Hoax Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Hoax Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 28, 2019

I’ll admit, the lure of Bigfoot as a big screen mystery is bewildering, but there are filmmakers out there who clearly appreciate the cinematic value of hunting a creature of legend. Co-writer/director Matt Allen is one of those deep woods warriors, putting his time into the creation of “Hoax,” which tries to launch a John Carpenter-style adventure as a team of experts march into the wild to find Sasquatch, only to receive more than they bargained for.

“Hoax” isn’t wall-to-wall action, which feels like a missed opportunity. Instead, Allen generates a talky effort, trying to control his budget by keeping things conversational amongst the characters, focusing on personality, not an unholy bloodbath. Performances are acceptable, but pacing is limited in “Hoax,” which could use more incidents to investigate and horrors to avoid. However, Allen works well with the outdoors, giving the feature compelling locations and a fun sense of nature to best support his monster movie. Also selling the mood is the score from Alan Howarth, a frequent Carpenter collaborator, who delivers some sinister synth to boost the picture’s appeal.

Hoax Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.38:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles the great outdoors very well, offering a crisp, clean look at the expanse of the locations, making nature a supporting character in the movie. Facial surfaces are sharp, examining differences in age, and monster particulars come through as intended. Costuming is fibrous. Colors show plenty of heft, with bright primaries and deep greenery. Skintones are natural. Delineation hits a few points of solidification. Compression suffers greatly at times, with plenty of banding on display, especially during low-lit encounters.

Hoax Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound mix offers a comfortable listening experience, focusing on dialogue exchanges, which keep their crispness, getting a sense of performance speeds and panic throughout. Scoring is deep and sharp, with precise synth delivering necessary suspense. Surrounds are generally satisfactory with atmospherics, showcasing naturalistic surroundings, which stay active. Low-end isn't taxed, but some rumble emerges with scenes of violence and transport.

Hoax Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director of photography Scott Park, production designer Chris Canfield, and co-writers Robert Davis and Matt Allen.

• Commentary #2 features cast members Ben Browder and Cheryl Texiera.

• Featurettes (HD) include "Hoax Overview" (6:44), "Bigfoot" (10:52), "Cheryl Texiera" (3:23), "Ben Browder" (2:42), "Brian Thompson" (5:48), "Shoshana Bush" (5:19), "Hutch Dano" (2:00), "Max Decker" (3:20), "Made in Colorado" (11:06), "Adrienne Barbeau" (7:19), and "Alan Howarth" (6:15).

• And Trailer #1 (:30, HD) and Trailer #2 (1:23, HD) are included.

Hoax Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Hoax" lacks ferocity, but Allen and co-writer Scott Park try to work in some turns to shoo away audience expectations, hopping subgenres along the way. The effort is appreciable, even if the actual film tends to drag one too many times. Those who embrace the Bigfoot myth and all the detective work that goes along with the hunt might squeeze a bit more enjoyment out of "Hoax."