‘Capturing Bigfoot’ Review: An Astounding Documentary Uncovers the Truth — SkimNews
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- Marq Evans's documentary "Capturing Bigfoot" investigates the 59-second Roger Patterson film shot in Northern California on Oct. 20, 1967, which has long stood as the most famous piece of purported Bigfoot evidence
- The film reveals the Patterson footage was a hoax, supported by a previously lost piece of 1966 16mm footage showing a rehearsal and the identification of Patterson associate Bob Hieronymus, whose loping walk matches the creature on film
- Roger Patterson, a rodeo rider and self-taught visual artist from Yakima, Wash., turned the fake film into a media phenomenon with appearances on Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, and Art Linkletter, and charged $2 per ticket on a road-show theater tour
- Much of the film's revenue — millions in today's dollars — allegedly flowed to Patterson's brother-in-law Al DeAtly, who used it to rescue his construction company and build a mansion in Washington state; Patterson's loyal associate Bob Gimlin reportedly received nothing
- Clint Patterson, Roger Patterson's son now in his late 60s, serves as the documentary's central figure, initially defending his father's film as authentic before the evidence laid out by Evans
- The review frames the documentary as a parable about belief in America, drawing a direct line from Bigfoot-era true believers to today's UAP obsession and 2020 election denial conspiracies
Why it matters: Evans's investigation not only settles a 58-year-old cryptozoology mystery but also reframes Patterson's snake-oil hustle as a prototype for modern American conspiracy culture, while the financial trail — millions funneled to brother-in-law Al DeAtly's Washington state construction empire — reveals how a 59-second fake generated very real wealth and influence.
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