The Wild Man of the Navidad

Dale (Co-Director Justin Meeks) doesn't want to open his ranch to hunters, but has to because he needs the money. Too bad for him (and them) that a bloodthirsty creature is not keen on trespassers.

Produced by "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" writer Kim Henkel, "The Wild Man of the Navidad" doesn't owe a lot to that seminal classic. Instead, this is more inspired by other 70's Horror/Exploitation fair such as "The Legend of Boggy Creek", "Creature From Black Lake" and "The Town That Dreaded Sundown", with a bit of slasher movie inspiration to match. If the film has one thing going for it, it's that it genuinely feels like a Southern Drive-In Horror Flick from the 70's-the weird, off-kilter score, the bad acting from a cast mostly made up of locals and non-actors, the cheap monster costume, the grainy look, the ultra low budget, almost documentary like feel, the unconvincing gore(who knew intestines looked like cooked steak?)-I could go on and on.

And it's watchable, decent stuff, but not without it's flaws. While bad acting and long stretches of dialog are to be expected out of a movie like this, it really starts to get annoying. The directors also reveal too much of the creature too soon, though it's cheap look has it's charm. The conclusion is also something that needs some work-it just kind of ends, without any real sense of wrap up. Finally, the slow burn style doesn't hurt for the large part, but it even tested my patience eventually, and I tend to be a patient man.

Can I recommend "The Wild Man of the Navidad?" Well, it depends. As a movie, it's decent but too flawed to be enjoyed by some, and those expecting a really fun movie will feel bored. As I said though, the fact that it genuinely feels like an old Southern Grindhouse flick will certainly appeal to those who love such movies, and is worth a look to any curious horror fan.

THE WILD MAN OF THE NAVIDAD is an obvious example of ultra-low-budget filmmaking at its best. Is it a marvel of cinematic perfection? Well, no. However, it does make full use of its limited resources.

Even though the titular creature is barely glimpsed, and the locals are perverse, gun-toting drunks, it all works somehow. This, in spite of the "hero" being a cowardly doofus!

Bigfoot / yeti movies are generally hit-and-miss affairs, with this one falling somewhere in between the two. Don't expect a zillion dollar Hollywood spectacular and you just might enjoy it...

After a series of strange attacks and incidents in a small town, a group of friends get together to hunt down the malicious beast stalking the residents and put an end to it's reign of terror.

This turned out to be a pretty disappointing Bigfoot entry, as this one really could've been quite good had it managed to keep attention and focus on the strange attacks afflicting the towns-members instead of the ungodly amount of time with the residents and their problems. Not that a little info isn't bad on them, but they come at the expense of the creature attacks as it's mostly getting a complete history of the locals before stuff starts to happen, and the creature doesn't start getting in on things until just under the hour mark. Those are really good, with some pretty brutal attacks getting in some pretty decent gore shots and the day-time setting for the whole film is rather pleasant, if only the creature's costume would've looked better. Still, the lowered amount of time spent here on these sections of the film means it's quite a while before we get to the good stuff, flawed as it is by's low-budget nature that somewhat hurts it, but overall this is a throwback to the Grindhouse style of shockers so those who enjoy them will find a lot more here instead of more traditional creature-feature fans.

Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Wild Man is a truly great flick for those of us who love the great horror films of the 1970s that often tried to add a nice hunk of realism and earthiness to their bloodshed. In a day where the movie theaters are flooded with remakes and attempts at creating a nostalgic older quality while flooding us with Mickey Mouse Club rejects, this movie is a fresh breath of air. I watched it, and I kept thinking, Wow, I know a lot of people like this. Some, definitely not all, of Texas definitely has characters like it throughout..and the region of Sublime as portrayed in the film is spot-on for this group of folks. Dale is a very realistic character as well, as actor and director Meeks carefully treads the line of guilt and despair Dale feels without being too in-your-face about it. The music, close shots and the setting add to the sense of doom that pervades the film. Definitely worth seeing!

The Wild Man of the Navidad is as authentic as a retro horror film can get. Every detail from the garish 'Tenocolour' opening credits, down to the local yokels delivering their stilted dialogue, seems to have been deliberately crafted to give the impression that one is watching an old school slasher film/public television documentary from the early 80s. The only reminder that one was watching a modern film was a hunter's wife wearing a noughties-style outfit halfway through the film. If it weren't for that detail, I would have doubted that I was watching a film from the 21st century.

Other reviewers critiqued the films flaws but to me it was obvious that these flaws are intentionally left in, because they add so much to the retro B-movie vibe. That the film isn't technically perfect just shows the film makers expertise in making retro films. I found the characters amusingly whacked-out and the Wild Man scenario a funny, bizarre variation on the Texan massacre theme. It wasn't the scariest film ever but the wild man attacks kept the action moving along at a fast pace.

So if you are in the mood for an twisted but fun little horror flick then The Wild Man of the Navidad is the movie for you.