Filming is underway in majestic Colorado (photo courtesy of the Rum River Productions Facebook page) *
I appreciate the frequency of Bigfoot horror movies in recent years. I haven’t had the pleasure of dissecting all of them yet, but they seem to be rising in popularity, and thankfully, quality. In the past four years alone we’ve had strong Sasquatch-flavored features like The Lost Coast Tapes (2012), Willow Creek (2013), and Exists (2014). Our newest Bigfoot horror movie breaks free of the found footage sub-genre and features a truly superb foundation of actors, creature effects, and sound. The survival horror thriller Hoax is filming right now in Hinsdale County, Colorado.
What is ‘Hoax’ about?
Set to debut in 2017 at some point, Hoax appears to be a stranded-in-the-wilderness group survival tale. Here is a synopsis from the ‘Hoax’ official website:
“An investigation into a camping trip gone wrong turns into a fight for survival when a team, including a brilliant primate specialist and led by a ruthless television producer, must come to grips with the possible existence of Bigfoot.”
And the tagline: The truth……….. CAN KILL!
AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who is making this movie?
A veteran of TV commercial directing and producing, Hoax director Matt Allen transitioned into film with a well-received zombie-western short called Aces & Eights (2008). He wrote and is currently directing Hoax, his first Bigfoot-sized step into full length films. He is producing the film under Rum River Productions, his Colorado-based company that supports local filmmakers.
Before the first frame was even shot, Allen’s screenplay for Hoax reached the finals of over 15 screenplay competition. What does this mean? People seem to love his dialogue and story: two refreshing check marks for a horror, let alone Bigfoot, film.
Actor Brian Thompson (photo courtesy of the Rum River Productions Facebook page)*
Who’s acting in the movie?
Allen assembled an exciting, more-than-competent cast for this creature feature. Trust me folks, this doesn’t happen everyday.
Ok, in the lead role is handsome white dude Ben Browder, a true sci-fi pillar from the shows Farscape and Stargate, among many many others. Listed second in ye olde IMDB lineup is Brian Thompson. You may know this giant man from action gems like Cobra (1986), Terminator (1984), and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997, he played Shao Kahn). Appearing to be the lead female, Cheryl Texiera rounds out the top billed troupe. Notably, she appeared in TV shows Girl Meets World and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Who else is involved?
Alright let’s put the boring actors on the shelf for a second. I’m sure they’ll all do JUST FINE (especially Brian Thompson, who plays frustrated psychopaths so well). Alright, check out these two amazing behind-the-scenes players nobody seems to be talking about:
Bill Munns (Return of the Living Dead, 1985), a level 100 Bigfooter in his own right, is on board as the special effects and makeup man. He will essentially be the monster maker. You die-hards may know him for his analysis of the Patterson/Gimlin footage AND for crafting a robotic Gigantopithecus. He even wrote a book about Patt/Gim, fondly titled “When Roger Met Patty.”
Bill Munns grooming his Bigfoot (photo courtesy of the Rum River Productions Facebook page)*
Alright get ready for this. This massively under the radar detail could very well shoulder Hoax to the top of the Bigfoot film ranks. Sound design and ORIGINAL SCORE will be composed by John Carpenter-collaborator Alan Howarth. Yea he did sound design on a few forgettable independent features like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Total Recall (1990), and Poltergeist (1982); but he is also co-responsible for helping define the sound of horror for an entire decade with one of the greatest horror directors of all time. His collaborations with John Carpenter erupted into legendary themes for classics like They Live (1988), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Escape from New York (1981), Christine (1983), Prince of Darkness (1987), and Halloween (1978).
Yes, way.
The force seems strong with this picture. Allen no doubt recognizes talent and it will be exciting to see his direction, especially since it will be his first foray. Solid actors, great effects, beautiful locations, music to die for, and an award-winning screenplay seem to scream success, right? Stranger things have happened, but this look like it’s shaping up well. Stay tuned to BFB for more news about Hoax!
* For images and daily updates for ‘Hoax’ visit the Rum River Productions Facebook page
Very good information. Lucky me I found your website by accident (stumbleupon).
I have book marked it for later!