The Mysterious Monsters (1975)** 1/2 (out of 4)Peter Graves narrates this documentary that takes a look at several mysterious creatures but the main focus is that of Bigfoot. The film uses interviews with people who have seen the creature, scientists as well as re-enactments to explain why so many feel that the legendary creature is real. Throughout the 1970's drive-in screens were full of documentary or doco-dramas that tries to explain why so many monsters were real and out there to be seen. It seems Bigfoot was probably the most popular of these monsters and this here is certainly a memorable one. I think the film's strongest point are the re-enactments because several of the Bigfoot costumes look extremely good. I really liked the look of the children creatures that are shown towards the end of the movie and several of the adult ones also looked quite good. Another major plus is of course the narration of Graves who was simply a master at using his voice. Other creatures are also looked at with the Loch Ness monster getting about five or so minutes worth of footage. The documentary also wants to make it clear that there are common animals that were thought to be extinct or not real including the giant panda bear. There are certainly some major problems with the film including the pacing, which is a bit rough but this here is only a minor thing. Some of the stories also goes against one another including one fact saying that the creatures mostly sleep during the day yet most of the re-enactments are encounters during the day. Still, fans of the genre should enjoy watching this one.

I recorded this movie off of TBS years ago & have just about worn out the tape from watching it over & over again. It covers just about everything you want to know about Bigfoot up until 1975. I would love to see Peter Graves do an updated version with all of the new info that has come out in the past 30 years. The Patterson Film is always the best part of any Bigfoot documentary. Even in 2005 there is nobody that has been able to prove that the film is a fake. I really don't see how anybody can think that it is a man in a monkey suit on that film. There is no way on God's green earth that somebody could have done that good of a job making a suit like that in 1967. Also, hoaxes are really hard to keep up for long periods of time because somebody usually gets loose lipped. Patterson died in '72 & swore on his death bed that the film was real. Bob Gimlin has said that he hasn't made a dime off of the film so if it was a fake, you would think that he would blow the whistle & then collect a ton of money going on the talk show circuit. Then there would be the guy who "played" Bigfoot. Bob Heironimus has said that he was the guy in the suit & was paid $1,000 to do it but never received his money so he started telling people around Yakima, Washington that he was Bigfoot. Until either Bob Gimlin says it was a fake or someone finds the "suit", I will always believe that that film is real.

This movie, which appears to take it self very seriously as a scientific documentary, argues its points so poorly and with such 70's flair (see Peter Graves) that it succeeds grandly as a mockumentary of itself and what passed for "science" 30 years ago. It's a laugh riot. Other than the big budget reenactments (which are entertaining in themselves), you'll wonder whether this film was written, directed, and edited for a 7th grade science project. Watch this film with other well-educated 30 somethings and be transported back to the days when you were scared @#$!less by Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and killer bees. Hey, aren't those killer bees supposed to have overrun America by now? (Disclaimer: killer bees may not appear in this film.)

Sunn Classic Pictures made some wonderful documentaries and this is by far the best. It is absolutely fascinating and i'm amazed at all they managed to cover about Bigfoot and Nessie in one film. The reenactments of the various sightings are very well done but may frighten kids. They frightened me when I was a kid and saw this film. I think the scariest scene was the one where the women is alone in her living room and Bigfoots shadow comes by and his hand crashes thru the window and then her husband opens the door and hes standing right there. This is the only documentary I have seen that includes a really inteligent detailed analysis of Roger Patterson's film of Bigfoot. Next to the Zapruder film, its the most famous home movie ever taken. Its also the only film I have seen that show's Patterson's film in its entirity. The only thing is that when the film talks about the Loch Ness Monster they show the famous "Surgeon's photo" of the head and neck of Nessie. In 1994, there was an old Englishman who confessed on his deathbed that picture was a hoax! Oh well, its still worth a look when it shows up on tv. Peter Graves is an excellent narrator.