The Legend Of Boggy Creek

The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)

Runtime: 86 minutes

Directed by: Charles B. Pierce

Starring: Pierce and a bunch of Arkansas locals

From: P&L

What an interesting film this is: 

Last night I decided to randomly see this cult favorite. While it's languorous (meaning it is rather leisurely paced at best) I can still say the movie is good.

What an interesting way Charles B. Pierce told this story. Think of it as a docudrama. The tale is based on real life. In the tiny town of Foulke, Arkansas, a Bigfoot-esque creature was spotted off and on for years. The people in the cast were mainly residents of the city and they played themselves; they told various yarns about encounters they claimed they had. I'll presume those stories actually happened to those people and weren't complete BS written by Pierce, but I can't say definitively either way. I can say Pierce was the narrator-under a different name-and appears at the end.

Like I said, this has a languid pace, rolling along slowly like one of the creeks you see in the film. That said, I wasn't bored. The main drawing card is how it feels authentic due to the cast and all the Southern accents you hear. In addition, there's a creepy vibe under the surface throughout that sometimes bubbles over and becomes apparent. The final act has some very successful moments at being terrifying. You do see the creature, which is a dude in a Sasquatch suit. You never see it clearly up close, which is not only good as the suit was probably cheap, but it does end up making things spookier.

I give Pierce a lot of credit for doing this with an old camera and borrowed cash from a local trucking company, and it was such a hit locally that it received national distribution and was a bit hit on the drive-in circuit. In modern times people may think of it as “dull” and I get that, but the eerie feeling throughout is enough to make me say this was worthwhile.