The Legend of Boggy Creek

The Legend of Boggy Creek Information

The Legend of Boggy Creek is a 1972 horror docudrama about the "Fouke Monster," a Bigfoot-type creature that has been seen in and around Fouke, Arkansas since the 1950s. The film mixes staged interviews with some local residents who claim to have encountered the creature, along with fictitious reenactments of said encounters. Charles B. Pierce, an advertising salesman from Texarkana on the Arkansas/Texas border, borrowed over $100,000 from a local trucking company, used an old 35mm movie camera and hired locals (mainly high school students) to help make the 90-minute film. The film has generated approximately $20 million in box office revenue and is available on DVD.

Plot

The film, which claims to be a true story, sets out to detail the existence of the "Fouke Monster," a Bigfoot-like creature that has reportedly been seen by residents of a small Arkansas community since the 1950s. It is described as being completely covered in reddish-brown hair, leaving three-toed tracks in bean fields, and having a foul odor.

Several locals from the small town of Fouke, Arkansas, recall their stories, often appearing as themselves, claiming that the creature has killed several large hogs as well as other animals. In one scene, a kitten is shown as having been "scared to death" by the creature. The narrator informs the audience that while people have shot at the creature in the past, it has always managed to escape. In another scene, hunters attempt to pursue the creature with dogs, but the dogs refuse to give chase. A police constable states that while driving home one night, the creature suddenly ran across the road in front of him.

In a later sequence, culled from the actual newspaper accounts inspiring the film, the creature is shown menacing a family in a remote country house. After being fired upon, the creature attacks, sending one family member to the hospital.

Cast

Vern Stierman as narrator
Chuck Pierce, Jr. as Young Jim
William Stumpp as Adult Jim
Willie E. Smith as Willie
Buddy Crabtree as James Crabtree
Jeff Crabtree as Fred Crabtree
Judy Baltom as Mary Beth Searcy
Mary B. Johnson as Mary Beth's sister
George Dobson as George
Dave Ball as Dave
Jim Nicklus as Jim
Flo Pierce as Bessie Smith
Glenn Carruth as Bobby Ford
Bunny Dees as Mrs. Ford
John Wallis as Mr. Ford
Sarah Coble as Mrs. Carter
Dave O'Brien as Mr. Turner
Billy Crawford as Corky Bill
Dennis Lamb as Mr. Kennedy
Loraine Lamb as Mrs. Kennedy
Lloyd Bowen as himself
B. R. Barrington as himself
J. E. "Smokey" Crabtree as himself
Travis Crabtree as himself
John P. Hixon as himself
John W. Oates as himself
Herb Jones as himself
Anthony Newsom as himself

Production

Pierce originally planned to call the film Tracking the Fouke Monster.

Sequels

Return to Boggy Creek (1977)

Return to Boggy Creek was directed by Tom Moore. The film carries over none of the original's docudrama elements. It stars Dawn Wells of Gilligan's Island fame, and Dana Plato of Diff'rent Strokes. Wells portrays the mother of three children who become lost in the swamp until the creature comes to their rescue.

Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues (1985)

A third film, originally titled The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II, involved Pierce and was written as a sequel to the original film. It follows the adventures of a University of Arkansas professor (Pierce) and his students, one of which is Pierce's son, on their trip to Fouke, Arkansas, to find and study the creature. A few scenes in the beginning of the movie were shot at the university, including an Arkansas Razorbacks football game. The movie was featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The "Big Creature" in the film was portrayed by James Faubus Griffith.

Boggy Creek: The Legend Is True (2010)

This film's story is unrelated to the others in the franchise, shifting from Arkansas to Texas. It deals with a bigfoot-like creature attacking a group of teenagers that are vacationing in the fictional area of Boggy Creek, Texas. The film was written and directed by Brian T. Jaynes. It was originally produced in 2010 and released straight to DVD on September 13, 2011.

The Legacy of Boggy Creek (2011)

This low-budget indie film was originally released in 2009 under the title The Skunkape Story, but was later re-edited and released to home video in 2011 as The Legacy of Boggy Creek. The docudrama chronicles the events that began after the original attacks in Fouke. It was written and directed by Dustin Ferguson.

Releases

Theatrical

The Legend of Boggy Creek was released theatrically to major financial success given its budget of only $160,000, earning around $20 million at the box office. Return to Boggy Creek and Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues were released to theaters later, in 1977 and 1985, respectively. Neither of the sequels were as successful as the original film. The final two films have been released straight to video.

Home Video

Both The Legend of Boggy Creek and Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues have been released on VHS several times. Between 2002 and 2011, Hen's Tooth Video, Education 2000 Inc., Sterling Entertainment, Unicorn Video, RHR Home Video, and Cheezy Flicks Entertainment all released The Legend of Boggy Creek on Region 1 DVD. Several of these versions are now out of print. The version RHR Home Video offers is the only true widescreen print available.

In 2005, Elite Entertainment released Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues on Region 1 DVD. Additionally, in 2004, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode that lampooned the film was released on DVD by Rhino Entertainment. Only the Rhino Entertainment version is still in print. Return to Boggy Creek has only been issued on VHS by CBS Home Entertainment with no plans for a DVD release as of 2011.

On September 13, 2011, Boggy Creek: The Legend Is True was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Hannover House. It features a Widescreen transfer and a handful of special features. Also in 2011, The Legacy of Boggy Creek was released on DVD by RHR Home Video.

Cinematic influence

Its docudrama format was purposefully echoed in 1999's The Blair Witch Project. In 2008, Duane Graves and Justin Meeks accurately recreated the drive-in feel of the movie in their blatant Boggy homage titled The Wild Man of the Navidad, released by IFC Films.