Documentary Review: The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the Lone Star State

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the Lone Star State
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
74 minutes, 2023
www.smalltownmonsters.com/
www.facebook.com/smltownmonsters
#IndieHorrorFilms #DogmanTriangle #SmallTownMonsters #Cryptid #werewolf

Growing up watching the classic Universal monster films as a kid, creatures hold a soft spot for me. This is especially true for werewolves, for some reason. Where is Larry Talbot when you need him?

But director Seth Breedlove goes beyond into the realm of cryptids, urban legends that posits monsters like Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil are possibly real. While I do not believe so, I tend to enjoy stories about cryptids, and especially Breedlove’s take on them.

He has travelled around the country looking for them, and as far as were-creatures, he covered this topic in the more general American Werewolf (2022). For this one, he ends up more specifically in the second largest state in the Union, Texas, searching for the “Dogman” legend, a branch of werewolf. It would be easy to make a joke about ZZ Top at this point, but I will move on…

Aaron Deese

Based on the findings of author Aaron Deese’s 2023 book, The Dogman Triangle (he is also former Editor in Chief of Paranormality Magazine), Deese joins paranormal expert, author, podcaster (“Into the Fray Radio”), perennial Small Town Monsters host, and often Havana hat wearer Shannon LeGro on a tour of the Deep South, focusing on three points in the State (hence the “triangle” part), San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, covering about 700 square miles. Each “point” is a chapter title.

It is important to note that though the word “werewolf” is bandied about because there is no official categorization, the term “dogman” is more accurate; in other words, it is not a person who converts into a wolf as in the lore, but rather falls into cryptozoology as a large wolf that can walk on two legs like a human. As with many cryptid monsters, the descriptions vary from “eyewitnesses” to the perceived form. I find this somewhat naturalistic version more interesting that the supernatural one in regard to transformations.

Shannon LeGro

There are three levels of observers scattered throughout the documentary. The first is the retelling of the folklore legends, usually dealing with the late 1800s to the 1950s, such as storytellers Ken Gerhard, Lyle Blackburn, and Nick Redfern from Britain. Then there are the third- and second-hand stories of people who knew people (e.g., neighbor, dad) that had a sighting, but did not have them on their own, like JoJo Santana and James Witter. Finally, there are those who claim they saw the dogman (or something like it), including Dawn and Michael Lucker, both of whom have different descriptions of size (a difference of 4 feet in height when upright). Worth noting, also, is Nick Losoya, an Apache who talks about a more skinwalker/loupagrou legend of the Indigenous people.

I like that the documentary addresses the possibilities of misidentification by the witnesses, such as a mangy bear (which can walk on its hind legs) or a wolf-dog hybrid (there are technically no wolves in Texas, but they explain it here), but fall back to it being a canid creature.

Deese, LeGro

Another direction they investigate that was keen to my interest was the “after effect” of a sighting, such as that of Tex Wesson, who suffered from PTSD for a while afterwards, and he is not the only one who mentions that in the film. In the many cryptid docs I have seen, this is an area that I do not remember being explored much, and honestly, I would love to see an entire film on just that: the psychology of the effects of seeing a cryptozoology subject in the flesh.

As for “tangible proof,” there is some given, such as footprints (though the two shown are totally different), a couple of grainy videos, and an audio track of howling. What we are mostly presented with are some incredible artwork by Johnathan Dodd (one of the financial supporters of this film, along with many, many others, is Swamp Thing illustrator Stephen R. Bissette) and animation by Chris Sealf. Also worth noting is the eerie music soundtrack by Brandon Dalo.

Considering the sheer volume of guns in the state (the most registered arms at 21 per 1,000 people), how are these things not hunted, extinct, and mounted on a mantlepiece like a deer head?

Fortunately for us, there is the promise that “Aaron Deese will return…” at the end of the credits. Goody!

Available on Cable VOD and Digital HD, as well as 1091 Pictures, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW.

IMDB listing HERE

Documentary Review: Bloodlines: The Jersey Devil Curse

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Bloodlines: The Jersey Devil Curse
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
79 minutes; 2022
https://www.smalltownmonsters.com/

Being that I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, whenever the Jersey Devil was brought up, it was generally not attributed to a cryptid, but rather the drivers of that state. I know better now, and I am no longer Jersey Driver-phobic. The Jersey Devil creature? Well, that’s another story, and it is attentively given its due in this documentary, directed by Cryptid Master, Seth Breedlove.

