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Shadow's Title: "Yeti vs. The Skiers"

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After a few brief shots of snowy landscapes, complete with desolate wind sounds and some focusing/unfocusing camera effects, we get a brief glimpse of a hairy arm pulling at tree branches before hearing the titular creature’s roar. The film quickly cuts to a pair of skiers on the slopes, Jennifer and Heidi. The latter makes vocal her unease. She wants to go back (to the lodge presumably) and claims that there is “something funny.”

They come across some odd-looking large footprints in the snow, but Jennifer dismisses them as the work of pranksters. Another roar echoes through the woods, and without a single word to her friend, Heidi takes off down the slope. Jennifer stays and peers into the woods. Then we get a monster’s point-of-view shot as it crashes through the trees and into the clearing, straight toward Jennifer. A brief scream is all Heidi hears to mark Jennifer’s fate.

Now we cut to The Rill Lodge, where the 50th annual winter carnival is getting under way. Owner Carrie Rill makes a speech and welcomes local teen Betty Jo, this year’s Snow Queen. Elsewhere Ski Patrol member Buster Smith alerts Carrie’s grandson (and the guy who does all the real work at the lodge) Tony Rill to a possible missing skier. They head to a distant patrol station where Heidi is becoming increasingly hysterical, and more annoying by the minute, after relating her story of a monster that killed Jennifer. It seems none of the Patrolmen believe her. What a shock.

Tony tries to talk to Heidi, but she just keeps flipping out. Tony tells her to calm down so they can go looking for Jennifer but she absolutely refuses to go back on the mountain to take part in such a search, and is quickly ushered back to the lodge (finally!) and out of the movie, having served her fleeting purpose. Buster leaves to take Heidi to the lodge but not before Tony tells him and all the other patrolmen to keep quiet regarding Heidi’s monster story.

Tony then sets out with some Patrolmen on a search, but they quickly (and predictably) split up. A short series of shots of them all skiing lets us know that they’re covering lots of ground. This is one part that confused me. Since traveling via skis limits you to one basic direction – downhill, how can they be covering the area that the brief montage shows us? Maybe they have some of those new magic skis that we’ve heard so much about. You know, the kind that takes you up hills? Either that or they were on one very tall mountain. Still, Heidi eluded the monster the first time by skiing downhill, so logic dictates that she came across the patrol station downhill. So why are these clowns searching downhill? Wouldn’t going up to the top of the mountain and then commencing the search make more sense?

Eventually Tony wanders close to the monster, as we are subjected to a few Monster Cam shots of Tony skiing downhill. He then locates Jennifer’s bloodied jacket and abandoned skiing equipment. Another roar fills the air and Tony looks around. Now, we the audience are treated to a shot of something large and white moving around just beyond the tree line (no, it is not Frosty the Snowman), but with all his jerky head movements it is not clear whether Tony sees the same thing that we see.

Back at the lodge, Gar Seburg and his wife Ellen have arrived. An autograph hound hits Gar up for his signature and mentions a gold medal in his past, which lets us know that Gar was once the bomb on the slopes. We soon learn that Gar is a washed up former champ, having quit at the pinnacle of his skiing career so as to not become a “has been” and becoming exactly that. He has come to the Rill lodge to look up his old friend Tony and hit him up for a job.

Tony is busy trying to convince his grandmother that something is wrong and that it was not an animal that was responsible for Jennifer’s disappearance. He’s adamant that something is seriously wrong and lives may be in danger, wanting to call in Sheriff Paraday. Carrie bemoans the fact that something like this had to happen just as the Winter Carnival was gearing up, noting how important the carnival is to the existence of the lodge and the local area and suggesting that things be kept quiet until after all the celebrations are over.

Tony asks a lodge worker to locate Sheriff Paraday for him and then meets up with Gar and Ellen, apologizing for not stopping to talk earlier. We learn that he and Ellen were once an item before Gar won her over. Tony then hires Gar on the spot as the new ski school director. Damn, I wish my last job application had been that easy! Gar looks pleased but Ellen doesn’t seem overly thrilled.

