Beyond the Legend: Bigfoot Gone Wild
Interviews include cryptozoologists and enthusiasts, Matt “Mattsquatch” Mordovanec, Danielle Winkler, Alex Mistretta, Pete Wolff, Luthor Upton, Ashley McPhaul (Buckeye Bigfoot), Lee Peacock Jr., Bobby Hamilton (The Sasquatch Massacre), the late Dr. Floyd Mike Cartwright (author of Bigfoot Encounters in Ohio: Quest for the Grassman), Nick Redfern (cryptozoologist and author), Roderick Martin (Bigfoot investigator), and J. Horton.
Being a reviewer I always try to go into any film I’m reviewing with an open mind. And of course when you are reviewing a film about a creature that may or may not exist you definitely have to have an open mind. But honestly I’m at a loss after watching Bigfoot: Beyond the Legend.
First off there is what seems like AI-generated images all throughout the film. Maybe this was to save money but if there is so much evidence out there why not use more footage of that evidence instead of computer generated images?
I know that I am not going to get an actual clear photo of a Bigfoot but these images constant barrage throughout the film was distracting. And then when footage from documented encounters were used it was shown so quickly I could barely tell what I just saw.
Then there are the issues I found surrounding stock photos and stock footage used in doc as well. Now while I know free stock footage can be a true gift for filmmakers I would hope that filmmaker would want the footage to at least attempt to tie into what is being shown or discussed? Not this case for most of this film unfortunately.
For instance at one point scientific study of big foot is being discussed and the footage that accompanies this voiceover is footage of two scientist looking people making research notes next to rows and rows of large orange pepper plants. Nothing at all to do with Bigfoot. Then when personal accounts from witnesses are being shared instead of actually filming the encounter locations tied to the accounts that are being shared they use stock footage of random house or location is used. Even attempts at recreations would have been better than this footage.
Then there were two images that actually made me pause the film to ensure what I was seeing was what I was actually seeing. The first appears when theory of the “missing link” is being discussed and an image is put up on the screen that features four skulls: Australopithecus africanus, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens sapiens, and missing link skull (the missing link skull is wearing a pointed hat and has pointed ears like Link from Zelda games). Because this image is from a product by an artist that was making a joke referencing the Zelda games!
The second image appeared during the film when there is a discussion about possible height of Bigfoot in comparison to primates and humans which seems reasonable. However, one other creature is included in image who Star Wars fans know as Chewbacca. It feels like either AI chose these images and no one checked or perhaps person actually chose these images and no one checked to make sure they were factual and not work of other creatives.
And perhaps not everyone may say someone was being a little tongue and cheek about things. Not one other joke is in the movie at all. This documentary’s tone is serious, through and through.
I realize that not everyone has the money for big budgets on their films. She did get some known people in the Bigfoot circles to appear in this film, writer and director Cora Anne. The rest of the film I have no idea what happened. These footage and image choices lacked attention to detail so much it made me wonder if AI generated the rest of the film.
Bigfoot: Beyond the Legend only runs 65 minutes but don’t spend that time. This lack of doing due diligence for information presented in this documentary and lack of attention to detail throughout. It causes it to lose all credibility with me.
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