transcript
Speaker 1:
[00:00] For a week, we were like five guys, we were living in this big mobile home, which actually looked like the motor home from Breaking Bad. We go to the area, it's called Sunset Falls in Oregon, where West Bremmer had this experience, and we just parked. And it was probably two o'clock in the morning, and some very strange things. So something scratched and knocked on the door of the motor home at two in the morning, in the middle of nowhere. I am immediately hit with this horrible smell that I've never smelled before. I felt the presence of something just up the hill, and the brush moving just a little bit. It was an energy or a feeling that if I had not taken care of myself for that day, I might have crapped my pants. That was the feeling that I got. It was a holy smokes. Like it was an experience I've never had. There was something going on. I think that most of this stuff is bullshit, but that was real.
Speaker 2:
[01:25] I'd like to welcome Joseph Granda to the show. Joseph is the mastermind behind the soon-to-be streaming film, The Sasqualogist. I'm sure you've been asked this question a time or two. How did this all come to be? What gave you the spark to create this film?
Speaker 1:
[01:47] Well, you know, interesting. I had been working with Merkle Media and Tony. I had produced some movies with him, and I really got to know the Bigfoot community. And it's just a great bunch of people that had a lot of different points of view on Bigfoot. And so I started really researching it. I had an idea. So I went out, I went out squatching with some different guys in Washington and here in Colorado. And I really felt that behind the Bigfoot community and why we go out looking for Bigfoot, I think that there was a bigger, more human story to it that was more personal to each person. And that's really, really what was the genesis of this movie. Because I think along with just squatching and looking for Bigfoot and evidence of things, I think that there's something behind each person that's much more personal as to why they go out looking for Bigfoot. And that's really the core of what this movie is about, trying to answer the question, what are you really looking for and how do you find what you're looking for, just beyond whether Bigfoot is there or not.
Speaker 2:
[03:08] Right. Now, whenever you decided to move forward with this project, why did you decide to go this particular route from the perspective of what I would believe to be a flesh and blood researcher?
Speaker 1:
[03:25] Well, for two things, I really got to know the Bigfoot camp of what they call the apes and the woo. But my goal was, because I play the lead character in it also, was I felt that I got to meet Jeff Meldrum and Cliff and a lot of those people in the process of this movie. And I really felt that the sort of older generation, the more mature generation, if you want, were really grounded much more in the science of it. And so I felt that fit that character better. And then he's coupled with a young man who has a much more mystical or woo, if you want, outlook on this creature or being. And I wanted to respectfully show both sides of the story. And for all my research, I feel like I did a pretty good job of just sort of laying out the facts of what each character and camp believes.
Speaker 2:
[04:31] Yeah, that was something that I don't recall seeing in a film before around this subject, where you really did a good job of hitting all the bases for the different schools of thought. And I thought that was something kind of interesting that I hadn't seen before. Usually, it's primarily focused specifically on a flesh and blooder trying to go out and bag one to prove it to the world or whatever, but your character really wasn't like that. He seemed much more scientific based. Obviously, there was some inspiration there, but it seemed more of like a personal journey for him that kind of unfolded throughout the movie. How much of yourself and your own ideas went into that role?
