Monster hunters

By Lauren Ober / The Citizen

Auburn, New York

http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2005/06/21/news/news01.txt

Take the camerawork and suspense of "Blair Witch Project," mix it with the mockumentary wit of "Best in Show," throw in some of the buddy humor of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," and you've got what Mike DeForrest and Rob Morphy hope will be a hot new television show.

DeForrest and Morphy, Auburn natives and monster hunters, recently inked a deal with a major television network (they are not at liberty to reveal which one yet), to produce a television pilot based on their Web site, www.americanmonsters.com. They begin production on the pilot in South Carolina in July.

For as long as they can remember, the two best friends have been intrigued by otherworldly creatures such as Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. For Morphy, the fascination with all things monster was sparked by Alan Landsburg's television show, "In Search Of."

"What I loved is that it is so plausible, so easy to believe that there are creatures out there we haven't discovered," Morphy said. "All the time there are new discoveries of new animals that legitimize the hunt."

DeForrest and Morphy could be called cryptozoologists, which Morphy explains is one who "searches for hidden animals heretofore unknown to science." Cryptozoology isn't an official science, but for plenty of people around the world, discovering creatures like the Murphysboro Mud Monster or the Gloucester Sea Serpent has become their life's passion.

For the two men, monster hunting, or rather monster seeking, falls somewhere between a hobby and an obsession. They've both done extensive research on monster legends and have traveled all over following monster leads.

The pilot came to fruition after filmmaker and Aurora native Gabe Torres read about the pair's monster hunting exploits in an article in The Citizen. Torres contacted DeForrest and Morphy about possibly turning their Web site concept and their own monster hunting experience into a television show.

"I was always a big fan of monsters as a kid," said Torres, who shot the short film, "The Legend of Firefly Marsh," in Aurora. "When I saw their Web site, I said, 'This is a TV show. This could be fun.'"

The two have the Honey Island Swamp Monster to thank for their big break. In August of 2002, DeForrest and Morphy traveled to a little corner of Louisiana deep in Cajun bayou country to search for the 350-pound, half-human, half-reptile.

For six days, the pair shot footage of the swamp and talked to eyewitnesses who had allegedly seen the creature. They even camped out in the bayou by themselves, seeing if they could capture the monster on film. More than actually finding the creature, the two wanted to chronicle the legend and preserve the story.

And they wanted to have a few adventures themselves. Morphy is emphatic about the fact that there are plenty of areas in the world left to explore and that is part of their whole concept.

"There's still wonderful adventures left to have. There are still plenty of spaces that have been barely touched," he said. "It's real easy living in a GPS world to think the whole world has been explored."

With their documentary in the can, the two were able, with Torres as executive producer, to put together a presentation reel to shop around to major networks. They pitched their idea to a couple of major players, who weren't totally sold on the idea. Finally they got a bite and they hope to have the pilot finished by the fall.

Torres said the presentation reel, which was shot as a documentary-style show, has been transformed into a scripted show using actors as the monster hunters instead of DeForrest and Morphy. The two will still serve as producers and technical consultants and will be on air as monster experts.

Though the show will use characters, Bob and Patrick, to explore these legends, Torres is insistent that they will not be making light of those who really believe.

"The show will be in line with Christopher Guest's mockumentaries. It will deal with real characters based on Rob and Mike who are believers," Torres said. "The show is comedic, but surreal. The eyewitnesses are never made fun of."

Casting for Bob and Patrick is almost complete and crews have already done some scouting in South Carolina. If the show gets picked up, DeForrest and Morphy might end up foregoing their day jobs - P.A. announcer for the Auburn Doubledays and freelance video producer, respectively. It would be the break they've been waiting for.

"Television is a great stepping stone into films. We need to start a foundation with a television dynasty first. The series can open up many more doors," Morphy said.

Morphy believes that if the backyard, grassroots concept worked for icons like George A. Romero, it can work for them.

"It's a niche that's definitely not been explored. I want the next generation to see the things that pleased me," he said. "I want to be part of the great pantheon of creators."

Staff writer Lauren Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or lauren.ober@lee.net