Patrolman Buster Smith returns and expresses the desire to go looking for the missing Jennifer. Tony, not having told anyone else other than his grandmother about the Big Hairy Monster, refuses to let him go and orders that signs be posted in the area, restricting access.

However, that doesn’t deter Buster, who then decides to ignore the boss’s orders and takes off on his own to look for the missing girl. He skis around some and wilds up taking a spill, sliding over the edge of a precipice and just managing to hang on to the edge so as to not go falling. He struggles to haul himself up as Monster Cam shots let us know that the BHM is getting closer. A roar alerts him to look up. He screams at whatever he sees and the image freezes as a large clawed hand grabs him by the head.

Now we see an isolated farm. A truck pulls up with a group of workers (just what the hell are they doing there in winter by the way?) and one small boy hops out and makes for the barn, disappearing inside. More Monster Cam to let us know that the BHM is watching. Some faint roars can be heard but the boy’s father looks around and sees nothing. The boy then emerges from the barn wearing a stunned expression, as if he just discovered his entire collection of Yu-Gi-Oh cards burnt to a crisp. When his father prods him, he just mumbles “Inside. The water trough.” Dad investigates and a quick shot of a bloodied feminine arm tells us that Jennifer (or what is left of her) has at last been located. I just want to know why this kid didn’t scream or yell or shit his pants like most kids would do. He sure was calm. In fact, he was too calm. Maybe he was on Ritalin or something.

Sheriff Paraday is called to the location (the Fairchild place as it is called) before he can meet with Tony at the lodge. This allows Tony and Ellen to catch up with one another privately. She thanks Tony for giving her husband a job and he just says that having a former champ like Gar working there is in the lodge’s favor. She confesses that she’s not exactly happy in her marriage and that her husband seems stuck in the past – 1968 to be exact, when he won his Olympic gold. Gar seems to be having problems moving on and it is taking its toll on Ellen and her respect for him.

Out at the Fairchild place, Sheriff Paraday has looked over the scene and is talking with the traumatized boy and his father. He tells the father to take the boy home and thanks them for their help. The father picks up the limp child and carries him off to the truck like he was a sack of coal. Paraday gazes at the hillside, but doesn’t see anything.

Later at the lodge, Tony quizzes Gar on his Bigfoot lore while the two men splash around in a heated swimming pool. Tony confides that he has seen a Bigfoot monster, that it is dangerous and steps need to be taken to ensure public safety. He adds that a girl is missing. Gar seems willing to believe him, but says that the existence of such a creature does not necessarily mean that they have to kill it.

It is at this point in the movie when the producers decide that we the audience have not had enough shots of people on the slopes, so Ellen decides to go skiing – you got it – alone. She finds some of the creature’s tracks in the snow, looking like a midget made them. One other thing…I am by no means an outdoorsman. I have no tracking skills whatsoever, but even from my admittedly untrained eyes, the tracks left behind look like they were made by a creature that was limping. The Yeti is a gimp!!

Meanwhile, Gar and Tony are heading out to the Fairchild place. En route Gar thinks he sees something in the woods. Nothing jumps out at them and so they continue on. Upon arriving at the barn, the Sheriff tells them that he thinks they have found “that missing girl.” Paraday then shows Jennifer’s body to Tony and Gar, but the mangled condition prevents a quick ID. Tony does manage to match the body’s clothes to the jacket he found the previous day. The Sheriff busts his chops for not telling anyone about the jacket he found and then asks him if that is what he wanted to speak to him about.

While all this is going on, Ellen is bumbling around in the snowy woods like an adult version of Lucy Pevensie and has stumbled upon the site where know-it-all Patrolman Buster Smith met his fate. Some disturbed snow and blood is all that marks the place. She hears the roar of the monster and quickly skedaddles. I don’t think that it's Mr. Tumnus out there in the woods! However, despite her efforts, the roars continue to grow closer as she does her best to haul ass.

