2
(nothing notable)
7
(suggested violence, frightening moments)
3
(see it but only if you like older TV movie horror)
It's carnival time at a Colorado ski resort, but something in those woods is about to spoil the party. This is Snowbeast. A yeti is killing skiers (presumably for food though that's not really how it acts). The heads of the resort are at odds on how to handle it (as they always are in such movies). Keeping the resort open means the possibility of more attacks, but shutting down will be detrimental to business.
Gar is an Olympic skier that has come here for a job. He takes his journalist wife, the head of resort security, and the local sheriff on a hunt for the beast. But this thing is no ordinary animal. It attacks them with strategy as well as brutal strength and lethal claws.
I really expected this movie to be comically bad when it began. It's certainly not the pinnacle of film making, but I did find myself enjoying it more than I thought I would. Gar and Ellen's marital troubles stemming from Gar's inner demons add a nice character touch to the story and is less cliché than some of the other story elements (like keeping the resort open or not).
The acting ranges from fair to awful. Bo Svenson and a couple of the others aren't bad, but some are almost comical in how terrible they are. Fortunately the movie doesn't dwell too long on the really bad actors. Eventually the better actors take center stage which helps the story pick up some.
Speaking of the story there are other weak elements in it. For example, the yeti out of the blue decides to go from hunting prey in the woods to attacking a building full of people. I might could buy this if it had a problem finding food or something, but that is obviously not the case. OK, OK. I know, it's a monster movie, it's going to have attacks geared towards the cinematic effect rather than narrative integrity, but it still bugs me.
The monster itself is rarely seen and done so in such a way that screams low budget rather than enhancing tension. Mostly we see a paw on screen and hear a growl (think Wampa attack but cheap looking). When we do see the yeti it's only glimpses which I assume is to hide a bad costume. If it looked good I would think they'd show it off more.
Morality
This has all the signs of a made for TV movie, and this was back in the 70's. The result is very little questionable material on screen. There are maybe one or two instances of mild strong language, no nudity, very mild sexuality, and nothing graphic in the violence except for some of the descriptions of what happened.
Spirituality
This is mostly man again beast. There is a touch of depth in the marital troubles but nothing that leads me to lengthy contemplations for this section of the review.
Final Thoughts
This is certainly nothing impressive. Check it out if you're looking for older, obscure monster flicks. It's worth seeing if you enjoy that kind of thing but not worth any effort to find it.
Buying Guide
"Snowbeast" might not be a movie many will find worth hunting down, but there are a few options for the curious.
There are a number of similar looking DVD's and a bunch of multi-movie packs. The most amusing of the ones I saw is the “Sasquatch Horror Collection” though don't go thinking it's an impressive package. I have a couple of copies of Snowbeast which I'll discuss below.
I didn't see anything to suggest that any release available is going to offer anything different than what I just described. Comments on content and quality are scarce, but as far as I can tell you'll get the same presentation quality no matter what you buy. There are no mention of extras for any of them.
Final Recommendation:
You can grab up whichever package offers you the best bargain because none are superior to the others. Check out additional details below on the multi-packs I mentioned to see if they might be worth it.
I'll compare my multi-pack copies to give you an idea of the quality you can expect. First up is the Chilling 20 pack.
Video
1.33:
There is no widescreen version available. It has some trash and is very grainy.
Audio
2.0 mono:
The audio levels are so hot they boarder on distorted with sound effects that almost drown out the dialogue. It has occasional pops but is relatively clear other than the crappy mix.
Packaging
The disc comes in a paper sleeve that lives in a plastic case. You can get more details about the set as a whole by checking out the Chilling (20 pack) guide.
Extras
There are none.
Next up is the Drive In Movie Classics 50 pack.
Video
1.33:
This is as trashy and grainy as the other one.
Audio
2.0 mono:
There are some crackles and pops but not much persistent white noise. There's a little distortion because of the poor mix.
Packaging
This is similar to the other set, just larger. Discs are contained in paper sleeves which fit inside a plastic case. You can read about the set as a whole in great detail in the Drive In Movie Classics (50 pack) guide.
Extras
None for this one, either.