EXISTS: BIGFOOT FOUND FOOTAGE

I find myself continually saying this: I’m not a fan of found footage movies. On the rare occasion one is done that actually pulls off something good but for the most part they tend to get repetitive or present people so caught up in filming what’s happening around themselves that they become more of a joke than seem like someone actually trying to record events as they happen. Consider this my attempt at a warning along the lines of the names and places were changed to protect the innocent.

That being said I didn’t know what to expect with this film. To begin with it was directed by Eduardo Sanchez, one of the two directors of the film that really kicked this genre into high gear, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. While for some that seems an achievement for me it meant little since I was never a fan of that film, finding it tedious until the last 10 minutes or so. So reading that piece of information on the cover meant nothing to me.

The movie covers a weekend retreat of several friends in a cabin in the woods. The cabin belongs to the uncle of two brothers that are part of this group. What they fail to mention to the rest is that their uncle told them never to come up here and spend the night. The group plans to have a nice weekend away and to film themselves riding bikes with Go-pro cameras, small cameras that attach to things like helmets and deliver a decent picture. A lot of what happens in the film is captured by these cameras though of course not enough that you get a perfect picture of what ends up as the danger in the film.

Suffice to say, and most will know this going in having read the box for the DVD, what they encounter on this weekend is a Bigfoot. But this isn’t the tame Bigfoot we’ve seen in the past, this is something that’s on a rampage. Again, not so much a spoiler but stop if you’re concerned it might be, the group hit something with their car on the way up but never got a good look at what it was. Only the truly ignorant will not realize early on that it must have been part of a family of Bigfoots (or would it be Bigfeet?) and that whoever is left is not happy with this group.

The group realize that they need to get out only to find the road blocked by a tree. Then their car is damaged beyond repair. Finally one of them decides to ride their bike (I’m talking mountain bike not motorcycle just to clarify) down the road to get help. Hoping to move fast enough not to be caught this is actually one of the better moments in the film. The Go-pro footage of the Bigfoot running as fast as it can to reach the biker actually comes off as somewhat frightening. But since there is plenty of time left in the movie you know the odds of this biker making it are slim to none.

In fear for their lives the group tries to find a solution to their problem. But at the same time they make sure that they have their cameras ready to go all the time. They use the night vision to see what is attacking them but don’t use that information to protect themselves. And while we’re at it, where do people in movies like these get these extensive batteries that rarely run out of juice when I can’t get my cell phone to retain a charge for longer than a day tops. These people are in a cabin with no power and yet their cameras seem raring and ready to go at all times.

If these things weren’t enough to let you know how stupid this group of five characters are then consider the other dumb things they do. While all are definitely in their late twenties or early thirties they all swear like teenagers who’ve just discovered the F bomb, using it non-stop. A friend is attacked? Take the time to film it and not help. A camper is about to go over a cliff with you in it? Don’t try and get everyone out, just keep making sure the shot is in focus. These problems put on glaring display the problem that I have with found footage movies. The people involved are so caught up in filming everything going on around themselves that they never react to the things happening. Sorry but if I’m being attacked by a giant Bigfoot the last thing on my mind is the deposit I left on the Go-pro cameras. And remember this while in the woods – safety in numbers and travel by daylight.

In the end there are some decent moments when the Bigfoot actually gets into the scene and interacts with the final campers. Those moments offer a creepy looking creature that could scare kids at night but not most adults. Had the movie been done with a better script and better acting and tossed aside the whole found footage concept it might have made for a decent horror film. As it stands it’s not something I’d go back and watch again nor suggest to many people. Perhaps I’d suggest it to Bigfoot fans but not wholeheartedly. Other than those I’d pass it by.

Click here to order.