Review of Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie (2008) by Julian S — 30 Nov 2011

I just finished the main portion of the film. Thereâ(TM)s an additional documentary that follows entitled âAmerican Dreamâ? which was recorded 7 years earlier, but the story is a lot weaker and if anything the only additional insight I gained was that Dallas (one of the two bigfoot researchers) looked a hell of a lot healthier in 2001.

The title really says it all with this film. Itâ(TM)s not your typical bigfoot movie. Itâ(TM)s not really a film about Bigfoot at all. While Bigfoot plays his role in the film, the documentary mostly follows the lives of the researchers and the impact that Bigfoot has made on their well being.

Your two main characters are Dallas who despite his delusional tendencies appears to be the brains behind the operation and Wayne who plays more of a supportive role and helps confirm a lot of the stories and experiences which would otherwise be written off as folklore.

I have to admit, as a guy who relies heavily on intuition and has spent over half his life growing up in Kentucky, this movie was a little hard for me to swallow. Dallas is obviously an obsessive character who seems to sacrifice anything, including his own sanity, in order to find some kind of personal identity as a Bigfoot Researcher. Itâ(TM)s as if his desire for fame and his strong sense of self-awareness had a rapid chemical reaction and the reality of the moment triggered a fantasy world in which he became one with the Bigfoot tribe. [Dallas thinks that he has animal bones in his skull which make him unique and approachable to the Bigfoot].

While often times this could be played off as humorous, the honest and often depressed sidekick, Wayne, continues to wear his heart on his sleeve and admits that he is a lost soul and continuously refers to himself as a loser, dead beat, idiot, or poor example. His last thread of hope is to believe that Bigfoot exists and that his encounters so far are very sincere, explainable, and will hopefully bring home a small fortune to justify his failures in life and the fact that he has any life at all.

The intensity of this film strikes on occasion as you begin to build new relationships, concerns, and feelings for Dallas and Wayne, but most of the time I just want a good moment of confrontation that challenges Dallasâ(TM) pride and vulnerability (and it comes in time). My other half could only be satisfied by extending a heartfelt hug to the lovable Wayne who offers nothing but kindness towards his friends and disappointment towards his own abilities. He was just such a bummed out guy and I felt that a part of me wanted them to catch anything on film if it meant giving Wayne a better position in life.

I will admit that in the beginning I had expected more from this movie yet I will still leave satisfied.

STATUS REPORT - [I made it bold now].

Broad Audience - I donâ(TM)t know why I still do this category. If Iâ(TM)m watching it, itâ(TM)s probably not a very broad movie at all. If itâ(TM)s a broad movie and youâ(TM)re reading reviews from a random kid in Oregon than youâ(TM)re probably not the type to search for a broad target movie to begin with or at least youâ(TM)re educated enough to know what you do and donâ(TM)t like. But could a broad audience follow this movie⦠I think they would rather take a nap.

Watchability - It was ok. You have to be in the right mood and realize that this movie is mostly about emotions and less about Bigfoot. If you want a âtypicalâ? Bigfoot movie than donâ(TM)t watch a documentary that clearly states it is not that. So watchability, Iâ(TM)d give it a medium or a half.

Status - Watch this movie if you are out of anything else to watch, you have sympathies towards southerners, you loved the show âLie to Meâ? and you want to practice reading micro-expressions, youâ(TM)ve seen all the other fantastic documentaries that Netflix offers, or if you are a scary movie junky and you feel like a little light reading. All in all, this movie gets 3 stars.