Exists: The Bigfoot Legend Lives! - DVD

Film: There are myths that just won't die. The Loch Ness monster is one of those, the aliens at Area 51 another. And then, of course, there's Bigfoot, which over 3,000 people in the U.S. alone claim to have seen since the late '60s. That all these people have survived encounters with the hairy forest monster is due, according to experts, to the fact that the Bigfoot is in itself a tame creature that only becomes dangerous when provoked. However, brothers Brian (Chris Osborne) and Matt (Samuel Davis), together with their friends Dora (Dora Madison Burge), Todd (Roger Edwards) and Liz (Denise Williamson), find out just how dangerous the Bigfoot can be during a weekend in the woods. For no sooner do they arrive at the brothers' uncle's remote cabin than strange noises and eerie roars give them a proper case of the creeps. Then, when amateur filmmaker Brian sees a mysterious figure walk in front of his lens, he's convinced it's a real-life Bigfoot. When the friends' car is destroyed, the others must also realize that they are dealing with a real danger and not a backwoods legend. But why is the Bigfoot so incredibly angry?

15 years after laying the groundwork for the enormous success of the found footage subgenre with The Blair Witch Project, director Eduardo Sanchez once again sets a mystical creature in the woods on a group of young people, who then capture these eerie events with their cameras. And indeed, even after 15 years in Exists, the very stylistic devices that already led to the Blair Witch Project for a comforting goosebumps work really well: Woods lit by flashlight, where you can hear eerie sounds like the cracking of branches or distant howling. Even an attack by a creature still invisible to the audience and protagonists has been seen in similar form in the found footage classic.

Of course, with so many similarities, Sanchez can certainly be accused of lacking originality. Also, after quite a few copycats and the success of the Paranormal Activity series and its copycats, this horror subgenre is extremely overused. But despite these justified criticisms, Bigfoot Horror works pleasingly well, especially in the first hour, and has some very successful moments of suspense to offer. This only changes when you get to see the angry forest dweller himself. Of course, the makeup artists have done a very good job here with the small budget they had at their disposal. And of course, credit must also be given to the work of actor Brian Steele, who had to squeeze into this costume in the Texas woods, which are quite warm even in the spring. Nevertheless, especially in the close-ups you can see that the Bigfoot is made of latex and synthetic hair, which robs him of much of his menace.

However, even if the last act disappoints a bit and might even seem unintentionally funny to some viewers, overall Exists has become a very entertaining and in places even really thrilling genre representative, which is always particularly effective when it falls back on simple and classic horror effects. And for this there is then also a clear bottom line: worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: Although found footage films and mockumentaries usually show shaky video footage, which was usually recorded by qualitatively imperfect recording devices such as surveillance, cell phone or small handheld cameras, Exists offers a surprisingly good, in some scenes even pleasantly quiet and sharp image. This is explained by the use of high-quality digital cameras that amateur filmmaker Brian brought with him into the woods. Otherwise, image sharpness, color mixing and the sometimes slightly overdrawn contrasts are on an absolutely decent level for such a low budget production. The same applies to the sound, which is determined over long stretches especially by the centrally mixed dialogues, here and there but also with purposefully used sound effects such as the eerie noises from the forest and the roar of the Bigfoot for good surround feeling and a pleasant goose bumps provide. Good!

Extras: For a small production like this, the DVD has quite a few well-produced extras to offer. Starting things off is a three-part making of (approx. 28 min.), where the viewer gets to play fly on the wall on set. The pleasantly commercial-free look at this production is very interesting and also extremely entertaining. The same goes for director Eduardo Sanchez's commentary on the making of Bigfoot. From initial sketches made in New Zealand by WETA to the final design and the work of the actor who was in the costume, the creation of the creature is covered here. Finally, there are six cut or alternate scenes (approximately 15 mins) on the disc, which include an alternate beginning and extended ending. Optional subtitles are offered for all extras. Very good!

Conclusion: When Blair Witch Project unleashes a group of young people on a deadly legend in deserted woods, well, it can only get creepy. And that's how Exists works, too: the Bigfoot legend lives really well, especially in the first hour. It's only when you get to see the creepy monster that some of the tension is lost. Nevertheless, this found footage horror offers overall pretty good entertainment, which is presented on the DVD in adequate picture and sound quality. The really worth seeing bonus material then also ensures that in the end there is a satisfied Recommendable for the DVD

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp