Lake Placid (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

This is still such a 90s movie, but that’s part of what makes it great. There are a few 90s movies that didn’t age well, like Congo or Anaconda. Not that they’re not a little kick to go back and watch. This one, however, still feels as fun as the day I saw it in the theater. There was a big space between that time and the most recent times I picked it back up, so it was great to be able to enjoy it at the same level as I did originally. The actors they chose were perfect, the jokes are still funny, and the action and gore is still great. The cgi is dated of course (when it’s used, which isn’t often) but no more than the original Jurassic Park. I’m very happy to finally have shared this with my adult daughter. She enjoyed it too. What a fun movie.

Lake Placid is a 1999 American monster horror comedy film. The film was written by David E. Kelley and directed by Steve Miner, starring Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, Betty White, Meredith Salenger and Mariska Hargitay. The plot revolves around a giant, 30-foot-long man-eating crocodile which terrorizes the fictional location of Black Lake, Maine, United States, and also follows the dysfunctional group who attempt to capture or destroy the creature.Released within the same time frame of that other big monster movie Anaconda, Lake Placid emerged as a refreshing, humorous, large-budgeted experiment done right. Yes, there have been films about alligators and crocodiles before - but there's a good reason. These reptiles are creepy as hell! Here, as usual, the powers that be go way overboard, creating a monstrosity of a creature. In this case the crocodile is made to be huge, based on the myth of a giant breed that has supposedly been wiped out, similar to the Mastodon Peter Benchley used for Jaws. These overgrown lizards are pure CGI and at certain moments it's overly obvious but for the most part it works quite well.The main focus here isn't the ravenous predators, however, but the characters. You have the typical sheriff whose IQ is considered equivalent to a steak. We have a snobby up tight New York female , as well as an eccentric researcher Hector Cyr . The game warden has everything - intelligence, sarcasm, and a certain sex appeal. Dialogue is humorous, character interaction interesting, and everyone's sketched out well. Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, and Brendan Gleeson as the main characters act convincingly. Betty White is hysterical as the quirky, indignant lady who swears not like one but several sailorsThere weren't many thrills but there was great tension at a few key parts. Suspense did exist in certain underwater scenarios. Jump scare tactics were used, particularly regarding Fonda and flying heads. Humor lightens the tone when bizarre events occur, but cuts in at the right time and doesn't spoil things.In the end it's cheesy, sure. The special effects may be slightly inconsistent. But I loved every minute of it. Besides giggling at a few scenes I just had fun. It was enjoyable to sit back, turn my mind off, and watch the group (slightly akin to what the four stooges would be like) go at it in conquering this giant beast.One thing I love about this movie is that it doesn't take itself seriously. I enjoyed the dry humor mixed in with the chills This is a great modern classic monster movie. Right up there with Jaws and the Beast, Anyway, Lake Placid has a great cast and is a good story, not just a formulaic monster movie. If I had to pick one movie that I believe jettisoned the current craze for schlocky creature features it is this movie. It paved the way for today’s fun B-movies in the vein of “Sharknado” and pretty much any film in the Asylum catalog.Clocking in at an hour and twenty-two minutes, “Lake Placid” is a great example of the term “less is more.” It doesn’t overstay its welcome and accomplishes what it wants to within its run time. I think its legacy of made-for-TV sequels speaks for its appeal to monster movie enthusiasts who enjoy a little humor and cheese with their severed limbs and decapitated heads.

I’ve seen this movie several times. Highly recommend.

This review is for the Blu-Ray version of the Collector's Edition of 'Lake Placid' released by Shout! Factory in 2014.Lake Placid is the original cross genre film that has led to numerous sequels. If you are not familiar with this movie it's important to understand what type of movie it is. This is NOT straight horror. It is not a cheaply made SyFy channel movie. What it is... is a well made moderately budgeted comedy/horror hybrid. It was deliberately made to be campy. If you keep that in mind when watching, you should find it entertaining. Lake Placid has good established actors and very good special effects that are a combination of practical and CGI effects.There are many critics who panned this movie but I have to believe those people were expecting a 'Jaws' type of movie. If taken for what it is, this is a very good movie.PLOT/SUMMARY: The movie opens with a scene on a lake in Maine. The lake is called Black Lake. A fish and game officer is attacked and killed by being bitten in half. Another Fish and Game officer named Jack Wells (Bill Pullman) is sent to investigate along with a paleontologist, Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda). They join the local sheriff, Hank Keough(Brendan Gleeson). Shortly, they are joined by a very wealthy professor named Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt). Several odd events occur and the lake appears to have very little life. At first, they are all in disagreement as to what is causing the strange occurrences. Hector believes it to be a saltwater crocodile but they are in a freshwater lake. When a bear attacks the group, they get a look at the crocodile as it jumps out and grabs the bear. Another officer is killed by the crocodile.A short while later they discover the lakes lone habitant, Delores Bickerman (Betty White), feeding a cow to the large crocodile. She is place under house arrest for lying to the police. She reveals that she has been feeding the crocodile for years and that her husband was accidentally eaten by the crocodile. The crew now has to decide what to do. Hector wants to take the crocodile alive while others want to kill it.EXTRA'S: I watched the interviews and featurettes and found them to be entertaining, they are worth the watch.-Interviews with Director, Steve Miner, actor Bill Pulman and director of photography Daryn Okada-Interviews with members of the special effects teams-vintage featurette-TV spots-Theatrical TrailerPRODUCTION/COMMENTS: This movie was made in 1999 and was directed by Steve Miner and released by 20th Century Fox.-The acting is very good and there a quite a few recognizable actors in this movie. It stars Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda and Oliver Platt. It also co-stars Brendan Gleeson and Betty White.-There was some concern over the dialogue involving Betty White. She has a few quite vulgar lines and had to clear it with her before she agreed to do this movie. The result is pretty funny since most people view Betty White as this polite old lady and in this movie she has a 'gutter' mouth.-This special effects in this movie were a combination of CGI and practical effects. If you can pull it off and you have the budget, that type of combination can work out nicely. You get the realistic look of CGI along with the actor interaction you can only get with practical effects.-The movie was shot in several locations in Maine and in Canada. A lot of the scenes were filmed in a very large tank that was made specifically for this movie. It included trees being brought in. The Lake Placid in this movie is fictional and has no relation to the one in New York. In fact the name of the lake in this movie is Black Lake. It is referred to as 'placid' because it is very calm and lifeless.-This might not be a groundbreaking movie nor a believable one but I found it to be very entertaining. I have since watched the sequels but this one is easily the best.-This movie has spawned 5 sequels as of the time of this review in October, 2018.RECOMMENDATIONS: I highly recommend this release for fans of SyFy channel movies. Even though this isn't a SyFy channel movie, this would be a top of the line 'gator' or 'croc' movie. Kind of like how 'Jaws' would be a top of the line shark attack movie.I'm giving this release 4 stars. The movie gets 4 stars but with the entertaining extra's, I'm bumping it up at least another 1/2 star. So really 4 1/2 stars. I'd normally bump that up to 5 but I just can't. The movie is good, but not so good that I can call it 5 stars.

Good oldie

My favorite characters in this movie are Brendan Gleeson and the great Betty White! Gleeson as the sheriff gets the best one-liners, dry humor, and when Betty White starts cussing the police and others out it is hilarious! To hear those foul words coming from her innocent face…comic genius. Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt and Bridget Fonda played great characters as well.Overall, a good movie with a solid cast…