ABOMINABLE: Bigfoot with Attitude! (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

Anyone else catch "Abominable" on the SciFi channel? Probably the best quality SciFi movie premiere I've ever seen on the network (especially notable when compared to the excruciating "Sasquatch" which SciFi ran just before the premiere of "Abominable"). Reasonably good acting, neat action and effects, and lots of gory bigfoot action!

My only slight disappointment was that we didn't really learn the creature's motivation. It was discussed a bit when Preston and Amanda finally team up in his house, but it was not really explored any further. So we don't really know if there is a reason for the rampage, or if the creature is just sadistic, psychotic, or just plain hungry.

Overall a pleasant surprise to discover this little gem on the SciFi network, of all places. Can't wait for the DVD!

 

[Jerome Grate]

Darn it I missed it, it was Saturday wasn't it? Hopefully there will be a replay soon.

 

[Malcolm R]

If they follow their usual scheduling, it should repeat on Thursday night.

EDIT: Actually, looking at the upcoming schedule, there are no repeats of Abominable. Must be SciFi only got a one-shot deal.

The DVD should be out soon.

 

[Donnie Eldridge]

Only was able to watch up until they team up in the house. What happened from there?

P.S.
Use spoiler tags

 

[Malcolm R]

You missed the best scene of the movie! Here's a summary...

Preston and Amanda use the mountain climbing gear to try and lower themselves from the deck to the ground while the monster is trying to break in the front door. Preston gets down and Amanda is lowering herself down when the monster breaks into the house and comes out onto the deck. The monster grabs the rope and begins to pull Amanda back up. As Preston strains to try and pull her back down, the monster pulls her up to his eye level and begins sniffing at her face and throat.

Just before it can kill her, Preston's guardian wakes up and buries an axe in the back of the creature. The only effect it seems to have is to enrage the beast. The monster picks up the guardian guy by the shoulders and BITES HIS ENTIRE FACE OFF!! (Apparently, 'squatches can hyper-extend their jaws...who knew?) The guardian slumps back to the deck, missing the entire front half of his skull from the lower jaw to the top of his head.

Amanda had begun to lower herself again. Again, the monster grabs the rope and begins to pull her up. Amanda finally disengages the harness and falls to the ground beside Preston.

After a second to recover from the fall, Amanda begins dragging Preston toward the guardian's station wagon. They reach the vehicle just as the monster emerges from the house and begins running toward them. Just as they find the keys and get the car started, the monster picks up the back of the car so they cannot drive away.

As Amanda is gunning the engine and the rear wheels are spinning in mid-air, the monster either loses grip or purposely lets go (?), causing the car to take off like a bullet, out of control, until it crashes into a large tree. Amanda is launched through the windshield by the impact, while Preston slides under the dashboard.

Preston pulls himself up as the monster passes the side of the car, heading toward Amanda's body. Preston begins honking the horn to distract the creature. The sound of the horn seems to cause the creature some pain, as it begins to hold its head and roar (a weak plot device, but up until now it's been pretty good so I'll cut it some slack). The creature holds its head and continues to stumble around the car, back towards the cabin.

Enraged by the horn, the beast charges the vehicle. Preston sees it coming and reaches down and presses the gas pedal to the floor. The car shoots back, impacting the creature, and drives it back against another large tree, pinning the beast and driving the axe that was still in its back completely through the ribcage and out its chest. Preston continues to apply the gas to keep the monster pinned to the tree as it struggles to get free.

Preston braces the gas pedal to keep the vehicle and the monster pinned to the tree while he crawls out to check on Amanda. The monster's struggles become weaker and weaker as the monster dies and collapses on the top of the car.

Amanda and Preston struggle/crawl/drag themselves to the end of the driveway where the police and ambulances are just arriving. As they are loaded into ambulances, the police ask, "what happened?" Preston tells them, "you should just see for yourselves." When the police walk up to the cabins, the car is backed against the tree, but the monster is gone. In fact, all the other bodies are gone, too!

