Pottersville

Ok so this is definitely not your run of the mill Christmas Film, in fact I'm not sure it's really a Christmas Film at all, but it is a truly fun, bizarre ride that stars Michael Shannon as a stereo typical general store owner that not so stereo typically accidentally becomes Bigfoot and in doing so saves his small town that is struggling to survive during rough economic times.

It's got a Coen Brothers tongue and cheek feel to it all; think O Brother Where Art Thou meets It's a Wonderful Life. The cast is truly top notch. Alongside Shannon, Judy Greer stars as the loveable shop-keeper; Ron Perlman stars as the local sheriff who's cheating with Shannon's wife, Christina Hendricks, and Thomas Lennon and Ian McShane battle as two capable and incapable hunters of Bigfoot.

It's a bizarre story indeed but if you are willing to jump on board and go for the ride, it's truly a fun one. Henrikson in his directing debut does not take himself overly serious, but creates an interesting juxtaposition by overly playing the earnestness of some truly bizarre circumstances (Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks cheating on Michael Shannon IN HIS OWN BEDROOM while wearing FURRY COSTUMES, Michael Shannon getting extremely drunk and dressing up as Bigfoot and then deciding that he must continue to dress up as Bigfoot to save his town, Thomas Lennon as an "Australian?" Bigfoot Hunter seeking the help from a grizzled moonshiner, Ian McShane, to hunt down and possibly kill Bigfoot). The camera adds a fun sense of whimsicality to the story, hearkening imagery from Jean-Pierre Jeunet films.

I'm not sure what this film is. It's kind of a Christmas Story, but not really. It's kind of a drama about a small town falling on hard times, but not really. It's kind of a monster hunter broad comedy, but not really. But whatever it is, it somehow bizarrely worked for me, but walk into it knowing it's a little different.

A down on its luck mining town finds a new life when locals begin seeing a bigfoot. Before long, there are tourists in town, cash registers ringing, and a nationally syndicated television show scouring the woods for a sasquatch. It's a Christmas miracle - or is it?

My rating for Pottersville seems at odds with conventional wisdom. It's obvious that I enjoy this one much, much more than most people. For many reason, the film worked for me. The cast is brilliant - from Michael Shannon playing against character to the always enjoyable Judy Greer to the gruff but funny Ian McShane, I had a blast with the cast. The plot is a another plus for me. It's just quirky enough to keep me entertained throughout. The bits about the furries, the bigfoot sightings, and the "unique" townspeople are all interesting touches. I've read several complaints about the lack of real comedy and, while I can agree to a point, there are enough moments that made me at least smile that I didn't need to laugh out loud to find the comedy enjoyable. Overall, I had a good time with Pottersville and have no problems rating it higher than most others.

My biggest complaint with Pottersville and the thing that keeps me from rating it higher is Tom Lennon. A little Lennon goes a long way. He's given way, way too much screentime. I admit that some of his interactions with Ian McShane and the Nelson Mandela song dedicaiton were quite funny, but overall, he's annoying. Less Lennon and I might have rated Pottersville even higher.

This movie will not shock you, terrify you. There are no cars flying from building to building and exploding only to have the hero survive because they did a Ninja roll. Just a story of hope and finding meaning in the most mundane of the mundane. Accidentally setting off a spree of Bigfoot sightings, one man transforms a town and leaves it forever changed. This is a rare bird for Hollywood any more. Will it change your world, maybe not, but there are a lot worse ways to spend a couple hours and the laughs that will accompany it.

Hi,

I ran across this little gem on a Saturday night when cruising Netflix. I was intrigued by Ian McShane and Ron Perlman. I wasn't expecting that much and I had an enjoyable time watching the actors bring the characters to life. Ian is very funny playing a hunter and Ron Perlman does an excellent job of playing a country sherriff. I read the previous reviews and I'm not we were watching the same film. I have relatives in a small town in east Texas and the themes of a small town dependent on a mill closing hit close to home as when industry leaves a small town, there often aren't a lot of opportunities. Perhaps I just have a calif attitude but I was laughing at the same jokes when I watched the next afternoon with friends. Perhaps not everyone noticed that the Bigfoot costume was what special forces actually wears for camo wear. There are a lot of other subtle jokes in the movie if you are paying attention. Cheers!

12/25/17. This was actually a cute holiday-time movie that was surprisingly enjoyable to watch. I say that because I would never picture Shannon doing such a movie, and he was good! It's almost like a modern day take off on It's a Wonderful Life. Catch it!