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Lake Placid is a genuinely entertaining film that works superficially on a number of levels. The action element is very strong, with plenty of tense, exciting scenes that will have you jumping out of your skin. There are also a number of extremely funny moments, and some superb characters ... Read review
Lake Placidis total trash--and, as a result, pretty entertaining. Yet another entry in the ... more
horror sub-genre of giant animals running amok, the movie features a giant crocodile that has somehow found its way to an isolated lake in Maine. The absurdity o...
Postage & Packaging: £1.24 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Lake Placidis total trash--and, as a result, pretty entertaining. Yet another entry in the ... more
horror sub-genre of giant animals running amok, the movie features a giant crocodile that has somehow found its way to an isolated lake in Maine. The absurdity o...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
From the creator of Ally McBeal, David E. Kelley, comes this tale of non-stop action, ... more
spine-tingling terror and ferociously funny comedy. Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Bridget Fonda (Jackie Brown) and Oliver Platt (Dr. Dolittle) share an appetite fo...
Bill Pullman Bridget Fonda and Oliver Platt share an appetite for sheer adventure when a ... more
tranquil New England lakefront erupts into an action-packed den of destruction in this "Monster of a hit!" (Wireless Magazine). An investigative team of malconte...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Location. The Hotel Valencia is located in Lake Placid, Fla. One half mile from ... more
Buck Lake One mile from Lake Placid Groves Hotel Features. Complimentary breakfasts Outdoor pool Complimentary Internet access Guestrooms. Cable television Coffeemakers Mini fridges
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The Hotel Valencia is located in Lake Placid, Fla. One half mile from ... more
Buck Lake One mile from Lake Placid Groves Hotel Features. Complimentary breakfasts Outdoor pool Complimentary Internet access Guestrooms. Cable television Coffeemakers Mini fridges
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The Comfort Inn Lake Placid is located in Lake Placid, N.Y. One half mile ... more
from Main Street shopping One mile from the Olympic Center One mile from the Convention Center Hotel Features. Heated indoor pool On site hiking and mountain biking trails Complimentary continental breakfasts Guestrooms. Complimentary high speed Internet access Microwave ovens and refrigerators Pets allowed for a fee
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The Courtyard Lake Placid is located in Lake Placid, N.Y. One mile from ... more
the 1932 and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum One and one half miles from Alpine Meadow shopping One and one half miles from Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake Hotel Features. Fitness center and heated indoor pool Complimentary high speed wired and wireless Internet access Hot breakfast buffets for a fee Guestrooms. 300 thread count sheets, down duvets and decorative bed scarves Oversize bathrooms with jetted tubs Complimentary high speed wired and wireless Internet access
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The Courtyard Lake Placid is located in Lake Placid, N.Y. One mile from ... more
the 1932 and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum One and one half miles from Alpine Meadow shopping One and one half miles from Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake Hotel Features. Fitness center and heated indoor pool Complimentary high speed wired and wireless Internet access Hot breakfast buffets for a fee Guestrooms. 300 thread count sheets, down duvets and decorative bed scarves Oversize bathrooms with jetted tubs Complimentary high speed wired and wireless Internet access
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The Comfort Inn Lake Placid is located in Lake Placid, N.Y. One half mile ... more
from Main Street shopping One mile from the Olympic Center One mile from the Convention Center Hotel Features. Heated indoor pool On site hiking and mountain biking trails Complimentary continental breakfasts Guestrooms. Complimentary high speed Internet access Microwave ovens and refrigerators Pets allowed for a fee
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Production Year: 2004 - Horror - Director: M. Night Shyamalan - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson
Production Year: 2002 - Horror - Director: Danny Boyle - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Cillian Murphy, Megan Burns, Noah Huntley, Christopher Eccleston, Marvin Campbell, Brendan Gleeson
Advantages: Great fun, looks good Disadvantages: Some might find a bit silly
...by an animal in the lake – only the upper half of his body is pulled from the water. Initially, the head game warden suspects that the man was killed by a large bear, but when the body is inspected further, a tooth fragment is found which appears to be reptilian in origin. A New York palaeontologist is sent to the scene to investigate further, and she joins the local sheriff and the game warden in their attempts to uncover what is lurking in ... ...so long…..
Lake Placid is a genuinely entertaining film that works superficially on a number of levels. The action element is very strong, with plenty of tense, exciting scenes that will have you jumping out of your skin. There are also a number of extremely funny moments, and some superb characters that will have you laughing out loud. The combination of the two is, perhaps, slightly uncomfortable, but there is lots to like ... more
Whilst carrying out routine animal tagging in a Maine lake, a man is horrifically killed by an animal in the lake – only the upper half of his body is pulled from the water. Initially, the head game warden suspects that the man was killed by a large bear, but when the body is inspected further, a tooth fragment is found which appears to be reptilian in origin. A New York palaeontologist is sent to the scene to investigate further, and she joins the local sheriff and the game warden in their attempts to uncover what is lurking in the lake.
Things take an unexpected twist when Hector Cyr, an eccentric millionaire, arrives on the scene, claiming that the creature that they are hunting is a crocodile. At first sceptical, and intolerant of Hector’s eccentricity, the group set out on an exploratory mission to try and attract the creature – but little are they prepared for what they finally find. And they are astounded even further as they gradually unravel the mystery of how the creature came to be there – and how it has remained undetected for so long…..