At the Fairchild place the Sheriff is agreeing with the notion that it was a Grizzly Bear that killed Jennifer. Tony disagrees and then launches into his theory that a Bigfoot creature is responsible, even stating that he has seen the beast. The Sheriff isn’t exactly ready to buy this Bigfoot theory completely, but he does know that whatever killed Jennifer, the fewer people who run across its path, the better. So he concocts a story about a wild bear emerging from hibernation and mauling the girl. Still, Paraday proposes that he and the other two return the next day and track down whatever is that was responsible.

Once more we return to Ellen out struggling in the woods. Monster Cam reveals to us that the BHM is watching her. What is really obvious about all these scenes with Ellen is that they were filmed at various times during the day. In some shots the sun looks like it is dipping toward the horizon while in others it looks like high noon. The continuity really sucks bigtime. Ellen takes a spill and more Monster Cam shows us that the BHM is moving through the woods. Ellen gets back on her feet and moving again, but Monster Cam shows us the BHM arriving at the spot where she took a tumble.

Now we cut back to the Rill Lodge where night has fallen and some Winter Carnival festivities are getting underway. Intermixed with shots of people wandering around the gym with the band playing are more of the Monster Cam shots, which show the monster slowly creeping up on the place. Don’t ask me why it gave up on chasing Ellen, because I don’t know. Carrie goes to see Snow Queen Betty Jo just in time for the Yeti to stick his hands through the window and send everyone screaming in terror – no doubt because he’s not adhering to the dress code.

Panic ensues and people begin running everywhere, knocking others down and so forth. The Yeti turns his attention to the recently arrived Snow Queen’s Carriage, driven by Betty Jo’s mom. She tries to start the vehicle again, but naturally it won’t turn over. The Yeti walks up and smashes his fist through the window. A short time later, Betty Jo runs outside to find what’s left of her mother after the Yeti was done with her.

Now, not once during the evening has Gar inquired about Ellen. She’s been gone since earlier in the day and as the audience knows, is still lost in the woods. Surely one would wonder where their spouse is at a time like this? Instead, Gar seems to be reliving his moments of glory on the slopes. So much so, that after several flashbacks, he decides to suit up and go skiing!! In the middle of the night no less! Eventually he finds his way back to the Fairchild place, where Ellen has been hiding out. They build a fire and share a private moment together.

Morning arrives and as Gar and Ellen are leaving the barn, a body drops from the loft above. It turns out to be the mangled body of the lost patrolman, Buster Smith. Was anyone even looking for him?

Going back and comparing establishing shots reveals that this is indeed the same barn where Jennifer was found. This just begs the question – just how big of an idiot is Gar? He was there the day before and saw the body for himself. He should be able to put two and two together and realize that if this is where the Yeti is stashing his food, there is a damn good chance it will return at any time!!! So what did he do when he found Ellen inside? He built a fire and got all cozy with her! I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. This is the guy who didn’t even think to look for his missing wife until the middle of the damn night! If I were her, after this mess was all over, I’d have a serious discussion with him about his priorities.

The Yeti, seemingly pissed that someone is fooling around in his larder, tries to break in but can’t get the door, which Gar has bolted, open. Gar fools the beast into running around to the back of the barn, so he and Ellen can make their escape out the front. Long about now Tony, Sheriff Paraday and a deputy arrive in the vicinity on snowmobiles. Despite the fact that they are on the other side of the river, the Yeti, not wanting to experience a Rodney King-like beating at the hands of the cops, hightails it into the hills at the approach of the law.

