Things You Need To Know About Valley Of The Sasquatch

Valley of the Sasquatch is a horror feature film that generated considerable buzz at horror film festivals across the country. The flick is written and directed by John Portanova and stars Bill Oberst Jr., Jason Vail, and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte. Since its release, Valley of the Sasquatch has become one of the main films that critics point to when discussing modern “Bigfoot” themed horror films.

The film begins as a peaceful father-and-son hunting trip at a desolate cabin in the wilderness. Characters Roger Crew, his son Michael, and Roger’s hunting buddies are quickly besieged by danger in the form of massive sasquatches. Here are 10 things you need to know about Valley of the Sasquatch 

10 Title Change To Hunting Grounds

After a successful run at several film festivals, which warranted several awards and nominations, Valley of the Sasquatch was sold to Uncork’d Entertainment. The production company agreed to mass-distribute the film, but they decided they would change the title from Valley of the Sasquatch to Hunting Grounds, as they felt the change would help the film sell.

However, it is rather unclear whether the name change was beneficial. It seemed to mostly just confuse fans who already saw the film, while making it harder for interested moviegoers to find it online.

9 Writer/Director John Portanova Has Written Several Other Independent Horrors

John Portanova is still a rising star in the world of horror cinema, but he has already developed a respectable portfolio of work. Mostly contributing to films as a writer, Portanova has written screenplays for independent horrors such as The Invoking and The Device in 2013 and 2014.

Hunting Grounds/Valley of the Sasquatch is the best film Portanova has written according to IMDb, earning a score of 3.6/10 from users. The screenplay writer’s runner-up is The Device with an averaged score of 3.1/10. Portanova hasn’t contributed to a film as a writer since 2015.

8 The Movie Is Portanova’s Feature-Length Directing Debut

Portanova has many more credits for producing and writing films than he does for directing. Valley of the Sasquatch is Portanova’s first and only full-length project that he’s directed. Prior to the sasquatch survival film, Portanova directed two short films called Four Years Today and A Visitor in the Night.

It is surprising that Portanova doesn’t direct more, as Valley of the Sasquatch is the most successful in his portfolio, and he received a nomination for Best Director at the Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival. Although the film has its flaws, it appears Portanova did an all-around good job for a first time director of a full-length film.

7 Nominated For Several Awards At Horrorhound Film Festival

Horrorhound Film Festival used to be a massive event in the world of independent horror. The majority of their events have been held in Indianapolis and Cincinnati, but they haven’t held an event since 2017. However, at the time of the release of Valley of the Sasquatch, it was 2015 and the festival was thriving for the most part.

At an Indianapolis festival, Valley of the Sasquatch received a nomination for Best Feature, while Joris-Peyrafitte was nominated for Best Actor, and crew member Doug Hudson was nominated for Best SFX (SFX stands for special effects). Although the film has been greatly reamed by critics, it seems the judges at Horrorhound found value in the flick.

6 Low Budget

Valley of the Sasquatch was made with a minuscule production budget in comparison to the fortunes that go into funding contemporary, box-office killing horror movies. The film’s microbudget is apparent in Portanova’s purposeful concealment of the sasquatches in dark settings. The crew may not have had enough resources to make the sasquatches more realistic.

They also appear to lack the resources that would be required to depict the sasquatches on-screen for extended periods of time. As a result of minimal capital, Valley of the Sasquatch is not able to do much more than the bare minimum in terms of visual effects. The film relies on jump-scares and suspense to entertain its audience.

5 Starring Bill Oberst Jr.

Bill Oberst Jr. is a veteran horror actor who has appeared in 3 From Hell and Circus of the Dead, as well as in the television shows Scream Queens and Criminal Minds. Oberst Jr. is a behemoth of an actor who is cast in a whopping 38 films that have yet to be released. His total acting credits amount to 195 films.

In Valley of the Sasquatch, Oberst Jr. plays Bauman, a fellow hunter who was captured by the sasquatches but was able to escape alive. He is the “wise man” of the crew of characters and does a terrific job of executing his role. Although this film doesn’t stand a chance at beating the best of Oberst Jr.’s extensive list of movies, diehard fans should enjoy his performance here.

4 Filmed In Washington State

Most will recognize the famous image shown above. Taken in 1967, the image is one of the most famous depictions of the folklore legend, Bigfoot, who is storied to reside in the Pacific Northwest. Valley of the Sasquatch was filmed at Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, which is a major hotspot for supposed sasquatch spottings. The local community has even started holding a yearly “search for sasquatch” event.

The way Valley of the Sasquatch is filmed in the forest area where sasquatches are rumored to actually reside is a very cool dynamic of the film. The lush, natural setting makes for awesome scenery, and Portanova does a great job of capturing Washington’s beauty.

3 Character Centered

Due to the lack of high-budget special effects and big-name actors, Valley of the Sasquatch seems to put a lot of their eggs into appealing to their audience’s emotions through character. Main characters Roger and Michael Crew have a rather disconnected relationship as father and son after the passing of Michael’s mother. A bond that is further complicated by the personalities of Roger Crew’s buddies that accompany them on the hunting trip.

The film does a nice job of building these character dynamics in a fashion that feels more organic than overly forced. The adversity of giant sasquatches hurtling terror in every corner of the forest brings Roger and Michael closer by the end of the film.

2 Weak Dialogue

Despite decently built characters, many critics felt that the dialogue and overall writing of the film definitely lag. One should expect similar writing to other microbudget, independent horrors and Portanova doesn’t exceed expectations with his script.

The lack of substantive dialogue between characters obviously leaves a certain level of emptiness to the film. However, for hardcore horror fans, the writing style of Valley of the Sasquatch should be no surprise in this genre. Although horror flicks can be greatly enhanced and benefit from good writing and dialogue, it is not the main focus of their creators.

1 Won Best Feature Film Award At NW Geek Awards

In 2020, five years after the original festival run of Valley of the Sasquatch, the film was recognized at the NW Geek Awards, held in Renton, WA. The renamed Hunting Grounds won Best Feature Film, which must have been a total surprise to both the other nominees, as well as the cast and crew behind the film.

The five-year gap may represent the inherent charm of Valley of the Sasquatch, despite its shortcomings in writing and editing. Hopefully, Portranova can use the recent award as momentum towards another new project.