Exists

Apologies for my time away.  I have excuses, but they’re not particularly good ones.  But I’m back and hoping to be updating this on a regular basis.  I’m sure this is great news for the 2 of you who actually visit this site.

One of the main complaints about Willow Creek (the Bobcat Goldthwait directed found footage Bigfoot movie) was the extreme lack of Bigfoot.  There were noises (so many noises) and a naked lady who may-or-may-not have been part of Bigfoot’s harem, but Bigfoot himself is never seen.  I kept saying, “Well, at 80 minutes, at least it’s short.”

Then Exists came along.  It’s 81 minutes, and we get heaps of Bigfoot.  So much Bigfoot, you guys.  On top of that, it was directed by Eduardo Sanchez, who pretty much gave birth to the modern found footage genre (for better or worse) with The Blair Witch Project.

The set-up is easy enough: a handful of teenagers spend a weekend in a remote cabin.  They hit something with their car, but they never figure out what it was.  Then Bigfoot shows up and lays waste to everyone and everything. 
Did you like your bike?  Too bad, because Bigfoot will crush the frame into a tangled heap and throw it right at your door. 
Try to make an escape?  Bigfoot will run you down, break your legs and throw you in a prison of his own creation.
Hide in the cabin?  Bigfoot will rip every door off its hinges and destroy everything you love.
Find an empty RV to hide in?  Bigfoot will find you, push the RV down a hill, then jump off the ropes and land a killer finishing move (this was my favorite scene in the movie.  I rewound it at least twice).

The People's Bigfoot

It’s a tornado of destruction, and we get to see all of it, thanks to an overeager stoner with dozens of GoPro cameras at his disposal.

It’s not an amazing movie, but it’s a really fun movie.  The acting is solid, but the characters aren’t particularly great.  The dialog was fine, but nothing to write home about (I tend to write home whenever I see a movie with great writing.  I write to my old address, so now some stranger receives these transmissions).  I went into this movie wanting nothing more than a rampaging Bigfoot, and I got exactly that.  

Do you like the idea of watching a movie about a rampaging Bigfoot?  Of course you do, because you love beautiful things.  Watch this movie.

Rating: 4/5 

Mini Review: Willow Creek

"Bobcat Goldthwait directed found footage Bigfoot movie."

That lovely bit of word soup is all I knew about this movie going in.  Since I had just visited the International Cryptozoology Museum, my interest in Bigfoot was at an all-time high.  My relationship with found footage has been a rocky one, but I was pretty excited about this. 

While I liked Kelly (Alexie Gilmore) pretty well, Jim (Bryce Johnson) really grated on my nerves.  One minute he's admonishing Kelly for not believing in Bigfoot and making fun of the town ("You don't believe?  You don't believe?  How could you not believe?  Believebelievebelieve?"), the next he's poking fun at a Bigfoot mural or jokingly interviewing a wooden Bigfoot or mocking a man who is singing a song about Bigfoot.  You can't have it both ways, fella. 

The movie was slow and riddled with plot holes/standard found footage complaints, but it was short (80 minutes) and provided a few good scares.  While it was ultimately disappointing, I thought it had enough going for it to offer a lukewarm recommendation.  Of course, that may just be my Bigfoot-mania talking.

Rating: 2.5/5