The Legend of Boggy Creek (Directed by Charles B. Pierce) 1972

When it comes to life-changing films, there is none more important than 'The Legend of Boggy Creek.' Made on a shoestring budget this creepy, creaky monster flick quite literally peaked my interest in the world of cryptozoology and mysterious monsters, and really did have me believing that hairy, bipedal creatures were roaming the swampy areas of the United States. 'The Legend of Boggy Creek' was something I first viewed at the tender age of about nine, back in the early '80s. I recall - like all good VHS tapes - how it flickered, jumped and hissed and then kicked in with the eerie narration and image of a young boy fleeing in terror across a field, from a shadowy creature that lurked at the edge of the field of vision. 'The Legend of Boggy Creek' is a simple monster tale that has NEVER been bettered. It simply tells the story of witnesses to a foul-smelling Sasquatch-type humanoid, said to haunt the river bottoms of Arkansas, a small town called Fouke to be precise. It's not strictly a horror film, more of a pseudo-documentary in which we meet several local people who claim to have seen this elusive monster - a creature that we soon come to know and love as it roams the wilderness in some forlorn state accompanied by a soundtrack of sadness and bullfrog choir. Even when the creature takes on more an angry, agitated stance, and terrorises local farmsteads and trailers, we still sympathise due to the way that Charles B. Pierce films this movie. If it wasn't for 'The Legend...' then it's unlikely that films such as 'Blair Witch....' would exist, but 'The Legend...' wasn't attempting to be shaky, it was simply that way due to its authentic style at the time.

Parts of the film centre around Smokey Crabtree and his land, where the creature was said to prowl. Although Smokey never saw the beast, there were many related witnesses who did, and these star in the film. Thankfully the creature is always a half-hinted presence, but it would go on to eventually make a few million quid at the box office and still to this day attracts droves of new fans, making it one of the greatest cult films ever made. Those of you who recall seeing this for the first will no doubt have experienced the same chills as when you saw the Patterson/Gimlin 'Bigfoot' footage from Bluff Creek in the late '60s, and 'The Legend...' really is the sort of film that stands the test of time. Those obsessed and intrigued by the flick should check out the recently published book by Lyle Blackburn, 'The Beast of Boggy Creek' for further info.

'The Legend of Boggy Creek' is an absolute classic, and proof that not all monsters in films are bad guys. Although the sequels - and more recent re-make were, as expected, pretty atrocious, make sure that 'The Legend of Boggy Creek,' if you've not seen it, is at the top of your list for must see movies.