Rating: 
Summary: A Hairy Situation
Review: After having acquired the DVD version of "The Legend of Boggy Creek", a movie I enjoyed "way back when" (and find I still do), I noticed a lot of media association between it and this film, "The Creature From Black Lake". I also noticed "Black Lake" starred Jack Elam and Dub Taylor , two of the greatest character actors who ever worked in the film business . These connections made me purchase this movie.
I am not sorry I did. Is this the be-all-and-end-all of scary movie making? No, it isn't. Is it a "dud", a "stinker", a waste of money and viewing time. No, it isn't THAT either!!! It is a "B" picture, what used to be called a "Drive-In Flick" and an entertaining one at that.
It was obviously inspired by "Boggy Creek". It begins with
the same kind of spooky photographic tour of creepy, desolate swamplands (both movies have turtles jumping off logs into the water). These are the opening credits sequences, alive with the
sounds of croaking bullfrogs and screeching waterfowl. VERY "Boggy Creek". Add to that the musical score , which was composed by the same composer who DID "Boggy Creek", Jaime Mendoza-Nava, and you get a very similar "feel" with the material.
The difference in the two films is that "Boggy" is re-created , basically non-fictional docu-drama, whereas "Black Lake" is fiction based on alledged anecdotal fact. "Lake" uses no narration, as "Boggy" does, and moves along as a typical "booger" movie except for the fact that it really doesn't become truly frightening until close to the end.
Jim McCullough and Joy Houck, Jr., the producer and director, respectively, have taken a cue from some classic old time movie directors like Val Lewton and learned that an audience has more empathy for characters in danger if they feel they KNOW these characters and have "bonded" with them, than if they are just "faces" to be stalked and slaughtered. The old masters knew you got more audience involvement, feelingwise, if ONE character you "knew" and "liked" was being terrorised upstairs in a house by a maniac than if 1,273 anonymous running individuals got stomped by Godzilla. That's how human psychology works.
In this movie you are introduced to a gaggle of pretty likeable characters early on; two University of Chicago cryptozoology students (Dennis Fimple and John David Carson), a cranky local sheriff with little time or patience with monster foolishness, cute eye-candy girls and colorful locals...some of whom have SEEN the "booger". A great deal of the movie is likeably amusing, somewhat comical, only mildly frightening. This is the "set up" part of the film, the part which engages you with the characters. It comprises about the first 80% of the movie. Then "Black Lake" takes a sharp turn into frightfulness and becomes quite brutal and nerve-wracking. It turns into the scary thing the promos claimed it was, and it does so very effectively. The mechanical and make-up effects are quite good for a low budget effort and the acting is decent all the way around. Elam and Taylor, of course, are superb, but Fimple and Carson as the students are good in their roles as well. The only quibble I have with Fimple's character, "Pahoo", is that he is supposed to be a Vietnam vet and he comes closer to depicting a beardless "Shaggy Rogers" without a Scooby Doo. The sense of weaponscraft and camp security a real such ex-warrior would realistically possess are just not there. The two young leads are told this is a vicious killing thing, but they go after it with only one weapon and at a crucial plot turn it is found to be not loaded. They "forgot". A typical Hollywood plot device...utterly unbelievable...that serves no purpose than to set up a dangerous confrontation that puts the principals in jeopardy.
Despite some plot holes like this (which almost ALL "B" pictures are encumbered with) "Black Lake" moves along pretty darn well and ultimately satisfies. I think some reviewers want high-tension, blood-and-guts savagery thoughout the movie (like "Jason" or "The Creeper" might provide them) and this one isn't structured that way. Taken as a whole, though, it is a nice little "old school" chiller that is well worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: B-Movie about Bigfoot's cousin down in the Louisiana bayou
Review: "Creature From Black Lake" (a.k.a. "Demon of the Lake") is one of a string of "Bigfoot" inspired low-budget horror flicks made in the Seventies. This when is set down in the Louisiana bayou country where a couple of anthropology students from Chicago named Rives (Dennis Fimple) and Pahoo (John David Carson) show up to search for the local creature (their professor thought this would be a good idea). The boys immediately get on the bad side of the local Sheriff (Billy Thurman) whose name is, I swear, Billy Carter (the film came out in 1976, which is the year Jimmy Carter was elected but still before the "Billy Beer" period of his time in the White House). Things get worse when the young students find a couple of local gals to have some fun with; of course, one of them turns out to be the sheriff's daughter. Meanwhile, all the older folks in town keep muttering things about the creature. This explains why the "stars" of this film are the veteran character actors Jack Elam as Joe Canton and Dub Taylor as Grandpa Bridges. Eventually the guys wander off into the wood and darn if they do not meet up with a creature out in the Black Lake area. As you might suspect, this a film where the chills come from strange noises in the woods, because once the creature actually shows up there is going to come a point where we get a good look at it and the bubble is going to burst. Fortunately it is a brief look and does not do too much harm to the climax. "Creature From Black Lake" does get points for capturing local color, since it was filmed in Louisiana, which just means the locals playing the locals add some authenticity to the film. The hand-held camera approach works in the film's favor as well. Elam and Taylor have fun playing those crazy old coots that kept them employed for several decades (Elam wants to get his shotgun and turn the creature into a rug), always threatening to take the film over the top, but that is to be expected. In terms of Bigfoot movies "Creature From Black Lake" is not as good as "Legend of Boggy Creek," but maybe a bit better than "Sasquatch." Depends on how much you like movies where the creature is out there, just beyond the light of your campfire. Overall, not a bad little Seventies B-movie for this genre. Note: director Joy N. Houck Jr. plays Professor Burch.
Rating:
Summary: Late Show Movie Classic!
Review: "Creature From Black Lake" is one of those 70's late show movie classics that has sadly been forgotton. Is it cheesy?...sure. Is the creature a high tech CGI effect ala the blockbusters of today... no, it's a guy in an ape suit (which you bearly ever see). But is it entertaining? You betcha! The acting by old time thespians Dub Taylor (who makes one great backwoods pappy) & the OVERacting by Jack Elam (who chews through the scenery like a wood chipper) is lots of fun. The two younger leads played by John David Carson (who's looks should at least keep you fellers girlfriends interested) & Dennis Fimple as goofy "Pahoo" (one of moviedom's all time classic names!) are fine as well. Bill Thurman does a nice job with the thankless sheriff role. Jim McCullough, Jr. adds a top notch good ol' boy song "Exits & Truckstops" as well as lending his acting chops to the role of Dub Taylor's grandson "Orville" (plus he wrote the screenplay thus completing what I like to call "The Black Lake Trifecta"). Now throw in some nice Louisiana swamp water atmosphere, a frightening flashback sequence, some 1970's small town southern diner vibes, some "wonder what's out there in the dark" camp ground scenes, add a couple of Louisiana girlies for the boys to hook up with, toss in a pinch of frightening movie score, some extremely creepy cinematography by Dean Cundey (of "Halloween I, II, III", "The Fog", "Escape From New York", "Romancing The Stone", "Back To The Future II, III", "Jurassic Park", "Apollo 13", "Big Trouble In Little China" (WOW! what a list)), a MAJOR twist ending (very clever boys!)...and of course the guy in the ape suit...and you have a beautiful cajun stew cooked up by director Joy N. Houck, Jr. No there aren't thrill a minute effects or gore of any kind. It's actually pretty slow paced & laid back. But this film has a genuine 1970's drive in movie "feel" to it & atmosphere to burn. I like to pair it up with "Legend of Boggy Creek" for a true backwoods drive in double feature that despite it's modest budget & limited resources, outshines & outwits 95% of the brain dead horror films of the modern era. Give these good old boys a chance & see if they don't charm your socks off. One star demerit for the shoddy copy I bought a few years back. Amazon's offering might be better. The version I have looks like it was copied on a VHS camcorder directly from the wall that a 16 mm projector projected it onto (haha). But ironically the grain, chopped off edges & horrible color only adds to the "feel". Give it a shot...how can you go wrong for a couple bucks? Worst case scenerio, you can re-use the tape to go shoot your OWN cheesy Bigfoot flick! Best case scenerio...Joy Houck & Jim McCullough finally get this classic out on DVD with some extras!
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best DVD presentation, but...