Speaker 1:
[05:26] Well, a lot as a filmmaker and a writer, my first responsibility is to only write about what I know. And so prior to all my research and understanding and learning about the different Sasquatch camps is I wanted to do a couple of things. I wanted to first be respectful to both camps. I wanted to, along with some action and some drama, to have a lighthearted element to it because a lot of the people that I met in the community were really just lighthearted, happy people having a good time. Yeah, so it is a really personal story for me because my father left when I was 10 years old. I never saw him again. And that really, I know from experience, because people have come up and talked to me after screening the film, that really leaves a hole in a young man and then even in a grown man such as myself that leaves you searching for different answers in life. And that's really the foundation of the character that I play. Although at one point, he really comes out and says, you know, what's happening? And there's some dialogue in there that's right out of my life. So I think that, you know, I think there's an opportunity for us as people when we have painful events in our childhood to, as they say, you know, take lemons and make lemonade, which is really what I did with this movie, to give it some depth and some reality. You know, there's a story that the kid tells in there about a Mickey Mouse hat at Disneyland when he's a kid. And that's just a factual true story from my childhood that I just put in there. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[07:12] Yeah, to be honest, I was, I guess, kind of surprised by the including of that particular personal angle to the story, the father-son relationship. And it, you know, honestly hit home. Maybe, maybe that's why I found it so surprising. I had a father figure. I was actually raised by my great grandparents. And my great grandfather was very much a father figure in my life. But my biological father, I didn't know. I met him one time whenever I was like, I think, 19 years old. We talked a few times on the phone. And my own personal journey into the Bigfoot world in the research aspect of it. There was very much some personal reconnection to my great grandfather. And being around a lot of, you know, older guys that had that father type figure to them, you know, that personality and everything. And I think there might be a lot of that going on. I've always thought that there's a lot of social aspects to Bigfoot that oftentimes are understood by the people involved, but overlooked by the people looking in from the outside.
Speaker 1:
[08:40] You know, I totally agree. I went out as I was developing this character, even after I sort of had this epiphany of what this could possibly be. I was out squatching in Washington with a, I won't say his name, but it was a really well-known squatcher. And as we spent the day and I got to know him and his whole story, because I was looking for characters to sort of base the character, Martin Bootser, the Sasqualogist in the movie to base on. At the end of the day, I got to know him really well. And I said to him, and I said, do you ever think that what you're really doing out here is looking for your old man? And he just stopped for a moment and he said, wow, I've never really thought of that.
Speaker 2:
[09:34] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[09:35] Maybe he goes, he goes, dude, you wrecked me. I go, no, that's good. I mean, I think it's a multi purpose thing. There are worse things in today's world that a grown man can be doing than hiking through the woods, searching for something that may or may not be there.
Speaker 2:
[09:53] Right. Were you behind the casting of Brandon Swartz?
Speaker 1:
[09:59] I was. I was. And it's a really, isn't he not great?
Speaker 2:
[10:04] He is amazing. He nailed it. I don't know how much of it was just his own personal acting chops or just the relationship with you, but the dynamic that you guys had and kind of watching that whole thing unfold was awesome. Not to take anything away from you by any means, but I'm just saying, I thought he did an amazing job at that role.
Speaker 1:
[10:30] No, he was a great compliment to my work with any other, everything that he did just heightened my work, it's in that sense. And it was great too to have him there because I also directed it. And here's a story, because I operate from my faith, and that was a complete act of God. So Brandon was in Florida at a Christian film conference. And he met two guys that I know from some other projects years ago. And they said to him, hey, you should meet this guy, Joseph Granda. He's cast, he's looking for a lead role in his next film. And Brandon said, oh, where is he? And they said, oh, he lives in Colorado. Well, Brandon lives 30 miles from me.
Speaker 2:
[11:24] No way.
Speaker 1:
[11:26] Yeah, so I had been interviewing and talking to other actors, and I met him and we just hung out, took him to lunch, we got along really well. And then I auditioned him and ran a bunch of scenes. And I said, hey man, this part is yours. He was like, really? I'm like, absolutely. Yeah, very talented young man.
Speaker 2:
[11:45] Yeah. Whenever you're casting for something like that, and you're pitching the idea of a Bigfoot movie, where was the barometer on everyone in terms of belief?
Speaker 1:
[11:59] That's an interesting question. Well, a couple of things. I'll tell you another brief casting story. So there's a museum up here called the Sasquatch Outpost, which we actually shoot a couple scenes in. And so when I was asking the owner, Jim, if I could shoot in his place, I said, Anne, I actually wrote a role for you in it. So the owner of the Sasquatch Outpost is the guy in the cowboy hat that has a brief exchange with me. But the woman who, so I'm talking to him, I took him out to lunch and we have the property, the dome that's in the movie, that's my dome, I own that land.
