Bigfoot In So Cal: The Return Of The Speedway Monster!

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Wishes To Remain Anonymous

Back in 2010 I posted a couple of articles about the infamous "Speedway Monster" that at one time used to prowl around the rural communities at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains just a mere 30-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles. The creature in question got it's signature name from a plethora of sightings that occurred between the 1950s and early 1970s at the Mickey Thompson's Fontana International Dragway where literally hundreds of race fans witnessed it roaming nearby fields and rummaging through trash cans. After the raceway closed in 1972 sightings of the "Speedway Monster" continued through the early 1990s when the suburban areas of Fontana and Rialto grew by leaps and bounds into the sprawling residential and shopping mecca it is today. As most cryptid hunters know, Bigfoot doesn't like malls so for good reasons the monster has moved on.

Or so it seemed....

An anonymous eyewitness has contacted this website with news that the "Speedway Monster" may have returned to it's old haunts near the location where the old dragstrip once stood in an area that is now the residential neighborhoods of Las Colinas in Rialto, Ca. According to the source Bigfoot, or something that resembles one, visited the area on several occasions in 2004 and 2005 traveling down a dry river bed across from the community that connects to Lytle Creek an infamous hot spot for sightings.

The eyewitness stated, " I remember hearing this loud howling screams, screeching and growling all at the same time in the night around 2 am about twice a month. My Grandfather who lived with me at the time said he heard them as well. He mentioned that in his home country the creature is known as 'The Screamer' he said it sounded just like that."

"It seemed the calls were coming from across a main road in a dry river bed that lead directly into Lytle Creek. Not until about a two years ago did I ever hear calls of that sort again, on TV during research show of Bigfoot. When I heard them on TV it gave me goosebumps and chills. I now believe that was the noises I was hearing."

For a while the creature seemed content with making a lot of noise and sticking to the dry river bed. Then one night it got up the courage to venture into the neighborhood.

The source continues, "Around the time that I was living in that neighborhood (Las Colinas) one night my older brother called my cell phone asking where my Louisville Slugger was. I asked why and he said because he was in the bathroom on the 2nd floor and looked out the window and saw a tall, hairy creature looking up at him. According to him it was on the side of the house behind the hedges that separated our house from our neighbors. The hedge was approximately 9 ft tall."

"He said the creature was standing and its head was clear over the hedge. When the creature, I think was some sort of BigFoot, noticed my brother George looking back at him it ducked its head. According to George the creature was a grayish tan color, hairy and tall. Covered with hair and a human like face. He was genuinely freaked out . He was never one to be into or believed in Bigfoot type things but when I got home he was sure of what he saw and it scared him very much."

Has the "Speedway Monster" returned to it's old hunting grounds near the spot where the old Mickey Thompson's Fontana International Dragway once stood? According to the eyewitnesses the answer is yes.

It would be hard to believe that a creature like Bigfoot would be brave enough to venture from the safety of the nearby mountains into an area that is now a rather dense suburban area. Granted the area of the sightings, Las Colinas, is somewhat more remote than other housing tracts in the general area with a still large undeveloped area adjacent to it.

There is of course the matter of the dry river bed that connects directly to Lytle Creek further in the San Bernardino Mountain range. This area has been a virtual hot spot for Bigfoot sightings for over a hundred years, so if the creature does indeed live just outside the vast metropolitan area of Los Angeles this would in all likelihood be it's home turf.

For now this is all just conjecture but if these reports are to be taken seriously than one of the world's greatest mysteries may show up on the doorstep of some unsuspecting urbanite.

See Also: Borrego Sandman / Speedway Monster - Updates - California The Monster State - Part 4/ The Fontana Speedway Monster (1951 - 1992) - California The Monster State - Part 3

Classic Tales Of Cryptozoology: Does The Creature Really Walk Among Us?

Written By: Ken Hulsey

For centuries people from all corners of the globe have claimed to have seen all kinds of creatures ranging from dinosaurs to werewolves and if you are inclined to believe so, a real life "Gill-Man".

Way back in the summer of 1972 two young men claimed that they were chased from the beach at Thetis Lake, British Columbia, Canada by the "Creature From The Black Lagoon" or at least something that looked very much like it.

Was it a case of mistaken identity or overactive imaginations run wild after an afternoon of watching monster movies?

At the time the local police believed the two youths and began a search for the monster. Four days later the story seemed to be validated when two fishermen spotted the monster on the opposite side of the lake. Of course the search didn't turn up any man-fish at the time yet reports of the aptly named "Thetis Lake Monster" continued on for two more decades.

Initially the reported sighting was blamed on an escaped pet Tegu lizard which can grow to the size of a small alligator. That explanation seemed to be enough for most people but some hardcore cryptid hunters believed the creature to be a relative of the legendary "Loveland Frog" (another reported man-fish) or just another of the numerous lizard-man sightings from across North America. As most monster historians (or uber geeks like me) know lizard-men are reported to live under the mountains and cities here in California and in the swamps of South Carolina most notably.

Is there a REAL "Gill-Man" in Thetis Lake?

Well .... probably not.

In 2009 a reporter for the "Junior Skeptic Magazine" (Daniel Loxton) tracked down one of the original witnesses named Russell Van Nice who finally fessed up to hoaxing the whole affair with his buddy Mike Gold to get a little attention. Van Nice also mentioned that their description of the creature had been taken from the film "Monster From The Surf" (Beach Girls and the Monster) which had aired the prior weekend on a local television station.

Funny that no one noticed that little tidbit at the time ... then again there were probably very few people over the age of ten watching Monster from the Surf that day? Of course I would have been one of those people ... and odds are you would have been too.

Well no need to go to Canada (eh) to look for lizard-men ... guess I'll just go back to searching the catacombs here under Los Angeles. Reportedly they got a city made of gold down there!

Just When You Thought It Was Safe Along Comes A Bigfoot Porno

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Bill Burke

Oh how the Bigfoot movie craze continues unabated! It seems like over the past few years every independent film maker on the planet has taken a shot at producing a Sasquatch themed horror movie. Now film maker Bill Burke has taken the genre in yet another direction with a crypto themed adult film. Yes you heard me right, a Bigfoot porn movie.

Dig this tagline: "You know what they say about guys with big feet!"

I present for your titillation, "Sweet Prudence & The Erotic Adventures Of Bigfoot" a new erotic-comedy-adventure that, according to the films website, started out as a comic book. Now I have never seen this comic wedged on any rack between Batman and the Fantastic Four so I'll just have to take their word on that.

Maybe I should find a more open minded comic shop?

Anyway Burke described his creation in an email to yours truly as "...a new film featuring that audience favorite monster Bigfoot, along with that other audience favorite element - gratuitous nudity."

That pretty much sums it up.

