Fantastic Fest Report: Abominable Review

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Gleefully aware of the limitations inherent in the Bigfoot sub-genre of horror films, writer/director Ryan Schifrin nonetheless has quite a bit of fun with the formula.

As the son of famed composer Lalo Schifrin, he might be accused of simply taking advantage of family ties by employing his father to do the score, but it's a bold choice that's entirely in keeping with the 70s vibe of the flick. The elder Schifrin's music is strikingly bold, with a welcome reliance on the string section to help build tension and punctuate individual scenes.

Quickly establishing a "no nonsense, don't worry, we're not going to waste much time with exposition" mood, director Schifrin moves smoothly from a jumpy pre-title sequence to the modern-day James Stewart, the great Matt McCoy. True, McCoy may be better known for appearing in two previous Bigfoot-themed movies (as noted on this IMDB trivia page), but he brings an everyman intensity to his role as wheelchair-bound Preston Rogers.

He also has the clear-eyed ability to nail one-liners that might otherwise induce groaners ("I'm going to need a bigger knife"), a believability that is crucial to keep the audience rooting for the characters instead of jeering them off the screen.

Preston was disabled in a rock-climbing accident that killed his wife. Still recovering from the psychological shock, he has been recuperating in a treatment center. For the first time, he is given a weekend release and is sent to a wilderness condo with the non-too-friendly orderly Otis (Christien Tinsley). Otis appears to have his own agenda for the weekend, and is determined to brook no nonsense from Preston.

Five young women pull up to the condo next door. Instead of introducing himself, Preston retreats to his condo and pulls out his binoculars. Strange sounds and booming thunder emanate from the forest, and the scene is set for the Abominable Snowman to come out of hibernation.

Before the wreckage is complete, we've got broken glass, smashed doors, out-of-range cell phones, theatening needles, marijuana, torn-open bodies, a hatchet, and a fully-nude (if all too brief) shower scene provided by the lovely and always obliging Tiffany Shepis.

Schifrin keeps things moving along at a good clip, and includes short, enjoyable turns by familiar genre faces Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen, Dee Wallace-Stone, Rex Linn, and the late Paul Gleason. Combs and Henriksen, especially, make a campfire scene special simply by their appearance (Combs) and gruff dispatch of hilarious dialogue (Henriksen).

Among the girls next door, Haley Joel demonstrates great moxie.

Abominable doesn't rise above its genre. Oddly enough, it may be the lack of pretension that is the film's greatest asset. For fans of 70s drive-in flicks (or the modern-day equivalent, "direct to DVD or Sci-Fi Channel") with properly-set expectations, this has all the ingredients you'd want, and more.

Really, who wouldn't want to see the Bigfoot version of Rear Window?

In the post-screening Q & A, Schifrin said that he wanted to reclaim "Grade Z" movies. His original inspiration was the aforementioned Hitchcock classic, mixed with the "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" episode of The Twilight Zone. When pondering what creature he could use, he decided that Bigfoot had been underutilized in movies.

As to the appearance of the creature, Schifrin said they intended to make it look different than the traditional Bigfoot/Abominable Snowman. He said they were going for a 'deranged Down's Syndrome baby face' / 'Bigfoot's mutated cousin' look, and it's been described as looking like both Jack Elam and Ron Jeremy.

He hesitated to approach his father about doing the score. Abominable is his first feature, and he was afraid that his father wouldn't like it, or that it might affect their relationship. It turns out that his father had the same concerns, but basically volunteered to do it. The elder Schifrin hates to be micro-managed, so although they talked about the emotions Ryan was looking for during certain scenes, he didn't hear any of the music until it was completed.

Actress Haley Joel was also on hand, and she said her favorite scenes were those in which she was falling or going through glass because it made her feel like she was really earning her paycheck. She was delighted to work with Matt McCoy, whom she'd admired ever since she saw The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

According to Schifrin, Jeffrey Combs kept making good suggestions for the appearance of his character. It's a small role, and Combs is nearly unrecognizable. Lance Henriksen shot his scene nearly a year after the production had been completed.

Schifrin wants to keep making movies like this one. Judging by the result, that could only mean more enjoyable horror flicks.

Abominable will be released in a Region 1 DVD from Anchor Bay on October 3.