Honestly,
the one-minute Patterson-Gimlin film supposedly capturing Bigfoot out for a
stroll ought to be in the National Film Registry, even though it is undoubtedly
bogus. The salient point is how influential it has been. Decades later, it is
still the best thing going for Sasquatch hunters, but a disgraced reality TV
producer hopes to score a more conclusive scoop. Of course, he has no qualms
about exploiting the mysterious disappearance of a group of horny teens in Matt
Allen’s Hoax, which releases today on VOD.
Seriously,
as soon as you start camping in the woods, horror movie rules immediately
apply, so wandering off for a quick hook-up will get you killed every time. Unfortunately,
the more responsible Alex Barnes vanished along with her randy friends, but her
rugged outdoorsman father Cooper hasn’t given up looking for her. However, his resources
are limited, so he accepts an offer to join the cast of Rick Paxton’s
Bigfooting hunting series.
Primate
vet Dr. Ellen Freese is also a little embarrassed to be part of the team, but
she needed the money. John Singer is literally there for mercenary reasons,
having been hired to protect the shows airhead host (and fiancée of the network
president’s son), Bridgette Powers. As the party settles in, it becomes clear
Cooper, Singer, and Freese are the three we have confidence in, whereas Paxton
is absolute pond scum. They start to suspect the dirtbag producer is faking the
weirdness in the woods, but we saw the opening prologue, so we know the danger
is real.
The
awkward truth is Bigfoot/Sasquatch movies are very much a hot-or-miss deal. The
best of the lot approach the hairy beast in a decidedly idiosyncratic manner,
like The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot and Stomping Ground, whereas more straight forward horror takes, such as Exists
are rather mediocre. This is a case in point.
For
the most part, Hoax is bland and unremarkable, but it has one thing
going for it: considerable screen time for genre character actor Brian Thompson
(who you might recognize as the head cultist in Cobra and the Alien
Bounty Hunter on The X-Files). He is terrific as the steely, hardnosed
Singer. Fans will also enjoy seeing Adrienne Barbeau pop up as Dr. Freese’s
medical technician Wilma, even though it is a completely inconsequential role.
It
is worth noting there is not much gore in first and second acts, but there is a
sudden deluge in the last twenty minutes or so. Arguably, that is sign the film’s
balance is off. Hoax earns some goodwill by reminding us of what a genre
stalwart Thompson has been over the years, but then fritters it away with an
ending that appears to be designed to incorporate as many unsatisfying horror clichés
as was humanly possible. Not recommended, Hoax releases today on VOD.
