The Crater Lake Monster (1977)

Not too long ago I had a birthday.  One of the things that I did for my birthday is visit a used music/movie store and browse their DVDs.  I picked up some good DVDs, but then I also checked out their VHS section.  I mean I had just set my VCR back up after 5 or 6 years of collecting dust.  I’m glad I did because I picked up a couple of cheap tapes, one of which was The Crater Lake Monster.  If ever a movie was made to watch on a dead format this was it.

When a meteor hits a lake it does two things.  First up it uncovers a dinosaur egg and secondly it warms the water enough that the egg hatches.  A few months later there is a full-grown dinosaur that has eaten all the fish and has moved on to those unlucky enough to run across it while fishing or boating.  Eventually the sheriff and a science guy figure out what is going on and end up doing battle with the prehistoric critter.  If you have ever wondered who would win in a fight a bulldozer of a dinosaur then this is the movie for you!

If you look up cheesy drive-in movie in the dictionary then you just might see a picture of this one.  This is one of those fun movies made by non-professional regional filmmakers to fill the need for double and triple features at the local drive-in.  Heck this is director/writer William R. Stromberg’s only credit.  I say this because too many people sit down to watch a flick like this and expect “A” level talent both in front of and behind the camera, when this is a “B” movie.  Those sort of expectations lead to disappointment and really someone missing the point. 

I have a simple checklist for what I want to see when checking out a flick like The Crater Lake Monster.

1.Bad acting.  It is always nice to see professional actors, but I’m not going to disregard a movie because the cast isn’t great.  Sometimes bad acting can add to a movie and is fun.  This movie is a great example of this.  The actors are wooden and when they do show some emotions it is always overplayed.  This leads to some really funny scenes that might not have been written to be funny but are.

2.Since most of these movies are written by amateur screenwriters they are filled with plot holes, nonsensical sequences, and huge leaps of logic.  Check, check, and check.  From the fact that no one notices the giant dinosaur stomping around until this late into the movie, to the random liquor store robbery/chase sequence, and finally the whole Indian cave paintings of dinosaurs (homeschooled much?) this one has it all. 

3.But the most important thing that a movie like The Crater Lake Monster must have is a goofy creature.  Yeah they got this down perfectly.  The monster is brought to the screen thru a combination of a rubber head bobbing (literally) on the surface of the water and some stop motion effects work.  Yeah it totally looks fake, but what do you expect from a flick like this? 

I just realized while writing the review that much of what I could have complained and ripped on the movie for is also what made me like it as much as I do.  Is this a case of lowered expectations?  I suppose that could be the case, but I would like to think that I can enjoy a goofy drive-in movie for what it is.  If you want to watch something silly then The Crater Lake Monster is for you.

3 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2011 John Shatzer