nick s
Low quality stuff. I don't think even slasher fans will get much satisfaction from this lackluster production.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
08/20/24
Full Review
Andy B
After a hunter is killed by the mysterious swamp monster, two students from Chicago head down to investigate.
There's nothing about this film that is particularly surprising and it proceeds as a fairly standard monster movie. The two main characters (bizarrely named Pahoo and Rives) are genial and the attempts at humour are well done - the chicken joke in particular. When they interview the locals, their stories are told in flashback, which breaks the film up and makes it more effective.
The main fault of the film is that the tone is inconsistent. After the opening scene, there is a huge delay before anything else happens with the monster. This prevents any build up of fear or suspense. The two main characters get on well, until an argument about Vietnam which comes out of the blue and is resolved too quickly to make it anything substantial.
The monster is clearly a man in a suit, though the photography keeps it mostly partially seen - which is a good choice. The final scenes are standard - though it's nice to see characters actually calling for help.
Overall, it won't win any Oscars, but if you've got a spare couple of hours, it's not bad company.!
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
05/06/24
Full Review
Daniel H
Watching this on RCM app bundled in on Samsung TV. Looks like they've digitised and enhanced the film stock from the OG 76'er. Cool to see stuff from the 70s. Traditional horror narrative.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/01/24
Full Review
William C
An attempt to cash in on the whole "Boggy Creek" craze from the 70's, this movie suffers from a poor script and the most ridiculous looking "creature" I have ever seen. Ugh.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
10/09/23
Full Review
Chris J
MOVIE REVIEW
Creature from Black Lake
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Year Released: 1976, 2022 (Synapse blu-ray/DVD)
Runtime: 1h 35m
Director(s): Joy Houck, Jr.
Writer(s): Jim McCullough Jr.
Cast: Jack Elam, Dub Taylor, Dennis Fimple, John David Carson, Bill Thurman
Where To Watch: Available at Synapse Films or Diabolik DVD
RAVING REVIEW: Billed as a drive-in classic, this is the type of film you know what you're getting into before watching, and that's okay. Movies like this need to exist, they're fun, but they're fun because of the heart they have.
No one will look up CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE and expect Oscar-caliber performances. Nothing upsets me more than when someone trashes a film like this; I promise you, if you go into it in the right mindset (midnight showing with a group of friends), you will have a blast.
What this film does (for the most part) is what modern horror films should learn from. If you follow my page, you'll know I'm not a fan of "seeing the scary," and this film does it wonderfully. Most of the time, the creature is shown via shadows, glimpses, blurred, etc. It was a man in a monkey suit, so working on a budget made them creative. Feeling like a mix of a FRIDAY THE 13TH film meets bigfoot; you get most of the good.
This is a "bigfoot" movie, but it was done in a way that puts the dramatic aspects first. At no point did I feel like I needed to see the creature ripping people in half; there are some horror elements to it, but they aren't exaggerated, making the creature feature feel somewhat more grounded than you would expect. There may be some elements a younger audience would consider "scary," but the PG rating is at home for the most part. It's PG and worked well within those boundaries.
MONSTROUS SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
– Brand-new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
– Audio commentary with author/filmmaker Michael Gingold and film historian Chris Poggiali
– SWAMP STORIES – All-new featurette with Director of Photography Dean Cundey
– Original theatrical trailer and radio spots
– Newly translated optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
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Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
12/08/22
Full Review
Audience Member
A movie that proves less is more. This is a really good bigfoot movie. Maybe the best. Sure there's a lot to complain about, but it has humor and some genuine scares. A scene that really stands out to me is the flashback scene where the family are having a picnic and they're attacked by the monster. Usually in movies like this you get a POV shot or it's filmed at night, but having the monster attack in a setting that seems safe makes the scene more scary. There's a lot of humor, too. It's good when movies like this don't take themselves too seriously. My only complaint is the ending leaves you wanting more.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
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