From the trailer, which unfortunately for you I can't post here, I can tell you that "Sweet Prudence" is your typical adult film with plenty of boobs, oral sex ... a lot of oral sex actually, girl on girl action and people getting it on right and left. Of course the million dollar question is "does Bigfoot get any?" I can tell you that indeed Sasquatch scores, a lot, even with Sweet Prudence as if you didn't see that coming. (No pun intended)

You may be surprised to learn that many famous movie monsters have starred in adult films over the decades. Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man and The Mummy have all shared scenes with naked women in various films (not to mention all the lesbian vampire features produced mostly in the 70s and 80s) so it seems that it was about time for Bigfoot to do a Ron Jeremey impression as well.

Here is the plot (yes some porn movies have plots):

When two beautiful girls (Faye and Ginger), working at a remote country resort encounter the mythical giant known as Bigfoot it sets off a chain of comedic events. Prudence a beautiful young woman, her best friend Veruca, and college buddy Mike set out to take the perfect photo of Bigfoot; one which will allow Prudence to finally get her degree in Cryptozoology.

Their quest takes them to the Cottontail resort, a nudist camp run by a beautiful “flower child”, aptly named Flower. Flower’s remaining assistant Ginger, who previously encountered Bigfoot assists our hunters. But Bigfoot is continuously watching them in both their public, and private moments, while occasionally seizing the opportunity to steal electronic equipment.

Their quest is often sidetracked by an array of erotic encounters amidst the beautiful countryside. Despite the erotic entanglements Prudence finds the time to develop affection for the misunderstood hairy giant, and wants to ensure nobody harms it. Her attempts to communicate with Bigfoot lead to amazing, and hilarious revelations about the legendary creature, who’s much more worldly, or rather otherworldly than anyone ever gave him credit for.

SWEET PRUDENCE & THE EROTIC ADVENTURE OF BIGFOOT is like a racy adult comic book come to life ala the cult classic Barbarella.

Look for "Sweet Prudence & The Erotic Adventures Of Bigfoot" to premiere on Cinemax in April of 2012.

Here are some photos from the film, which unfortunately for you I couldn't post most of them:

Heavy Metal Meets Cryptozoology In Troglodyte's "Welcome To Boggy Creek"

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Neandercore Music

It looks as if the Sasquatch movie craze has crossed over into music! Last week I posted an article featuring Kate Bush's new single "Wild Man" which is about the legendary Yeti, today however I can do you one better. The Kansas City, MO based band Troglodyte not only sing songs about Bigfoot but model their look after the monster as well. Their latest CD, entitled "Welcome To Boggy Creek" as an homage to Charles B. Pierces cult film "The Legend of Boggy Creek", features such tracks as "Symphonies of Sasquatch", "Mummified Yeti Hand", "Bring Me the Head of Bigfoot" and "Skunk Ape Rape."

If you ever wondered what Ministry would sound like with Sasquatch as a front man? ... well that kinda sums up Troglodyte.

Here is the bands bio from their Facebook page:

Formed in 2006, TROGLODYTE draws musical influences from the likes of CARCASS, OBITUARY and ORIGIN also finding inspiration from 70's drive-in horror fare such as THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK, THE PIT and NIGHT OF THE DEMON. The band has craved/slashed out it's own niche as the world's first (and only) Bigfoot death-metal band.

Want to find out more? Visit - http://neandercore.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/troglodyteband

Compelling New Bigfoot Video AWOL For Now

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Bigfoot Evidence

I was hoping to begin today's postings with a brand new video of Bigfoot that reportedly is quite compelling, however that video has now been taken down.

As the story goes a life-long Bigfoot researcher named Larry Surface has been setting up his video camera in strategic locations where he believed the elusive creature had been lurking. Last week he got his money shot when allegedly the beast walked right in front of the camera. Here is a description of what happened from Larry's website "Bigfoot Evidence":

"Success at last!! After many months of patient waiting, I caught a Bigfoot on Video! Those who have followed my blog may remember that I said it would be necessary to use moon light without any infrared lighting, well that has been the case.

The star of the video however, did not follow the script. I expected him to come from the woods in the background, and had the focus set for about 50 yards. But he/she appeared suddenly right in front of the camera at 2 or 3 feet, and backlighted by the moon, both of which prevented a clear view of the face. And the resolution of this video is reduced to make a more manageable upload.

The subject passed in front of the camera and apparently peered around the corner where the cats are fed, either looking for cat food or a cat, then turned and went back the way it came.

The color of the body fur appears white in the video, but it may be a light brown or tan
highlighted by the moon light. I will attempt to do some follow up testing to determine what colors look like in the green night vision. Also will do some follow up photos to determine the size.But I get the impression that it is not very large.

Skeptics, don't bother to send me your claims of fakery, I won't waste my time arguing, if you don't believe, that is your problem. But I want to present this to the ones who have followed me and been supportive."

Apparently Sasquatch was ready for his closeup.

It was soon after that initial post that Surface took down the video in hopes of cleaning it up a bit:

"Sorry, I have to pull the video for now. But have patience, I will in the meantime get it enhanced as much as possible and it will come back better than ever."

Immediately after the video was pulled down the skeptics went on the war path posting remarks accusing Surface of trying to pull off a hoax. Apparently the comments really were very mean spirited, so much so in fact that the researcher has opted to keep his video to himself until the heat dies down:

"The critics have beaten me down. I guess they can celebrate now. But one of my lifetime goals has been achieved, I have gathered enough evidence to prove to myself that the "Wild Man"exists. That is in the form of track casts, audio files, dna, and a video sighting. My mistake was in trying to share it with everyone. Although the comments were 90% enthusiastically supportive, that changed when I pulled the video for reasons which will have to remain unspecified. After that, the pack used it as amunition to support their claims of fakery.

To one who has spent his life truthfully, and now in weak health, it is just too much to put up with. Life is too short.

The video will come out again when the time is right. I won't post anything else here. I may post on facebook where I can block out the ignorant.

Thanks again to all the supporters."

If Surface's video shows what he claims than the researcher may have the best video evidence of Sasquatch to surface since the famous Patterson footage was shot way back in 1967. It's too bad that he has let the words of a few skeptics influence his thinking and prevent the rest of us from getting a chance to view this new evidence and draw our own conclusions.

Is this new footage really Bigfoot? It will be impossible to know for sure and I'm not saying that it is or isn't. It could either be great new evidence or another of a long line of hoaxes. Hopefully someday Surface will change his mind and release his video so that we can forge our own opinion on it's validity.

Kate Bush Sings About The Yeti In Her New Single "Wild Man"

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: The Quietus / Kate Bush.com

I fell in love some 25 years ago with Kate Bush when I saw her perform "Hounds of Love" on a British music awards program. During her performance she danced around the stage with person wearing a werewolf costume. Being a monster movie fan I was smitten.

