ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Here's a few interesting comments from All Sci-Fi member Bogmeister.


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Lake Placid (1999)


________ Lake Placid (1999) - Theatrical Trailer


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This is an amusing take on the low-budget monster movies of the seventies and all those old eco-terror fright films. This is also a kind of follow-up to the Alligator movies of the early eighties.

It wasn't a big success, maybe due to the title — potential viewers may think it's a documentary about a lake — but it is consistently humorous, thanks to a good cast. Bridget Fonda, as a paleontologist sent to investigate a sudden death by large teeth on the lake in question, is purposely irritating in the 'fish out of water' role. She reveals a surprising knack for comedy, the city girl from New Yawk stuck in the forest.

Oliver Platt and Brendan Gleeson squabble like two long-separated overweight brothers as, respectively, eccentric millionaire and sheriff. Platt is always funny (here he has a case of monster worship for the croc), and Gleeson almost matches him here (he has to hide his Irish accent).

Bill Pullman makes less of an impression, underplaying as the guy in charge. Betty White is a hoot as the foul-mouthed local old lady with a secret.

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The monster in question (a 30-foot croc) stays out of sight for the first half-hour, and when it does appear, it's strangely unsurprising, despite the suddenness. It's as if we've seen so many of these "large animal" pictures by this point, this is just another one in a long line.

It's a weird money shot as well, involving a growling bear, and it is not as effective as it should be. Thanks to modern special FX, computer and otherwise, the croc is better realized than those of 20 years earlier.

But that could be a problem: integrated into the wilderness like any other animal, there's nothing about the creature to inspire awe or real terror, despite its size. It's just a big crocodile, after all.

Like Anaconda, this inspired a slew of big croc and alligator movies for the Sci-Fi Channel. Speaking of which, a sequel came out on the SF channel in late April, 2007.

BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10

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Placid Trivia: besides the first sequel in 2007, there was Lake Placid 3 in 2010 and Lake Placid the Final Chapter in 2012. The actual name of the lake is Black Lake; it was intended to be named Placid in the history of the film's story but never was for various reasons...

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BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)