KUAR and the Old State House will present a screening of The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972) on Friday, Oct. 10, at the Old State House Museum, as part of the Second Friday Cinema series.
ABOUT THE FILM
In 1971, Texarkana advertising executive and television personality Charles B. Pierce began reading about several strange incidents taking place in the nearby town of Fouke, Ark. Local residents reported seeing a Bigfoot-like creature terrorizing their homes and killing their livestock. Pierce decided to shoot his first movie, a semi-documentary about the so-called "Fouke Monster." The film interviewed local residents but also cast them in re-creations of scenes they described to authorities. Some locals even portrayed their relatives in the film.
The Legend of Boggy Creek reportedly cost $160,000 to make but earned more than $20 million at the box office. The film was a huge hit at drive-in theaters and was one of the top ten highest grossing films of 1972.
The faux-documentary style, combining dramatization with actual interviews, was unusual for the time period, especially for a horror film. Daniel Myrick, one of the creators of The Blair Witch Project (1999), another horror film shot as a faux-documentary, credited The Legend of Boggy Creek as one of the filmmakers' inspirations. The popularity of Blair Witch led to the "found footage" style becoming one of the most popular techniques for horror filmmakers during the past 15 years.
Despite its somewhat amateur production style, The Legend of Boggy Creek became a cult classic and spawned numerous sequels. Pierce went on to produce and direct several more movies, many shot in Arkansas.
EVENT DETAILS
The screening will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham. Reception starts at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Old State House Museum at (501) 324-9685 or info@oldstatehouse.org.
WHAT IS SECOND FRIDAY CINEMA?
Second Friday Cinema is a collaboration between KUAR and the Old State House Museum to screen a series of Arkansas-related movies on Second Friday Art Nights. KUAR General Manager Ben Fry, who also teaches courses in film history and criticism at UALR, introduces the movies and leads a discussion after each screening. Second Friday Cinema is presented in celebration with the Old State House's exhibit "Lights! Camera! Arkansas!" The screenings take place on the second Friday of the month at the Old State House Museum.
