Channel: MovieNight

Category: Film & Animation

Tags: crocodilehollywoodbill pullmanbridget fondadavid e. kellytrailerdramadvdimdb#jpmnreviewactioncinemacriticismsteve minerjawsbox officemovie nightaligatorfilm reviewbrendan gleesonfilmlake placidmovie reviewmonsterblockblusterblack lakejonathan paulahdblu-rayoliver plattcommentarycreature

Description: • Lake Placid (1999) - Pittance of non-ironically enjoyable moments prevent disappointment, 4/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- bit.ly/JogJPMN READ my un-filmed reviews / scripts: bit.ly/JPMNNotFilmed FOLLOW me on Letterboxd to see what I'm watching / rating: bit.ly/JonLetterboxd ~~ Movie Night ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- bit.ly/MNYear Browse By Rating --- bit.ly/MNRating Trailer Reviews ------- bit.ly/MNTrailers ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- bit.ly/Jogwheel Jon's World (2nd channel) -- bit.ly/JonWorld The Microwave Show --------- bit.ly/TMSArchive uStream Live Shows ---------- bit.ly/JogLive ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- bit.ly/JonTW Facebook ----------------------- bit.ly/JonFBFan Instagram ----------------------- bit.ly/JonInsta Patreon -------------------------- bit.ly/JonPatreon Letterboxd ---------------------- bit.ly/JonLetterboxd T-Shirts -------------------------- bit.ly/JogStore ~~ Credits ~~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015 Computer ------- bit.ly/JonPaulaPC • Jogwheel Productions © 2017 • ~~ Script ~~ Of the many disaster movies and creature-features released in the 1990s, this monster-focused bore might just be the worst. The Steve Miner horror film doubled its $27 million dollar budget after its release in the summer of 1999. When a massive crocodile begins terrorizing residents of a secluded lake - three unqualified adults bicker with each other while attempting to stop it. Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, and Betty White are all featured rather prominently in this embarrassing waste of their respective talents. Given the less-than-subtle scriptwriting, I want to give this group the benefit of the doubt, but these really are some of their cringeist performances. And, at the end of the day, having some low-level Fish And Game officer as your hero just isn't sexy. Admittedly, the R-rated production has a really provocative poster... and a halfway-decent Jaws-inspired cold-open. But that's about it. The rest of the production is never outright awful... it's just never suspenseful or scary. And without any hint of self-awareness, the entire narrative slogs from one boneheaded character decision to the next. Like for starters: stop going near the lake! This isn't Cape Cod in the middle of July - it's a small lake that has no public access and only one permanent resident! In fact, not a single private citizen is ever in danger in this film! The only people harmed are involved in the research and containment teams. If your conflict can be resolved by 'staying at home' - your film might have a shitty script. Who wrote this crap anyway? David E. Kelley! The creator of Ally McBeal, Boston Public, The Practice - and winner of TEN Primetime Emmy awards? Jesus... what happened to "Lake Placid"? Was he high? Did he lose a bet or something? It is a staggering how such a great writer wrote such a dumb movie. For example, just three minutes into the film, Gleeson grabs a Twinkie and whispers this inane line to an empty boat, "Everyone's a comedian, sarcastic." A truly bizarre phrase with an equally weird line-reading. Filmed on location in northern Maine and British Columbia - the beautiful scenery and wilderness cinematography is one of "Lake Placid's" few redeeming qualities. Another, of course is White's - at the time - uncharacteristically brash and vulgar persona. There's just something undeniably entertaining about watching a wholesome geriatric berate Gleeson by quipping, "If I had a dick, this is where I'd tell you to suck it!" Both practical animatronics models and halfway decent CGI bring the giant crocs to life with mixed results; with the former looking (predictably) much more realistic. Although the movie is often offensively stupid - the credits roll after only 77 minutes, preventing it from overstaying its welcome. The pittance of non-ironically enjoyable moments save the picture from being a total disappointment. For those into "so good it's bad" experiences, "Lake Placid" unfortunately qualifies. But let's see what you had to say in the comments. Nobody really liked "Lake Placid", but nobody really hated it either. The Movie Night audience thought it was ALRIGHT, and I think it's just "MEH". ~