The Jersey Devil (JD) is not omnipresent in the state, but is confined to an actually quite large reserve known as the Pine Barrens. I have been there and walked some trails, but never saw anything weird, just a beautiful pine forest.

 

But the mainstream legend of the beastie started in earnest during the early 1900s, beginning originally as The Leeds Devil, and over time and newspaper articles, it became the name it now retains. The creature is supposedly the size of a large dog, looks like a deer with the head of a horse with long horns, bat wings to fly around, talons in front, either horse feet or cloven hooves in the rear, and eyes that glow red. It supposedly can easily rip people or other animals apart.

Breedlove’s films, which deal specifically on cryptids, have evolved quite well. His early documentaries embraced lots of talking head “experts” (such as writers on the topic, local historians, alleged eye witnesses, and supernatural investigators) and mixed between, separating the interviews were either short animation pieces or dramatizations.

Here, he goes a bit further, for the better interest of the viewer in a mode that I personally found more engaging (that is not to say his earlier films are not). He has a lesser number of interviewees, which makes it easier to associate with them, and there is a stronger reliance on the dramatizations, even going as far to show a 1909 sighting in silent movie form, and in sepia. It is effective. There are a number of animation images of what the Devil may look like dispersed through the documentary, sometimes in still images, occasionally in almost Claymation style, and then there are the really effective mixes of live action and animation.

The early 1900s were the boom of the period of yellow journalism (until FoxNews, of course), so named for the color of the newspapers. As a student of media and technological impacts, I found the detailed description of how these papers, especially in Philadelphia, helped foster the image of the Leeds Devil, and transformed it into the Jersey Devil.

Dr. Brian Regal

Some of the experts describing the history of the cryptid are Dr. Brian Regal, author of the book The Secret History of the Jersey Devil, folklorist Dr. Eleanor Hasken-Wagner, and researcher and writer Mark Matzke, all of whom, among the others, keep the story fresh and manage to engage the viewer (this one, anyway).

They give a history of the – er – history of possible origins of the JD legends, be it from Native Americans telling the story to Quakers who turned it into a devil image, of a longer narrative about the possibility of it being born of a witch in the mid-18th Century. This is dramatized in a lengthy and enjoyable black and white short that is reminiscent of the old Universal Monsters style, but without the overly theatrical acting (Megan Barylak does an excellent job as the midwife).

The Pine Barrens

Myself, I do not necessarily believe in cryptids, but I do enjoy the stories around them, from a cultural and historical perspective, and this documentary covers all of that. The film first premiered in Point Pleasant, WV, at the 2022 Mothman Festival, which seems appropriate.

Breedlove’s previous documentaries have set a very high bar of excellent films about regional monsters, and I do believe that this has topped them. Whether you are a hockey fan, a Jerseyite, or just into the weird world we live in, this might float yer boat.

IMDB listing HERE

Documentary Review: American Werewolves

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

American Werewolves
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
81 minutes, 2022
www.smalltownmonsters.com

It is always a good day when I get the chance to see a documentary from the king of the cryptids, Seth Breedlove. While one may watch his series of films, you never doubt the sincerity of the filmmaker (i.e., cash grab), but he appears to be dedicated to the topic. I respect that.

This is not the first werewolf he as covered, though the last one was more centralized in the Bayou with Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou (2021). This is a hard film to find by title searching because an Internet exploration result is inundated with An American Werewolf in London (1981), which should come as no surprise to genre fans…or anyone else. In this case, he looks at the lycanthropy phenomenon on a more general basis, across Middle America, such as Ohio and Kentucky (especially Land Between the Lakes National Park).

Another difference, and one I am looking forward to, is that Breedlove’s approach is different this time. Usually, he uses a heavy mix of writers, scientists, fringe keepers, and eyewitnesses. Here, he relies on more on eyewitness testimony. He still presents some “paranormal investigators” to help the viewer situate themselves into the lycanthropic mentality and history, including the locations, but my issue is that “experts” are always second-hand accounts, whereas these witnesses are first-hand, making what they say more chilling. How much they believe in this is another story, but it is conveyed in non-professional talk, and more from the gut.

There are some interesting euphemisms given to the creatures right off the bat, such as “upright canids” and “Dogman” (should that be “Dogperson”?).

