Calvin Barr (Sam Elliot THE LEGACY, ROAD HOUSE) seems like the typical old man next door, Widowed and living alone with his dog and his memories. But what memories they are. As a younger man, Calvin (Aidan Turner THE HOBBIT) was a government agent. And yes, he actually did kill Hitler, something that has had to remain a secret all these years. Now in his twilight years, the government has come to him again. It seems that Bigfoot is real, and the carrier of The Nightmare Plague, a disease that could wipe out all life on Earth. Calvin needs to become THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT.
Epic Pictures did a wonderful job of keeping the details of this film under wraps until the premiere at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. That was a wise decision as this is a very unique film and not at all what the title would lead one to expect. And I’m not going to ruin it for others by giving away details either. This is a film best approached fresh. I will say if you’re expecting a wild action film, check those expectations at the door.
What I can say is that in his feature debut writer/producer/director Robert D. Krzykowski (THE WOMAN) has crafted a wonderful and frequently touching fantasy about life, choices, and memories. He certainly gets some strong support from talented people. John Sayles (PIRANHA, EIGHT MEN OUT) and Lucky McKee (MAY, THE WOMAN) helped co-produce the film and Douglas Trumbull (BLADE RUNNER, SILENT RUNNING) provided the effects. And Sam Elliot’s performance is stunning. There’s a scene where he tries to explain why he feels the way he does about what he did in the war. It’s a brilliantly written and delivered piece about actions and more importantly ideas. It’s also very relevant in today’s world.
Mixing the mundane and the extraordinary in both Calvin’s present-day existence and in his frequent reminisces THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT gets to the heart of what’s really important in one’s life. It’s a message movie yes, but it delivers that message with entertainment, not preaching.
You can keep informed on future festival dates and release plans at the film’s website.