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). |