Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot

I was 6 years old when my parents took me to see this movie. This hands down was the scariest movie I ever saw, period. Granted I was only 6, it scared the living daylights out of me. I ended up sleeping between my parents for literally a week after I saw it. It aired again roughly 3 years later on a Saturday afternoon matinée on our local NBC affiliate. I watched it again and thought it was a masterpiece (as bigfoot movies go that is). It is by far and away the best bigfoot movie ever made and should be enjoyed by anyone who has interest in this centuries old mystery. I searched for roughly 22 years until I found a copy of this extremely hard to find movie. I watched it again for the first time with my parents and it didn't disappoint! It holds a special place in my collection and will always be a favorite whether I was 6, 16, or 60!

Apparently there were a great many folks who thought this flick was a legit documentary and were disappointed when they discovered it was not. Merely a fictitious yarn put forth by B actors, retelling old wivestales about bigfoot. For example, (the supposedly), old mountain man, looks about as comfortable sitting on a mule as a Java caveman would look sitting on a Suzuki. But there are stunning views of the Pacific Northwest wilderness and the mountain lion attack is well done considering the lack of special effects.

In truth, there are very few chills and thrills even with strange, compelling music that unfailingly announces the imminent appearance of the Hairy One.

"Sasquatch" is phenomenal, if only for its breathtaking Pacific Northwest scenery, and the amazing job the director, Ed Ragozzino, did with capturing wildlife footage.

Best of all, though, is that this movie, while hokey in parts, really is suspenseful, earnest and credulous -- just like any movie about the paranormal ought to be.

Sadly, this thing isn't available on VHS, but I was able to get a TV dub from an airing on a Los Angeles TV station (Some of the ads -- lawyers offering to help people beat their DWIs, for instance -- are a gas, as well.). I wish the producer would come to his senses, read this site's posts, and release this puppy to VHS or DVD.

This is the best bigfoot movie ever made. I went into it expecting the usual documentary with the usual "experts" and eyewitnesses swearing up and down that bigfoot existed. I was surprised to find this one was actually kind of scary. Bigfoot apparently isn't afraid to defend his turf in this one and terrorizes some loggers who spend the night in a cabin. I still remember scenes from it 21 years after seeing it in a theater. I wish I could find a copy on tape cause I would love to see it again.

"Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigoot" (1978) is a quasi-documentary about a fake Bigfoot expedition deep in the wilderness of British Columbia, although it was filmed entirely in Oregon (Deshutes National Forest and Willamette National Forest). I've heard it referred to as 'the Holy Grail of Bigfoot films' and I can see why since most of the notables of the Bigfoot mythos are detailed, including the Roger Patterson footage and the 1924 Ape Canyon, WA, incident where a handful of miners were harassed most of the night by Bigfeet throwing rocks at their cabin and pounding on the walls. Regardless, it's more of a nature flick than anything else, featuring some great footage of North American wildlife highlighted by a fight between two grizzlies. It's worthwhile for Bigfoot aficionados but laid back and kinda boring, so brace yourself and remember it's from the 70s.

GRADE: C+