Starring: Alexie Gilmore, Bryce Johnson
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Run Time: 80 minutes
Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
I am getting terribly bored and tired of found footage movies. There is nothing new and original here and the pay off seems to get less and less each time. I figured I would give this film a chance because when I interviewed Bobcat Goldthwait (“Police Academy”), he was raving about it. It kept my interest for the first few minutes but then just really dived off the deep end. It is less than 80 minutes long yet it feels like 2+ hours. Firstly, I wouldn’t call it horror either since nothing happens until the last 10 minutes and even then it is isn’t scary at all. We spend about 10 minutes just starring at these people in a tent freaking out at some noises in which we never see who/what they come from. Save yourself the 80 minutes and don’t waste your time here.
Official Premise: Looking to make a splash with his research videos into the existence of Bigfoot, Jim (Bryce Johnson, Pretty Little Liars) and his girlfriend Kelly take a camping trip to the mountains surrounding Willow Creek, California, a small town where infamous footage of the supposed Sasquatch was filmed. Before long the headstrong couple are lost in the woods and discover that someone – or something – is stalking them. With each passing night bringing unknowable danger, the two must use all of their cunning to try to make it out of the forest alive.
The Blu-ray presentation is not anything amazing either. It is shot handheld and even though some of the locations are very pretty to look at there is so much grain shown. Especially when the film goes dark and we are in the tent, I looked at my screen and it looks like a ripped DVD quality. The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which is also wasted since there is no score or anything in the film besides the dialogue. Special features include a commentary track with Writer/Director Bobcat Goldthwait and Stars Alexie Gilmore and Bryce Johnson, which is decent. There is “Bryce Johnson’s The Making of Willow Creek” follows only day day of shooting from the film so hardly a making of featurette. Lastly there is a deleted scene and a trailer included.
Huh, interesting. I LOVED it. I thought the opening bits were hysterically funny, and was amazed at the ballsy switch to a horror scene at the end. Not a traditional structure to the film at all, which is why i found it so original and super entertaining.