Customer Reviews

Sasquatch Odyssey: The Hunt for Bigfoot [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this when it was released on video tape and have watched it at least 10 times. This is an excellent documentary that places it's focus, not so much on bigfoot, but on the people who have made a name searching for it. At times it is humorous (especially the segments with Rene Dahinden), and at others times very serious. It shows the directions the four "old men" of bigfoot search and research have taken since working together as young men, and the contempt they seem to have for each other now. I found myself feeling sorry for the men when they realize they are getting old and have never seen bigfoot and probably will not live to see it. But it is encouraging to see younger people take up the search in an attempt to carry on.
I, for one, am a believer and hope that one day proof positive is presented to the sceptical world, but at the same time I hope bigfoot is left right where he is. One of the viewpoints brought up is that bigfoot does not have to be shot and the body dragged in for us to realize he exists and always has been out there.
This is a great bigfoot film, and you should buy it, if you're interested.

There are some good moments in this DVD. It's intresting watching the "four horsemen" of the sasquatch hunt (Rene Dahinden, John Green, Grover Krantz, Peter Byrne) in interviews and puzzling how none of them get along anymore. Mostly I was disapointed by the extra features on the DVD and the way the producers were subtly poking fun at the subject. All the DVD extras consisted of were opinions on the patterson footage by hollywood make-up artists, not educated scientists or anthropologists. Also, I had read somewhere this DVD contained the complete patterson film, enhanced and uncut. This is not the case. You will only find snippets of the footage throughout the feature as in many other bigfoot documentaries.

If you have a few "fringe science" documentary books/videos/DVD's on your shelf, you'll want to add this to the library. 40% Bigfoot/Yeti/Giant Ape, 60% insight and history into the PEOPLE who've been driving the research for 50 odd years. A bit on the pricey side; but you'll be happy to add it to the collection.

Sasquatch Odyssey is the best documentary ever made about the lives, times and personalites of those four most famous investigators in the sasquatch world. They are Rene Dahinden, John Green, Grover Krantz and Peter Byrne. Sasquatch Odyssey is a must-own for anyone who wants to understand the proposed scientific basis for the existence of this animal.

Director Peter von Puttkamer has documented an aspect of sasquatch research that is seldom seen in other documentaries. While there is a large and healthy dose about sasquatches themselves, much of this fascinating documentary is a look at what made the socalled "Four Horsemen of Sasquatchery" click. Each individual investigator is given an opportunity to candidly speak their mind about their own perspectives in the world of sasquatch. This is a trememdously interesting and absorbing exercise as it allows the viewer to see what truly makes these men tick.

There is also a healthy dose of skepticism and exploration of alternative viewpoints on the likely or unlikely existence of sasquatch.

Also included in this premier DVD is perhaps the clearest and most vivid footage of the Patterson/Gimlin film from October 20, 1967. This particular version of the film is brilliant in colour, contrast and detail and is must for anyone seriously interested in seeing the incredible anatomy and musculature of the unknown cryptid depicted in this seminal footage.

Having seen the original 48 minute version of the documentary, I was very pleased that the new 70 minute version is even more absorbing. The other extras such as the photo gallery, interviews with a well-known skeptical special effects and costumer, as well as a questions and answers segment with Rick Noll, one of the leading lights in this generation of sasquatch researchers, make this DVD a must ahve for all who ahve a curiosity concerning the unknown bipedal hairy hominid that stalks the montane forests of North America.

I thoroughly recommend Sasquatch Odyssey to all who would harbour a desire to come to know the subject of sasquatch more scientifically, intelligently and thoughtfully.

Two thumbs up!!

John Kirk,
President,
British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club,
Richmond, British Columbia,
Canada
http://bcscc.ca.tt

As other reviewers have noted, this humorous and entertaining documentary is less about the big guy and more about some of the personalities, most of which are quite familiar to those of us who have had an interest in this for very long, a little history of the search for evidence and the culture surrounding the mystery.

