Catching up with John Green, star of the movie Hunting Bigfoot – now available for streaming!
Last August I was thrilled to write a feature article for Arts & Humanities Bainbridge (and republished on this blog) about local islander John Green, who stars in the 2021 movie, Hunting Bigfoot by director, filmmaker and island native Taylor Guterson (Old Goats, Burkholder).
The movie is a mocumentary (a cross between fiction and truth), that revolves around the journey of a man who is convinced he saw Bigfoot—aka Sasquatch—and his relentless pursuit to prove the mythical creature exists. Along with an exceptional cast of characters, director and filmmaker, Taylor Guterson created a compelling drama fraught with emotion, humor and human experience. The film also features interviews with people who have had purported encounters with Bigfoot, as well as interviews with recognized Bigfoot authorities. To read the original article, click here.
Recently I caught up with John and we talked about where he and the movie are now, and what the future holds. The big highlight of course is that the movie is now available for streaming on several platforms, click here for details.
Since its premiere in August at the Historic Lynwood Theatre here on Bainbridge Island, Hunting Bigfoot has shown at various local theaters throughout the Pacific Northwest. John was present for every showing and remained afterwards for Q&A sessions with the occasional assistance from Taylor Guterson and co-star, Ben Cockman.
John was pleasantly surprised at the reaction from the audience, as he explained, “No one really talked about the actual ‘Hunting discovery’ but more so on the personal experiences of being out there, the people I met and the struggles to come to terms with the emotional issues I suffered from. Of course, this was a film about personal discovery and tragedy…everyone had their own story to tell in the audience about struggles of their own…I mean personal discussions in a room full of strangers…that to me was a real learning lesson and coming to the realization that films, especially these kinds of films, ask the question to the audience, ‘Is that me up on the screen struggling with emotions?’”
In addition to connecting with the moviegoers on a personal and emotional level, John connected with some audience members on a “Bigfoot” level. After the screening in Ellensburg, he met a few attendees that had had personal experiences with Sasquatch. John was invited (at a later date) to walk through the area and mountain trails, and was shown clear signs of the creatures. They also shared photos taken over several summers, and John plans to head out again this spring, after the snow melts to set up trail cameras. Then to return later, perhaps in the summer, to see what may have crossed through the camera lens.
John’s real-life search for Bigfoot doesn’t stop here in the Pacific Northwest. Through connections made on the film’s PNW local theater tour, John was told about an area in Montana, which has a very unusual grouping of huge stones and carvings. The website, https://www.montanamegaliths.com explains that the megaliths date back to a group of people existing approximately 12,000 years ago, who placed the stones and created rock carvings. More to John’s interest though, is the discovery of a nearby cave with human remains…the remains of people who stood 10-15 feet tall. John plans on taking a trip to Big Sky country this summer to hike or bike through the area in search of signs of Bigfoot, as John excitedly noted, “You simply cannot make this stuff up!!!”
Stay tuned for more on John’s adventures hunting the PNW’s most famous mythical creature!
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