The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)

October 28, 2018

Directed by: Charles B. Pierce

Written by: Earl E. Smith

Starring: Willie E. Smith, John P. Hixon, Vern Stierman

Budget: $100,000

Original Song Lyrics: "Hey Travis Crabtree, Wait a minute for me. Let's go back in the bottom. Back where the fish are biting, where all the world's inviting, And nobody sees the flowers bloom but me."

Trivia: The film is based upon actual reported encounters with a Bigfoot creature in the Fouke-Boogy Creek area of Arkansas throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Most of the actors in the film were the actual people from the encounters.


Overview: The Legend of Boggy Creek is the last movie from Joe Bob Brigg's infamous The Last Drive In Marathon I have to watch. To be completely honest, I saved this for last because it looked like it was going to be really painful to get through. And by nearly all standards, this is a bad movie. But there is something about it that I found really appealing. The movie is actually really charming and the filmmakers love for the legend of this creature is immediately apparent. This movie would also go on to be the major inspiration for The Blair Witch Project which itself spawning thousands of "found footage" horror flicks. However the found footage concept is beyond the scope of this movie. Instead, this is a straightforward look at the legendary creature without actors, special effects, or any extra elements. And while the movie looks very amateurish, this just makes it seem all the more real.


Synopsis: The movie claims to be a true documentary (a horror trope that others will use later on, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre being one) about the Fouke creature that stalked the lands around an Arkansas community for decades. The mockumentary utilizes interviews with local residents and nature footage to loosely weave a "somewhat"-narrative around the legend of the creature. While the creature hasn't killed any humans, he does seem to have killed several pets and livestock, some of which the residents claim died of fright. The movie climaxes at a reenactment of a scene from a newspaper story that gave the director the idea to make the film. In this reenactment the monster terrorizes a family in a remote cabin. The monster hurts one man who is hospitalized but runs away after being shot. The movie ends with the warning that the creature has never been caught and is still out there.

The Good: One of the biggest benefits of this film is its surprisingly enormous influence on horror films. While the movie was made on a shoe string budget (with the director Charles Pierce doing basically everything under various names... singing, writing, narrating... it's all him) it made $20 million, making it the 10th highest grossing film of 1972. As I mentioned earlier, the movie was a major influence on the Blair Witch Project filmmakers but also created dozens of other horror mockumentaries in the early 1970s. I also love the movie's DIY attitude. It is pretty obvious that prior to making this movie, Charles Pierce had little to no experience with movie making, but it is also obvious that he did not let that stop him from making this film, celebrating a local legend. This movie really is a love letter to the Fouke Creature. It is also refreshing to see the simplicity of his filmmaking. The movie didn't need special effects, actors, a giant Hollywood crew, or fancy cinematography. Instead Pierce let his film subject sell the movie. Lastly, the film is also a fascinating look at the rural town of Fouke itself. There is something really comforting and special about the townsfolk in particular and the film in general. Oh, how could I forget... the movie has an incredible soundtrack which is also done by director Charles Pierce. One song in particular is "Hey Travis Crabtree." The song is quaint and beautiful, just like the movie.

The Bad: This movie is very low budget and the filmmakers are amateurs which makes the movie a bit difficult to watch for a lot of people. If you have ever seen family films from the seventies or eighties, this movie is very reminiscent of those at times. Also, there is a lot of time spent on nature shots that, while add to the atmosphere of the film, further slow down an already slow film. Finally, if you are looking for excitement, horror, gore, or even a clear narrative, then this movie is not for you. It is slow paced even by 1972 standards.

Gore: 0/5

Nudity: 0/5

...what's your thoughts?