There are interesting interviews with John Green, Dr. Krantz, Peter Byrne and Rene Dahinden among others as well as with Rick Noll in a featurette. What you won't find here is revealing new evidence supporting or refuting the existence of bigfoot although the veracity of the Patterson footage is again re-hashed by seemingly cursory examination of the film by effects artists and a brief summary of a scientific evaluation of the film.

My wife, who forces a nervous smile, avoids eye contact and slowly backs out of the room when she discovers her normally sane, intelligent, logical and pragmatic husband poring over his bigfoot ephemera like a fevered brain case, actually sat down to watch this and got a big hoot out of it. So did I.

If you're like me and enthusiastically follow the big guy's trail, you'll want to add this interesting, amusing and whimsical piece to your collection. If, however, you can't laugh at yourself...

A 2-disk set of a hotel conference held on Bigfoot that features 4 well known researchers, but fails to produce the disks with good quality video and audio. Excellent material being presented, but absolutely the worst video co-ordination & audio production possible. A total waste of good money!!

This film is less about the Bigfoot itself and more about the people who search for it.

This film centres on the four elders of Bigfoot hunting, Peter Byrne, Rene Dahinden, John Green and Dr. Grover Krantz.

This looks at each individual's ideas on Bigfoot and the jealousies and rivalries that are involved.

As stated by others, this documentary is about two things - bigfoot and the four horsemen of sasquatchary (John Green, Rene Dahinden, Grover Krantz, & Peter Byrne). This is a well done piece, giving time to each of the four men. They talk about bigfoot and Dahinden tries to give an explanation of why the four of them didn't get along. Their in-fighting is amusing and their personalities come out here. Krantz the scientist, John Green the journalist, Dahinden the seemingly bitter every man, and Byrne the playboy hunter. Two of them are dead now (Krantz and Dahinden) and the other two (Green & Byrne) are getting on in years. Most amusing is how all four of them dismiss John Lesparitis as a dimwit regarding bigfoot.

Among other personalities in the show are Ray Crowe, Larry Lund, John Lesparitis, State Trooper Hastings, John Bindernagel (seen but never heard), Robert Pyle, newcomer Henry Franzoni, and Byrne disciple 15 year old Matt "and stuff" Dunlap among others. We also get FX designer Toby Lindala's input on the Patterson film creature. It's a good solid show for the subject matter.

Special Features for the dvd include a 10 minute segment on bigfoot background guy Richard Noll (now coming to the forefront as the Four Horsemen are departing us). Also are three brief opinion segments including FX designer Stan Winston and an old movie actor that impersonated gorillas.

Overall, very good show but more about the Big Four than Bigfoot.

I saw this documentary originally on video, presented as the original 70-minute documentary shown on television. This DVD, while it presents the original documentary, also has new segments, such as 3 short vignettes with Stan Winston ("Aliens", "Terminator 2") with him commenting that the Patterson/Gimlin film is most likely a brilliant hoax. There's a new question-and-answer segment with Bigfoot researcher Richard Noll in which he discusses his thoughts on Bigfoot and the Bigfoot field in general. It also shows him in the field finding a set of tracks. There is also a photo gallery featuring the four principles of the documentary. This documentary features the story of the four Grand Old Men of Bigfootery, John Green, Rene Dahinden, Peter Byrne and Grover Krantz, featuring rare classic footage of each man, which tells the story of each man's quest to find the Sasquatch. Two of the men (Krantz and Dahinden) have passed on since the filming of the documentary, but of the four, only Green continues to be semi-active in the hunt. Byrne is semi-retired and largely out of the public spotlight. This documentary is highly recommended for those who want to know more about the personalities in the field of Bigfoot research.

This is the worst Bigfoot documentary ever produced. If you have even a remote interest in Bigfoot don't think about purchasing this DVD. Productions like this will keep the public thinking that Bigfoot only exists in the minds of outcasts and screwed up people. The title of this production should be titled four men who need a life. And the price! What a waste of money. The people who write these great reviews I suspect have a financial interest in the DVD, I don't know how else you can explain it. I have loaned this DVD to many people and they have shared my sentiments.