Speaker 2:
[12:47] Oh, cool.
Speaker 1:
[12:48] And yeah, and so I took Jim to lunch and we're talking and he said, he said, hey, you know what? I've got a woman who works for me at the front desk and she's an actress. And I said, let me meet her. And that's Liza, who plays my girlfriend in the movie, who is also an author of kids books about Bigfoot called The Cryptid Catcher.
Speaker 2:
[13:11] Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:
[13:13] Yeah. So it was really just another blessing that came about really easily.
Speaker 2:
[13:17] So everything just kind of fell into place piece by piece for you on this.
Speaker 1:
[13:22] Yeah, it really did. And then I used some other actors that had been in my previous film, The Healing Garden, and then I just found him here and there. Then there's a guy who the guy you'll see when you all watch the movie. There's one scene with a ventriloquist in it. And I knew him very well, and he had a small part in my first film. A great guy. Sadly, he has since passed away.
Speaker 2:
[13:50] Oh, man.
Speaker 1:
[13:51] But a great guy and a very funny guy.
Speaker 2:
[13:56] I even thought that that was fitting. I'm not going to point out any particular...
Speaker 1:
[14:06] Yeah, we don't want to spoil it.
Speaker 2:
[14:07] Yeah, but whenever you're involved in this subject, and you're meeting different people into it, every now and then, you do run across someone or you just have to take a step back and just like, what is this person? What is this person? What are they doing? And that character fit that role very well for me. I thought that was pretty funny.
Speaker 1:
[14:33] Yeah, it was one of those moments where I'm like, okay, this is either gonna really work or people are gonna check out at this point. But because of the talent of Kevin and his ventriloquism, it really worked in. I made it so that like, you'll see the dummy wanted to be there, but he didn't.
Speaker 2:
[14:52] Yeah, yeah, I thought that was funny.
Speaker 1:
[14:54] Yeah, yeah, so it worked out gratefully.
Speaker 2:
[15:00] So would you say that there was something in you that wanted to make a film like this and you just chose Bigfoot as the vessel, or was it the other way around where you wanted to make a Bigfoot film and then chose the personal story of the father and the son and all that as the way to take it?
Speaker 1:
[15:25] Well, I think it all came about from working with Tony Merkel. And I produced some movies for him, Shape of Shadows and Sasquatch and The Missy Band, was where I really got in contact with a lot of Bigfoot people. I met John and Sarah Brown, I met Wes Germer and people like that. And listening to the stories was a very percolation of the gestation of the whole story, which is where I got the idea. And then thankfully, Caleb M. Moore, who is the executive producer of this film and Sasquatch and The Missy Band, and then another one that we did that's still in the works, they're figuring out, you know, was sort of, originally it was a dog man thing, but it turned into something totally different. So that's still being worked through at post production. But that's really how I came into the Bigfoot world. I mean, you know, I've been to the Bigfoot Museum here before and had a passing interest in it. But until I got to know the Sasquatch community, I didn't really realize how deep it was and how diverse it was in their thought and their research and ideas. And I'm like, wow, this is really a goldmine. And I didn't want to do just another horror movie. I think that's, for me, that's too simplistic. What I really wanted to do, you know, my whole career started out as an actor on Broadway and then in film. And, you know, my big break was in the early 90s when I made a movie called Amongst Friends. And so I did all these movies in the 90s. And what I really, my overall goal for the look of the movie was to have it feel like one of those carefree, independent films from the 1990s. And I feel like I really did that.
Speaker 2:
[17:21] Yeah, I think you nailed it. That's exactly what it made me think of whenever I was watching it.
Speaker 1:
[17:29] Yeah, and people have come up to me and said they said if Napoleon Dynamite and Wes Gurmurr, if Napoleon Dynamite and Wes Anderson had a baby, it would be this movie.