It is no surprise that most of the sightings have been in extremely rural areas, as is true with most cryptid encounters (with the possible exception of Mothman, also discussed in a previous Breedlove documentary, if you are interested). In cornfields. the woods, which would be a more natural habitat for a wolf of any kind, it makes sense. The main description is a six-to-eight-foot hairy dog headed creature that walks on two legs, a la The Howling (1981) or Dog Soldiers (2002).

Another difference between this and other Breedlove films is that there is no host nor narrator, and the interviewees do all the talking; though there are placards to let us know the location and the name of the person. Also dissimilar from earlier releases is that there is a discussion and description of possible cryptid killings, though they leave it open for interpretation, because it is not possible to prove in a court of law.

The two longest stories are held until the third act, and they are pretty intense. There is some waxing poetic along with the tales of the encounters, be it with a single creature or multiple ones. For me, it got even more of whaaaa? when Bigfoot is introduced in a cameo for Land Between the Lakes (Sasquatch in the north, Dogmen in the south, and overlap in the middle). Definitely more cryptid bang for the buck.

It is interesting how Breedlove lets his interviewees tell their experiences mostly uncut, other than some edits, to get the full effect of what they claim to have seen and how they felt. Most first-person interviews are all over the place and occasionally laughable, but these tell a story, which is intriguing and kept my attention.

Mixed between the stories is some b-roll clips of a man in a Dogman costume, for effect, that actually works. There is less animation than usual, and shots of the woods, sunsets, and the costume beastie with the amber glowing eyes, is perfect to accompany the stories.

Not fer nuthin’, but I find it interesting that both areas covered are Red States. One of the interviewees mentions that everyone who goes into the LBtL National Park should carry a gun, and I wonder about the connection with the location.

The film is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW.

IMBD Listing HERE

Documentary Review: On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors

 Text © Robert Barry Francos / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
81 minutes, 2022
www.smalltownmonsters.com

I know I have said this before, but cinematically speaking, director Seth Breedlove is the “king” of cryptid mythology, with films covering ghosts, Bigfoot, Mothman, Momo, and so many others. Lately, he’s been doing television mini-series, and this film is a combination of two of them, “On the Trail of UFOs” (2020) and “On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Skies” (2021; reviewed HERE).There may be some new footage, but as I have not seen both of the others, I cannot tell, so I will focus on what is in front of me.

Most of Breedlove’s documentaries take place on the East Coast-ish, such as the Adirondack Mountains, or the eastern part of the Midwest, such as Missouri. For this new investigation, he travels as far as the San Luis Valley of southwestern Colorado, to start. Nice to see him and his crew stretch their legs a bit.

While the topic of UFOs and aliens is a well-worn trope, this isn’t about alien abductions, exactly, but rather the history of cattle mutilations that have been going on since at least the 1990s. For those who are vegetarians, vegans, and those sensitive and easily triggered to that kind of thing, be forewarned there are multiple images of the mutilations. While I understand the reasoning for these, as it is the topic du jour, they could have cut down on the number and just make the point.

As with other “On the Trail of…” shows and films, it is hosted by Panama hat-wearing cryptid investigator Shannon Legro, who also narrates the documentary, as well as being its backbone. She arrives in Colorado with the Small Town Monsters crew, which is three other men, including the director, Breedlove, as someone to bounce ideas off of for perspective.

As always, there are tons of first-person witness interviews, writers and paranormal investigators, as well as those in organizations focused on the topic, such as the head of MUFON (Mutual UFO Network, a collective of volunteers who investigate and keep records of sightings and other strange occurrences, such as said cattle mutilations).

Now, when I say first-person witnesses, I am talking about cattle ranchers who discover their stock after the tragedies. One claims of 24 of his herd were mistreated since the 1990s. But no one is an actual eyewitness, of course (that’s why it is cryptid) of the aliens, their ships, or the mutilations in progress.

