THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK

THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK-United States-1972

Directed by Charles B. Pierce

Screenplay by Earl E. Smith

I said once that it’s easier to tear down a bad film than it is to build up a great one. “The Legend of Boggy Creek” totally flies in the face of that philosophy. Charles B. Pierce’ docudrama about the existence of a Bigfoot like creature in the wilds near Fouke, Arkansas is a new kind of bad that is nearly indefinable. For starters, Pierce decided to cast over 90% of the townsfolk as themselves. It’s bad enough when you suck at portraying another character; but when you suck at playing yourself…well that is a whole new level of suck. There are moments in the film that could be perceived as scary, like the infamous ‘Bigfoot attacks local yokel in the bathroom while he’s taking a crap’ scene. However, Pierce’s direction is so idiotic that he takes the thrills out of each and every scene. The only good idea he came up with was in not showing a clear shot of the creature, thereby leaving its appearance to our imaginations. Even so, “The Legend of Boggy Creek” is cause for Bigfoot to sue for defamation of character.

I wasn’t allowed to see “The Legend of Boggy Creek” when I was a kid. I was ten years old at the time of its release and I suppose my parents thought it would be too traumatic for me. It wasn’t until I was 25 years old before I finally tracked down a copy of the film to watch. That’s like waiting 15 years for a really big turd to come out of my ass.

TRIVIA

The film was a tremendous success at drive-ins. It grossed 22 million dollars, making it the 7th highest grossing movie of its year.

The film is largely based upon actual reported encounters with a Bigfoot creature in the Fouke-Boogy Creek, Arkansas area throughout the 60′s and early 70′s. Most of the actors in the film were the real people from the encounters playing themselves.

Though Vern Stierman narrates the film it’s actually director ‘Charles B. Pierce’ heard interviewing some of the locals during audio clips. Pierce also sings the film’s folk theme song.

½

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