful "Legend of Boggy Creek", but I personally liked this one a lot better. Tragically it's not available in widescreen yet, but I'd still recommend it.

Absolutely Wretched

[screenman · 2/10 · 17 December 2011]

Even allowing for its mid-1970's vintage, this movie is absolutely wretched.

An idea obviously filched from past flunkies like 'Creature From The Black Lagoon', This effort doesn't even come close to some of the corniest creature features of 20 years earlier. The classic 'Them' can kick it into a dirty puddle. It stars Jack Elam. He's the stalwart who's been providing B-list comedy/baddie characters for westerns since as long as I can remember. And given a movie worth watching, and a director who knows how to direct it, he can give a very good turn. But he's certainly no lead.

The movie begins with a deliverance-style take on the gloomy, isolated Louisiana swamplands, reminiscent of 'Southern Comfort', but without a fraction of the emotional or psychological impact. Two men are punting about and finding their traps tampered with. Before long one of them is leaning over the side of the vessel and reaching into the water as such a patently obviously prelude to being dragged overboard that you wonder if the monster has forgotten to come on set. We glimpse one of those big, hairy, rubber hands that can be bought as a Halloween gag for £10. From there on, it's downstream all the way.

Its vintage is simply no excuse. Just the following year, George Lucas brought us 'Star Wars' with a similar, but much more plausible Wookie. And there were any number of lesser - but far more worthy movies - doing the rounds both then and before. In every technical aspect, from filming to editing to script, this is a complete bummer. I've given it 2 stars because it's nearly Christmas & I'me feeling festive; but really, it doesn't deserve any. Check out 'Southern Comfort' to find out how it should have been done. Run 'em back-to-back if you have the patience. I sure haven't.

It came from the charity shop, but I threw it away instead of taking it back because nobody should pay for garbage, not even in the name of cancer research.

Maybe stay out of the bayou...

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 22 September 2018]

If I've learned anything from my week of watching Bigfoot movies, it's that Yankees aren't wanted in the places where Bigfoot resides. You can also rewrite that sentence to cover city folks aren't wanted when Bigfoot decides to walk on through Western Pennsylvania or Southeastern Ohio.

This one is all about two dudes: Rives (John David Carson, Empire of the Ants) and Pahoo (Dennis Fimple, House of 1000 Corpses). That's right, Pahoo. Dennis Fimple was 36 when he played this young twenty-something just back from 'Nam and looking for something, anything, maybe even Bigfoot. Rives is more concerned with hamburgers, fries and Cokes. And oh yeah, redhead goddesses. Well, everyone gets what they want in Black Lake.

You get a lot of character actors in here, like Western star Dub Taylor as Grandpa Bridges, Bill Thurman whose career stretches from The Last Picture Show to Mountaintop Motel Massacre, and Jack Elam, who is the best part of this film as the tracker Joe Canton.

Elam lost an eye to a sharpened pencil at a Boy Scout meeting as a child (he also literally grew up picking cotton) before serving in WW II, becoming a studio accountant and even managing the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles. A character actor in numerous gangster and Western films, as well as TV, Elam came up with a quote that many have stolen over the years in relation to how Hollywood sees people. He said that casting directors would say this about him:

Stage 1: "Who is Jack Elam?" Stage 2: "Get me Jack Elam." Stage 3: "I want a Jack Elam type." Stage 4: "I want a younger Jack Elam." Stage 5: "Who is Jack Elam?"

He shows up in some crazy roles, such as Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing in the Cannonball Run films and in The Norseman, Charles B. Pierce's bonkers ode to Vikings that stars Lee Majors (we really need to get to this movie).

This was re-released theatrically in 1982 as part of a multi-film package called "5 Deranged Features". Also on the bill were Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) (under the title They're Coming to Get You so perhaps people went thinking they were about to see the American cut of All the Colors of the Dark), The Wizard of Gore under the name House of Torture, Shriek of the Mutilated and The Corpse Grinders, but called Night of the Howling Beast.

If you're up for seeing college students try and get laid while eating burgers and hunting Bigfoot, then this is probably the exact movie you're looking for.

If there's one nice thing I can say, it's that the cinematographer of the film is Dean Cundey (Halloween, The Fog, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Rock 'n Roll High School and many, many more great movies). There are some interesting shots and it's not your typical dark swampy seventies affair.

No real surprises, though nothing offensive

[pandion1 · 5/10 · 18 January 2024]

After a hunter is killed by the mysterious swamp monster, two students from Chicago head down to investigate.

