Director – Seth Breedlove (The Mothman of Point Pleasant, Beast of Whitehall)
Starring – Seth Breedlove, Loren Coleman (Unsolved Mysteries, Terror in the Skies), and Kathy Moskowitz Strain (Monsterquest)
Release Date – 2019
Rating – 3/5
Several years ago I was invited to the premier of Seth Breedlove’s The Mothman of Point Pleasant. It was premiering at a historic hotel in Point Pleasant which is just a few hours drive from me. I was speechless. As a West Virginia native and a fan of cryptozoology I was beside myself. I watched the film and spoke with Breedlove a moment after the viewing and became friends with him. I’ve spoke with him several times since then and reviewed most of his releases for Horror Society.
I respect what he has done with his production company Small Town Monsters and the attention he gives each topic of his films. Earlier in the year I purchased his On the Trail of Bigfoot mini-series on DVD with hopes of reviewing it but time got away from me. After watching Slash Dance I wanted to step away from horror for a moment so I decided now was the perfect time to spin it.
**Spoiler Alert**The documentary is six episodes long. The series starts with the first recorded sightings of a “wild man” to Native American lore. We move through this to sightings, dangerous encounters, and even scientific studies on their possible migration patterns to better predict exactly where they are going.**Spoiler Alert**
It’s not often that I get to review a cryptozoology documentary but when I do I really enjoy myself. Especially if it’s a topic I don’t know that much about. I’ve been a fan of cryptids for a few decades now and I love the way Small Town Monsters tackles their documentaries. I’ve been lucky enough to review a few other documentaries on bigfoot but I really enjoy the education aspect that On the Trail of Bigfoot delivers.
The interviews in this one is very widespread which really gives you a depth on how far this subject has come over the last few decades. We get interviews from scientists who are attempting to find a pattern of sightings along with their knowledge of predator trails to determine where the creature could possibly be seen next. We also have interviews from historians and experts on bigfoot. We get a run down on some of the most popular sightings and stories along with a little bit of a history lesson about the Native Americans and legends that could be interputed as bigfoot. With that being said, I would love to see an interview from a skeptic just to hear their side of the topic. The film does a great deal to establish the history of sightings so it would have been interesting to hear the thoughts from someone who doesn’t believe in it.
The film moves in a chronological order. We move from the history of the sightings and the Native mythology to more recent sightings and the studies to find patterns before moving it’s way into hunting and tracking. It’s a smooth and rational transition between each topic. Finally, the editing and transitions are smooth. I’ve reviewed a few documentaries in the past for various horror and sci-fi releases where the editing and transitions were rough. The topics jumped sporadically and the films had no real flow. STM has perfected the art of documentary filmmaking and this one flows very well. Overall, On the Trail of Bigfoot is a very informative and interesting look at America’s favorite cryptid. Small Town Monsters gives this creature the love and care is rightfully deserves. Fans of cryptozoology will want to check this one out.