The next day (or later that same day), the once happening Rill Lodge is empty and as quiet as a tomb. Apparently, the fact that Yeti's frequent the place is enough to convince everyone to either stay inside or just head for home. Patrolman Buster Smith is buried in a solemn ceremony, complete with a five-gun salute (I suppose no one worries about avalanches in these parts). The mood overall is subdued until news spreads that Sheriff Paraday has killed the beast. In fact, he shot it right between the eyes! Everyone rushes outside whooping and hollering, because now they can get back to skiing and drinking and fornicating without those damn Yeti's showing up to ruin the fun. Alas, it seems the Sheriff has shot himself a bear and is passing it off as the creature responsible.

I’ve got to say that the bear has got to be even phonier looking than the title monster. This thing looks like an old bear suit left over from a Three Stooges short, stuffed with some rags and then tossed onto a sled. I’ve seen more threatening rugs that were stretched out in front of fireplaces than this thing.

Gar confronts the Sheriff and asks him if he realizes that he’s shot the wrong creature. The Sheriff defends his actions, still not quite ready to believe the whole Bigfoot angle as in his eyes there just isn’t enough to prove that such a creature exists. Plus, he isn’t too keen on the idea of people swarming the hillsides with guns, shooting at anything that moves in an attempt to bag the beast. Gar suggests cutting the bear open to see what is inside. When Human remains are not found, it should be proof that the bear was not the killer – though I laughed to myself at the idea that they just might find a car’s license plate, the Jaws parallels just won’t quit. Ellen tells the Sheriff that he owes it to the people to warn them about the Yeti and possibly shut down the winter carnival. Paraday still is reluctant to put his reputation on the line by going public with such a story. So Gar and Ellen convince him that the best idea is to go hunt the monster down themselves, just the three of them.

Tony gets wind of their planned Yeti hunt and invites himself along, so the four of them load up a truck and camper with supplies and head off to go hunting. A seemingly endless series of shots of them riding snowmobiles through the woods are intermixed with some Monster Cam shots of the Yeti taking a closer look at their camper. During this scene it is very hard to see, but look close enough at the camper windows and you will see the reflection of the guy operating the Monster Cam. To give credit where credit is due, the producers at least did an excellent job of disguising him and making him look like the Yeti.

So after hours of searching and not seeing the monster, they decide to call it quits for the day and head back to the camper. Everyone takes turns standing guard during the night. Morning comes and the Yeti takes the opportunity to kick a large stack of logs that have been (ever so conveniently) placed at the top of the hill overlooking the truck. The logs come rolling down and smash into said vehicle, overturning it with Sheriff Paraday still inside the camper. Somehow several of the logs, which impact the truck from the side, end up inside the camper.

Gar, Ellen and Tony try frantically to pull Paraday from the wrecked camper. The Sheriff is out cold. Sadly, the monster is rapidly approaching and the trio can’t get him out in time. They haul ass as more Monster Cam shows the Yeti closing in on the trapped Sheriff. He awakens just as the monster is with grabbing distance and lets out a terrible holler as the screen freezes on his horrified face and then fades out to commercial. Scratch one Sheriff.

Note - It is at this point that the movie enters its final segment, so if any of you really feel the need to watch this film and not know the ending ahead of time, skip the rest of this section.

We return to the three stooges…er…I mean Tony, Gar and Ellen, running through the snow like they’re on crack or something. Tony suggests they make a beeline for the Fairchild barn, as it is nearby. There they build a fire and figure out their next move.

Time passes by (how much is uncertain) when suddenly Tony gets up and decides he’s going back to the camper to retrieve some skis and a gun in order to improve the situation. In true all-for-one-and-one-for-all style, they all elect to go back.

They return to the trashed camper and not seeing the Yeti, they approach and find a big red splat on the ground that is the only thing left of the good Sheriff. Unfortunately, their rifles were leaning against the camper when it was pushed over, but Gar realizes that the extra rifles were inside. All the while, the Monster Cam moves through the trees. Ellen climbs into the camper and throws some skis out while trying to find the rifles. Tony remembers that there is a pistol in the cab and so climbs in to retrieve it.