There's nothing about this film that is particularly surprising and it proceeds as a fairly standard monster movie. The two main characters (bizarrely named Pahoo and Rives) are genial and the attempts at humour are well done - the chicken joke in particular. When they interview the locals, their stories are told in flashback, which breaks the film up and makes it more effective.

The main fault of the film is that the tone is inconsistent. After the opening scene, there is a huge delay before anything else happens with the monster. This prevents any build up of fear or suspense. The two main characters get on well, until an argument about Vietnam which comes out of the blue and is resolved too quickly to make it anything substantial.

The monster is clearly a man in a suit, though the photography keeps it mostly partially seen - which is a good choice. The final scenes are standard - though it's nice to see characters actually calling for help.

Overall, it won't win any Oscars, but if you've got a spare couple of hours, it's not bad company.!

Creature from Black Lake

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 4 October 2007]

Two lovable Chicago anthropology students, Pahoo(an extremely likable Dennis Fimple playing his character affable)and Rives(John David Carson), do not heed the warning from locals to stay away from a Louisiana swamp where a possible Sasquatch resides. They had caught wind of this story from Trapper Joe Canton(the always entertaining Jack Elam)about losing his fishing buddy to a giant primitive creature spawning scientific interest to find it.

I really enjoyed this little low budget sasquatch movie, but it might be too laid back and "good ole boy" Country for some tastes. Dub Taylor has his usual scene-stealing hillbilly role as Grandpaw Bridges who lost loved ones to the killer Sasquatch. This film, in essence, works best as a fish-out-of-water comedy. The only real horror is the monster with it's loud roar which awakens the viewer to the fact that it's still in this film. The creature is talked about more than seen, and even when it is shown, cinematographer Dean Cundy shoots it in ways not to display the fact that it's merely a man in a costume.

I felt robbed, though. The photography shot by Cundy is clearly anamorphic wide-screen to present this Bigfoot tale. Sadly, yet, we are stuck with a terrible pan-and-scan version with a low quality print. It's better than nothing, I do agree, but I felt that there was so much more Cundy had to offer, cut off the screen. You can see that the print was blown up to such a massive size one character takes up most of the screen, where in a usual wide-screen we can see all the people present in any certain scene instead of the scan moving over annoyingly to see who's talking to who. A shame, really. I don't think anyone will ever care enough to give the flick a treatment it rightfully deserves.

Bigfoot's back! And he's well angry

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 22 April 2013]

I was expecting, for some reason, a dreary, tame Bigfoot film in the vein of 'Legend of Boggy Creek 2', and while Creature from Black Lake is similar to that film (students heading into the wilds to research the Big fella), this film is infinitely more enjoyable, thanks to some tense scenes, great acting, goofy seventies charm, and some full on Bigfoot action. Bigfoot ain't hiding here - he's full on mental and all up in people's faces!

Rive and Pahoo head to Oil City to find a trapper by the name of Joe (Jack Elam) who claims Bigfoot killed his mate. After being warned off by the local sheriff, our students track down various locals who relate anecdotes about the Bigfoot. Soon, they have their own encounter with the creature (it's got quite a scream on it)and before you know it, Bigfoot everywhere they want to be.

The acting in this film is way above par, with loads of likable characters (you care about these two guys), some Deep South charm and a nice dose of humour thrown in. When Bigfoot goes completely mental at the end, there's a good battle between our students and the creature, and kind of an upbeat ending which isn't the usual for a seventies film.

They'd never make a film like this these days. No way. Highly recommended, although I'd like to point out that Night of the Demon is still the craziest, most outrageous and daft Bigfoot film out there.

Very impressive

[Chromium_five · 8/10 · 21 September 2006]

This was one of the many low-budget Bigfoot movies made in the 70s, all of which were probably attempts to cash in on the success of "The Legend of Boggy Creek," which somehow took in $20 million. Despite being unoriginal, I think this is a MUCH better movie than "Creek" and possibly the best Bigfoot movie ever made, take that as you will.

Whereas "Creek" suffered from having no plot, no main characters, and insane musical numbers, "Lake" has a tense, engaging story with a great cast. The last 15 minutes are unexpectedly suspenseful and had me hooked. It also has some very funny scenes, especially during the second half when we are introduced to Trapper Joe (played by fantastic character actor Jack Elam). Joe is hilarious, although I'm still slightly creeped out by the fact that he had a large doll hanging by a string in his bedroom.