Speaker 2:
[17:43] Yeah, for sure. I can totally see that. So after spending time with Bigfooters and kind of immersing yourself into this, what is it about this particular subject that makes it different? I mean, there's this mythological creature that supposedly lives out in the forest. Why do we care? Why do we go looking for it? What makes it a subject that people get so passionate about?
Speaker 1:
[18:12] Yeah, that's a good question. And you know, I've thought a lot about that. And here's my take on it. We, we, there's two things. We live in a world where we can have just about everything answered in the palm of our hand by getting onto the internet, right? It can give you answers and can give you fake answers or, you know, factual or not factual.
Speaker 2:
[18:36] It will give you information, for sure.
Speaker 1:
[18:39] It'll give you information, yes. But the thing that I think about Bigfoot and I think people admire and myself is that this is a, this is a creature that is able to be both famous and anonymous in a world that is just run rampant. You know, he's out there or he's not out there. Everybody is in, there's no, nobody on the planet doesn't, hasn't heard of Bigfoot. So he's this famous character that also lets him be anonymous. Because in my time working in, in Hollywood, I met lots of very famous people. And I also met very famous people that wish they weren't famous, you know, it's it. Fame is a very, very dangerous thing, especially in today's world with the access of social media. I would wish it on my enemy.
Speaker 2:
[19:31] No, it's very difficult to remain anonymous in today's society and increased fame at the same time. Yeah, Sasquatch as a subject. I just find it really interesting because while you might see, you know, certain things about the Loch Ness Monster or whatever pop up in pop culture every now and then or something, Bigfoot's everywhere. It's completely commercialized, marketed, you know, people make tons of merch, including a character in your movie. But then you have this whole research side where people take it so seriously and devote all of their free time and resources into it. And it's just a really interesting dynamic, I think.
Speaker 1:
[20:21] Yeah, and you know, one thing is when you all when you all watch the movie on that note of merchandise, and I did this, there's a couple Easter eggs in this movie that you'll have to look closely upon. I don't want to I don't want to give any spoiler alerts, but I'll tell you one thing. There is a Bigfoot in every scene of this movie. You'll have to look, but the image of Bigfoot is in every scene of this movie, which I wanted to add a layer to that also, because it's such a Bigfoot is such a big part of our culture in a sort of, and you'll notice if you look at all the swag and stickers and hats and things, Bigfoot is almost 85, 90% of the time depicted as something that's joyful or interesting. It's never like, there's plenty of horror movies about Bigfoot, but I don't ever really get the sense that it is a sort of benevolent creature. I mean, there's a funny line about, unfortunately, Bigfoot never killed anybody in the movie, you know, because imagine the data that would bring. So, but yeah, I did that as a sort of an homage to the, listen, the capitalism of Bigfoot. Why not? People make money off of worse things in this world.
Speaker 2:
[21:50] The film starts off with the character going over his research area, collecting evidence, but he has an interesting trait whenever it comes to the evidence. He's not running back to the public to, you know, show it off or anything like that.
Speaker 1:
[22:11] Right.
Speaker 2:
[22:11] How important do you think evidence is whenever it comes to Bigfoot stuff? In terms of, I guess, belief. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:
[22:21] Absolutely. I think that the evidence is really important. And I think that the evidence, not just by that, that squatcher who finds the evidence, but I think what's important that I don't see a lot of is that then letting that evidence be battle tested by other researchers. And there's a big difference between an actual, a real researcher and somebody who is a weekend warrior looking for Bigfoot, not to besmirch them. But I think what would be great is if the Bigfoot community had, and maybe they do, some sort of a centralized place where people can share evidence. And then, you know, what's the word I'm looking for? You know, when when they do research in science and, and like peer-reviewed medicine and stuff. Peer-reviewed, that's the word I'm looking for. Peer-reviewed. And I think that sometimes, I think swatchers want to hold it really close to their, to their vest and say, I found this, this is mine. But I think for a longer goal of finding out what and if, if that were more peer-reviewed in a more trustful manner. And there's been some great, you know, hair, hair found. I just read an article about the FBI had tested some swatch hair from years ago. And I think, I think that would be, and on the same, and on the same vein, the more mystical elements and the spiritual elements of Bigfoot, ways to sort of test those would be interesting also.