Delving into her vast library of music I soon discovered that horror and sci fi were major inspirations for several of her songs including "Hammer Horror", "Experiment IV", "Cloudbusting" and the for mentioned "Hounds of Love" which was inspired by the 1957 film "Night of the Demon."

"It's in the trees! It's coming!"

Now Bush has chosen the Yeti as inspiration for "Wild Man" the first single off her new album entitled "50 Words For Snow".

In a recent interview Bush talked about the mythical monster, "Well, the first verse of the song is just quickly going through some of the terms that the Yeti is known by and one of those names is the Kangchenjunga Demon. He’s also known as Wild Man and Abominable Snowman. "

On whether the Yeti is man or beast.

"Well, I don’t refer to the Yeti as a man in the song. But it is meant to be an empathetic view of a creature of great mystery really. And I suppose it’s the idea really that mankind wants to grab hold of something [like the Yeti] and stick it in a cage or a box and make money out of it..."

"Wild Man" lyrics:

They call you an animal, the Kangchenjunga Demon, Wild Man, Metoh-Kangmi.
Lying in my tent, I can hear your cry echoing round the mountainside.
You sound lonely.
While crossing the Lhakpa-La something jumped down from the rocks.
In the remote Garo Hills by Dipu Marak we found footprints in the snow.

The schoolmaster of Darjeeling said he saw you by the Tengboche Monastery.
You were playing in the snow. You were banging on the doors. You got up on the roof, Roof of the World.
You were pulling up the rhododendrons. Loping down the mountain.
They want to know you. They will hunt you down, then they will kill you.
Run away, run away, run away...
While crossing the Lhakpa-La something jumped down from the rocks.
In the remote Garo Hills by Dipu Marak we found footprints in the snow.
We found your footprints in the snow. We brushed them all away...
From the Sherpas of Annapurna to the Rinpoche of Qinghai.
Shepherds from Mount Kailash to Himachal Pradesh found footprints in the snow.

You’re not a langur monkey nor a big brown bear – You’re the Wild Man.
They say they saw you drowned near the Rongbuk Glacier.
They want to hunt you down. You’re not an animal.
The Lamas say you’re not an animal.



On a side note, Kate Bush's music video for "Cloudbusting" is one of my all time favorites and possibly the best ever produced! Check it out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRHA9W-zExQ

Okay .... just in case you don't know what the Yeti is:

The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology. Stories of the Yeti first emerged as a facet of Western popular culture in the 19th century.

The scientific community generally regards the Yeti as a legend, given the lack of conclusive evidence, yet it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology. The Yeti may be considered a sort of parallel to the Bigfoot of North America. - Wikipedia

And Kate Bush:

Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush 30 July 1958) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years. Bush was signed by EMI at the age of 16 after being recommended by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. In 1978, at age 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights", becoming the first woman to have a UK number-one with a self-written song. She was also the most photographed woman in the United Kingdom the following year.

After her 1979 tour—the only concert tour of her career—Bush released the 1980 album Never for Ever, which made her the first British solo female artist to top the UK album charts and the first female artist ever to enter the album chart at No. 1. In 1987, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Solo Artist. She has released ten albums, three of which topped the UK Albums Chart, and has had twenty-five UK Top 40 hit singles including "Wuthering Heights", "Running Up that Hill", "King of the Mountain", "Babooshka", "The Man with the Child in His Eyes", and "Don't Give Up" (a duet with Peter Gabriel)—all of which reached the Top 10.

In 2002, Bush's songwriting ability was recognised with an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. In 2005, she released Aerial, her first album in 12 years. The album earned her a BRIT Award nomination for Best Album and another for Best Solo Female Artist. During the course of her career, she has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards. In early 2011, EMI Records also announced an upcoming re-issue of four of Bush's albums (The Dreaming, Hounds of Love, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes) under the name of her own label, Fish People, now that Bush has regained full control over these records. Bush released Director's Cut on 16 May 2011, which contains reworked material from her albums The Sensual World (1989) and The Red Shoes (1993). Bush will release her 10th studio album titled 50 Words For Snow on 21 November 2011. - Wikipedia

Ogopogo Caught On Tape!

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Youtube

Vancouver native Richard Huls (no he's not a relative) got more than he bargained for this past weekend when he visited a winery on the shores of British Columbia's lake Lake Okanagan. Besides enjoying a little wine tasting he also managed to spot and film the lakes most famous and mysterious resident Ogopogo or Canada's Loch Ness Monster.

“It was not going with the waves," He told the Vancouver Sun. “It was not a wave, obviously, just a darker color. The size and the fact that they were not parallel with the waves made me think it had to be something else.”

Did Huls video a monster or just waves? You make the call:



History:

Ogopogo or Naitaka (Salish: n'ha-a-itk, "lake demon") is the name given to a cryptid lake monster reported to live in Okanagan Lake, in British Columbia, Canada. Ogopogo has been allegedly seen by First Nations people since the 19th century. The most common description of Ogopogo is a forty- to fifty-foot-long (12 to 15 m) sea serpent. It has supposedly been photographed and caught on tape.

In 1926 a sighting is claimed to have occurred at an Okanagan Mission beach. This event was supposedly witnessed by about thirty cars of people who all claimed to have seen the same thing. In 1968 Art Folden filmed what is claimed to be footage of the alleged creature, showing a large wake moving across the water. A computer analysis of the footage concluded it was a solid, three-dimensional object.

British cryptozoologist Karl Shuker has categorized the Ogopogo as a 'many hump' variety of lake monster, and suggested it may be a kind of primitive serpentine whale such as Basilosaurus. However, because the physical evidence for the beast is limited to unclear photographs and film, it has also been suggested that the sightings are misidentifications of common animals, such as otters, and inanimate objects, such as floating logs.

Think that's cool? Check out this other rather anonymous video of a sea monster that has surfaced on Youtube:

NIGHTBEASTS Scores At Midnight Black Festival Of Darkness

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Brent Thomas

I know that Bigfoot movies are a dime a dozen these days but that doesn't mean that they are all copycats or typical low-budget fodder. To be honest many of these films are quite good. One of these films that I have been talking about for the past couple of years is film maker Wes Sullivan's "Nightbeasts" which has really stood out in a sea of Sasquatch.

Apparently I'm not the only one who believes that "Nightbeasts" is one of the better Bigfoot movies out there, as well as one of the better horror movies. The film just took the Best of Genre Award in the Supernatural category at the Midnight Black Festival of Darkness beating out such films such films as Shawn Barfield and Brian Evans' "By Dawn" and Carol Sullivan's "Monster In The Closet" .

