The Capture of Bigfoot

A great film like this is a result of the rare convergence of many talents: Rebane (Ito), Neumeyer (screenplay), Wally Flaherty et al. In fact it is Bill Rebane's innocent and somewhat naive approach that turns his earnest effort (like the turning of water into wine) into this true camp classic. No one could set out to purposely make a film like this; they would fail.

When Lartronic rented this movie from the "Le Bad" section of Blockbuster, what did he expect? Those who want a good laugh from a movie that can entertain as only a true camp classic can, then this is your movie! Also rent "The Alpha Incident", "Gift From the Red Planet", "Giant Spider Invasion" and Rebane's other classics. Mr. Rebane should be honored by the Academy for his lifetime contributions to the camp category of motion pictures. He is truly a genius in this respect.

When I bought this DVD (also containing "The Alpha Incident") I was hoping for some good campy sci-fi. I was not disappointed with "Capture of Bigfoot". It had a few moments of really nice photography, filmed in some snowy northern area. I appreciated the fact that it was real snow in real cold (plumes of car/truck exhaust and lots of steaming breath as people talked). Any high budget film would have created plastic snow on a set. The only downsides for me were that 1 - almost anybody could have done a better voice for the creature, and 2 - the Olson character was unbelievably mean, but in the movie's defense, he was supposed to be as mad as Ahab. But these did not detract too much from the movie for me.

Also, I disagree with all those who liked "The Alpha Incident" better. For me, this film was much more enjoyable.

This is available on a double feature Eastwest DVD with Rebane's best film, ALPHA INCIDENT, and that's probably as far as anyone needs to go in collecting his work. Unless you want the Giant Spider Invasion for historical or sentimental reasons, for it was the drive-in success of that one that allowed him to do the other two. There's corny 70s sappiness, but no more than Harry & the Hendersons. He uses much of the same decent cast from ALPHA, and they make a good effort here as well. The Bigfoot creatures are almost well-done enough to pass, but still just not quite removed from the "man in the suit" effect. Very close though, and a nice effort on a dime budget. Story meanders around too much, but the cast keeps coming up with nice touches to allow forgiveness of the slack times. Nice to see a film shot in winter with plenty of snow, and people actually hustling around in it. For sure, that is not easy, even for a Hollywood production with all the amenities. Yes, the wardrobe was provided by K-mart, but that's what the budget was, and anyway that's what folks there would have worn. Those of you who laugh at Rebane, well, he went out and did things rather than sit back and watch. A sort of Ed Wood of the Midwest.

Hard to find but if you can get a copy, you're in for a real treat. Years before ANACONDA "terrorized" us with a giant rubber snake, there was THE CAPTURE OF BIGFOOT. If you like outrageously bad special effects and over-the-top acting, this one's for you. A real campy funfest.

Some highlights: * The guy who plays the rich old miser (I believe his name in the film is "Olsen") recites his lines with such vigor and energy, each scene necessitates at least one press of the "rewind" button on your VCR remote. Watch for the scene where he interrogates a hospitalized employee of his. He shakes him vigourously, demanding he answer "Who was it? Was it Arak?!" * The special effects and sound effects are a hoot. Hard to do justice in words, they have to been seen to be appreciated. * And listen closely to the lyrics of the closing credits song. It sounds like a Harry Chapin record but the words must've been written by Ozzy Ozbourne: "You'll never find freedom, you'll only find lies/ You'll only find freedom the day that you die". Yikes. And just what the hell does that have to do with Bigfoot?

Also recommended: STARCRASH (1979)

Bill Rebane's "The Capture of Bigfoot" is one of the most awful horror movies ever made.A greedy sawmill owner Harvey Olsen(Richard Kennedy)decides that he wants Bigfoot captured at all costs.However local game ranger Dave Garrett(Stafford Morgan)learns that the Bigfoot used to live in peace upset by a geological expedition,and sets out to protect the creature.There is nothing even remotely interesting in this piece of crap.The film is extremely dull and filled with horrible songs and cheap special effects.No gore,no suspense-just gigantic boredom.Avoid this horrible junk like the plague.