Shannon Legro and Snippy the Horse

For that reason, the story eventually slides over to very briefly include abductions, such as a story of someone (no longer alive) who claimed he was taken many times. The documentary also flows a bit further south, where supposedly the cattle mutilation started (i.e., was first reported), and as one interviewee states, it is an area rife with other Earth-bound cryptids and witches (as the latter are relatively human, would they be considered cryptids?). It is here we meet the head of the UFO Watchtower, an organization similar to MUFON, run by a woman who has a literal watchtower on her middle-of-nowhere ranch, surrounded by UFO paraphernalia (e.g., alien dolls, signs, masks, art, mugs). It also has, connected to it, a museum and store, as we see her in front of the cash register at some point. I’m actually disappointed they used that image because it sort of cheapens what she is doing (i.e., is it a passion, or is it merely a business gimmick?). Part of her “collection” is the skeleton of the first reported mutilation, which is a horse named “Snippy.” Whether it’s really that particular skeleton is not verified in the film, but taken on the now-owner’s word. But that’s not to say there is not a certain level of skepticism on the part of a couple of the many people interviewed throughout

I find it deeply interesting that a common theme of Small Town Monsters’ films is matching the cryptid with its environment. For example, for their recent release titled On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey (2021; reviewed HERE) it was the mountains and forests in northern New York State, and western Vermont and Massachusetts. In this case, it’s both the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies to the east that lead up to them. The scenery here is beautiful for both, aided by the skillful use of drones to give a wider perspective; perhaps to give the viewer an idea of what it would look like to a UFO?

As always, the animation recreations are fun to watch, and vary in “realistic” levels. While there are some that show several “ships,” apparently most of the sightings, to start, as expressed by eyewitnesses, are more lights than objects, and some of the animation reflects that. The film lets the viewer decide if the images are manipulated or “genuine” footage, rather than announcing them.

Like most of the cryptid documentaries by anyone, Breedlove and others, there is no real evidence of its material focus’ existence, be it ghosts, Sasquatch, UFOs, etc., only first and second-hand accounts and stories, often bolstered by re-enactments. But still, that does not take anything away from the enjoyment level of the topic, especially if one is interested in that particular subject. Rather than sneer at these people who seem deluded, and knowing the lack of reliability of eyewitnesses, I am still drawn to these things, and Breedlove is a master at telling a story. Shannon also does a great job giving these stories life.

The documentary is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW.

IMBD Listing HERE 

Review: Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
70 minutes, 2021
www.smalltownmonsterss.com

One of the things I enjoy about Small Town Monsters’ releases is that not only does each documentary focus on a particular cryptid, but they centralize the story; they will pick a part of the country and focus on that area, even if it covers a corner of multiple states, situating the events, including the more commonly widespread ones, such as Bigfoot.

So, after covering the likes of the Bell Witch, Bigfoot and Mothman, among many others, here they focus on one of my favorite topics, the werewolf. This mystical creature has been having a resurgence lately, with films like Bonehill Road (2017), Night Howl (2017), Lyncanimator (2018), and the upcoming The Beast Comes at Midnight, so it makes sense to check on one in the real world. in this case, southern Louisiana. This is a change since most of the previous films by STM I have seen involve the Northeast. It is great to see them stretching their (literal) boundaries.

Like Bigfoot, which has multiple names depending on the location (e.g., Yeti, Sasquatch), the “Skinwalker” down in the bayou is known by the Cajun (Acadians originally from Nova Scotia) term, Rougarou (or as I, as a Brooklyn boy heard it, Loup-garou). The story of a man-wolf hybrid has been around for centuries in those swampy areas, giving rise to multiple alleged sightings and stories of meaning.

That is where this story takes off, into the swampy, spooky landscape that has appeared in so many horror releases, such as in Hammer Films’ The Mummy (1959) and many voodoo zombie B-films of the 1940s. It’s a mysterious place full of danger, like quicksand, poisonous snakes, alligators, and the legendary Rougarou.

The film is narrated by Lyle Blackburn, who has done so for a few other Breedlove releases, but he is also the lead vocalist and guitarist of the gothabilly band, Ghoultown, and has written an appropriate book to this film called Swamps: Monsters and Mysteries from the Mire (2020). He does a fine job in a slow and measured manner that’s appropriate for the location of the story, though without the drawl.

The film is broken into chapters. The first wisely mixed a few of the legends with a smattering of the background of the area, including some stunning photography as always; another is how the legend of the Rougarou started both by the American Indians/First Nations who lived in the area, and then by the French settlers. Apparently, the werewolf is historically common folklore in French literature.

The story continues in how the Rougarou is created, be it half-human, half-wolf, or mostly wolf but standing upright. It also includes some fun first- and second-hand stories by the locals, including the person who runs the Rougarou Fest held in Houma, LA, and members of the local Houma Tribe for whom the city is named.