In conjunction with the festival "Nightbeasts" can been streamed in it's entirety for on $1.69. Just follow this link - NIGHTBEASTS

More on "Nightbeasts"

Old Bigfoot And Mothman Video Footage

Source: Monster Island News on Youtube

Rare Bigfoot and Mothman footage. In many cases old film footage of Sasquatch such as these have remained hidden in attics and closets for decades. Many people fearing ridicule never released them to the public.



The Abominable Snowman (aka The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas) is a 1957 British horror film, directed by Val Guest and starring Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing. The film is based on The Creature, a BBC Television play by writer Nigel Kneale, and follows the exploits of an English anthropologist with an American expedition as they search the Himalayas for the legendary Yeti. Kneale adapted his own television script into the film screenplay. Cushing, along with several other members of the cast, had also starred in the original version (the role of Tom Friend in the television play was taken by Stanley Baker).

The film was produced by Hammer Film Productions and released on 26 August 1957 in the UK. It was subsequently released in the United States and throughout the world.

ODD ENCOUNTERS Is Open And Ready For Unearthly Business

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Ray Fox

Back in July I posted some press information about a new paranormal website called "Odd Encounters" where people can post their own stories about monsters, UFOs and ghostly visits. Earlier this week the site's founder Ray Fox shot me an email stating that he loved Monster Island News and he was thrilled that I had posted the info on his site.

Ray also went on to note that Odd Encounters was now up and running and ready for people to submit their stories.

Here is an updated press release:

OddEncounters.com is seeking true tales of the paranormal--real ghost stories, ufo reports and reports of brushes with strange creatures. The first edition of bizarre stories has been published and is now live on the site. Now we want to hear your story!

Along with the stories, photos and videos of the paranormal, an Odd Encounters Forum has been established to allow visitors to discuss the features posted on the site, as well as talk about their own odd encounters.

Visit the site at http://www.OddEncounters.com and delve into the world of the supernatural. If you've had a real paranormal experience of your own, submit your story to Odd Encounters today.

The truth is out there. Bring it into the light.

For more information, email info@oddencounters.com.

On a side note Ray's brother Mike runs a Halloween prop company called "Night Frights" that looks pretty cool. If you need anything for your haunted house go HERE

The Creature Trades The Black Lagoon For LA In LIZARDMAN

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Robert Hood / Avery Guerra

Unless this is your first ever visit to Monster Island News you know that the Creature From The Black lagoon holds a very special place in my heart. Ah yes, I fell in love with Universal's Gill-man back when I was just a sprout and have been a huge fan ever since.

Being such a huge fan of "Blacky Lagoon" I am happy to see a new trend in horror films starting to arise, that is "Creature" homage films.

Hot on the heels of the just announced "Emerald Lagoon" (dir Bobby Bragg) comes "Lizardman" the creation of director Peter Dang. This time around South Carolina's most notable cryptid is dragged kicking and screaming from his swampy home to Los Angeles where he breaks loose and causes the locals to do all the screaming.

From the trailer it is obvious that Dang is trying to recreate the work Jack Arnold and it looks like he has done a decent job on a shoe-string budget.

Here is your plot:

Billionaire Bill Hansen seeks revenge by capturing his nemesis, the scaly crypto-creature known as the Lizard Man. Hansen wants to prove to the world that the Lizard Man really exists. A group of scientists, lead by Professor Reeves examines this creature. Reeves realizes he has a chance for fame and fortune and so convinces Hansen that the Lizard Man needs to be brought to Los Angeles. During a press meeting, the creature breaks out and wreaks havoc on the people of LA.

"Lizardman" is written by Steve Goldenberg and Francis Abbey, produced by Steve Goldenberg and stars Michael Harding, James Lewis, Mike Gaglio, Tammy Klein, Frankie Cullen, Dylan Vox, Peter Stickles, Steve Blasini, Sherrie Box, Anthony Wade Vang, Mike Donahue, Amber McConnell, Amy Jokinen, Diana Terranova, Yelena Savranskaya, and Matt Easton in the monster suit.

Here are your trailers and photos from "Lizardman":

Bigfoot Done Blair Witch Style In THE LOST COAST TAPES

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Continental Media

It had been quite awhile since I last posted about a new Bigfoot themed horror movie ...... but low and behold there is another one.

Jumping on the endless train of Sasquatch themed flicks comes New Breed Entertainment with "The Lost Coast Tapes". What makes this one different is the fact that it was filmed in the same POV style as "Cloverfield" and "The Blair Witch Project."

Continental Media has acquired the rights to distribute the film which has just wrapped up shooting.

Here is the press release they sent me:

SANCHEZ THOUGHT HE’D BE THE FIRST TO REVITALIZE BIGFOOT...‘THE LOST COAST TAPES’ SAYS NO.

AS ‘BLAIR WITCH’ HELMER EDUARDO SANCHEZ HEADS TO THE WOODS, ‘COAST’ HEADS TO
MARKET.

Continental Media, a new film sales company, has grabbed the rights to sell the latest horror-POV feature, The Lost Coast Tapes, which just wrapped post-production and is already gaining traction with foreign distributors.

‘COAST’ follows a group of investigative journalists as they set out to Northern
California to debunk a rogue hunter claiming he has caged a Bigfoot.

As 2012 brings an influx of folklore inspired projects into the marketplace, the question is, which Bigfoot movie will make a real impact with audiences?

LOGLINE

In 2011 a documentary crew traveled to a remote site in Northern California to verify
the discovery of a dead Sasquatch...This footage is all that remains.

"The Lost Coast Tapes" was filmed under the direction of Corey Grant and stars Dre Rausch, Rich McDonald and Ashley Wood.

Here is a little more on the film plus some photos taken on location:

“The Lost Coast Tapes” is sure to be the next most talked about film and will bring together fans of horror and suspense. Produced by New Breed Entertainment in association with Matriarch Multimedia Group, this exciting project is already gaining a noticeable buzz online.

Set on location in Humboldt County in Northern California, “The Lost Coast Tapes” documents the found footage of a skeptical journalist who aims to prove there is no such thing as Bigfoot after someone reports they have the body of a dead sasquatch. The film will take the audience through a thrilling ride of events in the deep, dark forests and countryside of the Lost Coast, and will be sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seat.

Film is currently in production with an anticipated release date of 2012.

LINKS

IMDBpro: http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt1740725/
TWITTER http://twitter.com/#!/corey_grant http://twitter.com/#!/LostCoastTapes
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/thelostcoasttapes
BLOG http://lostcoasttapes.wordpress.com/

A Scottish Monster Legend Revisited In BROCKEN SPECTRE

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Carrbridge Films / Avery Guerra

A little over a year ago I broke the story about a very interesting independent film being produced in Scotland called "Brocken Spectre." As many of you know monsters resembling Bigfoot or the Himalayan Yeti have been spotted all over the globe for centuries, what you may not know is that Scotland has such a monster legend often times referred to as "Fear Liath Mor" or "Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui".

