Mountain Devil (2017)

Although I have not been able to make it into the field in some time due to school or softball, there no better place to spend some time than on a real Bigfoot investigation. To my surprise when I went to Family Video, I found a new release that was filmed here in Pennsylvania. A movie that I had heard about for some time from researchers in the Bigfoot community in this area. In fact, here at the Ringmaster’s Realm, there are actually investigation journals from outings with some of the investigators shown in this film. While this movie is miscast as a horror movie, it is a solid docudrama: 2017s Mountain Devil.

Plot/ Based on the true events that occurred in the Appalachian Mountains, Mountain Devil recounts the frightening events of the night Frank Peterson and his friend spent the night in a secluded cabin stalked by something they could not explain. With only a few clues and journal entries, we try to piece together the shocking events, and attempt to shed insight into one of the greatest mysteries of our time

Let me start by saying that this docudrama sits somewhat close to my heart. Many of the Bigfoot investigators involved with this project are personal friends. With that being said, I can vouch for the validity of the investigation principles shown throughout the movie. Everything that was shown from the measurements techniques, to the tree bend discoveries, to the group investigation methods are practiced when out in the field. Plus, no one in the group claims to be an expert, in fact they make this statement on camera in the film. Based on a true story, the overall tale is interesting and the production elements utilizing a mixture of actual investigation footage, witness interviews, and the reenactment of the source material works well together especially considering the low budget nature of the project. Yes, the film is miscast as a horror movie, there are some choppy moments with the editing and overall video quality, but that is to be expected. In the end, even though I may be a touch biased with my review, I will say that this is an honest documentary and everything seen in the investigation practices shown are real. I have been in the field with many of these researchers and I will likely join them again soon. If you enjoy Bigfoot documentaries and want to see the process as it truly is, check out this film. It is definitely more believable than the higher budged shows that have almost ruined the field.