An interesting aspect to me is the variations of the Rougarou. Most of the other cryptids tend to hold steady in their concept and aim, but because the Rougarou is a mixture of Indigenous tribes and European influence, the look, the means of transformation, and even modus operandi changes often. For some, the Rougarou almost takes the Boogeyman/Krampus role of being used to keep kids in line (e.g., “If you’re bad, the Rougarou will getcha!”), for others they are merely wood-and-swamp creatures, and mostly they are humans who have been cursed (one example is a wife who puts the lycanthropy on her good-fer-nuthin’ husband).

While there are certainly similarities between the various visions of the creature, there definitely appears to be a more human aspect, even with the occasional fear-mongering of either eating human flesh or souls. The latter is subtly explained by the very Catholic-based religions in the region. Most other beliefs, such as Baptist or Lutheran, would most likely (in my opinion) just express the Rougarou as either the work of the Devil, or to be a minion of such (Demon). Catholicism is often more varied in possibilities of evil entities, although Devils and Demons are right up there (ever hear of a Lutheran exorcism?).

Because of the addition of the human aspect of transformation, even though it is made clear that the Rougarou can appear as any animal or human, or even a bird or tree, it is usually associated with white clothing and fur (such as rabbits) except for the werewolf version. The consistent seems to be the red glowing eyes. This makes the creature more engaging in a The Thing (1983) way because it could be anyone, even the person sitting next to you in church, as one person interviewed posits.

As with most of the Small Town Monsters releases, there is a mixture of live interviews and travelogues of the area under discussion, some creative artwork and cartooning, and in this case, some really fabulous recreations. The wolf suits are stunning, easily as good as some of the more popular films like Dog Soldiers (2002), which relies more on man-wolf hybrids than, say, the mostly wolf shape of An American Werewolf in London (1981). It is these recreations that really flesh out the stories and give visuals beyond the talking heads syndrome.

With modern technology, salt-water flooding of the sweet water swamps thanks to climate change, and the different directions of the winds of culture, the documentary also tackles the possible future for the Rougarou.

For a company and director that is incredibly prolific, it is admirable that the quality of these films never diminishes. If you are into cryptids or just cryptid-curious, this will not disappoint, as is true with the other STM fare available at the link at the top of the page.

 

Review: On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
85 minutes, 2021
www.smalltownmonsterss.com

They say when you are passionate about something, you don’t have a job. Or something like that. Seth Breedlove and his Small Town Monsters (SMT) company are spearheading a movement on the questionable: Bigfoot, the Momo, and a host of other cryptid creatures. For this documentary, he both goes out of his – er – orbit of “natural” Earth monsters, and looks up at the stars. But from the perspective of being very on the ground.

Over time, Breedlove has gone from films that are mostly documentaries and part re-enactments, to being the point of focus leading the expedition. This makes sense in the world of Covid, keeping it close and personal as much as possible.

Not counting claims of Aliens visiting Ancient Egypt (and helping to build the pyramids? Really?) or Latin America thousands of years ago (if you want a laugh, check out the 1968 book Chariots of the Gods?, by Erick von Damien), UFO sighting claims are actually relatively recent in the United States, dating back to around the Second World War. Though most of the creatures Breedlove has focused on have been around a bit longer than that, the explosion of Alien contact is fully national, rather than isolated segments of the country (for example, as Breedlove’s previous docu showed how the Adirondacks are a focus of detections, rather than, say, Taos, AZ).

Seth Breedlove and Shannon Legro

That being said, Breedlove is joined in this quest by paranormal researcher and author Shannon Legro, who has her own podcast called Into the Fray Radio. She leads the questioning of the people who are claiming sightings. They start off, in this case, in West Virginia, where an older man describes a sighting he had when he was 10 years old. From there, they mostly focus their travels investigating and interviewing around West Virginia with a quick boo northwest into Ohio (STM is based near Akron, OH). I think it is really smart to keep the focus small and concentrate on one relatively small area (i.e., a state) than nationally, or even globally. Especially in these pandemic days.

The film, which is based on a television show by the same name (2020), also wisely manages to bring in some references to the meat of STM concentrations by noting that West Virginia is also the area of the infamous Mothman, and a few interviewed mentions it directly. But there are other weirdness and cryptids mentioned, such as an alien from a crashed UFO, the Green Monster of Flatwoods, WV, which has a museum dedicated to it in that town, and a whole section of the mysterious Men in Black, who may be military, or possibly otherworldly. There are even some paranormal investigators thrown in to help search for information.