Speaker 2:
[24:07] It's a very personal thing, it seems like, from individual to individual in terms of schools of thought and what they're actually looking for whenever it comes to this subject. And I have absolutely met people who I 100% believe, they'll tell you this, if they had proof, if they had a vial of Bigfoot blood, they wouldn't share it with anyone, they would never tell anyone.
Speaker 1:
[24:39] That's unfortunate.
Speaker 2:
[24:41] Yeah, that's extremely unfortunate. But there's always rumors of, you know, amazing video or photos that exist, but they don't want to show anybody because they don't want the attention and they don't want to put the Sasquatch in danger and all these things.
Speaker 1:
[24:57] Yeah, I have found in all my research of the subject that the video footage is the least convincing of evidence, you know, especially in today's world where with AI and special effects and, you know, which is one of the reasons why the Sasquatch is very elusive in this movie. And the reason I did that is because I felt like the sound of Sasquatch to stimulate the viewer everybody has their own ideas and image of what they think Sasquatch looks like. And so I wanted the viewer to have that experience to hear it and then let the images inside themselves project onto what's going on.
Speaker 2:
[25:49] Well, I thought that was a great line that you had in the film where, you know, Marty asked, what does it look like? And he says, it looks exactly like what you think it looks like.
Speaker 1:
[26:02] Yeah, which, which I think is important for because this a lot of times this is a very personal subject for people to let them have that. Rather than say, here's what I think it looks like.
Speaker 2:
[26:12] Do you have any thoughts on the recent Patterson film controversy?
Speaker 1:
[26:19] You know, my, my opinion on that is strictly from somebody who has been in the movie business most of his adult life. And it's two things. It's that I don't know the filmmakers. I haven't seen the film, but, but that they kept it to such a small little screening. And then sort of disappeared when some controversy broke out, makes me feel as if it leans towards, they don't really have anything to show that it's a hoax. That's what I think. And I think that time will tell. Because if they really have this as a hoax, it would be one of the biggest stories. I mean, that footage of Patty, and Patty plays a role in The Sasqualogist. You know that, I don't want to get that away. If Patty is the second most seen footage behind the subruder film of John F. Kennedy. So if a filmmaker had unequivocal evidence that that footage was fake, I would be, it would be out everywhere because there's big money to be made on that. I don't think they really have the smoking gun or the fake footprint or whatever. You know what I'm saying? I just don't think they do because that's not how you would market a movie because movies are very expensive. And your goal is to make your money back at the least.
Speaker 2:
[28:02] I've remained quiet on the topic. I'm still holding out for, I want to see the film for myself. I want to see the documentary for myself before I really put an official opinion out there or anything. But I completely agree with what you're saying. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to go about it the way they went about it.
Speaker 1:
[28:30] Yeah, they got it in one festival and caused an uproar and then sort of went away. And now listen, they might have gone away because they're working on a big distribution deal with Miramax or who knows. Which if that's the case, then it's smart to just shut up. But I don't know, the whole story seemed a little fishy to me. Like, oh, some footage was found in a, I don't know, by somebody's son. And it just seemed very Blair Witch to me.
Speaker 2:
[29:02] Well, I mean, with your own research that you did, meeting people and going out with them and everything, where you got to know the Bigfoot community, from my understanding, they sort of did the same thing. You know, they got to know the Bigfoot world and everything. And once you came to the realization as a filmmaker, if you did have this in your possession and how big of a deal that would be, and what sort of impact it would have on numerous lives involved, personally for me, it doesn't matter if it's fake or not. But I'm saying, you know, Bob Gimlin and others, it's a big deal.
Speaker 1:
[29:45] Right. Right.
Speaker 2:
[29:47] I mean, would you even think that you should be someone to put that out there? Wouldn't you hand that evidence over to the Bigfoot world and be like, hey, here's what we found. I'm doing a documentary about it.
