When you're in the mood for intentionally schlocky "homages" to the 50's monster movies, you may come across this title. I won't say it isn't worth a watch, even though it isn't anywhere near the top of the camp pile. It does contain all the required 'dumb-teenagers-in-the-woods-with-the-monster' elements. As shown by the end credits, this flick was a homemade job. The creators have cast themselves in most of the roles, most of them playing teenagers with varying degrees of success---and that will give you a clue about their acting skills. Some scenes are painfully overlong. To twist the knife a bit more, an original 'song around the campfire' is also thrown in, apparently to showcase some talent. (This has no degree of success whatsoever.) The 'professor' is the hardest to take; his hammy dialogue and monotonous delivery are meant to be a parody, but you kind of get the feeling his thespian talents really ARE that bad. To be fair, he's not alone there. You probably will have fun, though, shaking your head in disbelief as you watch the adults do incredibly stupid things, and the young, nimble people running--full speed, mind you--away from the slow-w-wly moving creature who always, inexplicably, catches up with them. You'll sleep with the lights on for a month, yes siree Bob.
Review of The Monster of Phantom Lake