Are the Aliens interested in the military which has numerous bases there, power sources of West Virginia such as coal mines, electrical grids and nuclear plants, or the many factories that built them (e.g., Nitroglycerine for TNT came from the WV town of Nitro)? Or perhaps, and for me this is one of the weakest arguments, do they use the coal shafts and caves to travel to a “hollow earth”? It’s all good fun, anyway.

I find it interesting that the crafts all are different shapes. One investigator comments that most are saucer shapes with lights, but the descriptions are numerous, including triangular or other forms. Perhaps they are from different civilizations, or may be built by billionaires on other planets? Okay, the last sentence was totally me. But I mean the first part of that sentence, which I have not seen questioned before.

The film is bolstered by some incredibly well-done animations and re-creations, as well as some possible images of real sightings. There are also various 1950s film clips that I enjoyed, such as ones from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956; thank you, public domain).

Legro, who also presents the television version, is a good host, and she certainly does the job well. On occasion, though, she seems a bit stiff when reading the narration. She is stoic quite a bit, so the parts where she gets excited really liven it up, such as in the last section. I will acknowledge that it is a fine line when interviewing not to take away from the person who is talking, and when dealing with non-professional talkers, this can be challenging; and she does this quite well. Breedlove, who spearheaded the previous On the Trail of Bigfoot (2021, reviewed HERE), wisely takes a back seat to Legro, and lets her get to work, chirping in with his questions just at the right time.

When dealing with the topics of great mysteries like the supernatural, cryptids, and/or Aliens, there are two aspects to keep in mind. The first is whether or not they actually find one in their search. That is certainly one of the reasons why we watch these documentaries. The second is that usually, you know you are going to be left unfulfilled, like this is the appetizer (questions) without an entrée (answers), but the smells are so good in the restaurant (the program) that you just do not care. That is the ultimate goal for both the program and the viewer.

Breedlove’s documentaries that I have seen, and there have been a few now, have never disappointed, and I always look forward to them. UFO documentaries are pretty much a dime a dozen, but the way he ties in the cryptid connections makes this stand out some from the others, and for that I am grateful.

 

Review: On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey
(aka On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Legend and the Search)
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
96 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.smalltownmonsters.com
https://onthetrailof.tv/

Who is the cryptozoology king creature in popularity? Is it Mothman? The Jersey Devil? Arguably, the big macher is Bigfoot, aka the Sasquatch (with its cousin, the Yeti, a close second). There are dozens of fictional movies about the mythical woodland beastie, often with it being a killer monster often stalking teens in wooded cabins. So, who better to do a self-involving documentary about the true legend than the leader in cryptid mythology films than Seth Breedlove, and his Small Town Monsters brand?

Seth Breedlove and tattoo on right

Starting off in Wadsworth, Ohio (I once stayed near there on a voyage to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in the early 2000s), Breedlove and some friends take a road trip to Upper New York State, specifically to Wells, New York (an over 7-hour drive), in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Apparently, this truly majestic range is a hot-spot for the hairy one, dating back to Colonial times when he was known as “The Wild Man.” Through the course of the film, they travel to various connecting free spaces, including the Green Mountains of New Hampshire and the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. It’s easy to tell which one of the intrepid travelers is Breedlove by the “Small Town Monsters” logo tattoo on his arm. But I digress…

Breedlove wisely starts the film with both positing his reasons for the trip and this film (which I will discuss later), and as a expositional foundation, presenting some talking head experts on the topic, such as Aleksandar Petakov, who directed the 2016 television documentary “Sasquatch: Out of the Shadows”, Bruce Hallenback, author of the 2015 book, Monsters of New York: Mysterious Creatures in the Empire State, Paul Bartholomew (who also joins the Small Town Monsters group at some point), writer of 2020’s Bigfoot Encounters in New York and New England: Documented Evidence, Stranger than Fiction, podcasters Emily Fleur (“The Forest Fleur”) and Mark Matzke (“Monstoropolis”), as well as Dr. David Floyd, an English Professor at Charleston Southern University, who did a Bigfoot in Literature podcast (HERE). 

