The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)

"Y'all wanna Coke?", 13 August 2005

The Legend of Boggy Creek is the story of a creature alleged to live in the area near Fouke, Arkansas. The creature supposedly stands 7 feet tall, is covered with hair, smells bad, and kills chickens, dogs, cats, and other small animals. Although the creature has never killed a human, as the movie points out, several people claim to have been terrorized by the "Bigfoot of the South" in the 1960s.

I don't remember how old I was the first time I saw The Legend of Boggy Creek, but it scared me. Part of the reason is that it's based on a supposed true story. The people in the movie are the real people who claim to have seen the monster. I've actually known people like this and their stories ring true with me (at least I believe that they believe what they're saying). As I've grown older, I realize that the story is probably a bunch of hooey, but the movie is still effective in raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Another plus for the movie is the low budget look it has. I realize that this is a bi-product of actually being made on a low budget, but the grainy look is often more effective in creating an atmosphere of horror than slick, well-financed productions can achieve.

And even if you don't find any of the legend spooky, there is enough to poke fun at to have a good time. Don't watch this movie if you're expecting Academy Award caliber acting. Most of the people in The Legend of Boggy Creek aren't actors. And those that actually are actors are about as believable as the Fouke Monster. A couple of songs in the movie are quite funny. For example, the main theme: "Here the Sulphur river flows / Rising when the storm cloud blows / This is where the creature goes / Lurking in the land he knows / Perhaps he dimly wonders why / Is there no other such as I / To love, to touch before I die / To listen to my lonely cry." You don't hear lyrics like that everyday. One scene that always makes me laugh is the death of one of Fouke's felines. When was the last time you saw a cat that was "scared to death" as the ever-present narrator of The Legend of Boggy Creek claims. Good stuff!

6/10