The Cinefessions crew loves sharing their opinions on films, but not every movie can get the attention it deserves with a full review. Enter the Cinefessions’ Capsule Reviews. These capsule reviews cover five of the most important aspects of a film, which allow the crew to deliver their opinions on any movie clearly, decisively, and with brevity. These are not our full thoughts on any film, just a highlighting of the major pros and/or cons.
Title: Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes (2012)
Director: Corey Grant
Runtime: 90 minutes
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Story & Script
A Bigfoot hunter claims that he has the first body of a Bigfoot, and he is willing to share this find for a hefty cost with a reporter who is trying to make a name for himself. The Lost Coast Tapes is a found footage film, and won’t make many converts for the genre. I love them, though, and this is a pretty solid outing for the genre. The script never feels forced, and the character seem real. Sure, we fight with the same problems as other found footage films, namely the “why keep filming?” problem, but they do their best to justify it by claiming they need the light. The major downfall of Lost Coast Tapes is the finale. It takes the viewer on 89-minutes of setup, and then never really pays it off. Sometimes this can work, but here it was just frustrating as hell. The good news is that they’re planning a sequel for 2017. Here’s hoping it comes to fruition.
Acting
Frank Ashmore plays the Bigfoot hunter, and he’s really fantastic in the role. I never doubted that I was watching a real man in an unbelievable situation, which is vital for a found footage film. On the other side, we have Drew Rausch playing the “keep filming at all costs” producer/host of the TV show they’re shooting. He’s relatively one-dimensional, but is always interesting anyway. Noah Weisberg is hilarious as the nerdy comic relief, and the beauty of the film is played wonderfully by Ashley Wood. I really liked all of these characters, frankly, and they make for a fun group to watch.
Direction
Corey Grant does a great job of making this found footage film feel as realistic as possible. I don’t remember shaky cam being too much of a problem, either, which is always a positive. The filming locations chosen are great for a film like this. Grant’s other films are a far departure from The Lost Coast Tapes, so I doubt I’ll be spending much more time with the director, but he does a solid job with his outing here.
Intangibles
I wanted to love this film. I fought through the long setups in hopes of a great finale, but was sadly disappointed. I admire that the film takes the viewer in a completely bonkers direction, but there needs to be a reason – some motivation – for this so that it doesn’t feel like a rip off. Unfortunately that is missing here, and it inevitably hurts the film a great deal.
Rewatchability
I would definitely watch this one again. I may have a different outlook on it now having experienced it previously.
The Verdict
Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes is a solid independent horror flick, and an even better found footage film. If you’re not a fan of the genre, though, look elsewhere. There is a lot of build-up, but little payoff, which is a major letdown. The journey if fun, but it feels like a great idea that the writer didn’t know how to finish, which is never satisfying for the viewer. Still, I liked this film a good deal, and look forward to the sequel in 2017.
Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.
