Momo: The Missouri Monster (2019)
Director: Seth Breedlove
Writer (s): Seth Breedlove, Mark Matzke, Jason Utes
Starring: Cliff Barackman, Lyle Blackburn, Ronald Breedlove, Amy Davies, Adam Duggan
Every town has their own unique folk law tales and urban legends which have been passed down through written stories or word of mouth, whether you believe them or not they do make for some fascinating stories. In the latest docudrama from Small Town Monsters they tale a look at the history behind Missouri’s answer to big foot, Momo: The Missouri Monster. Momo is a giant hair-covered, three-toed monstrosity which was seen prowling through the forests of Star Hill, near Louisiana, Missouri, where it continued to terrify the local residents for weeks.
The year was 1972 and the place was a tiny, quaint, riverfront town called Louisiana, Missouri. On a warm summer evening, two local kids saw a creature in their own backyard holding a dead dog. Before you could say the word “Bigfoot”, local media and police officials had pounced on the story. Overnight Louisiana became “monster central” with creature seekers and monster hunters combing the woods to look for “the thing” that the newspapers had dubbed “Momo”. One particular family was at the centre of this whirlwind of activity and as the Missouri Monster sightings began to increase, so did the negative impact on the Harrisons. In 1975, a film crew set out to tell an over-the-top, filmic version of the Momo sightings. Due to one reason or another, this should-have-been-cult-classic was never released. Until now.
Often packed with facts and slow-paced docudramas are not for everyone, but Momo: The Missouri Monster is more than a standard documentary which leaves it open to a wider appeal. Whilst it still offers enthusiasts a detailed background behind the events, deciphering the facts from fiction and interviews with local residents and experts on the Momo history. It is the inclusion of clips from a lost grindhouse movie of the same name, which helps it to stand out as something original. Even if the aforementioned found film is in fact a fake throwback which has been put together by director Seth Breedlove.
The found film perfectly encapsulates the schlocky style of a 70’s grindhouse having been made on a low budget with and a quick turn around to cash in on the popularity of the latest trend. They do well with the film to capture the look and feel, although it is clear that several areas have been exaggerated so you don’t take it too seriously. With the often over the top acting, inconsistent editing and laughable dialogue it is deliberately bad but definitely entertaining. Lines such as “It was 8ft tall and looked like a Bear that had mated with Jerry Garcia” which was used to describe Momo is one of the many lines that had me laughing. Despite some of the scenes being deliberately bad it is all done with a clever humour, and when compare it to some of the real films released at that time including The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972), it is actually better.
Despite the comical approach the found film, it actually works perfectly with the documentary. The comic relief breaks up the more factual side of the interviews, with the footage also being used to recreate events and give you a visual understanding.
The main documentary is narrated by Lyle Blackburn who is the perfect choice as the host, with the segments playing out as part of a weekly tv show entitled Blackburn’s Weekly Case Files. Which in itself is a brilliant concept. If they they could cut it down into a scheduled weekly tv slot, this is one programme I would be tuning in each week to watch.
When it comes to the effects apart from some animated sequences with the show, most of the old school effects take place within the found film, including space craft landings and of course Momo himself. Both of which look impressive whilst managing to remain in keeping with the effects at the time. Momo as a monster is definitely one of the highlights of the film, and despite the simplicity of the design is extremely memorable. Even if his long draped hair does mean you don’t need to add too much detail.
Momo: The Missouri Monster is a brilliantly original idea which pays off with its somewhat unorthodox approach. The documentary side however is informative as they try to uncover the truth behind Momo, especially for someone like myself who had never heard of this local legend. Even though some of the conspiracies may be questionable, they try to remain impartial when relaying the facts, allowing the audience to come to their own conclusions.
It will appeal to both conspiracy enthusiasts and horror fans alike and will hopefully give Momo some more credibility to join other creatures such as Big foot. Although as we see in the docudrama Momo did have moderate success in the news following the minor hysteria at the time. I am looking forward to seeing more from director Seth Breedlove and Small Town Monsters do next and I hope they continue to adopt the same style with the execution. Having watched this Momo has certainly made an impression and is one horror character that I am not going to forget any time soon.
Film Review Momo: The Missouri Monster (2019)
Movie title: Momo: The Missouri Monster (2019)
Movie description: The hair-covered, three-toed monstrosity was said to have prowled the forests of "Star Hill" near Louisiana, Missouri during the summer of 1972 where it was seen by terrified citizens for weeks.
Director(s): Seth Breedlove
Actor(s): Cliff Barackman, Lyle Blackburn, Ronald Breedlove , Amy Davies, Adam Duggan
Genre: Horror
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