Yes, The Loch Ness Monster grabs all the press and limelight while the ape men of Ben MacDhui wander around in obscurity.

A group of young film makers at Carrbridge Films thought that the local legend would make the perfect subject for a film centering on possible rational explanations for the strange sightings.

Director Fergus Thom just shot me press release stating that filming on "Brocken Spectre" is now completed and a trailer is forthcoming:

Shooting has now “wrapped” for Brocken Spectre, a feature film being made in the Scottish Highlands by young filmmaker, Fergus Thom (19)

ʻBrocken Spectreʼ is based loosely on the legend of the Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui and takes itsʼ name from the natural phenomenon most often used to explain sightings of the Big Grey Man – a brocken spectre being the magnified shadow of an observer cast upon the upper surfaces of clouds opposite the sun.

The film follows the story of Olivia, a young adult, as she leaves her city life behind in pursuit of a new start in the Highlands. Buying a remote bothy nestled in the mountains, she settles in with little drama. However, itʼs not long before the echoing footsteps on Ben MacDhui find their way to her.

Fergus Thom, the aspiring filmmaker behind the lens from Carrbridge, decided in 2010 that after leaving school, as well as starting his own business and continuing to run award winning news initiative ʻCarrbridge Newsʼ, he would make this feature film.
He said: “Itʼs been a lot of fun putting together this film, but also a lot of work. We started filming in late February, with the snow still on the ground, and finish now in Autumn as the Summer draws to a close!”

Continuing, he added: “There are so many amazing locations in the area that we really were spoilt for choice when it came to deciding where to film and it was always part of our ambition to try and capture the natural beauty of what weʼre lucky enough to have on our doorstep.”

Fergus roped in his friends to take on roles and play characters in the film and, reflecting on this, he said: “A great big thank you is very much due to the cast of the film, all of whom have shown such enthusiasm and been so tolerant of everything from the amount of time it takes to shoot each scene to putting up with filming in some really nasty weather conditions, they really have been great and their involvement has been hugely appreciated.”

Now entering post-production, a trailer is due to be released online very soon, and while no completion date has been announced, editing and production progress can be followed on the website www.brockenspectremovie.co.uk and on the filmsʼ Facebook page – search “Brocken Spectre”

The Crypto Reporter: Yeti's, Lake Monsters And Legos (10/02/11)

Stories Compiled By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Various (Listed)

I know it has been a long time since I attempted to chronicle all the various monster sightings and stories from around the globe but seeing that I had a couple of hours to kill I thought "What the heck".

For starters check out the image to left. It's a reproduction of the famed still image from Roger Patterson's famed 1967 film of Bigfoot. Photographer Mike Stimpson has created a collection of famous photographs redone using Legos. Check out the other images HERE.

Yes I'm aware that's Chewbacca.

W Siberia Yeti country?
Voice of Russia (Dmitriyeva Nina)

Governor of Siberia’s Kemerovo Region Aman Tuleyev is hosting a conference at which scientists from Russia, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Estonia, Mongolia and China are evaluating evidence of the Bigfoot, or Yeti, still roaming densely wooded areas in many parts of the world including western North America, the North Caucasus and the southern belt of Western Siberia. There will be video and audio footages of Yeti and a report from the United States about a possible genetic make-up of this mysterious hominid.

Dr Igor Burtsev heads the Moscow-based International Centre of Hominology:
"When Homo sapiens started populating the world, it viciously exterminated its closest relative in the hominid family, Homo neanderthalensis. Some of the Neanderthals, however, may have survived to this day in some mountainous wooded habitats that are more or less off limits to their archfoes. No clothing on them, no tools in hands and no fire in the household. Only round-the-clock watchfulness for a Homo sapiens around."

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Bigfoot Researcher Believes US Forest Service Covers-up Bigfoot
Ghost Theory (Javier Ortega)

Bigfoot Researcher and author William Jevning has gone to Twitter to post what he believes to be a possible US Forest Service cover-up in the matters of Bigfoot.

The story was posted by Craig Woolheater over at Cryptomundo and I just happen to stumble across it. Craig, being the good guy that he is, has gone through the tedious task of arranging Mr. Jevning’s tweets that where posted in reverse order (oldest twit on bottom) on the Twitter page.

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Lair of the Beasts: Monster Hot-Spots
Where Creatures Lurk

Mania (Nick Redfern)

It is one thing to receive reports of a strange creature – whether Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or the Chupacabra – seen in one particular locale. But it’s quite another thing entirely to get multiple reports of several different unidentified beasts from one clearly delineated area! And, yet, within the field of Cryptozoology, that’s precisely what we see on numerous occasions.

Take, for example, England’s Cannock Chase – a sprawling and dense mass of heath and woodland situated in the county of Staffordshire. For years, an absolute menagerie of unknown animals and out-of-place critters has been seen roaming the Chase. The list is as long as it is impressively weird, and includes Bigfoot-type entities, marauding werewolves, large and exotic cats of the puma variety, giant snakes, oversized birds and much more.

Then there’s Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk – near England’s east-coast. In December 1980, the forest was the site of what – today – is considered by many to be Britain’s most famous UFO encounter. Over the course of several nights in the latter part of the month, numerous military personnel reported seeing UFOs, strange lights, and even alien-type entities deep in the woods. A major cover-up was put into place to hide the startling truth of the affair, claim numerous UFO researchers.

But, that’s not all: Rendlesham is also the reputed home of a Sasquatch-style creature known as the Shug Monkey. Big cats have been reported prowling the woods for years. As have ghostly, glowing-eyed, black dogs. And centuries ago in the waters off the very nearby town of Orford, a hair-covered, crazed creature – half man and half animal - was said to have been captured and tamed.

And let’s take a trip to Loch Ness, Scotland. You thought Nessie was the strangest thing haunting those old dark waters? Nope! Big black cats – similar to those seen in the aforementioned Cannock Chase and Rendlesham Forest - consider the woods surrounding the loch to be their home too. Legend also tells of shape-shifting monsters known as Kelpies skulking around the area.

There are even reports of large animals seen in the waters of the loch that sound nothing like the image of Nessie that most people have – namely, that of a long-necked, humped animal with flippers.

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Nessie's gang: 5 celebrity lake monsters

Sure, you've heard of the Loch Ness Monster, but that's not the only spooky, serpentine creature that has ever emerged from the deep for a photo op.
By Matt Hickman (Mother Nature Network)

Move over Bigfoot, El Chupacabra and assorted creepy South American gnomes — you've got some fierce and fearsome aquatic company.

