Willow Creek - Review.

"From celebrated Director Bobcat Goldthwait comes this edge of your seat horror that will make you think twice before going into the woods".

WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS!!

Big-foot and his exploits seems to have eluded film makers in making a real good film for many a year, so with Willow Creek do we finally have the Big-foot horror film we have all be waiting for?

It tells the tale of Jim (Bryce Johnson) and Kelly (Alexie Gilmore)   its Jim’s birthday and as a huge big-foot fan Kelly  agrees with him to take a road trip to the famous site of the most legendary footage ever captured the Patterson/Gimlin footage Willow Creek. Jim is making a documentary of his trip filmed by Kelly and his ultimate aim is to film the elusive Big-foot. It’s the usual found footage affair of him doing the documentary commentary whilst filmed by Kelly a fair few times doing re-shoots, Now the film is only around 1hr 20 minutes and it does feel very padded out even at that running time. They arrive in Willow Creek the mecca to Big-foot seekers, The going into the Big-foot Burger Diner and have a Big-foot Burger with the cob the size and shape of Big-foots Big-foot! They travel around the town and go to Big-foot Books a book store owned by a creepy guy who is surrounded by a whole host of Big-foot memorabilia. They interview a local retired sheriff who tells his tale, Pose next to a huge wooden Big-foot statue and a greeted by an old lady who asks if she can help them, She agrees on an interview and basically says that she doesn't believe in it one bit and it’s all a load of old baloney.

They then set off with directions from the Big-foot Books guy to find the famous Creek where Patterson shot his footage. On the way they drive down a desolate road only  to be confronted by a big guy who tells them to shut the camera off and turnaround, They eventually get the idea when he leans in the window and tells them to “Go get some cake and tea at THE FUCK OFF café!” A little shook up but determined as hell Jim shrugs it off saying he knows an alternative route. The scenes where they are driving along and having conversations are really quite funny as it reminded me a lot of me and my wife as I'm a semi believer and she is not, stuff like Jim pointing out that over 200 new species are found every year including a new species of monkey that was only discovered last year, good point Jim I'm with you on that! 

So they arrive half way to the infamous spot and time is getting on so they decide to camp down for the night but Jim fancies a bit of skinny dipping whilst of course being filmed, He dives in has a swim and they head back to camp where at first he finds one of his sock of his has been somehow placed up a tree. The reach their tent only to find it trashed by someone or something.

Next we have probably one of the longest scenes in the movie, basically a static shot of them both sat in the tent and Jim proposes, Kelly not quite sure politely declines, But they make up and get down to some sexy time as long as Jim turns off the camera. The Camera comes back on when Jim is awoken by noises in the woods and Kelly points out that they are in the woods so there are bound to be noises and tells him to go back to sleep. He then points out that the noises outside are knocking noises on trees, This is said to be a kind of communication between big-foot’s to let each other know there location, The noises get closer, Next he hears a howl, the knocking gets close, the howls get louder. As I said this scene seem to go on for ages but it also did build the tension really well. Next thing the inevitable happens, something starts bashing on the tent and the screams get louder and louder, then they stop.

Dawn has now arrived and they decided to pack up and get the hell out of there, walking along the river bank Jim spots some Big foot prints and shouts at Kelly to come take a look as he does so there is almighty roar and they both run for their lives...............

All you see from here on in until the end is super shaky cam, Not that that’s a bad thing but it just didn't work for me, The start of the film opens with a shot from the camera in grass, After much shaky cam we then see this shot again. But just before that amongst the screams and a bizarre quick flash of a large naked woman and growls and sounds of flesh being ripped then the camera drops to the floor, is that it? No, the camera and whoever is holding it is dragged backwards with more screams, cut to end credits WILLOW CREEK and a heavy metal soundtrack kicks in, Feel like you've seen this before? I certainly did, now the frustrations for me are the facts of they are out there to see/film Big-foot so when they are around the tent why not stick the camera out and see what’s happening? The fact that it’s this mysterious thing or things outside the tent but surely it’s Big-foot and also they didn't take a gun, just one shot would have surely scared them off, Anyway my little picky points aside, in my opinion I found it underwhelming and ultimately disappointing and you never saw a Big-foot!

5/10

Jonny T.