Snowbeast (Herb Wallerstein, 1977) August 7, 2006
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Horror, 1970s, Film reviews, Sci-fi/Fantasy , trackbackDir. Herb Wallerstein; screenplay by Joseph Stefano; starring Bo Svenson
Oh the joys of the watching films when you’re a child. You have these vague scenes in your head that you remember being so scary or so dazzling or so funny. Two things I remembered from a film I’d seen years and years ago when I mustn’t have been any older than six or seven, were a scene involving an abominable snowman smashing a window and attacking a big group of people in an auditorium, and Roy Scheider starring in the lead role. When I got the opportunity to watch Snowbeast I realised this was the film I’d wanted to see for so long. But I wished I hadn’t.
This made-for-television film really isn’t scary and the scene that I had imprinted on my mind from childhood ended up resembling what looked like a naked Father Christmas trying to steal presents from the children. You know, I never thought that hairy beard of his was an indication of what was beneath the red suit and black boots, but on this evidence, it most definitely is.
As I watched it and realised Roy Scheider wasn’t in the film, I wondered what had given me that impression in the first place. However, after the hour mark I knew. The film is pretty much just another Jaws rip-off with the Yeti taking over from the shark. Yes it has some enjoyable moments but the acting and script are woeful, and the director’s ploy of using red coloured transitions is both off-putting and rather useless.
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