While you're probably well-aware of Nessie, Scotland's legendary lake-dwelling cryptid, she's not the only spooky, serpentine creature that has emerged from the deep for a photo op over the years. From California to Canada (what is it with Canada and the disproportionate number of lake monsters?), there are numerous unidentifiable swimming objects — USOs, if you will — that reputedly reside in deep, freshwater bodies of water around the world. Giving bored locals something to gossip about, tourism boards something to promote and cryptozoologists a reason to exist, lake monsters have long been a staple of mythology and regional folklore. Sure, most sightings of these watery beasts are believed to be simple cases of mistaken identity — logs and other debris, sturgeons, eels, seals, otters, etc., the result of overactive imaginations or straight-out hoaxes — but the thousands of people who claim to have seen a Loch Ness-esque critter, first hand, may beg to differ.

Below you'll find five of the most notorious modern-day lake monsters out there. Have you ever witnessed something "go bump in the lake?"

The Loch Ness Monster (aka Nessie)
Residence: Loch Ness, Scotland
Description: "... a long tapering neck, about 6 feet long, and a smallish head with a serpentine look about it, and a huge hump behind which I reckoned was about 30 feet long. It was turning its head constantly." — Alex Campbell (1933)
Notable sightings: 1933 by George Spicer; 1934 by Dr. Robert Wilson; 1972 by Father Gregory Brusey.

Pop culture cryp-toid: Nessie, the undisputed grand dame of lake monsters, has been the subject of numerous films including the cheese-tastic "The Loch Ness Horror;" the Ted Danson family flick, "Loch Ness;" "Incident at Loch Ness," a mockumentary starring Warner Herzog; and, of course, "Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster."

Champ
Residence: Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont/Quebec
Description: "20-foot serpent thick as a barrel with a head like a horse" — Samuel de Champlain (1609)
Notable sightings: 1883 by Sheriff Nathan H. Mooney; 1977 by Sandra Mansi; 2009 by Eric Olsen.

Pop culture cryp-toid: During the height of Champ mania in the early 19th century, showman P.T. Barnum offered a $50,000 reward for "the hide of the beast" so that he could exhibit the carcass of the legendary monster.

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Spend Your Halloween With Sasquatch!

ANIMAL PLANET’S FINDING BIGFOOT RETURNS TO THE WOODS TO INVESTIGATE SASQUATCH’S ORIGIN IN HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Source: Animal Planet

This fall, the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) team from Animal Planet's FINDING BIGFOOT trudges deep into California's Redwood forest to investigate one of the most infamous and disputed pieces of Bigfoot evidence ever - the Patterson-Gimlin footage. Premiering Sunday, October 30, at 9 PM (ET/PT), the two-hour special FINDING BIGFOOT: BIRTH OF A LEGEND takes viewers to the site where the notorious footage was captured to investigate the elusive beast's existence and settle the more than 50-year-old debate originated by the tape.

Outfitted with the latest technology, including night-vision and infrared cameras, the BFRO team also scours the Redwoods to uncover additional evidence of the presence of Sasquatch. With more Bigfoot signals discovered in the Redwoods than anywhere else in North America, each broken branch or peculiar noise could mean a Squatch is lurking nearby.

Prior to the debut of the special, the BFRO team will make an appearance at this year's New York Comic Con convention. On Friday, October 14, at 6:30 PM, the entire cast -- Bobo, Cliff, Matt and Ranae - will debunk Bigfoot myths with a special sneak preview of the BIRTH OF A LEGEND special. Following the sneak peek, the team will discuss its Squatchin' experiences from the show and share years of Bigfoot knowledge and research on a panel.

In FINDING BIGFOOT, a four-person team from the BFRO -- a leading scientific research organization exploring the Bigfoot/Sasquatch mystery -- investigates Sasquatch sightings by interviewing locals, examining evidence and infiltrating the woodlands and forests in places where Bigfoot has been reported.

Has Conclusive Proof Of The Existence Of Bigfoot Been Found?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Sylvanic Bigfoot Group / Calgary Sun

So far the evidence for the existence of Bigfoot has been very extensive yet very inconclusive. There are literally hundreds of plaster casts of footprints, blurry photographs, videos taken at extreme range and DNA evidence that either turns out to be a bear or from an unknown source.

Though you could pile up all the evidence and it would reach to the moon none of it is proof positive that a giant race or harry primates live in North America.

In regards to the photos and videos of Sasquatch (as the creature is known in Canada) the images are just to vague. They could be of a monster or just some nut running around in a costume. You just can't tell for sure.

Well that may be about to change according to the Sylvanic Bigfoot Group based out of Alberta (Canada). According to the group's spokesman Todd Standing the researchers have several videos and photographs of a family of Bigfoot and they are in HD. Not the usual blurry images we are used to, no crisp clear images that show very crisp details (see above).

The Calgary Sun has the story:

If nothing else, the news is bound to make big strides with the Banff tourism industry.

No longer will Alberta’s best-known mountain park depend solely on breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife to impress visitors and lure overseas tourists.

And no more envy towards other famous vacation spots like Loch Ness and Lake Okanagan, where legendary creatures are rumoured to lurk.

Banff now has Bigfoot. Lots and lots of Bigfoots, in fact.

Yes, it’s an allegation that would have Ripley wondering whether to Believe it or Not, and P.T. Barnum reaching for his cheque book, but the mountains west of Calgary are a hotbed for the huge-footed primates.

That’s the assertion of a dedicated bigfoot research organization based near Calgary, which claims not only to have video and photo evidence of the mythical beast, but DNA proof as well.

“When I first started, I was a skeptic, but not anymore — now I’m a wholehearted believer in the species,” said Todd Standing, spokesman for the Sylvanic Bigfoot group.

Standing’s allegations of a Bigfoot colony living near the border of Banff and Kootenay national park will raise many eyebrows, but his evidence has piqued the interest of the Discovery Channel.

This week, crews from “Finding Bigfoot,” a hit show on Discovery’s Animal Planet channel, are filming in the Calgary area, and Standing says the upcoming episode will be centred upon Sylvanic’s discoveries.

“We’ve had exceptional results and we’re working with people doing DNA analysis,” said Standing.

He says preliminary results from hair samples sent in for testing suggest an unknown species of primate, while video and photographs suggest a creature larger than a gorilla, with human-like features.

Of course, it’s that latter evidence that’s bound to have the skeptics taking sasquatch-sized swipes at Standing, particularly the photographs he says are proof of Bigfoot.

Paranormal footage, as a rule, is supposed to be grainy, badly-focused and jittery, as if the camera was assembled by Fisher-Price and mounted to the bumper of a gravel truck.

Not Sylvanic: Standing boasts a collection of sharp video clips and crisp photographs of Bigfoot, showing far, far more than the usual hirsute primate dashing behind the nearest bush.

Instead of blur, we get full-face portraits of the creature, peering from behind trees.

