There's an awful lot of fun to be had watching J. Brandon Maughon's entertaining documentary The Town That Loved Bigfoot, an Indie Rights release currently available via Amazon Prime that guarantees to please Bigfoot connoisseurs and those who can appreciate Maughon's down-home Americana approach to one of America's most enduring legends. 

While we're used to Bigfoot films set in the Pacific Northwest, The Town That Loved Bigfoot sets up shop in the collard green-crazed town of Evergreen, Alabama, the county seat of Conecuh County that sits halfway between Montgomery and Mobile and has become officially known as the Bigfoot Capital of Alabama. 

Yes, officially. 

There's southern charm galore in this delightfully entertaining 72-minute feature doc that features the usual smalltown characters you can't help but love from an inquisitive newspaper reporter who can't help but believe to the mayor who's just grateful for a rather inspired way to promote the city to a cynic or two and those who participate in the annual Bigfoot Callin' Contest including three-time champ Tony Kyles. 

With music by Darryl Blood and Maximilian Kabong that sets exactly the right tone, The Town That Loved Bigfoot is a spirited, infectious romp through a sleepy little town that isn't so sleepy anymore thanks to a roadside Bigfoot photo op that attracts tourists from near and far and more than a few surprisingly well documented Bigfoot sightings that have captured the imagination, if not always the full-on belief, of those who live in this city of just under 4,000 residents. 

It's hard not to love films like The Town That Loved Bigfoot, films that seemingly know exactly what they're supposed to be and go there shamelessly and with a sense of fun that embraces the lore, the legend, the town, and its people. The Town That Loved Bigfoot may not turn you into a believer, but you'll have a hard time resisting the film's good spirit and convincing tales. If it's all a joke, pretty much everyone in the town's in on it. 

But, seriously. Who doesn't believe in Bigfoot?

I know I do.

The Town That Loved Bigfoot is a beautiful film to watch, a single solitary typo and slightly cartoonish transition scenes the only minor hindrance in a film that's the kind of American folklore doc you can't help but watch when you find it while browsing and you'll likely find yourself watching it more than once. Heck, after watching The Town That Loved Bigfoot even I'd vote for Mayor Pete Wolff and have a joy hanging out with the likes of Bobby Hamilton, Peacock, Ashley McPhaul, and Luthor Upton. 

Available now on Amazon Prime, you can watch The Town That Loved Bigfoot by clicking on "Watch This Film" in the credits! 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic