EIFF 2013: Shooting Bigfoot Review

Director: Morgan Matthews.

Starring: Morgan Matthews, Tom Biscardi, Rick Dyer, Dallas Gilbert, Wayne Burton.

Running Time: 90 minutes.

Synopsis: Morgan Matthews follows a variety of Bigfoot trackers to understand their fascination and if there truly is something out there.

CHRONICLE, CLOVERFIELD, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY – it’s safe to say cinema audiences have been lambasted with the found footage formula of late. British director Morgan Matthews’ SHOOTING BIGFOOT may sound like the latest moneymaking idea to fit this mold, but like 2011’s TROLL HUNTER is something different entirely. From its brilliant opening titles, it’s clear SHOOTING BIGFOOT is going to be an amusing adventure, but this hilarious, instantly quotable ride has serious mainstream potential.

Serving as our guide, director Morgan Matthews introduces us to the origins of the infamous Bigfoot hoax. A creature that is brushed off as often as the Loch Ness monster, it comes as a surprise to learn just how many of the locals have a story to tell. From the chauvinistic, tracksuit-donning Tom Biscardi to the somewhat mentally detached double act of Dallas and Wayne, everyone appears to share the mentality that if you don’t look, you won’t find.

Choosing to join three separate groups of Bigfoot trackers, Matthews finds himself exposed to a public who all have individual accounts concerning the furry fable. Opening to the sight of the director’s bloodied face, it’s predetermined that things will get a bit silly, and its tense and visually dark climax is a stark contrast to the documentary’s ebullient nature. Matthews’ middleclass commentary may bring common sense to a film full of crazy characters, but he cannot escape patronisation. Whether camping with the homeless or questioning Biscardi’s fruitful line of work, the director frequently rises to the silliness, but the film owes a lot to its transatlantic malapropisms.

The question over whether any part of SHOOTING BIGFOOT is scripted will divide opinion. From repeat references of a certain bottled drink to various incidents in the woods with notorious schemer Rick Dyer, this could very well be a hoax within a hoax. But internet confirmation aside, these characters are too obscure to be fake. Basic logic may not be their forte (peanut butter and tinned mackerel are Bigfoot’s favourite snacks, apparently), but their faith is beyond admirable.

Tom’s operation is well oiled and Dallas and Wayne’s borders on Hanna-Barbara comedic territory. However, everyone has a story to tell and their anecdotes and reliance on Snapple push it beyond your average documentary. Always hilarious and often pant-wettingly funny, SHOOTING BIGFOOT is a compelling exploration of how “science fiction has become science reality.”