“I’ve had multiple interactions with them, and I’ve filmed them and photographed them on many occasions,” said Standing.

“It’s a real, living breathing animal, which I got within 60 or 70 yards of.”

What the producers of Finding Bigfoot make of all this remains to be seen, as their quartet of sasquatchologists examines the Alberta evidence to see if it’s on solid footing.

The show has gone across North America investigating sightings of the creature, with the network “committed to looking for the Bigfoot until it’s found.”

Standing says he has — though he knows his belief in Bigfoot and the proof he produces from the Banff backwoods opens him to mockery, derision and the suggestion he should sober up.

But he accepts the skeptism, because he originally joined the Sylvanic team with the intent of disproving the ancient story of an ape-like creature hiding in the wilderness of North America.

“I thought it was a combination of hoaxes and mistaken identities, and I wanted to prove it wasn’t true,” said Standing.

Now, he says Bigfoot is a fact — and with weeks, he hopes to have the DNA evidence to prove it.

“We hope to have results by October,” said Standing.

If that’s the case, tourism officials in Banff will surely be thrilled. As it is, they welcome the attention of the popular television show, saying any link with Bigfoot is a bonus for visitors.

“Anything interesting that attracts people is a good thing — it seems like some harmless fun,” said Mary Morrison, spokeswoman for Banff Lake Louise Tourism.

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to see a Bigfoot?”

Come On Down And Discover Austin's MUSEUM OF THE WEIRD

Written By: Marc Savlov
Source: Austin Chronicle

I was 10 when I first saw the dead man frozen in permanent repose in the block of hazy blue ice, and it marked me forever. I didn't realize it at the time, of course; I was already, at that tender age, thriving on a steady diet of Mad magazine, Forrest J Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland, and WPIX's Chiller Theatre. The railway cuttings near my upstate New York home were awash in shale-stuck trilobites from the bottom of the ocean at the dawn of time, and I sifted that soft-gray stratum almost daily with my dad, a mini-Darwin with Godzilla on the brain. I was, in short, a weird kid in love with weird things. Not much has changed since then.

But in the summer of '76, at the New York State Fair, I came face-to-face (well, actually my dad hoisted me onto his shoulders for a better view) with what has come to be known as "The Minnesota Iceman," an allegedly real caveman (or possibly Sasquatch, or outright flimflam) that was toured from county fair to state fair and everywhere in between by its owner/discoverer, one Frank Hansen. It was horrific and wonderful and supercool all at once. And it was dripping ....

Which brings us up to now.

If you're an Austin resident, you've probably walked past the crowded storefront at 412 E. Sixth with the Lucky Lizard Curios & Gifts sign hanging outside, lodged between Roppolo's Pizzeria and an anonymous (in the daytime, anyway) nightclub dubbed the "512." The frontage and window display, with waxwork figures of famed Siamese twins Chang and Eng, looks at first glance like just another tourist trap for visiting out-of-towners. But it's not so much the Lucky Lizard, per se, we're interested in here, though. Instead, it's the other business that's run in the back half of the building: the Museum of the Weird.

Lovingly assembled over the past seven years by owner Steve Busti, it's a remarkable collision of genre film ephemera including skin-crawlingly lifelike, and life-size, waxwork tableaux of Elsa Lanchester as the Bride of Frankenstein; Lon Chaney's pitiful, hunchbacked bell-ringer, Quasi-modo; Bela Lugosi's Dracula; the Creature From the Black Lagoon; Bub, the undead star of George A. Romero's Day of the Dead; and the newest – and most hirsute – member of Hollywood's horror pantheon in Austin, a full-size half-model of King Kong, arms outstretched, toothsome maw agape, just waiting for the next Fay Wray to get within grabbing (and disrobing) distance.

And the weirdness doesn't stop there. Busti has collected an impressive assemblage of sideshow finery, from two-headed chickens and piglets to an actual Fiji Mermaid (a recent acquisition): She's half-human, half-fish, and all fake, but a classic and moldering example of a sadly vanishing slice of roadside Americana that is as much a part of our cultural heritage as Ray Bradbury's dark carnivals and the 1950s-era fear of mutated, gigantic desert fauna.

Busti himself, clad in an endless variety of Hawaiian-print shirts, a porkpie hat, and glasses, resembles no one so much as a young William M. Gaines, Mad magazine founder and the creator of those notorious EC horror comics. A former graphic designer, comic book artist, and Austin filmmaker, Busti even has a complete run of Famous Monsters on display and for sale, both the classic Sixties issues and the new, Harry Knowles-associated reboot (see "There's a New Uncle in Town," Dec. 17, 2010).

Combined, the Lucky Lizard – so named for the fact that Busti and his wife, Veronica, have taken in some five rescue lizards over the years, not the least of which is Torgo, a 6-foot-long Nile monitor lizard that lounges impassively out back between the museum and its nearly completed Kong-overseen screening-room-cum-séance-parlor – and the Museum of the Weird (www.museumoftheweird.com) represent some truly weird, genre-film-centric awesomeness. And as was the case with the late, lamented punk rock/Japanese toy store Atomic City, it seems that not everybody who would immediately fall in love with it is even aware of its existence.

Busti plans to change that, and fast. "We're trying to get that finished before Fantastic Fest," he tells me, fingers crossed, "so that we can show movies and have people come up and take their pictures in Kong's outstretched paw." Merian C. Cooper, legendary showman and director of the 1933 King Kong, would surely approve.

So how did Kong and company end up on Austin's Sixth Street of all places?

"I moved to Austin from northeast Pennsylvania in 1997 after the comic book series that I had been working so hard on fell apart," the amiable and gregarious Busti tells me. "If you've ever been to that part of Pennsylvania, it's really overcast and rainy in the winter. I'd just broken up with my girlfriend, and I was kind of depressed, and I just had this thought: I'm moving to Texas! I had $41 in my pocket, and I literally jumped in my van and started driving to Texas that very night without even packing up my stuff."

Common sense prevailed, of course, and after three hours in transit, he turned around, packed up all his belongings, and returned to the road, eventually settling in Austin, where he soon discovered his other passion: filmmaking.

"I immediately started attending Steve Mims' Austin FilmWorks for three years," he says. "I ended up shooting a bunch of short films, and I'm actually the very first person you see up on screen in the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I'm one of the two people you see putting a body in an old-fashioned, Ghostbusters-style ambulance."

Busti eventually worked on a feature film – What You See Is What You Get – that "went nowhere," before going on to form the ill-fated filmmaking co-op Ranch Studios off of Cameron Road. That, too, went nowhere fast (although there were some great parties). Austin's promise, it seemed, had tarnished a bit since Busti's arrival, and he was ready to pack up his bags (and lizards) and head back to Pennsylvania when some friends invited him to move with them into the space above what would eventually become the Lucky Lizard. (Longtime Austin residents may recall the building's previous tenant, Brian Joseph's Bydee Art Gallery.)

