Surprisingly entertaining B-movie greatness!
Added 6/2/2009
As a hardcore Bigfoot enthusiast (though not a believer) and a HUGE fan of monster movies for the past 30 something years, I've seen most of the Bigfoot films out there. Some, like "The Curse of Bigfoot" used to be shown on creature features in the '70s and I ate them up as a kiddo. Ditto "The Legend of Boggy Creek" and "Snowbeast." The monsters were blood-thirsty, the actors were fairly amateur at best, and the action was just enough to keep the flick from gettin gboring.
The latest crop of Bigfoot films have been a fairly mixed bag. Some (like "Sasuqtch" and "Yeti") are so bad, that even as a deyed in the wool B-movie afficianado, I simply can't sit through them without a half gallon of cheap whiskey. And even then, I'd rather go put my head in a bread mixer for 90 minutes. Others like "Abominable," "Sasquatch Hunters," and this movie, are damned entertaining in that '70's and '80's bad movie way. Plenty of action, hardcore monsters, and no shortage of blood and guts. "Sasquatch Mountain" starts as a bank heist movie. There's cops, robbers, shooting, and a porn star-looking hostage to boot. From there, it goes on to resemble (to me at least) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Firday the 13th movies. Namely, a group of people is caught in unfamiliar territory, being pursued by a huge, scary, angry, and homicidal monster that simlpy wants them dead. They run, it follows. They hole up in a cabin, it follows. Turns out the guy who owns the cabin is dead on the can "like Elvis" as one of the characters points out. Also just so happens the dead guy has been feeding the monster with horse grain, and the monster's a mom to boot. Seems momma monster's simply been protecting her territory from the intruders. The kills are pretty good (not great) and the characters are prone to incredibly akward and stilted expository dialogue, the likes of which you only ever see in bad WB teeny bopper shows (at least from what I can tell by seeing the previews of them in commercials). BUT, there's action, Lance Henriksen doing his thing as only he can, a leading lady with huge, bouncy silicone boobs, and best of all, at the end of the movie, they play an actual 911 recording of a guy calling to report a "real" Bigfoot encounter. The geek in me jumped for joy and nearly dropped his inhaler.
The "making of" featurette is pretty good as well. I wasn't expecting something like this on a straight to DVD flick, but there's a brief, though informative bit on the makeup fx design of the creature, interviews with the actors, and a set visit. An excellent surprise, and endeared the film even more to me.
All in all, well worth the $2.50 I paid for it. Heck, I'd have paid $10.00 for it since I'll be watching it again for sure. If you're a fan of Bigfoot horror movies and are on the fence about this one, just go ahead and buy it. You'll be really glad you did.
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Reminds me of my Sasquatch hunting days
Added 5/11/2009
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Closing time at the bars, Mack and his bros are liquored up and have been rejected by the hotties on the dance floor. Time to lower the standards.
ROOAARRAAHHAWL!!!
translation:"yes I'll come home with you little man"
Morning comes, Mack is scrambling for some aspirin, excuses, and some raw meat--Sasquatch is looking hungry! Aw geez....
This movie won't give you nightmares or a lifelong itch. It's actually better than expected.
Some bank robbers flee into the forest with a hostage and some bumbling cops on their tail. And you guessed it, in them there woods there's also afugly hairy chick Mack dropped off after a one-nighter.
I know, I'm bad. This flick isn't though. I was expecting a cheesy, over-the-top gorefest with bad acting, dialogue, and special effects. Not the case. This is more of a moderately-paced character study film. A cross between First Blood, Blair Witch, and my hairy butt. J/K, this is not like Blair Witch.
It has a hot chick (no nudity) and a bit of a King Kong-Beauty and the Beast vibe developing at the end. The creature is usually shown in glimpses throughout the movie, but not because the costume was bad. The acting & script are both decent too. Not bad...
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More than just a Bigfoot flick
Added 12/6/2008
Director: Steven Monroe
Writer: Michael Worth
Runtime: 90 minutes
Locations: Williams, Flagstaff and Coconino Nat. Forest, Arizona
Year of TV Release: 2006
THE PLOT: After an unfortunate auto accident, Cerina Vincent is taken captive by a gang of bank robbers who are forced to flee into the Arizona timber by foot. They are followed closely by a posse made up of policemen and old Vietnam vets. The two groups are forced to team-up when they encounter a Bigfoot creature who is picking 'em off one by one.
Although I highly doubt the creature exists, I'm fascinated by the Bigfoot legend and enjoy films on the subject. "Sasquatch Mountain" is one of the best, if not the best. It was originally titled "Devil on the Mountain" and, in fact, that's the title that appears on the dvd.