Review: After recently witnessing the DVD release of LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK and SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED, it didn't shock me to discover that another 70s "Bigfoot" entry had joined the format: 1976's CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAKE. This one was directed by the guy who gave us the trio of NIGHT OF BLOODY HORROR , WOMEN AND BLOODY TERROR and NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER. Like most of the classic Bigfoot films, this was shot independently on location (in this case, Louisiana). John David Carson (EMPIRE OF THE ANTS) and Dennis Fimple ("Petticoat Junction) play anthropology graduate students who drive their van from Chicago to Louisiana in search of a mysterious, legendary creature. When they arrive, they run into trouble and are warned by the local sheriff when they make mention of the notorious monster. They end up at the home of Dub Taylor (in one of his typical "king of all hicks" roles) and his grandson who strums a mean guitar and relays a flashback about how his parents were killed in an auto wreck after witnessing the beast. The students hook up with some chicks, make recordings of the creature's growl, and later come face-to-face with him while camping out. A dull and talky film that takes unwanted characterization too far (Vietnam vet Fimple constantly rambles about his love of hamburgers and his loathing of chicken), CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE only has a few effective scares, and when we get a glimpse of the creature, it is expectedly a disappointment. Veteran support not only comes from Taylor, but also from wild man Jack Elam who plays the kind of hillbilly that lives in a newspaper-walled shack near the lake. He has not one, but two violent encounters with the thing. Originally distributed by Howco International, the film has been released on DVD by a company called Sterling, and the transfer is a big disappointment. First off, the film is letterboxed at about 1.85:1, but it was actually filmed in the wider 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The beginning and end titles are squeezed and the rest of the feature is badly cropped on the sides. Colors are very faded looking, with fleshtones taking on a pink or orange shade. The image is always soft, and the print source is beat to hell--full of lines and dirt. The audio (showcasing an eerie score by Jaime Mendoza-Nava) is acceptable. The only extras are poorly written and factually challenged bios on Elam and Taylor, and a lame fact sheet.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best DVD presentation, but...
Review: After recently witnessing the DVD release of LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK and SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED, it didn't shock me to discover that another 70s "Bigfoot" entry had joined the format: 1976's CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAKE. This one was directed by the guy who gave us the trio of NIGHT OF BLOODY HORROR , WOMEN AND BLOODY TERROR and NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER. Like most of the classic Bigfoot films, this was shot independently on location (in this case, Louisiana). John David Carson (EMPIRE OF THE ANTS) and Dennis Fimple ("Petticoat Junction) play anthropology graduate students who drive their van from Chicago to Louisiana in search of a mysterious, legendary creature. When they arrive, they run into trouble and are warned by the local sheriff when they make mention of the notorious monster. They end up at the home of Dub Taylor (in one of his typical "king of all hicks" roles) and his grandson who strums a mean guitar and relays a flashback about how his parents were killed in an auto wreck after witnessing the beast. The students hook up with some chicks, make recordings of the creature's growl, and later come face-to-face with him while camping out. A dull and talky film that takes unwanted characterization too far (Vietnam vet Fimple constantly rambles about his love of hamburgers and his loathing of chicken), CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE only has a few effective scares, and when we get a glimpse of the creature, it is expectedly a disappointment. Veteran support not only comes from Taylor, but also from wild man Jack Elam who plays the kind of hillbilly that lives in a newspaper-walled shack near the lake. He has not one, but two violent encounters with the thing. Originally distributed by Howco International, the film has been released on DVD by a company called Sterling, and the transfer is a big disappointment. First off, the film is letterboxed at about 1.85:1, but it was actually filmed in the wider 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The beginning and end titles are squeezed and the rest of the feature is badly cropped on the sides. Colors are very faded looking, with fleshtones taking on a pink or orange shade. The image is always soft, and the print source is beat to hell--full of lines and dirt. The audio (showcasing an eerie score by Jaime Mendoza-Nava) is acceptable. The only extras are poorly written and factually challenged bios on Elam and Taylor, and a lame fact sheet.
Rating: 
Summary: Creature from the Black Lake
Review: As a child I saw this movie with all my brothers and sisters. And I have never forgotton the screem the guys recorded in the movie. It sounded so real. I have just purchased this movie as well as another classic on line. I can't wait to show it to my nieces, nephews and friends.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best DVD presentation, but...
Review: Fans of Bigfoot movies will probably like this one, but it is not in the least bit scary and yes the bigfoot creature does look just like a man in a suite.