Long story short, Bydee Art moved out of the space at 412 E. Sixth seven years back, and with the help of Joseph, Busti and his wife moved in, dubbing the space the Lucky Lizard in honor of their preternaturally patient reptilian rescue pals.

"Running the business with my wife was really a good combination," says Busti, "because I brought to it my love of weird movies, Fiji mermaids, and just plain weird stuff, and she brought to it the things that would actually bring in money: T-shirts, jewelry, and local artists' work. It was nothing like it is now."

Realizing that there was plenty of space in the back of the new store that wasn't being utilized, Busti was struck by a capital idea: He already had amassed, over the course of his life, all sorts of weird and wonderful film props, sideshow freakery, and oddities galore – why not put them all in one place and call it "The Museum of the Weird"? What if he could create an actual tourist attraction just like those from his childhood? Because, let's face it, that kind of weird roadside attraction is part of what made traveling across the country in the Fifties and Sixties so cool, and it's sad because exactly those sorts of places have all but disappeared in this new Digital Age.

So there you have it. The origin story of the coolest, weirdest, most outré, and cinematically inclined storefront in all of Austin.

"When you get right down to it," says Busti, drawing me close, "there were two big formative experiences in my life, and they both led directly to what I'm doing today.

"The first was when I was 5 or 6 years old and my aunt took me to the Wayne County Fair. I remember there was a big truck with the words 'See the Frozen Caveman!' painted on the side. So I walk up a ramp into the truck, and I recall there were all these adults looking down into this pit with a piece of protective glass covering it. I was too short to see what was in it, so in my childhood enthusiasm I literally jumped up onto the edge of this pit, and I came face-to-face with this hideous, snarling caveman frozen in a huge block of ice. And that was the famous Minnesota Iceman!"

Coincidence? I think not.

And the second prime motivator in Busti's lifelong journey into mystery?

"The very first movie I ever saw was in New York City on 42nd Street. It was a double feature of Godzilla vs. Megalon and Terror in the Wax Museum, if you can believe it. Between those two seminal events in my life, that pretty much sums it all up.

"Honestly, I just want to share some of that feeling that I felt as a kid, looking into the eyes of that ugly caveman under ice, with the next generation. I want to share the terror ... and the wonder!"

Government Files Reveal US Yeti Hunt

Written By: Paul Bedard, Lauren Fox
Source: US News / National Archives

Newly unearthed State Department documents confirm for the first time Uncle Sam's belief that the Abominable Snowman roamed the mountains of Nepal in the 1950s, a finding that has shocked federal officials including the archivist who discovered the papers.

Long written off as a myth—it was never caught or photographed—the documents provided by the National Archives show that officials in the State Department, Foreign Service, and U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal, not only believed in "Yeti," but endorsed rules for American expeditions to follow when hunting the toothy monster down.

"There are, at present, three regulations applicable only to expeditions searching for the Yeti in Nepal. These regulations are to be observed," said a memo from the embassy written on State Department letterhead.

The first rule required that expeditions buy a permit. The second demanded that the beast be photographed or taken alive. "It must not be killed or shot at except in an emergency arising out of self defense," wrote Embassy Counselor Ernest Fisk on November 30, 1959. And third, any news proving the existence of the Abominable Snowman must be cleared through the Nepalese government which probably wanted to take credit for the discovery.

Archivist Mark Murphy said he couldn't believe his eyes when he discovered the long-ignored papers written at the end of the Eisenhower administration. "I thought I was seeing things," he said. "These documents show that finding the Yeti was a big deal in the 1950s. It goes to show the government was taking this seriously."

How seriously?

One foreign service dispatch from the Embassy of New Delhi dated April 16, 1959 describes the many American expeditions involved in mountaineering and monster hunting in Nepal.

"American resources in the last two years have been concentrated on efforts to capture the abominable snowman," the record reads.

Tom Slick, a millionaire with a specialized interest in cryptozoology paid for three separate expeditions in Nepal to find the snow beast, immortalized in the 1964 Christmas classic Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Slick never found it and he went onto pursue bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest.

The Loch Ness Monster Has Returned In Scotland .... And Alaska?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Crytomundo / Sky Valley Chronicle

Aye .... there be sea serpents about.

Over the past couple of years the number of sightings of the "Loch Ness Monster" (Nessie) has steadily decreased causing some experts in the field of cryptozoology to speculate that the famous living dinosaur my have become extinct or was possibly headed for extinction. In fact for 2009 there was only three reported sighting of the creature (1 2 3) and in 2008 long-time monster hunter Robert Rines commented publicly that he believed Nessie had become a victim of global warming. This year however it looks as if the old girl is making a comeback.

So far this summer there have been a handful of reported sightings and now a new photograph of the monster has come to light as well. After searching for the monster for 45 years William Jobes finally hit pay dirt. While walking along the Loch with his wife something surfaced some 300 yards away and thinking quickly Jobes grabbed his camera and took a photo before the object disappeared.

Mr Jobes was walking along the Abbey footpath in Fort Augustus with his wife Joan in May this year when he spotted what appeared to be a head bobbing above the water 200 to 300 yards from the shore.

‘I had a wonderful shock,’ Mr Jobes said.’I have actually been coming up to Inverness for the past 45 years and I have never seen anything like this before.’

Quickly grasping his camera, Mr Jobes from Irvine in Ayrshire, managed to take a single picture before the ‘head’ disappeared under the surface.

However, to his delight a dark, hump-like shape broke the waves and he was able to take more photographs of the apparent sighting on May 24 at just after 11.10am.

Mr Jobes is convinced it was not a seal or piece of wood.

‘To be honest I know the difference between a piece of wood or a particular animal,’ he said.

‘I immediately did think it was a seal but it’s head was like a sheep.’

The photograph seems to show the monster's legendary "hump" plus a possible head or tail coming up out of the water. While monster fans see a monster sceptics see a piece of wood or other debris floating in the water.

To be honest the object is just too far away and blurry to tell for sure.

Yet a more impressive piece of evidence to support the existence of sea monsters (or living dinosaurs if you will) comes from a video shot off the coast of Alaska in 2009:



This clip appeared in a recent Discovery Channel documentary called "Alaskan Monster Hunt". The footage is rather impressive and the object being filmed certainly isn't a piece of wood or debris it is most certainly "alive" though exactly what it is would be open for some debate. A Cadborosaurus, frill shark, a large eel or Nessie's cousin you make the call.

I'm sure that sea monsters from around the globe are getting pretty damn irritated at all the press Bigfoot is getting and are staging more photo ops as we speak. Ogopogo and Champ could not be reached for comment.