This gives the viewer a solid basis of why they picked this particular area, and its history with The Wild Man. One of my favorite parts is these historians telling stories they had heard about sightings. There is a fine mix of second-hand stories, with some first-person eyewitness accounts, including one anonymous tale (thanks to being hidden behind a COVID mask) by a guy originally from Brooklyn(!), but they were all fun to hear.

Joining the crew in this self-shot doc for the nearly a week in the area around Buck Mountain to Whitehall, New York, near Lake George, is a number of investigators of various types, including Steve Kulls, Michael Anne, and Ted Varamogiannis, one of whom claims to have had an encounter with the 8-foot, hairy creature about five years earlier.

Our crew has lots of adventures traveling around various areas, including Kinderhook, NY and the Savoy Mountain State Forest in Western Mass, where they talk to a group of enthusiasts called the Sasquachusetts Group.

The Journey also presents a number of really nice animations and illustrations, as well as a few short re-creations of encounters. The format of the documentary reminds me of paranormal search shows, where the participants walk around often after dark in green night vision lights with glowing human eyes, trying to find something out of place. For example, one of the investigators noticed that there had been some kind of “disturbance” among flowers. Could it have been Biggie? Sure. But it could have also been a dear, a bear, or a coyote (whether you pronounce it Kai-yow-tee or kai-yout). Amusingly, one of the trackers gives a howl out to try and attract the creature, but my question is, how does he know what the mysterious Bigfoot sounds like, to “imitate” it. While this seems kind of silly to me, I have to admit it is also part of the charm of almost innocence of the team, and the entire documentary (and is a motif of previous Small Town Monster cryptozoology-focused releases, as well).

You may ask, at this point, whether I believe in Bigfoot. Honestly, I am 100 percent on the fence. I feel there is a possibility, but I am skeptical, which I believe is an appropriate approach about any cryptid phenomena. Could there be a Sasquatch? Sure. Could there be a Mothman? Why not? The thing about cryptids, especially Bigfoot, is people seem to think of it as a singular, like the Loch Ness Monster. But there must be a troop of them unless they are immortal. They would need to breed, which means the ones sighted in the 1970s would be at least the grandparents of any that would be sighted today.

It seems odd to me that if they are that big, and even in a wide expanse of the Adirondacks through the Green Mountains, there should be more evidence of, say, sleeping places, if a number of them were together, especially in the winter. And with modern technology, motion sensor cameras are relatively inexpensive and could be placed in suspected spots, which are often used by human hunters to find prey like deer. Hunting season is generally in October through early December, if I remember correctly, and what are the odds of hunters not coming across them or their camps, even with the thickness of the woods?

All that being said, I am not arguing for or against their existence. Personally, I think it would be cool if they did, and also fear that they would be mercilessly hounded by those who would wish to exploit them, and put them in cages in zoos and circuses, or do experiments on them. Perhaps it would be better if they were not found?

And do our travelers on their quest find the hairy grail? Well, I will not say, but there is a feeling of satisfaction of the venture. Besides, the scenery is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, especially on the last day when Breedlove rents a helicopter to fly him over the very heart of the vast wilderness of the treed and rock-faced mountains of the Adirondacks. I actually replayed that part over because it made me smile so much. Part of the reason for that is, like much of the cast – which ties in COVID-19 – as this was filmed in the summer of the rise of the pandemic and the following isolation, there is the desire to be out in nature after being locked up for so long.

Emily Fleur

There are many who have the Squatchitude of wanting to find the creature and learn about it, Jane Goodall style, as so beautifully expressed in the film by Fleur. Yeah, I would love if Bigfoot was proven as long as they get the respect they deserve. And the love for both the beast/s and its/their environment, is present and strong here, which is part of what makes this documentary so compelling, and a love story for the natural creature.

On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey is available on various platforms from 1091 Pictures, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW.

Trailer is HERE 

Review: The Mark of the Bell Witch

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

The Mark of the Bell Witch
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters
85 minutes, 2020
www.smalltownmonsterss.com

Seth Breedlove has become a cinematic cryptid monster maven over the years, directing a number of documentaries about mysterious creatures that may or may not exist, such as Bigfoot, the Mothman and the Missouri Monster (aka Momo). A few of his releases have been reviewed on this blog; if you search for his name, you will find them.

