The After Movie Diner

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Big and Hairy (1998)

Trust me this isn’t a porno, but don’t image search for it with safe search off!

I’ve had this movie for a while now. I’d ask myself if I was that desperate to add another Bigfoot movie to my watch list. However, me and 'Squatch can't stay apart for long and Big and Hairy suckered me into watching it eventually.

Big and Hairy is a mix of Teen Wolf and Air Bud. A story of friendship and how being different means you can still fit in, also, maybe don’t use people for personal gain? The messages are a little mixed.

It does, however, have plenty of bowl cuts, and a Bigfoot whose face looks like a mummified corpse.

The story is about Picasso (Robert Burke), who is the new kid on the island. He can’t make friends, and he’s bullied.

He decides to join the basketball team with hopes of finding friendship but, sadly, he blows a game.

The town’s big employer is a lawn ornament factory (but of course!) owned by Ludlow Bumstock (Donnelly Rhodes) and he’s obsessed with the Basketball team, and winning.

Then “Ed” the Bigfoot finally comes into the picture. Picasso, and his coach (Greg Thirloway), upon seeing Ed’s skills, enroll him in school, and onto the team (like you would).

But they are doing so for their own reasons. Picasso to become popular, which he does, and the coach, so he can keep his job. Ed dominates the court - because the rules don’t say what species can play - and Picasso ends up leaving the team, because now they have too many players.

Around the same time, Picasso and the coach both realize they have been using Ed.

The team make it to the big game thanks to Ed but he doesn’t play the finale game, Picasso does, after standing up to a bully. Ed’s parents show up and Picasso, of course, wins the championship. 

Big pile of steamy happy ending.

If you can get passed the excessive use of sped up footage and corny jokes, you might find some entertainment in this TV movie. It’s definitely not the worst Bigfoot movie I’ve seen. It is, though, your normal regurgitated family movie plot and fits in well with the other Bigfoot family friendly movies but, of course, it’s no Harry and the Hendersons.

I’m not sure I can necessarily recommend it though, unless you really want to see Richard Thomas chew up the scenes as a hippy parent. If you’re in the mood to watch something hairy playing basketball, just find clips of Andre Drummond, better yet, just watch Teen Wolf.

An honorable mention, however, has to go to the Bigfoot dance scene.