Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful, but the Snowbeast Inside is Delightful.

As I sit down and prepare to be blanketed by another snowstorm (at least I should be off work for a couple days), I decided it was time to hit the Drive-In Movie Classics 50 Movie Pack I grabbed a few weeks ago to see what it had in store. That is when I saw the classic, made-for-TV Bigfoot flick, Snowbeast. As the snow starts to fall, what else could I choose to keep me company until the wife finishes the design project she is working on.

When I was kid, the made-for-TV movies were all the rage on our three channels (four if you count UHF)  and there was part of me that could remember Snowbeast. As I stated in one of my earlier blogs, The Legend of Boggy Creek was one of my favorites and this film was on par with that. In fact, in many ways it was better because you actually get to see the monster on different occasions throughout the film.

As the movie moves along, it is clear that Jaws  was a major influence behind the idea of making the movie. The basic premise is an ex-Olympic skier and wife (complete with a troubled marriage) go up to a ski lodge for him to find a job and save their marriage. Fortunately, the creature steps in and sets the stage for all of that plus more to come true. It did help that the resort owner and her grandson decided to keep the suspicion of the existence of the monster under-wraps so their Winter Carnival could be a success (Weren’t they in for a shock)!

Yes, the movie has is flaws like focusing in on the underlying soap-opera with the couples marriage, and it  had the typical plot twist fueled by money and greed, but with all that being said, it was definitely worth the time I spent watching it. Of course, as a person that loves to reminisce about my youth by watching cheesy 70s “B” movies, I am a bit biased. The movie does offer some interesting twists and the bloodshed was actually a lot more than expected from a TV Movie. Now, I wouldn’t tell you to run out a buy it, but if it is part of a collection you picked up, give it a chance, there are many worse films out there.

vote it up!