Fortean Rewatch: Southern Fried Bigfoot

The documentary Southern Fried Bigfoot is an absloute gem of the early 2000s filmmaking and amazingly wonderful to watch. Released in 2009 and directed by Sean Whitley, this hour long film takes you on a journey to various parts of the Southern states of the US, which is not typically known as Bigfoot country. In the very first minutes this film tackles this preconceived notion that Bigfoot lives only in the Pacific Northwest and instead asserts the fact, and verified through the BFRO (Bigfoot Researchers Organization) that Bigfoot sightings are reported in every state except Hawaii. Adding more to that, one of the most famous films about Bigfoot is The Legend of Boggy Creek, which was covered in the previous Fortean Rewatch and centers around the small, Southern town of Fouke, Arkansas. 

The film goes through and explores other famous Southern Bigfoots such as the Myakka Skunk Ape, Momo, the Lake Worth Monster and the Honey Island Swamp Monster among others. It takes its time to explore and give general information on each one and reveal that there is plenty to raise your eyebrows at. Particularly entertaining is the variety of Southern names for the Sasquatch creatures: wild man, wild woman, swamp devil, raggedy man, night screamer, booger, booger man, etc. Most of these being local titles attached to similar creatures throughout the South. 

Southern Fried Bigfoot also stars heavy hitters of the cryptozoological and Bigfoot worlds such as Loren Coleman, John Bindernagel and, Honorary Sasquatch wrangler, Craig Woolheater. However, for me personally, the star of the show was Chester Moore, Jr. A strongly opinionated wildlife journalist, who is an absolute blast to listen to, Moore is described as pro kill, meaning he believes that to definitely prove the existence of Bigfoot a body must be brought in, and if that means killing one, so be it. He is, as he describes a journalist “chasing the story” and he is determined to do it. He exemplifies a confidence in his approach to the Sasquatch subject, while at the same time being critical and skeptical of his own evidence. Wherever you are Chester Moore Jr. I hope you are well and still looking for Bigfoot.

This film is an absolute must watch. It is entertaining, it is informative and all around genuinely made. It was not hashed out by some Hollywood producer trying to make a buck off of a Bigfoot documentary, but it was crafted by people who cared about the topic as evidenced by choosing the relatively undiscussed topic of Southern Bigfoots. So get a group of friends together, be intrigued, learn a little something and have an all around good time with it. 

Southern Fried Bigfoot is available to stream on Amazon Prime. It is also available to purchase on DVD from Amazon.

The official website: https://southernfriedbigfoot.com/

Southern Fried Bigfoot is also on Facebook and Twitter and are actually quite active on there, so if you like the film be sure to leave a review on Amazon and let them know directly!