This is when old big and hairy shows up again. Tony finds the pistol and squeezes off three shots, and actually hits the beast! The monster takes off into the woods, bleeding. Tony throws the pistol to Gar who jumps on his skis and goes after the Yeti (I don’t remember Ellen tossing out any ski boots, so how did Gar affix his skis to his feet?). He follows more of the gimp tracks the monster leaves behind, only now they’re ringed with drops of blood. Several minutes of Gar skiing and Monster Cam shots running through trees is what we now get to convey the cat and mouse hunt that is underway. Tony and Ellen manage to find some more skis and another rifle and take off in pursuit of Gar and the Yeti.

Finally, the creature attacks Gar in the woods. This is the second time we get a glimpse at its face, and it’s a very brief look at that. Gar empties the pistol at the monster (five more shots – you do the math) but it just keeps charging at him. So what does he do? He takes one of his ski poles, braces the handle against a tree…and impales the Yeti when it runs up to kill him. It really is too bad that Jennifer didn’t know about this method to dispatch the beast, but that would have made for an awfully short movie. Naturally, this entire impaling scene is accomplished with Monster Cam.

The creature lets out a bitch squeal and stumbles backward over a ledge. Again, all done via the Yeti’s point of view (complete with ski pole sticking out from where the beast’s chest would be). Tony and Ellen arrive and along with Gar they walk to the ledge and look down at the dying monster (still more Monster Cam). One shot even makes it appear as if this is the same ledge at which Patrolman Smith encountered the monster. A few last noises from the monster are heard and the music is cued. Fade out.

The End.

Ok, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of this film, and what very well may come to everyone’s mind at first is this – there is way, way too much Monster Cam in this movie. Ninety nine percent of the time, the presence of the monster is presented through this particular filming technique. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love some good POV shots when they are used sparingly and correctly. They have the ability to instill a stronger sense of urgency in the viewer, raising the heartbeat and heightening the overall viewing experience by putting the audience "into" the movie on a deeper level. However, when over the course of an hour and half, you get twenty minutes of Monster Cam and less than a minute total for actually seeing the damn monster, it is bound to disappoint the monster lovers among us. The heavy reliance on POV shots gets old rather quick and ends up hurting the movie by having the opposite effect than what it should – it takes the audience even further out of the film by making such shots boring and routine.

The second thing that comes to mind is that there is an awful lot of skiing in this movie. Granted, this film is set at a ski resort at the height of the winter season, but sheesh – it was starting to look more and more like a promotional film put out by the Colorado tourist bureau. There were so many scenes with skiing, that at a couple points, I half expected to see James Bond whiz by with bad guys hot on his tail, guns blazing. Now, if the over indulgence in Monster Cam pushed the audience out of the film, the endless skiing can only serve to then put them to sleep.

Aside from those two big complaints, the only minor quibble I have with the film is the time it sets aside to explore the characters. For the most part, the fleeting tidbits we get about the characters are just enough to smooth out the rough edges and give them something of a motivation behind their actions. However, the movie falls flat when it tries to have these people cope with the various pressures they are dealing with, be they emotional or secular in nature. Then it seems like we just don’t know enough about these people to care about their personal demons.

As a "monster movie" this film is just adequate in my opinion. Others no doubt will call it boring beyond the ability for words to describe. The reason for either approach is the same – the monster is not seen enough. Scares are non existent here, even for a film hearkening from the 70’s, when made for TV horror films were seemingly shown every week. One can only assume that this was much more scary in its day, and its attempts at establishing an eerie and unsettling mood were more successful when it first aired.

Despite being set over a thousand miles form the coast and featuring an altogether different type of menace, the Jaws inspired cliches are almost too numerous to keep up with – a girl is killed early in the film, a small community dependent upon tourists for survival, certain people wanting to cover things up…even blaming the terror on an innocent animal.

