Pottersville

I am puzzled that this movie has mainly bad critic reviews. It's not the best movie you will ever see, but it is entertaining.

One night, small-town shopkeeper Maynard (Michael Shannon) gets depressed and drunk, runs around in a gorilla costume, and starts a Bigfoot craze, which revives the town's failing economy. He then goes out night after night, managing to be seen by nearly everyone in town, but never caught. OK, you have to suspend disbelief a bit here - doesn't anyone suspect it's just a guy in a costume, or see him sneaking in or out of his store? Anyway, eventually a Bigfoot hunter arrives in town (Thomas Lennon) with an accent which is a horrible mash-up of Australian, New Zealander and South African(fortunately, that is played for laughs); and a Bigfoot hunts ensues.

The movie is both silly, and with a bit of heart. The ending is a bit rushed, but otherwise it was very enjoyable.

I can absolutely see this plot done in the '40s with any of the screwball comedy stars. It's well made, top to bottom, one of those that feels like everyone involved went home satisfied with their work. It is amusing to watch actors so capable of intensity 'play house with the kids'. It took a while to stop expecting someone to pick up a baseball bat and beat somebody to death.

This was not like any "Christmas" movie I'veever seen - if it even qualifies as a Christmas movie. Because it was so zany, at first I thought it was really bad acting or a really dumb script. But there are some accomplished actors on here who have acting skills. So what was I missing? After pondering this (for slightly more time than the Grinch pondered why The Who's were still celebrating on Christmas morning), it occurred to me. This is purposeful "camp." Kind of like Napoleon Dynamite. But I'm guessing so few people will ever see it that it will die a slow death and end up at Dollar Tree for $1. Give it a chance and keep an open mind - it is supposed to be dumb!

A down on its luck mining town finds a new life when locals begin seeing a bigfoot. Before long, there are tourists in town, cash registers ringing, and a nationally syndicated television show scouring the woods for a sasquatch. It's a Christmas miracle - or is it?

My rating for Pottersville seems at odds with conventional wisdom. It's obvious that I enjoy this one much, much more than most people. For many reason, the film worked for me. The cast is brilliant - from Michael Shannon playing against character to the always enjoyable Judy Greer to the gruff but funny Ian McShane, I had a blast with the cast. The plot is a another plus for me. It's just quirky enough to keep me entertained throughout. The bits about the furries, the bigfoot sightings, and the "unique" townspeople are all interesting touches. I've read several complaints about the lack of real comedy and, while I can agree to a point, there are enough moments that made me at least smile that I didn't need to laugh out loud to find the comedy enjoyable. Overall, I had a good time with Pottersville and have no problems rating it higher than most others.

My biggest complaint with Pottersville and the thing that keeps me from rating it higher is Tom Lennon. A little Lennon goes a long way. He's given way, way too much screentime. I admit that some of his interactions with Ian McShane and the Nelson Mandela song dedicaiton were quite funny, but overall, he's annoying. Less Lennon and I might have rated Pottersville even higher.

Hi,

I ran across this little gem on a Saturday night when cruising Netflix. I was intrigued by Ian McShane and Ron Perlman. I wasn't expecting that much and I had an enjoyable time watching the actors bring the characters to life. Ian is very funny playing a hunter and Ron Perlman does an excellent job of playing a country sherriff. I read the previous reviews and I'm not we were watching the same film. I have relatives in a small town in east Texas and the themes of a small town dependent on a mill closing hit close to home as when industry leaves a small town, there often aren't a lot of opportunities. Perhaps I just have a calif attitude but I was laughing at the same jokes when I watched the next afternoon with friends. Perhaps not everyone noticed that the Bigfoot costume was what special forces actually wears for camo wear. There are a lot of other subtle jokes in the movie if you are paying attention. Cheers!