The Legend of Boggy Creek

 

 Based on so-called actual events and starring real witnesses in reenactments, THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK may be the first faux-documentary horror film ever conceived. With all the polish of a high school science ed film, it spins the tale of a town called Fouke terrorized by a hairy Big Foot-type monster. Big Foot or "Sasquatch" carries little weight in the national psyche these days, but once upon a time he was the physical embodiment of the wilderness's last stand against mankind's complete appropriation of nature. The movie itself is a relic and time capsule showcasing a world that no longer exists both within the film (the technology free town) and without (the film's identity as drive-in fare). Many scenes are laughable by today's standards, thanks to sub-par acting and the obvious limitations of an ape suit, but L.O.B.C. still has its own quiet power. This is campfire story material and the viewer certainly has to be in the right mood to be effected by its vague G-rated violence. The sad fact is with psychopaths, viruses and terrorism lurking about in the real world, it may be difficult for modern audiences to empathize with the fear of the wild. Whatever is coming to get us, we can pretty much assume it's not coming from the woods (in fact, at this point nature certainly has more to fear from us). At the end of the film the narrator returns to the location of his early childhood fears. He surprises himself by actually longing to hear the howl that once terrified him, "Just to be a reminder that there is still a wilderness left." Sadly, I'd venture that there's probably a Starbucks in that space today. L.O.B.C. can still be a lot of fun and its influence is ever reaching (BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, CLOVERFIELD), but it's hard to be truly scared of a monster you mostly feel sorry for. That being said, I'm happy to report that in 1997 there were over 40 sightings of the Fouke Monster, maybe there's still a little kick in the old boy after all. Take that Starbucks!  

• Fouke-face is so frickin' scary that a cat has a heart attack when it sees him!
• Nancy's "Bunking Party" is attacked!
• Any and all musical interludes, specifically "Hey Travis Crabtree!"
• The furry hand through the window trick!
• Fouke-head attacks a guy sitting on the toilet!