Still, for all the bitching I seem to be engaging in over this film, there is that elusive X factor, as I refer to it, that lends itself to my sense of appeal. Maybe its because as a kid I was fascinated with Bigfoot, reading all the books I could find on the subject and watching any TV show or film that boasted his appearance…even those documentary type shows that scared the crap outta me. One of the very first horror stories I ever wrote featured a BHM and a couple of my most vivid childhood nightmares had Bigfoot chasing after me. So I suppose on some basic, instinctual level, I still harbor a fear of Bigfoot type creatures and this film, having one such critter in it, demands my attention.

On a side note, since this was a made for TV movie, there are obvious spots where the film breaks for commercial. I counted a total of five such breaks in a movie that was no doubt broadcast over a two-hour time slot. Compare this to a recent movie on the Scifi channel where I counted five commercial breaks in the first hour alone, before falling asleep (Scifi "original" movies suck, but you knew that).

Deaths: 4
Animal deaths: 1
Yeti deaths: 1
Children scarred by sight of dead body: 1
Teens scarred by sight of dead mother: 1
People scarred by viewing this film: Undetermined
Spring-loaded dead bodies: 1
Number of Monster Cam shots: 50(!)
Percentage of film made up of people skiing: 10.7%
Number of shots fired from a six-chambered pistol: 8
Commercial breaks: 5

Shadow's Drinking Game: Every time you hear the monster's roar, take a drink.

Heidi going nuts at the Patrol station.

Heidi: "I saw its footprints. I heard it. And it’s got Jennifer and all anybody’s doing around here is staring at me like I’m crazy!"

Shadow’s comment: No, they’re staring at you because you’re worse than crazy, you’re annoying and they want you to go away.

Tony trying to explain things to his grandmother.

Tony: "This wasn’t an animal! And it wasn’t Human, either."

Shadow’s comment: Way to narrow it down, Sherlock.

• When your friend wants to leave the woods soon after finding odd tracks and hearing strange roars, it is best to not ignore them.
• The Olympics need to incorporate more Yeti themed sports.
• A Yeti’s biggest pet peeve are people who lay on the horn.
• When a loved one goes missing, it is best to go looking for them yourself and not bother the authorities.
• Skiing is a quick and efficient way to travel miles within minutes.
• Holding up where the monster stores its food is an acceptable place to hide.
• Bears make convenient scapegoats.
• Skiing poles, when properly wielded, are deadlier then firearms.

This film was first broadcast on the ABC television network on April the 28, 1977 and I vividly recall watching it…or at least part of it. For some reason I missed the climax of the film and had to be told about it the next day by my father. I don’t know if I fell asleep watching it or was ushered off to bed by mom before it was over. Checking the calendar shows that date to be a Thursday, so there is good evidence to think I was made to go to bed. However I don’t remember putting up any protest about having to go to bed (something I surely would have done), and despite being all of eight years old at the time, my mother was very accommodating when it came to my monster movie viewing habits, allowing me to stay up to catch the ending to a movie even on a school night (within reason of course). I caught the movie again a year or two later when the local ABC affiliate in San Francisco, channel seven, aired it for their "Three o’clock movie." It was after that viewing that several images got stuck in my head and remained there for…well…forever: The POV shots of Jennifer’s as well as Paraday’s demise, the monster attacking Betty Jo’s mom, and the idiotic way the menace was finally handled. I caught bits and pieces of the film another time or two before it vanished altogether with the beginning of the 80’s. I gave it the occasional thought over the years until I saw it on DVD last year and decided to revisit my childhood by buying it. I’m glad I did.

Shadow's rating: Five Tombstones

The Good

• Cool Yeti suit
• Great snowy locations
• Good stalking scenes
• Good atmosphere for a made-for-TV flick
  

The Bad

• Yeti not on screen enough
• TV movie = no blood and guts
• Moron characters
• Magic uphill skis
• Not enough Yeti attacks
  

The Ugly

• Too much damn skiing
• Too much damn Monster Cam
• Bad acting
• Heidi - annoying as all hell
• Unconvincing dead bear
  

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