Speaker 1:
[30:00] Yeah, if I had found that footage, the first thing I would do is get a lawyer. Because for two things, for being sued for slander, but also it would be worth a tremendous amount of money. And secondly, I would hold a press conference maybe at one of the Bigfoot festivals and say, listen, I'm here to help. Here's what it really is. Here's what, at least here's what this episode of Bigfoot really is. All the rest, I don't know, because I interviewed people that I interviewed this neurosurgeon, who I can't say his name, who has nothing to gain to tell me the story of him and his friend hiking 20 miles into Oregon on a hike that they do, a camping trip, and finding footprints. Now nobody goes 20 miles in to punk a neurosurgeon, and there's nothing in it for a neurosurgeon to tell me this story. And he was dead serious. And he's like, that's what it was. Here's a picture of it. You can't have it, no.
Speaker 2:
[31:14] Yeah. Post-film, it's going to be released very soon after this comes out. Where are you at? I mean, you've gone out, you've met the people, you've done the thing yourself. Where do you stand now on your own personal level of belief? Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[31:40] And this might be unpopular for some people, but an honest question deserves an honest answer. So one, let me just go back briefly to working with Tony. You know, great guy. He's got a fantastic podcast, The Confessionals, and Caleb Moore, my producer. When we produced this little documentary years ago called Sasquatch and the Missy Man, it basically tells the origin story of Wes Grimmer and his first Squatch sighting. And so we went to the area where Wes had his experience. We interviewed some other people. And in that film also, we interviewed John and Sarah Brown. And Sarah Brown said something really interesting to me. She said, you got to stop going out looking for Sasquatch. You got to go to the places where he's been reported and make some noise, and then just camp. And because her theory was they're just as interested in you as you are them. But she felt the elusiveness of them was because you're coming at them. And I've heard that out here, too, up in Bailey, where people go out camping, they have more of these experiences. So what we did was the area where Wes had this experience, we were living in this for a week with like five guys, we were living in this big mobile home, which actually looked like the mobile motor home from Breaking Bad.
Speaker 2:
[33:10] Oh, nice. Not suspicious at all.
Speaker 1:
[33:14] No, right. There was no cooking going on in there though. So we go to the area, it's called Sunset Falls in Oregon, where Wes Grommer had this experience, and we just park. And it was probably two o'clock in the morning, and some very strange things we started. And if you watch that film, or if you watch even the trailer, I'm in it briefly as the producer, because they say to these guys, this is pre-Sasqualogist, this is as I'm on this Bigfoot journey. I said, listen, you guys, so something scratched and knocked on the door of the Motorhome at two in the morning in the middle of nowhere. And I said, listen, you guys, I think that most of this stuff is bullshit, but that was real.
Speaker 2:
[33:59] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[34:01] So we should gear up the cameras and go see what's out there. So I don't know why, but I was the first one to step out of the Motorhome, which really is not the job of the producer. I step out onto the first step. And let me tell you, I am immediately hit with this horrible smell that I've never smelled before. It's felt musky. It felt wet. It was raining. And what I didn't do was say anything. I stepped out and then I watched the rest of the guys come out and they all noticed it. And these guys were from Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, and they're all hunters. And they go, that is no smell I've ever smelled before. So we stood there. And I'll just, I'll just tell you my experience. I stood there next to one of the camera guys. And I had the, the, the, the, the first, you know what people say? Oh, I almost crapped my pants.
Speaker 2:
[35:11] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[35:12] So there was a moment where there was, I felt the presence of something just up the hill and the brush moving just a little bit, but it was a, it was an energy or a feeling that if I had not taken care of myself for that day, I might have crapped my pants because that was the feeling that I got. It was a holy smokes. Like it was, it was an experience I'd never had. And everybody else sort of felt the vibe too. So there was something going on, which also leads to the idea of, is it something interdimensional? Is it something spiritual? Is it just one of the fallen angels?
Speaker 2:
[35:55] I don't know.
