Tahoe Joe

After hearing strange animal reports, a documentary filmmaker and his partner head to the area where the sightings have come from in a remote section of the woods near Lake Tahoe hoping to spot an elusive creature, but they soon discover the tales might be true and try to leave the woods alive.

This was a generally fun genre effort. One of the better features here is the enjoyable setup that features quite a lot to like as it moves through several fine storylines. Starting with the backstage footage of their collaborations together leads to the decision to start the project on a fine note as the scenes looking at the series of video footage they see to change focus on the spate of recent sightings. This all creates a strong starting point as it spells out the various stages necessary here with the starting point of the filmmakers' relationship with each other and the general introduction of the search for the creature that is the overall point here. The other big positive to this one is the final half where the group, out alone in the woods filming, is finally given the space they need for a great time. The simple-minded scenes out wandering around looking for a campsite or dealing with personal issues is a fine way to start this and the escalating issues get brought out even further with the big confrontation in the woods as the switch from the noises in the background to plenty of evidence that the creature is out there featuring the discovery of the dead body, the series of night-vision encounters that are quite chilling as the creature effects are kept brief but effective. These make the film quite enjoyable overall while there are some flaws to be had with this one. The biggest factor here is the general lack of action in the second half which it focuses on a lot of investigating at the expense of creature action. The group going through the community talking with eyewitnesses and survivors or looking into the wilderness expert they eventually bring along slows the pace of this one considerably taking these elements into the forefront rather than getting more confrontations with the creature. The other slight issue here is the general lack of traditional creature action which leaves this one without much in the way of expected gore or attacks which is enough to hold this down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Mild Violence.

One thing that the horror genre lacks in, is the inclusion of cryptozoology. But not to worry, Tahoe Joe fills that need to a T! Best of all, this is a horror film that even a younger audience can watch, but not to young! This clever mockumentary is a wild ride and full of twists that will have you on the edge of your seat and pointing at the tv screen. The real life chemistry and friendship between the film's creator, Dillon Brown and actor, Michael Rock really shows and helps build a foundation of the fictional versions of themselves that they play. But it is the legendary Sasquatch known as Tahoe Joe that steals the spotlight in this one. The creature is displayed beautifully terrifying and has a unique look made up of unspeakable monster and natural animal. As an avid horror fan and a believer, I definitely recommend checking this one out.

We really enjoyed everything about this film. The story is captivating and it keeps you engaged wondering what is going to happen. The Sierra Nevada Mountains setting is absolutely stunning and the woods scenes are creepy as hell. It totally had a Blair Witch Project feel to it as they were walking through the woods. The acting was really good in this and totally believable! Dillon & Mike really hit it out of the ballpark on this one! We HIGHLY recommend this film. We would love to say more but it would contain spoilers. You'll just have to watch for yourself! TRUST US......you will enjoy the amazing ride!!!

The Blair Witch Project with Bigfoot was done well for what was put into it. The acting was mostly good and the way it was set up was believable. My favorite parts were the early Bigfoot sightings caught on tape. They did an excellent job making it appear as if there was a creature lurking in the area.

What I didn't love about the movie was, as always with independent films, the length. It's really hard to hold my attention beyond 75 minutes, especially when it's a mockumentary style with almost only handheld footage. I think this film would've been better around 60 minutes just to keep it at typical documentary length.

The actor who played the missing dad wasn't that great, in part because his stuff went on for too long, and the situation of him vlogging and being alone wasn't really great storytelling. Towards the end, when things get chaotic, the acting suffers a little because the characters are not being tense as they probably should be in the situation. I also think they showed too much creature, specifically the teeth. There's a cool homage still frame to Jaws & Texas Chainsaw in the credits that totally worked for me, and would've been enough on its own. Less is more. But overall, a great job. Well done.

I liked the makers' attempt at keeping almost everything meta, but this found-footage film takes a tad too long in its setup, whereas the payoff is pretty minimal. The acting by the kid was pretty terrible, and they didn't do much with the third character Shane. He is presented as a storehouse of information, but the protagonists never question his sources or intentions. Why would he decisively get drunk when he knows the area is dangerous? It's obvious that all the FF horror movies on Tubi only feature scares (if any) in the final 10-15 minutes, and that's the case here too. The creature effects are not bad, but the stakes felt low. Make a part 2 maybe, with these guys (+ additional crew) returning to the forest to prove a point to the world that they weren't staging it. This felt kind of incomplete.