Aptly named, the TLC-aired Monster Hunters follows six groups of ordinary individuals (referred to as “crypto-zoologists”) obsessed with mysterious creatures, who devote their spare time to trying to find and document such monsters as NJ's Jersey Devil (a shrieking horned horse/gargoyle with roots as far back as the original Native Americans from the area) and the Cadborosaurus (a supposed sea serpent seen off the coast of western Canada). Some of the monsters are as scary as they are legendary, such as the Puerto Rican Chupacabra (goat sucker), which many locals blame for the mysterious deaths of livestock and other animals. Others seem more plausible—yet still unproven—such as large cats (we're talking cougar-size here) stalking the English countryside and occasionally attacking people, and the aforementioned Cadborosaurus (one of the few examples where photographic evidence exists—as one of the “serpents” was removed from the belly of a whale years ago). And what about a pair of creatures from Australia (the Yowie—the Oz version of Bigfoot) and the Tasmanian Tiger? Part of the fun lies in listening to the theories surrounding each creature—some (especially those involving aliens and government experiments gone wrong) border on the farfetched, but also amply demonstrate how the human mind struggles to make sense of the ineffable in the absence of physical evidence or “normal” explanations (after all, this very concept was the basis for the popular X-Files TV series). A real-life horror-adventure in which the people are as interesting—if not more so—than the monsters, this award-winning documentary is recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)
Monster Hunters
(2001) 100 min. DVD: $24.99. BayView Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 23, Issue 4
Monster Hunters
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