Essentially "Creature From Black Lake" is about two young anthropologists who are given a grant to go look for a bigfoot type creature in Louisiana. Along the way there is lots of corny segments involving girls and a run-in with the law. In the end they manage to track down bigfoot and end up in a bid for survival. There is really only one good thing about this movie - Dean Cundy does a great job of the cinematography. Apart from that it is extremely cheesy and is only for bigfoot completists that must have everything. If you want to see a good cheesy Bigfoot movie then see "Legend of Boggy Creek" instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely Cheesy Bigfoot B-Movie.
Review: Fans of Bigfoot movies will probably like this one, but it is not in the least bit scary and yes the bigfoot creature does look just like a man in a suite.
Essentially "Creature From Black Lake" is about two young anthropologists who are given a grant to go look for a bigfoot type creature in Louisiana. Along the way there is lots of corny segments involving girls and a run-in with the law. In the end they manage to track down bigfoot and end up in a bid for survival. There is really only one good thing about this movie - Dean Cundy does a great job of the cinematography. Apart from that it is extremely cheesy and is only for bigfoot completists that must have everything. If you want to see a good cheesy Bigfoot movie then see "Legend of Boggy Creek" instead.
Rating:
Summary: Can I have my money back please?
Review: I am a huge fan of "The Legend Of Boggy Creek". Everytime I read about "Boggy Creek" , this film "Creature From Black Lake" seems to come up as well. It is recommended by many fans of Boggy Creek. SO I end up paying more than I should to have "Creature" in my DVD collection. I had never seen the film before it arrived in the mail. It was just terrible, not even good on a campy level. Frankly, I feel it was a waste of money, there were so many other movies I had been wanting yet instead bought this BOMB. Don't let the reviews foil you. It is awful. It is unintentionally funny (the acting). And frankly, if I could, I would get my money back from Amazon and send this DVD back. The reason I give it 2 stars is because the monster make-up was better than Boggy Creek.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Drive In Flick
Review: I first reviewed this great drive in flick over in the VHS section (review titled "Late Show Movie Classic"). Since that time I was very surprised to see it come to the DVD format. Unfortunately the quality is substandard to say the least. Horrible streaking & scratches, a pinhole of light on the righthand side of the print, pitiful color saturation...just like my old beat up VHS copy. My only concession is that being on DVD, it should last indefinitely unlike my old VHS tape. As for the movie, my old review still stands. Lots of fun, uniformly good acting (for this type of picture), great music & sound effects add to the chills, excellent cinematography by the great Dean Cundey (of "Halloween I, II, III", "The Fog", "Escape From New York", "Romancing The Stone", "Back To The Future II, III", "Jurassic Park", "Apollo 13", "Big Trouble In Little China" fame), tons of back water swamp atmosphere, genuine scares, a clever twist ending, and of course...the old "guy in a chintzy bigfoot costume". There's no high tech effects or gore & it's fairly slow paced, but it has a genuine charm & it outshines 95% of the other horror dreck that is out now-a-days. Old timers Jack Elam & Dub Taylor chew up the scenery while John David Carson & Dennis Fimple yuck it up as the two college guys who track the beast. The DVD back boxcover mistakenly identifies John David Carson as "Pahoo" (one of moviedom's all time classic character names) & Dennis Fimple as "Reeves" while in fact, it is the other way around. So that shows you the poor care Sterling Entertainment exhibited in making this DVD. They tout "Guaranteed Superior Quality" on the boxcover... I know it's just a low budget horror flick that they figure nobody will care about so they just throw something against the wall to see what sticks & sell a few copies. But come on, you can't even get the facts correct on the boxcover, let alone getting a better print to master from? I'm sure the original film makers have a decent print but I'm sure Sterling doesn't want to have to pay them their due but using their materials. As for the extras...they are worthless as well. So unfortunately, a shoddy piece of junk quality wise, but it's no worse than my VHS copy. So, enjoy the flick & try to excuse the poor quality. Make sure you watch for Pahoo's 70's-style jersey that sports his name on the back! Classic. I love this movie but I wish they'd have taken a bit more care in the quality department. I docked the film one star for this unfortunate sorry print they used to master. It kind of adds to the 70's drive in feel none the less. Thanks to the creators Joy Houck & Jim McCullough for all the years of enjoyment I've gotten from this scary, campy & funny flick! The DVD is a welcome addition to my "Creature" poster & lobby card set despite the poor hackjob Sterling did in mastering the DVD. Thanks to Amazon for offering yet another great "lost find" to their growing list of offbeat films & stuff you'd never find at your local stores. Bravo!
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