One of the topic threads at my message board, Monsterland Forums, is dedicated to horror/sci-fi films featuring Sasquatch and Sasquatch like creatures, including the "Yeti", aka "The Abominable Snowman". I've always been fascinated by the phenomena of these creatures and many of the movies about them creeped me out as a kid. One such feature is 1977's Snowbeast, a made for TV movie that originally aired on NBC. I remember, as a 15 year old, talking my mom into letting me watch it. She hated all horror and monster movies. For some reason I still can't remember, I got to watch this movie, and on a school night no less.
The film's story: the mysterious and gory deaths of skiers at a Colorado ski resort prompt the resort manager and his friend, along with the local police chief, to investigate the cause. They definitely don't like what they discover: a hulking and menacing Yeti like creature is roaming the areas around the resort. One night the creature wanders down into the resort community, its appearance creating terror and chaos. In the end the movie's principal characters enter the creature's domain and hunt it down, the movie's climax a face off between the hostile monster and our protagonists. (no other spoilers)
One of the things I like most about Snowbeast is that the monster's appearance isn't revealed too soon in this feature. The roar of the creature is instead what we get early and often and it's effective. The creature's roar is loud and has an almost dinosaur like quality about it. Those characters in this movie who hear it are understandably spooked.
The cast includes Bo Svenson, Yvette Mimieux and Clint Walker. The movie is available on various Region 1 multi movie DVD sets and also as at least one "stand alone" title disc.
Click the title of this blog post to see a DVD of this feature for sale at Oldies.com or copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar: http://www.oldies.com/product-view/0916FD.html
A promo trailer for a DVD of Snowbeast(1977):
