The Legend of Boggy Creek – a 1972 cult classic that kickstarted the public’s fascination with real life cryptid The Fouke Monster or The Boggy Creek Monster. While the story is truly legendary, I’ve never actually had the chance to see it, though I’m aware of the lure due to my years at this website. You see, sightings of a bigfoot-like creature in the small town of Fouke, Arkansas and its surrounding swamp have been rampant since at least the 1950’s, many years before the docu-style movie from Charles B. Pierce. Luckily, Seth Breedlove, Brandon Dalo and Lyle Blackburn put together Boggy Creek Monster, a feature length documentary that sheds the dramatics of narrative film-making and dives head-first into the murky waters of Arkansas to explore the mystery of The Fouke Monster.
Though he’s already been the commander behind two other documentaries, Boggy Creek Monster is my introduction to the talents of Seth Breedlove. With all due respect, his quality of work is much higher than I was expecting! He put together a very talented crew of independent professionals and, as a team along with Small Town Monsters, produced a sleek documentary with a very clear direction. The choices in story-telling and editing were smart, and I have no doubt that Seth, Brandon and Lyle had a large hand in shaping this project. More-so, I was thrilled that they chose to shoot Boggy Creek Monster on location, showcasing the scenery of the swamp in all its bizarre beauty. This is what film-making is all about; these two gentlemen were able to put together something wonderful with less than $20,000!
And Boggy Creek Monster is certainly educational! It does an excellent job of establishing the monster and its backstory, but they do so in what I believe to be a genius way. They paint a clear picture of the beast, but they treat it as an undocumented animal of sorts instead of a monster. Despite the film’s title, the legend, the accompanying movie, and the creature itself are all handled in a believable, respectful way that made the lure appear all that more realistic. Could there be a breed of bigfoot hiding in the swamps of South Arkansas? Boggy Creek Monster displays the facts, displays the visuals, provides expert testimonies and theories, and is professional enough to convince you that maybe there is something there. Bonus points for not being hokey with cringe-worthy reenactments and sticking to the facts!
All of this works in the movie’s favor, especially with the end game on the horizon. Boggy Creek Monster is scheduled to hit DVD and streaming services on November 11, 2016 and has several screenings scheduled well into 2017. The producers of Boggy Creek Monster are even in the middle of conversations to have their film presented on national television. And I have to say that it’s good enough to be on TV. Whether it’s late night on Animal Planet or on further cable networks like Destination America, History Channel or Chiller TV, this is a documentary to watch out for. It’s fun, informative and thought provoking. It effortlessly tackles a horrific idea and an elusive predator without scaring away the audience. I would recommend it to any cryptid enthusiast. Final Score: 7 out of 10.
