Movies such as Interviewing Monsters and Bigfoot appeal to a specific audience. Namely, college freshmen experimenting with freedom, booze, and weed (perhaps for the first time). It’s not just the presence of perennial man-child Tom Green that brings me to this conclusion. It’s the amateur-hour, freewheeling spirit that permeates every inch of this loosey-goosey backwoods comedy involving the quest for proof of the existence of Sasquatch.
The plot, such as it is, exists solely as teetering scaffolding on which to hang individual scenes of doofuses acting goofy. Professor Cory Mathis (Les Stroud) conducts interviews with folks (the true monsters) who claim to have had run-ins with the titular hairy beast. His research takes him to rural Missouri, where he, along with research assistant Gloria (Tera Eckerle), get to work attempting to qualify Bigfoot’s existence. Gloria’s uncle, forest ranger Billy Teal (Tom Green), and his brother, Bobby (Quinn Strong), are out to thwart Mathis (I guess) and his mission so that they can get in good with the Men In Green (this movie’s version of the Feds) and become agents.
“Professor Cory Mathis…along with research assistant Gloria…get to work attempting to qualify Bigfoot’s existence.”
Meanwhile, Gloria’s estranged baby daddy and Mathis’ son, Casey (Brian Kowalski), returns to town after a stint in Chicago, at which point, Gloria introduces him to their tween daughter, Cassie (Elise Edwards). The reunited family idea is fine in theory, but Interviewing Monsters and Bigfoot positions it as an entirely unnecessary and pointless stab at melodrama. It distracts from the stoner-vibe that the movie is working towards, and it ultimately leads nowhere.
The balance of the cast of bumpkins includes Fran Andersen (Stacy Brown, Jr.), a local yokel who runs around like a madman conducting his own search for Bigfoot along with Gloria’s friend, Lexi (A.J. Koehler), all the while dodging marriage-hungry harpy, Sissy (Lexi Street); two morons (famed Bigfoot hunter Rick Dyer and his partner, Jeremy Ware) out to get rich by making a Bigfoot snuff film; and a character that I can only describe as Heidi-by-way-of-the-Ozarks, who periodically shows up as a sort of hillbilly Greek chorus and tunefully provides commentary accompanied by her guitar.
"…reminded me of something that the comedy troupe Broken Lizard might do..."
Brian. Thank you so much for getting Interviewing Monsters and Bigfoot. People need to just laugh again.