About Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie
Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie is a documentary exploring the American Dream through the lives of Bigfoot researchers Dallas Gilbert and Wayne Burton in rural Appalachian Ohio. The film premiered at SXSW in 2008 and is distributed by Oscilloscope Pictures. For a quick overview of the film, visit About the Film. You can also buy the film or watch instantly on Netflix.

Keep on Bigfootin’, Dallas

We are sad to share the heartbreaking news that Dallas passed away on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016 at the age of 67. His wife of 39 1/2 years, Chris, was by his side to comfort him in his last moments. Read on below the photo for ways to honor Dallas’s legacy.

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

Share your memories of Dallas in the Comments section below
We invite you to share your favorite memories of Dallas in the comments below. Whether you have met Dallas in person, communicated with him via Facebook, followed his research online, or seen him in film and tv appearances, you are invited to share how Dallas and his kind, generous spirit touched you. By celebrating Dallas and all that he stood for and represented, we will ensure that his legacy lives on.

Help with Dallas’s funeral expenses
Dallas’s family has created a GoFundMe page where you can contribute to assist with funeral expenses. If you feel drawn to donating, we encourage you to do so. Even $5 or $10 helps and is an expression of your love to honor Dallas and the legacy he leaves.

Funeral is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19
Dallas’s funeral is planned for Monday, Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Roger W. Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth. Visitation hours are 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. You can read more details in Dallas’s obituary from the Portsmouth Daily Times.

dallas-home

The photo above is one of the last photos I took of Dallas as he took a break from research to visit with me on Veterans’ Day 2016 (Nov. 11), which seems extra meaningful considering that Dallas was a United States Army Veteran of the Vietnam War where he served as a tank driver.

Dallas Gilbert, Bigfoot Researcher, Family Man, and Friend

Dallas had a heart of gold. He was one of the most original, real people I’ve known and will live on as a legend in the Bigfoot community. Dallas was a family man and cherished his wife, children, and grandchildren. His warmth, kindness, and tenacity for pursuing his dream will live with me and inspire me and the countless others who knew Dallas and his story.

Dallas discovered what he loved and devoted himself to it. Since I first met Dallas about 15 years ago, he has dedicated himself to two primary passions: his family and Bigfoot. Dallas’s dream was to prove to the world that Bigfoot exists. He believed if we focused in our minds and our hearts and wanted to see, Bigfoot would reveal himself to us. His hard work has garnered praise, like recently being referred to as the “World’s Greatest Sasquatch Hunter.”

Dallas had a spirit of giving. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge of Bigfoot with others. The first time I met him with his research partner Wayne, I remember Dallas showed up with a briefcase full of photos of Bigfoot, and he was excited to share them. Through the years when I would visit him, he would often enthusiastically give me a new Bigfoot photo from his latest research.

dallas-and-wayne

Dallas pursued his dream, no matter how crazy others may have thought it was. By being brave enough to pursue his love of Bigfoot, Dallas drew others to him, built friendships, and inspired many. I will miss our visits when I am back home visiting southern Ohio, and I will miss his warm, welcoming, friendly spirit. He was and is a true legend to me and to so many other people, and I am forever thankful for the opportunity to share his story and call him a friend.

dallas2

Keep on Bigfootin’, Dallas. Your spirit will live on through us, my friend.

This is the most recent photo I have with Dallas from Veterans’ Day 2016.

dallas-and-jay

Send Us Your Pictures with Dallas & Wayne

I was talking to Wayne the other day, and he said that people sometimes stop him on the street to get a picture taken with him.  We’d like to invite you to submit your photos with Dallas and Wayne to us, and we’ll select a few periodically to post here on the website.  Email your pictures to film@bigfootdoc.com.

Everyone has a Bigfoot. What’s your Bigfoot?

Thank you to everyone who has watched the film and felt a connection with Dallas and Wayne.  We will continue to post updates here periodically.  Fortunately this project has been a tremendous success (in terms of finding an audience) thanks to Dallas and Wayne and the many people, film festivals, and others (Oscilloscope) who have helped push the film onward.  My goal all along has been to help get Dallas and Wayne’s story out to people who will appreciate it, and we have been lucky enough to do just that.

The film has hopefully taken on a life of its own thanks to our festival run and distribution through Oscilloscope Pictures.  It is available on Netflix via Watch Instantly, and you can purchase your own copy through Oscilloscope, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Borders.  To keep up-to-date, you can also visit Dallas’s YouTube page.

You can help spread the word
If you enjoy the film, you can help spread the word by:

  1. Encouraging your friends to check out the film and
  2. Writing something nice about it somewhere online (Amazon, IMDb, etc.)

Are you pursuing your Bigfoot?
One thing that has become even more apparent throughout the journey with the film is just how much I can relate to Dallas and Wayne.  In many ways, making a film about Bigfoot researchers is very similar to Bigfoot researchers trying to prove that Bigfoot exists.  I believe we all have some kind of passion or dream, and it’s crucially important that we devote time to pursuing it.  We will of course encounter obstacles, challenges, and hurdles.  Sometimes those passions or dreams are ones the world might be used to, and other times they may be something more nontraditional, more outside of the norm.  Regardless though, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, do us all a favor and pursue them.  Make your own life and the lives of the people around you more interesting and more meaningful by doing what you love.  There is no other answer that will lead to any greater fulfillment than that.

Everyone has some kind of Bigfoot in their lives.  For me, my Bigfoot was to make a film about two Bigfoot researchers in my hometown.  What’s your Bigfoot?  And what are you doing to pursue it?

Questions?
If you have any questions for me, feel free to email them to jay@bigfootdoc.com or leave them below in the comments.  I’ll try to respond as soon as I can.  Please note though that I am not a Bigfoot researcher or a Bigfoot expert.

Congratulations Jason Whisman, Winner of the Best Bigfoot Call at Portsmouth Screening!

We held a contest after the April 9th, 2010 screening in Portsmouth, Ohio to see who from the audience could do the best Bigfoot call.  We had three volunteers come up from the audience.  Based on applause, Portsmouth resident Jason Whisman was named the winner.  We extend our congratulations to Jason!  Below is a photo of Jason with Dallas, Wayne, and director/producer Jay Delaney.  We’ll be posting a more detailed update from the screening along with more photos soon, so check back in a few days!

jason whisman with dallas, wayne, and jay

Hometown Screening Tomorrow (Friday, April 9) in Portsmouth, Ohio! Dallas, Wayne, & Filmmakers to Attend!

This Friday, April 9th at 7pm, the film will be screening at Shawnee State University.  Scheduled to attend are the two subjects of the film, Dallas and Wayne; director/producer Jay Delaney, executive producer/sound mixer Jeff Montavon, and cinematographer Shane Davis; and possibly a few of the musicians as well.  Come out for a fun evening.  Enjoy a Q&A following the screening and autographs from the subjects and filmmakers.

Friday, April 9th
7pm
Shawnee State University
Clark Memorial Library, Flohr Lecture Hall

The screening is FREE and open to the public, but they’re accepting donations of cash and canned goods to benefit local food banks.  Posters will be available with a suggested donation of $5.

Many thanks to Kelly Hatas, Sarah Lowe, and other Shawnee State students/staff who helped to coordinate the event.

← Previous Entries