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THE LEGEND OF BIGFOOT (1976)
Directed by Ivan Marx
World Premiere Home Video VHS
Reviewed 12.01.05
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
The obsessions of mankind can run
the gamut from healthy and prosperous
to skewed and insane. Somewhere
in the middle stands Mr. Ivan Marx,
professional Bigfoot tracker. This
is his story. Make sure to grab
about twenty grains of salt on your
way in.
Unlike The
Legend Of Boggy Creek and
Sasquatch:
The Legend Of Bigfoot,
the late Ivan Marx's debut film
is not a mockumentary. At least
not completely. No, The Legend
Of Bigfoot is the embellished
fairy tale of Marx's life as a professional
animal tracker, which quickly led
to his preoccupation with all things
Sasquatch, huckster tendencies included.
Regardless of the man's original
aspirations (fame? respect? party
clown?), his take on the 1970s Bigfoot
sub-genre is nothing short of spectacular,
nearly eclipsing Charles Pierce's
classic Boggy Creek as
one of the most curious 'Squatch
films of all time. Gas up the VW
Bug.
Speaking to the camera, Ivan Marx
introduces himself and sets the
next 80 minutes in motion. The film
details his continent-spanning search
for the elusive Bigfoot, with the
help of his wife, Peggy, a small
group of assistants, and his red
Volkswagen. Along the way, Jean
Shepherd-styled narration and peeping
tom footage of mother nature welcome
us into the deranged merry-go-round
of Mr. Marx's mind. Scenery runs
the gamut from fascinating (a poor
squirrel strangely deals with the
loss of his mate), appalling (mass
caribou slaughter courtesy a few
redneck hunters), and hilarious
(an obvious Marx doing a bowlegged
Curly Shuffle in his dimestore Bigfoot
outfit). As the trail grows warm,
Ivan divulges his ridiculous theories
on Bigfoot's place in the universe;
spiritual god or headlight-eyed
savage? Perhaps we'll never know...
The Legend Of Bigfoot is
like an empty-headed exploitation
version of John Steinbeck's Travels
With Charley via The Blair
Witch Project. It's a road
trip picture without meaning; a
true representation of the strangeness
that lies within the head of an
unchecked obsessive. As an experience,
the film is nearly always pleasant,
romantic, and even a little creepy,
despite the few minutes of animal
violence (which mostly occurs at
the paws of other animals). The
sparse score, wind sound effects,
and endless isolation do much to
help the mood when the Bigfoot footage
appears under, uh, less than realistic
circumstances. We never get a good
look at the creature(s), but the
sight of a bony white guy's heel
hanging out of a furry pant leg
gives you an idea why. Marx's puff
piece is a curious snapshot of bygone
times, delivered with brevity, absurd
rantings, and a knack for intriguing
photography. All together, a very
satisfying trip for the Bigfoot
enthused.
Apparently, there was a time in
American history when a man could
take to the streets and survive
by documenting his strange obsessions.
Fact, fiction, or unintended comedy;
it all makes for a captivating watch
today.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The print jumps from full frame
to crooked letterboxed without rhyme
or reason, often within the same
scene. Strange. Scratches and gunk
pop up from time to time and a couple
of video blips made me blink. Colors
are tinged yellow. Print quality
aside, this is one of my most cherished
big box tapes. Amazing fake Bigfoot
photos are plastered everywhere
and an alarming announcement on
the back cover reads, "THIS
FILM IS A MUST FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY."
Goat suicide rituals? Animals eating
each other? Grab some Jiffy Pop,
kiddos.
EXTRAS
None, but this motion picture was
rated G by the MPAA.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although his original intent remains
a mystery, Ivan Marx's The Legend
Of Bigfoot is an obscure delight.
It's got a special strangeness that's
hard to peg down, but won't bore
you if you try. Scour the mountaintops
for this one. |
Meet Ivan
My god!
Happy Yeti day
You be the judge
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