The Breakdown: A couple head out into the North Pacific wilderness on a quest to find Bigfoot.
Watch If: You're trying to convince someone that no, they should not make a found footage Bigfoot film.
Not If: You could possibly schedule a colonoscopy during the same time period.
SECONDARY FACTS
Overall Rating: 1.4
Length: 1:20 of absolutely nothing happening.
Country: USA
Language: English
Scare Factor: 1/5
Gore Factor: 1/5
REVIEW
THE QUICK AND DIRTY
The first half is them talking about bigfoot, The second half is them sitting in a tent listening to "spooky" sounds. Even less happens in this film than in Blair Witch Project.
PREMISE: 1
I would love to see a well-done Sasquatch movie, but I'm not holding my breath, much like how I would love a wealthy relative with eclectic tastes to leave me a potentially haunted Victorian manor some place cold, but I'm not holding my breath for that, either. I guess what I'm saying is, if you're going to make a Bigfoot movie, at least add some creativity to it. Make it a twist, give it some panache. Because talking about Bigfoot for half a film, without really saying anything beyond the super basic urban legend, then putting two, mostly unlikable people in a tent listening to things for a little longer than you should have, does not a compelling movie make. It doesn't even really work as a comedy, because usually, if it were a comedy, something would have happened at some point in the film.
ACTING: 2
First off, a lot of the townsfolk in this film are just that, town folk. They are the actual people who live and work in Willow Creek, which is a neat move. But the two main actors are all over the place. They arn't compelling, and when we're just supposed to watch them be freaked out at noises for most of the movie, they need to be compelling.
VISUALS: 2
It was not filmed on a potato. But that seems to be all the effort they really put into the visuals in this one. I mean, a good chunk of the film takes place inside a tent, which, granted, is a clever move for a low budget film, but they let it go on a little too long. There's not much going on visually, except for the camera whirling about and shaking so badly that you really just wish you could take it away from them. Sound wise, also not much effort, which wouldn't be a problem in and of itself, but when coupled with every other lackluster part of this movie, it just falls flat.
ATMOSPHERE: 1
Nothing happens in this movie. Bigfoot isn't scary to begin with, and they do nothing to make it even threatening, nor do they lean into any comedy angle. The characters are cringe-worthy, and the few parts that did show potential either got dragged out far too long, or never amounted to anything interesting.
DELIVERY: 1
Willow Creek doesn't feel like a finished film. It has some interesting ideas, and clever ways around low-budget film-making, but it isn't interesting, nor is it even bad enough to be memorable.
Starring
Written By: Bobcat Goldthwait
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Affiliate Companies: Jerkschool Productions
Music: Linda Cohen, Matt Kollar
Cinematography: Evan Phelan