After writer/producer/star Charles B. Pierce created the independent 1972 horror film The Legend of Boggy Creek, a large swath of low budget and television film ventures focused on the Fouke Monster (and other hairy beasts) started coming out of the woodwork. Director Tom Moore decided to go back to Boggy Creek in a more literal fashion by creating a sequel to the original film five years after the fact. Instead of the documentary-like style of the first movie, which was ostensibly based on real-life events, this one told a purely fictitious story.
This movie follows three children – older sister Evie-Jo, younger brother John-Paul, and their mute friend T-Fish – living in the Sulfur River bottoms of rural southern Arkansas. The kids make frequent kayaking and fishing excursions on the river, which the infamous Boggy Creek feeds into. Told to be wary of a monster living in the swamps and forests, known locally as "Big Bay-Ty" (and whom Evie-Jo and John-Paul's grandfather is adamant was responsible for the death of their father and his son), the kids end up encountering the legendary beast after a hurricane traps them in the swamps.
Marketed as a family film, it received mostly mixed reviews. Dawn Wells and Dana Plato head the cast.
Because Pierce was not involved in this film's production, he felt snubbed in a manner by its creation and went on to make a third film (titled the second film to ignore this one) in 1982 with the title The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek (a.k.a. Boggy Creek 2: And the Legend Continues).
Return to Boggy Creek:
- Benevolent Monsters: Big Bay-Ty turns out to be one when he heroically saves the children and two injured men by towing their boat out of the swamp during a hurricane.
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: The Fouke Monster returns for this outing, though he's given a second regional name and dubbed "Big Bay-Ty" by most locals.
- Big-Hearted Bigfoot: Big Bay-Ty didn't mean anyone any harm. At worst he just scares people to make them go away and leave him alone. It's implied with his tackle-box and diary being found at the monster's lair, that Big Bay-Ty tried to help Evie-Jo and John-Paul's father after he was bitten by a snake but was too late. Later, he comes to the children's rescue during a hurricane to bravely tow the boat they're in out of the swamp and get them back home.
- City Mouse: A passing motorist who glimpses Big Bay-Ty is clearly out of his depth when he hires a fisherman to take him into the swamps.
- Cute Mute: T-Fish, who's treated like a baby brother by his friends.
- Deep South: The movie entirely takes place in rural Arkansas.
- Don't Go in the Woods: Eerie swamps with an equally eerie monster lurking in them. Big Bay-Ty means no harm. But the hostile weather, getting lost, venomous snakes and other hostile wildlife are all dangers.
- Hostile Weather: A hurricane blows through the region in the latter portion of the movie.
- Kid Detective: What Evie-Jo wants to be, as she's a huge fan of Nancy Drew. She has some skills but is more of an Amateur Sleuth.
- Mistaken for Murderer: The children discover, while rummaging through the monster's lair, that Big Bay-Ty didn't kill their father.
- Not-So-Abandoned Building: The derelict house boat the kids take refuge in during a hurricane turns out to be Big Bay-Ty's lair.
- Overalls and Gingham: Set in an Arkansas swamp, the kids and their family spend nearly the entire film wearing overalls
- Outliving One's Offspring: Evie-Jo and John-Paul's grandfather outlived his son, who died in the swamps and their grandfather believes Big Bay-Ty was responsible.
- Scenery Porn: Like the first movie, the viewer is treated to a lot of shots of the Arkansas wilds.
- Swamp Monster: Big Bay-Ty, being of the Skunk Ape variety.
