Modern CryptozoologyLong hidden evidence blows up the reality of the Patterson Gimlin Bigfoot film
A bomb dropped at the SXSW film festival that upends all hope that the infamous Patterson Gimlin film showed an actual Bigfoot. Revelations in the Marq Evans’ documentary Capturing Bigfoot appear to confirm, to all reasonable degree, that the PGF, filmed in 1967 at Bluff Creek, California, was hoaxed by Patterson and company.
Capturing Bigfoot documentary is not readily viewable at this time. It likely will get a distributor shortly because many people are very interested in this new development on a 59-year-old classic piece of Americana that started the Bigfoot craze that continues today.
Here is some info from Unseen Films, by a person who did see it
CAPTURING BIGFOOT is the story of the best-known film footage of Bigfoot, the Patterson/Gimlin film that was shot in 1967 when the pair was out looking for the creature when one showed up and Patterson was thrown from his horse but held on to his camera. It’s the tale of what happened as told by Patterson’s son, Clint, and the other people involved with it, as well as the people who believed and those that didn’t. It’s a very bittersweet and melancholy film not just for its revelations but because it’s the story of lives broken apart by the few feet of film.
[…]
The selling point of the film is that recent[ly] discovered reel of 16mm film that had been locked in a vault for decades. We know the film exists at the start and it is hinted that the revelation, borne out later in the film, that it reveals the film we all know is a hoax.
Poster for Capturing Bigfoot (2026) featuring the iconic Frame 352 of the Patterson Gimlin film.What’s on the found footage
People magazine has a story that reveals a bit more. The headline is clear that the film is revealed as a hoax: The Famed 1967 Bigfoot Film Was an ‘Incredible Hoax,’ Says the Director of a Groundbreaking New Documentary. The found film was given to Evans by the daughter of the person who apparently developed the original PGF. This new bit was a first run of the setup:
Not long after receiving Brooks’ email, Evans had the 16mm film developed and days later found himself looking at a 40-second clip set in a location similar to the one in the 1967 movie, showing what appeared to be a slightly skinnier-looking Bigfoot walking into the woods.
The article goes on to say that it was Bob Heironimus in the Bigfoot suit in the original film, and that both Clint and Patty Patterson knew the film was a hoax to make money. Finally, there is a revelation that Clint saw Roger burn the original suit.
In an interview with FilmMakerMixer.com podcast, Evans discusses how the film came to be through a fortuitous interaction with a person at his university. This interview clarifies that Evans did not set out with the intention of making a debunking film. However, as the story unfolded, he sought out more information, eventually getting to speak to the Pattersons themselves who previously have never revealed what they knew.
https://youtu.be/AW-cO1xYuMU?si=gaDqunVsqvecR92w&t=419
Roger Patterson died from cancer five years later. The PGF was a lasting legacy he could hardly have imagined. In 2004, author Greg Long dug deep into Patterson’s history and showed him to be an untrustworthy narrator of the Bigfoot tale. Long’s book The Making of Bigfoot was a big deal, but like all other critical literature on cryptids, the Bigfoot believer community rejected it. Long is vindicated by this documentary as Evans stated he relied heavily on Long’s recorded interviews.
Short of having the suit, which wouldn’t be much to look at today if it did still exist, almost all the pieces to the puzzle have been completed.
The aftermath will be fascinating
The evidence that the PGF was faked has been substantial since day one. And every day that went by without a Bigfoot body meant an incrementally more solid argument for concluding an actual zoological being does not exist.
Nevertheless, those that believe that Bigfoot is out there will likely not be swayed by more evidence of the PGF being a hoax. Apparently the film shows this exact response from Bill Munns, who has become a known “expert” for the PGF and considers it genuine. It’s not easy or simple to peel away the many thick layers of confirmatory information that believers have built up around their worldview. They will not readily concede that their life’s investment was a scam.
However, those on the fence may be swayed. Those who had doubts might turn and give up. It will be interesting to watch the reaction. What will Bob Gimlin have to say? How will the rest of the community react?
I lament that Jeffrey Meldrum could not supply us with his thoughts on this. But I would also guess he would disregard it. Others who have had personal experiences will continue to insist there is something out there.
Even if this new film gets traction, it won’t diminish the presence of Bigfoot in North American culture. That will remain huge for a long time. Bigfoot is a Pop Cryptid, which means attention given to it is less about finding a new animal and more about enjoying the idea of a weird creature, particularly via speculation and fun stories, with an emphasis on casual belief and commodification.
The Ultimate Hoax
Whenever I have mentioned the PGF to people not involved in cryptozoology, they assume it was conclusively admitted as a hoax already. With about 20% of the population feeling positive about the reality of Bigfoot, this is unsurprising. What is surprising is that we have this new evidence come to light. The original film was analyzed to death. Second only to the Zapruder film as the most analyzed in American history, the PGF has enthralled people for nearly 59 years. The visual aspect of a moving creature, the ambiguity of its features, the promotion of the idea that it was out there, and the commodification that kept its spirit alive when no body could ever be found meant this piece of media had incredible impact and will live on forever.
Patterson got very lucky to have a stunt end up as a film that was fortuitously just blurry enough to fool so many people. The situation evolved in such a way that kept it fascinating for decades. But the case is now closed. Patterson and Gimlin will live on as great American hoaxers.
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