If you've never watched The Mothman Prophecies (2002), the psychological horror film starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Will Patton, put it immediately on your must-see viewing list before another second ticks away.

Directed by Mark Pellington (Arlington Road) and based on the 1975 novel by parapsychologist and Fortean author John Keel, the movie chronicles mysterious happenings in a small West Virginia town and a 10-foot, red-eyed, winged creature seen in a nearby wildlands area frequented by teen lovers and partyers.

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The swampy 8,000 acres became known locally as "TNT" due to its being an old World War II Army ammunitions dump and toxic waste storage facility. Catastrophic events were thought to be linked to the Mothman sightings during 1966-67, and more than 200 residents claimed to have been terrorized by this bat-like humanoid monster. A series of unexplained phenomena occured throughout this period, including apparations, mutilated animals, UFO appearances and the collapse of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River, killing 44 people.

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The Mothman of Point Pleasant, a new crowdfunded documentary from Small Town Monsters (STM), hopes to delve into the real-life oddities and the urban legend surrounding the Mothman and the historical events that plagued Point Pleasant 50 years ago.

Here's the official press release from STM:

The documentary film looks to retell the Mothman legend through eyewitness testimony and the perspective of Point Pleasant citizens. The Mothman was first sighted in 1966 and sightings continued until around the time a bridge that connected the West Virginia town of Point Pleasant to the Ohio town of Gallipolis collapsed in 1967. The documentary will tell not only the Mothman stories but the entire 13-month span between the first sightings and the bridge collapse.

Seth Breedlove, the film’s director, promises recently-discovered history connected to the Mothman legends as well as new, untold encounter stories. He goes on to say that the collapse of the Silver Bridge is integral to the story but does not believe the tragedy was connected to the Mothman stories.

Small Town Monsters has produced three award-winning films, including the recent Boggy Creek Monster, which took all honors at the annual Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards. Production of The Mothman of Point Pleasant was entirely self-financed, though a Kickstarter campaign to help fund post-production (as well as a fifth STM film, already in the works) will launch on February 2.

The Mothman of Point Pleasant has tapped Brandon Dalo to compose an original score (heard briefly in the teaser) and author and television personality Lyle Blackburn to executive produce and narrate. Zac Palmisano has returned as director of photography while Seth Breedlove directs, writes and produces the film. Famed poster artist Sam Shearon will contribute a brand new take on the Mothman in the official one-sheet.

Check out the creepy teaser below and watch for Small Town Monsters' Kickstarter campaign for The Mothman of Point Pleasant coming Feb. 2. With new light being shed on the cryptozoological chaos, could a new period piece from Hollywood be on the way?

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(Via Bloody Disgusting)