Besides the characters, I also just like the look and feel of this movie, with the brown, dusty backgrounds and eerie forests. The settings are great and create an unforgettable atmosphere. If you're looking for a low-budget thriller that, while not exactly scary, is at least fun and exciting, this one is hard to beat.

Okay old-fashioned Sasquatch flick.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 7/10 · 22 July 2007]

Pahoo and Rives,two anthropology students from the University of Chicago travel to Oil City in Louisiana to track down Sasquatch.They try to find old-timer Joe Canton,whose best friend was allegedly snatched in the swamps by Sasquatch,but run into a wall of hostility and opposition from the locals."Creature from the Black Lake" is a Bigfoot flick,unfortunately Sasquatch is rarely seen throughout.Still the rural atmosphere of Louisiana is well-captured,the acting is okay and there is a few suspenseful moments.The downside of this is that the film becomes absorbed by its portrait of a small town to the extent of almost everything else.Still if you are a fan of Bigfoot horror flicks like "Night of the Demon","Shriek of the Mutilated" or "Screams of a Winter Night" you may give it a look.7 out of 10.

A low-budget sleeper

[Wizard-8 · 2 July 2003]

This is one case where a low budget turns to be an advantage than a liability. The less-polished look and direction give an effective documentary feeling to what's happening. Increasing this feeling are the well-developed characters. The two friends act like real friends, and the locals are believable and not Southern stereotypes. (Even the sheriff turns out to be a decent fellow.) The scenes with the Bridges family are unbelievably good, and you really feel like you are there and enjoying their company. (And I LOVE that catchy song they sing!)

The "stalking" scenes are pretty good as well. The creature is wisely kept hidden, and the emphasis is on atmosphere and potential danger. The climatic scene is the creepiest; a part of it make me wonder if the makers of RITUALS were inspired by it for their own climax. Hopefully this movie will get a DVD release eventually, and add to its cult.

The Search for the Booger Man

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 13 March 2014]

Two college students, one relatively normal and the other possibly inbred, go searching the Louisiana swamps for Bigfoot. They talk to several eccentric characters before encountering the creature itself. In the years following the classic Legend of Boggy Creek, there were a string of low-budget Bigfoot movies. This is one of the better ones. It's similar to Boggy Creek in some ways. The usage of flashbacks and Southern locales, for example. Unlike Boggy Creek, it doesn't have the same level of atmosphere or creepiness. Still, I enjoyed the country locations and people. You don't see a lot of that in films, then or now, unless it's non-Southern actors doing terrible accents and usually being condescending to the region and its people.

John David Carson wears a stylish neckerchief so you know he's cool. Comic relief Dennis Fimple is in his mid-thirties and too old for the role of a college student. But I suppose in a movie like this, it doesn't matter much. The scene where Fimple's character Pahoo suddenly reveals he experienced the horrors of the Vietnam War is sure to elicit derisive snorts from viewers. Character actors Dub Taylor and Jack Elam are always a treat to watch.

It's not particularly scary but it sure is fun. The creature costume is not bad, though we don't see it much. Honestly, there is some fun to be had at the movie's expense but it's not a stinker. It's an enjoyable movie about two goobers searching for Bigfoot. You can take it as it is or laugh at it -- either way, it's a good time

Creature From Black Lake (1976)

[mfnmbvp · 7/10 · 1 March 2012]

For some reason, I don't know why, I just can't get enough of these terrible VHS bigfoot movies. I guess they just instill some form of nostalgia in me of a time that I wasn't even born in. But anyway, if you're looking for a well-made Hollywood horror film here, then look the other way because this is just straight up low budget bigfoot geek stuff right here. Granted it has some decent scenes within, the acting is the typical badness you would expect from such a film, the premise is equally as predictable, we know what is going to happen pretty much the entire time we're watching it, and yet it's still entertaining to watch.

Our cast here is made up of our typical non-actors who probably had to improv half of the dialog, and that is why it is equally as terrible. All of this is what makes the movie great in the first place, I've seen bigger and better produced films than this that were god awful. ('The Final Destination', the fourth film in that series).

Nothing spectacular here, and you can get the same thrills elsewhere from countless other bigfoot flicks, namely 'The Legend Of Boggy Creek' and 'The Legend Of Bigfoot' the two this film probably borrows the most heavily from. I'd say they are all probably equally worthwhile, but know what you are about to watch before you watch it.

CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE -----7/10.