Abominable Year: 2006 Director: Ryan Schifrin Written by: Ryan Schifrin Threat: The Squatch Weapon of Choice: Teeth Based upon: none Color/B&W/3D: Colour Language: English Country of Origin: USA IMDb page:

Other movies in this series:
None

Rish's Reviews
I had actually heard good things about this movie. That was, of course, before it came out, but the internet buzz was substantial enough that I didn't watch it when it came on the Sci-Fi Channel (yes, I have cable . . . for now), but waited for it to hit DVD. I guess I thought I'd get more bang for my buck that way. What I really got was a dirty look from tyranist, who may suspect I am incapable of picking good movies for us to watch together.
This had an excellent Drew Struzan-painted poster/DVD cover that promises quite a bit more than the film actually delivers. The premise of the film, though reminiscent of both "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet" and Rear Window isn't a bad one. After a mountaineering accident leaves Matt McCoy (the "hey, it's THAT guy" star of many a bad low-budget movie) despondent and in a wheelchair, his bullying physical therapist drives him up to a cabin in the hills to face his fears head on. With nothing to do but look out the window, McCoy notices not only a gathering of attractive young women in the next cabin over, but a large, lumbering creature with glowing eyes that is stalking around the woods. But will anyone believe him before it's too late?
You know, we should've reviewed this one a few months ago. It's not that I don't remember the film, it's just that I only remember the negative now. Also, we rented It Waits since seeing this one, and it had enough elements in common with Abominable to confuse me.
I'm pretty sure this was the one that had Lance Henriksen and Jeffrey Combs in a single scene together that turned out to be the most entertaining part of the film. We laughed a great deal, especially when Combs referred to the titular creature as "The Squatch."
The monster that terrorizes the few characters in this film is both interestingly designed (with a too-wide gaping jaw of craggy teeth) and embarrassingly stupid-looking (often, he looks like a hillbilly lawn gnome with a abnormal hair growth affliction).
Is that really all I have to say? Damn, I'm sorry folks. I promise I'll make it up to you on the next one.
Posted: April 10, 2007

The tyranist's thoughts
My first exposure to Abominable occurred one night when Rish was over at my house and we were flipping stations. I hit the Sci-Fi channel and we had tuned in just in time to see a fuzzed out naked girl pulled the wrong way through a little tiny window. I immediately changed the station for two reasons: 1) it was halfway through the movie and on television where it was undoubtedly edited heavily (not the aforementioned fuzzed out girl) and 2) it's called Abominable. There has never been a good Sasquath/Bigfoot/Abominable Snowman movie. Ever. This is strictly the realm of the cheap and cheesy.
I was curious though. The ten seconds we had seen was enough to make me wonder if there was a bit more to this one. It wasn't enough to get me to go out and look for it though. Hearing both Lance Henriksen and Jeffrey Combs were in it helped, but it took a very insistent Rish to get me to watch it.
And I was mostly right. It was cheap and cheesy. Not as cheap as something like Sasquatch Hunters, but not high quality material either. I have to applaud the Sci-Fi channel for seeking out these cheap films and getting them enough attention that more and more of them are getting made. Even if most of them are crap.
Anyway, the strength of this one was mostly in the Lance and Jeffrey scenes. That "Squatch" line still makes me giggle a little. The creature wasn't really that frightening and the gaggle of girls he was after were pretty typical for any gaggle of girls in a horror movie.
I have to admit that I didn't hate it. I more tolerated it. I'm not saying you should see it, but it didn't give me a rash or anything.
Posted: April 10, 2007

Total Skulls: 23

Sequel
Sequel setup
Rips off earlier film
Horror film showing on TV/in theater in movie
Future celebrity appears
Former celebrity appears
Bad title
Bad premise
Bad acting
Bad dialogue
Bad execution
MTV Editing
OTS
Girl unnecessarily gets naked
Wanton sex
Death associated with sex
Unfulfilled promise of nudity
Characters forget about threat
Secluded location
Power is cut
Phone lines are cut
Someone investigates a strange noise
Someone runs up stairs instead of going out front door
Camera is the killer
Victims cower in front of a window/door
Victim locks self in with killer
Victim running from killer inexplicably falls
Toilet stall scene
Shower/bath scene
Car stalls or won't start
Cat jumps out
Fake scare
Laughable scare
Stupid discovery of corpse
Dream sequence
Hallucination/Vision
No one believes only witness
Crazy, drunk, old man knows the truth
Warning goes unheeded
Music detracts from scene
Death in first five minutes
x years before/later
Flashback sequence
Dark and stormy night
Killer doesn't stay dead
Killer wears a mask
Killer is in closet
Killer is in car with victim
Villain is more sympathetic than heroes
Unscary villain/monster
Beheading
Blood fountain
Blood spatters - camera, wall, etc.
Poor death effect
Excessive gore
No one dies at all
Virgin survives
Geek/Nerd survives
Little kid lamely survives
Dog/Pet miraculously survives
Unresolved subplots
"It was all a dream" ending
Unbelievably happy ending
Unbelievably crappy ending
What the hell?