For his latest, Breedlove dissects the Bell Witch haunting in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, arguably one of the more infamous and deadly hauntings in American history. I remember learning about it as a youth from a Ripley’s Believe It or Not comic book, and it has been adapted into movies, books, and other comics over the years.

As with most adaptations, these other sources tended to be glorified versions to enhance the “scare” factor, which led to parts of the story being left out due to time. Breedlove aims to be more comprehensive. He not only has interviews with residents of the area of Adams, Tennessee (population 600), but also has the events play out with actors in black and white “flashbacks.”

Of course, there are no first-hand witnesses interviewed because, well, the events depicted are from nearly 200 years ago, in 1817 to 1821, on a farm run by John Bell, Sr. and his family. This is, however, due to its urban legend status, one of the more documented “hauntings” in American history, especially in that neck of the woods, yawl. It was first written about in M.V. Ingram’s book regarding the Bell Witch from 1894, An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch.

The manifestation started slowly with knocks and raps on the walls and doors, then with strange animals like a mysterious hare (not a common rodent in that environment; as King Arthur might say, “Jesus Christ, that rabbit is dynamite!”) or a trash-talking Cerberus-type pooch with two heads (and this is way before Triumph, the insult dog).

If you are into this kind of thing, you probably know that poltergeists are attracted to young people, especially women, and this fits here as one of the victims of malevolence (hair pulling, welts, etc.) was Betsy (played by Sue Matzke), the youngest of the Bell children who was in her late pre-teens, just the right age for the spooky pokings. Perhaps it was a possession of poor Betsy? Tyler Estep, a pastor who in interviewed, says the area was ripe with Protestant revivalism at the time, which may have led to “spiritual warfare.” As a skeptic, I’m – err – skeptical.

As the power of the Witch (apparently named Kate) grew and developed a literal voice, preachers were called left and right to try and figure out what was going on, supposedly talking to the spirit. I like how Breedlove gives multiple explanations of possibilities, whether it was the curse of a neighbor on the clan, or the spirit of a disturbed Native American’s resting place, or perhaps a demon, leaving it open rather than positing an answer that would be a guess at best.

Although no mention of their works are listed, there are multiple interviews with authors, such as Timothy Henson (also the historian for Adams), John Baker Jr., and Pat Fitzhugh (The Bell Witch: The Full Account, 2000; I looked this up myself), so the connection to the legend is unclear. There are also folklorists and historians like Brandon Barker and Beau Adams, a Classics professor named Heather Moser, and the host of “Astonishing Legends,” Forrest Burgess. Again, in many cases, the link to the story is not transparent, which is arguably the weakest point of the documentary, even if their stories are interesting and occasionally far-fetched (especially the Christian and “spirituality” end of it).

The thing about any media dealing with a Cryptid topic is one can say anything, since there is little real info. Was Bigfoot circumcised? Does Mothman dislike light? Sure, why not; try proving it’s either true or not. But on the flip side of that coin, that’s also part of the appeal: it’s the mystery of the whole thing. That’s why I find it so fascinating and enjoy Breedlove’s work, including this one.

Having the story play out in black and white scenarios really boosts the tale, keeping it from getting too bogged down in talking heads by just relating the events. Smart move. Either way, John Bell Sr., died of poisoning, supposedly given to him by the Witch. Of course, I have my own thoughts, such as their slaves concocting a way to get rid of a bad master, or possibly Betsy was abused by her dear old dad and her welts  were by him – even if she was somewhat in denial – with her getting him outta da way.

That does not, however, fit with other parts of the legend, such as the apparition appearing to neighbors in their own abodes, or that one entity would migrate into multiple ones (perhaps a family), so who knows. The point is, the facts were written down by one of the Bell’s sons to start, which we hear parts through the narration of actor Lauren Ashley Carter (star of the 2013 cult classic Jug Face) and then the just grew exponentially after that, much of it written years if not decades after the “fact.” A majority of what was published was when pulp fiction was becoming popular, with the likes of the Western Tall Tales (Davy Crockett’s feats, Paul Bunyan, and Mickey Finn, to name a few) and legends of crime like Billy the Kid being fed to an audience fascinated by a new medium.

Again, it all comes down to what is real and what is not, and with cases like this, there is the speculation of the gray areas in between with possibilities and tales to be told around a campfire. Breedlove does well to collect this information, present it in an easy and palpable form, and lets the audience speculate on what might have been a rare supernatural murder.