Speaker 1:
[35:58] So with that, to answer your question, of what's my thought on all of it and all my research, I feel that, no offense to anybody out there, 80% of it is bullshit. People love to tell stories. Stories are great. It's how we got where we are, talking about legends. I think another, maybe 15% is sometimes what's called a framing psychosis where you set out to look for something and then the mind projection onto the field that you're looking at. Some might, you know, that's within quantum physics and things like that. But I also think that there's 10%, which is completely unexplained in both of the science and the woo of this thing. So I think if the community is able to focus more on that 10%, I think the outcomes of science or spirits are going to be greater. That's where I've kind of rest in the most honest answer.
Speaker 2:
[37:17] Well, that was going to be my next question is, which school of thought do you kind of lean towards? And I mean, from your description, that experience sounds kind of woo. It has a little bit of non-flesh and blood element to it.
Speaker 1:
[37:37] Yeah, you know, things like footprints that just end in the middle of nowhere and stuff like that. No, I don't think they're flying UFOs from the depths of the ocean, for sure. I don't think they're flying at all. So, you know, my background as a Christian and one of the things that often gets lost in biblical terms or the world is that there's a lot of weird stuff in the Bible. Now, I'm not saying that Esau was a Bigfoot just because he was born hairy. I mean, I've heard that theory too. But if you go back to the Book of Enoch and the Watchers and the Nephilim and, you know, giving this sort of abilities to move in and out of things, if I had to just answer, I would say that it's a trickster demon that's able to materialize into physical form and then leave into some other sort of realm. You know, I don't know if it's a, you know, portals play a role in The Sasqualogist too. I don't know if it's that, but I, because of my experience and my personal background in theology and my faith is what I lean towards. I just, I feel ultimately if it was just flesh and blood, that there might be a dead one somewhere. I know there's, I know there's people can dispute that and why, but that's kind of where I sit. You know, another thing too, that if anybody ever wants to read what I consider to be the best Bigfoot book, it's actually the guys could become a friend of mine because in my research, his name is John Zeta, and he wrote In the Valley of the Noble Beyond, and he's a real, real journalist. He's got a war correspondent, and he got an assignment out of Canada to go and hang out with some Indian tribes who have this, all these great legends of Sasquatch. And he went out there a complete skeptic and did some real research, some real journalistic research, investigative journalism. And he came out of there a complete believer. I mean, these people would tell stories about their great, great grandfathers, and the Sasquatch coming down and engaging in meals with them. And these are also very spiritual people too. So yeah, more shall be revealed, I guess.
Speaker 2:
[40:21] There's another interesting line that you put in the film, again, between yourself and Marty, where Marty's kind of revealed that he's a Christian, and your character says, you know, well, how can you believe in God and believe in Bigfoot? As a Christian who firmly believes in Bigfoot, I understand that sort of juxtaposition. And one of the first things that kind of came to mind whenever it came to this subject, in terms of, well, how has this thing not been proven? You know, what's going on here? If there is a higher power at work, what if we're just not supposed to? What if it's just that simple? Like, we're just not supposed to ever prove that it's out there. Maybe there's other things that we're not supposed to prove. But if that's the case, or even if that's not the case, for whatever reason, but if there is that paranormal aspect to them, the woo side is right, where does that leave us? What do we do? All these people that are going out there looking for this thing, I mean, what can we even do at that point?
Speaker 1:
[41:48] Yeah, I mean, I think aside from doing some, aside from doing occult things, which I would never get involved in, maybe it's, maybe Sheriff Bruin has it right of just going out there making noise and let this thing or spirit come towards you, whether it's a bipedal ape or a demon trickster in the wood. I mean, if it's a demon trickster and he can get people to go out squashing on Sunday instead of church, then that's a win for him, right?
Speaker 2:
[42:23] Yeah. I don't think you should be trying to antagonize that. Personally, I don't think you should be going out in the woods trying to have a sighting of that.
Speaker 1:
[42:34] No, I don't recommend a Ouija board in the woods at all, no.
