Valley of the Sasquatch

Valley of the Sasquatch (also known as Hunting Grounds) is a 2015 American horror film written and directed by John Portanova and starring Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Jason Vail, David Saucedo, D'Angelo Midili, and Bill Oberst Jr. as a group of hunters who encounter a family of Sasquatches. It premiered in February 2015 at the Nevermore Film Festival.

Valley of the Sasquatch
Film poster
Directed byJohn Portanova
Produced by
  • Matt Medisch
  • Brent Stiefel
Written byJohn Portanova
Starring
  • Miles Joris-Peyrafitte
  • Jason Vail
  • David Saucedo
  • D'Angelo Midili
  • Bill Oberst Jr.
Music byJon Bash
CinematographyJeremy Berg
Edited byDavid Phillips
Production
company
  • The October People
  • Votiv Films
Release date
  • February 20, 2015 (2015-02-20) (NFF)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

After his wife dies, Roger forces his son Michael to go on a hunting trip in rural Washington with a family friend and Roger's brother-in-law. When they reach their cabin, they find it has been broken into and is a mess. Thinking nothing of it, Roger and the others enter the nearby woods, where they encounter a family of hostile Sasquatches.

Cast
  • Miles Joris-Peyrafitte as Michael Crew
  • Jason Vail as Roger Crew
  • David Saucedo as Sergio Guerrero
  • D'Angelo Midili as Will Marx
  • Bill Oberst Jr. as Bauman
  • Connor Conrad as the beast

Production

Valley of the Sasquatch is Portanova's debut.[1] Portanova, a Washington native and Bigfoot fan, included local stories from Washington in the screenplay. Shooting took place entirely on location, including at Snoqualmie Pass and Meany Lodge,[2][3] over 23 days.[1] The monster suit was designed by Doug Hudson.[4]

Release

Valley of the Sasquatch premiered on February 20, 2015, at the Nevermore Film Festival.[5]

Critical response

Ken W. Hanley of Fangoria rated it 2/4 stars and, though he praised Portanova's skill at directing and Hudson's special effects, wrote the writing is too generic.[6] Mark L. Miller of Ain't It Cool News wrote the film fulfills all the criteria necessary for a good Bigfoot film: a new story, good action scenes, and a good costume.[7] Ari Drew of Dread Central rated it 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "While Valley of the Sasquatch does not necessarily bring on the horror in a major or fresh way, it is at times a very effectively atmospheric film with some interesting ideas behind it."[8] Michael Juvinall of Horror Society rated 4.5/5 stars and called it "the best this subgenre has to offer".[9]

Mike Wilson of Bloody Disgusting gave the film a mixed review, writing, " Portanova certainly knows his way around with the camera, and the actors, for the most part, gave the effort necessary. The film just falters at attempting to mix a human drama with Bigfoot, being let down by the writing. Rough as it is, it’s still worthwhile to see it if you’re a fan of Bigfoot films, and you temper your expectations."[10]

References
  1. Rahner, Mark (2015-05-12). "SIFF 2015: Director John Portanova's Sasquatch Massacre!". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  2. "Sasquatch coming to SIFF". KING-TV. 2015-05-22. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  3. Kay, Tony (2015-05-22). "PNW Filmmaker Ventures into the 'Valley of the Sasquatch'". City Arts Online. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  4. Klauss, Nicole (2015-05-13). "Movie filmed in Roslyn to debut". Daily Record. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  5. "Valley of the Sasquatch". Nevermore Film Festival. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  6. Hanley, Ken W. (2015-05-11). ""VALLEY OF THE SASQUATCH" (Film Review)". Fangoria. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  7. Miller, Mark L. (2015-04-08). "VALLEY OF THE SASQUATCH (2015)". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  8. Drew, Ari (2015-11-25). "Valley of the Sasquatch (2015)". Dread Central. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  9. Juvinall, Michael (2015-05-15). "Valley of the Sasquatch (2015) Review". Horror Society. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  10. Wilson, Mike. "[Review] 'Hunting Grounds' Packs the Bigfoot, Forgets the Writing - Bloody Disgusting". BloodyDisgusting.com. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
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