A box office bomb that became a cult curiosity of the late-night airwaves
In short: The 2008 adventure comedy Strange Wilderness was a critical disaster, earning a mere 2% approval rating from critics. Despite its failure at the cinema, the film depicts a fictional nature show crew on a desperate, chaotic quest to find Bigfoot in Ecuador to save their failing television program from cancellation.
Directed by Fred Wolf, Strange Wilderness follows the inept crew of a struggling nature documentary series. After the death of the original host, Peter Gaulke inherits the show, but network executive Ed Lawson threatens cancellation due to plummeting ratings and unprofessional conduct. The team, including soundman Fred Wolf and equipment manager Lynn Cooker, embarks on a journey to Ecuador to film Bigfoot, hoping the footage will secure their future.
The production of the film itself was marked by a significant gap between its 2005 filming and its 2008 theatrical release. Upon arrival in theaters, the movie struggled, grossing only $6.9 million against a $20 million budget. Critics were particularly harsh, with the film landing in the 42nd position on Metacritic's list of the worst-reviewed movies of all time. Reviewers like Matt Zoller Seitz criticized the production for its perceived smugness and lack of genuine humor compared to other films in the stoner comedy genre.
The narrative follows the crew through a series of bizarre and often violent mishaps, including a shark attack, a dangerous encounter with a mother turkey, and the eventual discovery of Bigfoot, whom they accidentally kill. Although the show is initially canceled, a later episode featuring footage of a shark attack proves successful, allowing the program to return to the air. The film concludes with the group finding success in the 3:00 AM television slot, a ironic nod to the cult status often associated with such low-rated, unconventional media.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Strange Wilderness
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