So, as the police begin to fan out to search the woods for bodies, the troopers seem jumpy and the chief begins to berate them about being a bunch of pansies, afraid of their own shadows. "There's nothing in these woods but a few owls and some frozen rattlesnakes," he says (or something to that effect).

Suddenly there is a growl from the woods. As they all turn to look behind them and see a sasquatch face looking at them from behind the trees. Then, as they all point their lights towards the trees, the shining eyes and silhouettes of multiple creatures can be seen and they all begin to growl...fade to black.

THE END

 

[Donnie Eldridge]

Thanks. Looks like I missed quite a bit. :frowning:

 

[Jerome Grate]

Crud, I read the spoiler and now I've got to see the DVD when it comes out. I'm not a made for t.v. movie fan on DVD, but this might require me to rethink that.

 

[Malcolm R]

This wasn't a made-for-tv movie. I believe it was independently produced and just couldn't strike a major distribution deal. It was released to a couple of theaters in Seattle and L.A. before being aired on SciFi.

But it's a far cry from their usual Nu Image/U.F.O. productions, bag-o-crap movies; Exhibit A = last night's Cobra vs. Komodo. Yikes!

I thought the Abominable production values were pretty darn good for a low budget feature.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Thanks Malcolm I won't feel bad when I do purchase it.

 

[derek]

I thought Abominable was one of the best genre 'bigfoot' horror type movies I"ve seen in awhile. Now its not a classic but better than than that 'Sasquatch' with Lance Hendricksen. My all time fav is still 'Sasquatch: Legend of Bigfoot.' But anyway the production values were good and with some really nice well shot scenes. While the bigfoot creature was decent...I though his face was a bit too much 'troll like' (ya know those stupid troll dolls?) LOL Would have liked a more homindal facial structure. The ending was just classic.
As to the creatures motivation I didn't buy the hunger angle and didn't find much intelligence in what he was doing. To me he was sorta on a crazy killing type spree. The 'surprise' ending gives some context to this point.

Anyway a great article with the writer/director on the film is here:

http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=1477

 

[Malcolm R]

Abominable is due on DVD in September from Anchor Bay.

In the meantime, keep watching the SciFi schedule for possible repeat airings. It was on again this past Thursday night.

 

[ChrisBEA]

It was on last Thursday. I checked it out and thought it was pretty good. I then watched Boo on Saturday, also OK, and then Voodoo Moon on Sunday.

None of them were great, but all three were better than what usually gets aired. I taped another one last night, but I can't remember the title....

Been awhile since we've gotten anything to the level of Cube or Dog Soldiers. Wait, there was the House of the Dead sequel that wasn't too bad, and the two goofy Return of the Living Dead sequels....

 

[Lucia Duran]

I was flipping through the channels and caught the tail end of this movie. It was aggravating me because Preston looked so familar and I couldn't figure out who the actor was who played him or where I have seen him before...... Lloyd Braun!!!! LOL! He played Lloyd Braun from Seinfeld!

*IMDb is our friend*

 

[Malcolm R]

Anyone know what's up with this week's re-release of Abominable on DVD? Just a new cover? It doesn't seem to be promoted as any kind of special edition.

 

[IanDP]

Did the original DVD have bonus features? At Anchor Bay's site, they list a ton of bonus features, and say "Featuring Uncensored Footage Not Seen In The Sci Fi Channel Broadcast!". Obviously the DVD would have more footage than the (likely edited) TV version, but I don't know if it's new to this release.
See the list of special features:
Anchor Bay Entertainment - Horror

 

[Ron68]

The original release had a "Making of" featurette, I think it was about 20 mins in length, a commentary with Ryan Schifrin, Matt McCoy and Jeffrey Combs, Deleted and extended scenes, outtakes and bloopers, Schifrin's student film: "Shadows", trailers, poster, stills and storyboard galleries and the screenplay on DVD-ROM. I enjoyed the movie for what is was and the extras were interesting but this movie doesn't need a double dip, especially one that is listed at almost twice what I originally paid.