To be expected, some people smugly laugh at the picture, calling it unintentionally funny and cheesy, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is actually a character study using the Bigfoot legend as a stage. The story and characters are taken seriously and there's no goofiness to be found. The reason some automatically laugh at it is because the idea of Sasquatch has become a big joke, which is understandable.
I should point out that if you're expecting a mindless slasher flick with Bigfoot in the evil Jason role you'll be disappointed. The film "Abominable" (2006) is a film along these lines. It's a good film for what it is and there's nothing wrong with this approach, it's just that "Sasquatch Mountain" shoots for something deeper.
The screenplay was written, believe it or not, by Michael Worth who stars in the picture as one of the bank robbers, Vin. The guy comes off as a 35-year-old adolescent who is more likable than scary, even though he has a slight dangerous edge.
NOTEWORTHY ITEMS:
- Although the film is a low-budget straight-to-video flick it's a very well-made film, unlike "Sasquatch Hunters" (2005) and "Sasquatch" (2002), which both had some amateurish qualities.
- The score is great, sometimes even moving, giving the film a palpable reverent quality.
- Although the set-up is a bit contrived (the way the bank robbers get a hostage and flee on foot), the story starts to pull you in at the half-hour mark when the posse pursues the gang in the woods, both parties ultimately holding-up in a lodge. There are numerous well-written character-defining episodes that successfully capture the viewer's attention.
- For instance, the lead bank robber, played by Craig Wasson, laments how his father never paid him any attention growing up. I know what you're thinking -- aw, poor baby -- but the film successfully shows the correlation between adult wellness and healthy parental relationships, in particularly with the father-figure. Often children from dysfunctional families spend their entire lives trying to make up for the damage done by clueless parents.
- I also like the way Wasson and others are shown not totally poisoned by evil, despite being bank robbers. Wasson saves the life of the Sheriff (Rance Howard) without hesitation later in the film. It's a very good scene. Not to mention (as already noted) Michael Worth comes off as more misguided than malevolent; though Lance Henriksen doesn't give in to his charm one bit.
- To be expected in a character study, the screenplay has some great dialogue and lines. For instance, Wasson states: "No matter how hard you try or how high you get there's always some devil on the mountain waiting to knock you back down" or the Asian girl to Cerina: "Everyone has scars, but not everyone has the option of hiding behind a pretty smile."
- The film features no less than three beautiful women -- a Brunette (Cerina Vincent), a redhead (Lance's daughter in the story, played by Melanie Monroe) and the Asian bank Robber (Karen Kim) who comes off unattractive only because she's so bitter. Both Cerina and Melanie are magnificent. Melanie is the definition of spirituality.
- There's a good subplot about Lance Henriksen being a laughingstock for the past 15 years or so. His wife had recorded a vague video of the creature on the day she was killed by a hit-and-run. The video put the town on the map as a tourist attraction but made him an object of ridicule. The story shows his redemption.
- Although the Sasquatch kills in the story, he is shown in a sympathetic light (unlike "Abominable" and "Sasquatch Hunters") -- a father protecting his mate and newborn.
- The dvd features a worthwhile 20-minute "Making Of" Documentary.
FINAL ANALYSIS: I love "Sasquatch Mountain" and give it a weak 5/5 Stars or A-. It may not be "Apocalypse Now" but for a straight-to-video Bigfoot film it's quite good for all the above reasons. It should be given credit for not being another mindless monster flick; the Bigfoot legend is simply a frame for something deeper. Not everyone can look beyond the Sasquatch trappings; I understand this. I could and found it quite entertaining and even moving.
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The two good things
Added 6/29/2008
Though this movie is actually at least one step above the normal made-for-SciFi movie, this review is actually concerned only with the two things that made this movie really enjoyable: Rance Howard and Lance Henriksen. If either of these two men has ever "phoned in" a performance, no matter how lame the script or low the budget, I've never seen it. In this movie Rance plays the old sheriff to a tee, and Lance is ten-times more intimidating than the titular monster. These men are two of my household gods, and anything that they are in is immediately worth a viewing. I hope they never stop!
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Its a so-so film. It does better than most sasquatch films but if you want a good one see Abominable"
When a group of thieves are running from the police they end up in the mountains and enter a cabin to hold-up. It turns out the cabin belongs to Lance Henriksen and he does not want visitores but when a strage beast-like man attcks the house they must work together to find a way out alive. Meanwhile the police are hot on the trail of the thieves and soon run into the creature themselves and suffer a few casualties.
Like so many of the Low Budget Monster flicks sasquatch mountain fails to captivate and ends like very otheer b-movie.
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