Speaker 2:
[42:37] Yeah. So is there more Bigfoot for you in the future?
Speaker 1:
[42:43] What's funny is that you asked that and I'll say something else. If this movie is a hit, I already have a sequel planned.
Speaker 2:
[42:51] Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:
[42:53] Here's all I'll say to the audience for when you watch the movie. If there's a sequel, it will take place in Ohio.
Speaker 2:
[43:03] Great answer.
Speaker 1:
[43:05] I know you got that because you saw the movie.
Speaker 2:
[43:07] So when does this come out? Where can people see it? All that good information.
Speaker 1:
[43:13] Yeah. So it's going to start streaming at our good friends at merklefilms.com on April 28th. So it'll just be merklefilms.com. That's Tony's media company. And then after it's sort of, here's why it's there, is I really wanted to create a relationship with the Bigfoot community and say, I made this for you. I wasn't a squatcher. I learned all about you. I hope I did you right. And I want to push it at you first. It's for you first. And then from there, it'll go out to Amazon, Apple, and Tubi and all those other places. But I really wanted to sort of roll it out because all of last year I spent touring the country. It showed at six different festivals. It won best picture at the Winter Park Festival. It won best film overall at the Midwest Weird Fest in Wisconsin. It won best comedy in South Carolina. And then I also toured around to and showed it at three different Bigfoot festivals around the country. And people really loved it there. I had a great response. And along with that, there's a lot of people that worked really hard on this, on this movie. You know, Ward Hiney was my cinematographer. Joe Stauffer, who was also a second camera and editor and added some of his music. There's a great, fantastic band. It's actually, oddly enough, it's a father and son band out of Michigan called Streaking in Tongues. And a lot of their music is throughout the film. And they were gracious enough to let me use their movie at a real discounted price. So I hope people will check them out also. And, you know, ultimately, without the backing and support of my producing partner, Caleb and more, none of this would have been possible. So, you know, along with the support from Tony and his group. And Dean Hugart, who did the sound, sound is very important. It came out fantastic. And all the other actors, Brandon, Elijah, and there's a whole whole. And then and then and then Kevin Klaytman, who we don't really want to talk about, because we don't again want to give away anything about the movie is a character in the movie that you'll notice he, Kevin Klaytman is a very funny stand up comic that actually I cast right here out of out of Denver. Oh, and my wife is in the movie briefly, who was very helpful with the rounding up food for the crew. She's one of the women, she's the first woman who comes running through the scene screaming, especially in the trailer. And then I put my daughter in the movie. She's the young girl who works behind the counter at the Bigfoot Museum. Also comes in and rolls her eyes at me. So not much of an acting, not much of an acting stretch. I told her, I said, hey, guess what? You're not going to school today. She's like, how come? I go, she says you're going to save me 500 bucks.
Speaker 2:
[46:18] Yeah, not many notes for her, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:
[46:22] No, she's a great kid. So yeah, so April 28th, merklefilms.com. I hope you'll all check it out. And I hope that I did right to the Bigfoot community.
Speaker 2:
[46:34] Well, congratulations on the accolades first off. Secondly, as someone from the Bigfoot community previously before podcasting, I think you did a fantastic job. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I absolutely give it my recommendation for people to go check it out starting April 28th at merklefilms.com. There will be a link in the description to this episode. Easy to find. Go check it out. The Sasqualogist, Joseph Granda. Thanks for joining me, man. I've enjoyed it. I'm glad I got to talk to you. I hope we have future conversations, and I hope the film does well, so we can see that sequel.
Speaker 1:
[47:16] Absolutely. And if I find a Bigfoot, it will be the first one to know.
Speaker 2:
[47:20] If you've had an encounter with the fabled Sasquatch and you'd like to share your story on the podcast, email me at bigfootcrossroadsatgmail.com. Check out the website, bigfootcrossroads.com. You can find links to social media, past episodes, merchandise, everything you need, all in one place. And until next time, remember, there's something in the woods.