Lake Placid is a genuinely entertaining film that works superficially on a number of levels. The action element is very strong, with plenty of tense, exciting scenes that will have you jumping out of your skin. There are also a number of extremely funny moments, and some superb characters that will have you laughing out loud. The combination of the two is, perhaps, slightly uncomfortable, but there is lots to like about this movie.
The parallels between this film and Jaws are inescapable. Both movies revolve around an unnaturally large predator that roams into an unprecedented habitat, and starts killing. Whereas Jaws is a horror thriller throughout, Lake Placid attempts to lighten things a little with a liberal dosage of farcical humour that prevents you taking things quite as seriously as the aforementioned shark masterpiece. The film is not essentially tongue-in-cheek – I didn’t feel that it was deriding or mocking other films of the genre. The humour is injected through the character interaction and some very sharp dialogue – this is not a film like Scary Movie, where out and out farce is the order of the day. Lake Placid is rather more subtle – and often, rather bizarre.
Several of the key plot elements of Jaws are replicated here – namely, the initial disbelief and subsequent discovery of what is doing the killing, the climactic sequences involving the trapping of the beast and also the sporadic scenes showing swimmers legs flailing helplessly below the water line. That aside, Lake Placid operates on a very different level, and as such, is much shorter and has far fewer ideas thrown into the melting point. A key issue in Jaws was politics – civilian lives were endangered (and subsequently lost) by the mayor’s unwillingness to accept the situation. In Lake Placid, the participants are generally more open-minded, but the implications of such a situation are never explored from a public perspective. Indeed, the isolation of the lake means that only the central cast of characters is involved or actually affected.
The horror elements are included, but are not as memorable as they are offset with humour. Body parts are lost – and found; heads are severed and gruesome discoveries are made on the shoreline of the lake – but the nature of the discoveries and reaction of the characters is such that you tend to titter rather than grimace. That is not to say that the film doesn’t have the same white-knuckle effect as Jaws – it certainly does. In much the same way as we saw it in Jaws, characters in Lake Placid are left paddling vulnerably in the water, and I guarantee you will find yourself holding your breath as the giant beast looms ever closer. The filmmakers resisted the opportunity to inject humour into the action sequences, which is certainly a good thing, as there is very little room for laughter when a 30-foot crocodile is pursuing you.
The special effects used in the film are very impressive – the giant crocodile is very convincing in most sequences. Underwater scenes are generally kept to a minimum, but the main action scenes are still filmed in the dark to make things slightly less challenging. For the squeamish amongst you, I should warn you that the violence is relatively graphic and the film carries a 15 certificate – and rightfully so. Won’t spoil things for you – all I will say is poor Mrs Moo Moo….. The location is absolutely beautiful – the film was shot on location in a variety of lakes in Vancouver and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
The aforementioned cast is generally of a high standard – the way in which the group interacts on screen is a very important part of the film. Bridget Fonda, who gets some good screaming action – and some very funny lines, capably plays Kelly Scott (the palaeontologist). Scott is not a conventional weak woman character, but she is rather neurotic and her continual aversion to everything (you name it – she “has a thing about it”) is quite funny. Oliver Platt, who is very convincing as the eccentric millionaire, plays Hector Cyr. Cyr and the sheriff don’t exactly see eye to eye, and although it did start to wear thin after a while, the confrontation between the two generates a lot of the comedy. The game warden Jack Wells is something of a non-character – Bill Pullman does a good enough job, but he’s really there as a love interest for Kelly Scott – and has very little else to do. My favourite character of all has to be the dotty old lady, Mrs Bickerman who is played wonderfully well by Betty White. Crossing back and forth of the madness line, I loved Mrs Bickerman’s dotty nature that suddenly erupted into foul-mouthed obscenities – brilliant!
Lake Placid isn’t a perfect film though. The musical score is a bit “dumb” and rather transparent – it sounds more like a Disney movie than a proper adult one. The action scenes are also a little bit predictable. Anyone who has seen The Deep Blue Sea will understand what I mean when I say that there are some shocks as to who gets eaten first – there are few similar dramatic twists that will surprise the viewer in Lake Placid. The constant bickering and fighting between the members of the investigative team also becomes rather tedious after a while – you may find yourself longing for someone to get their head bitten off.
These things aside, this is a surprisingly good fun movie. The running time is good – an hour and twenty minutes are the perfect period of time in which to tell the story. Much more and I think this could have become boring. As it was, I was entertained right up until the end – and have no hesitation in recommending to others.
Advantages: is quite funny in places, brilliant special effects, Disadvantages: no plot, terrible ending
...for the night. Lake placid was written and produced by David E Kelley of Ally McBeal fame. The film starts when a diver is gruesomely killed by something in the lake. Brendan Gleeson plays the sheriff, and no disrespect to him but every film I have ever seen him in comes across as a B movie. He pulls the diver out of the water just to discover the diver has no bottom half left. Bridget Fonda plays a palaeontologist who is sent out to Maine to look ... ...lady who lives by the lake (Betty White) is feeding this 30ft crocodile live cows and becomes most upset when the sheriff suggests she should have reported it. But the plot doesn’t know when to be funny, or provide suspense. When you consider that Jaws is the best suspense film of all time, Lake Placid just doesn’t come anywhere near. But give the film it’s dues it is entertaining in a mind-numbing sort of way – that is until ...
aflynn_01 03.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lake Placid (DVD)
Advantages: Short and funny Disadvantages: Not really scary or original
...Film Only Review ===
Lake Placid tells the typical story of a small town plagued by an under water killer, but, is given a new look by the fact that this small town is located in the mountains, not the beach, making it very difficult for a shark to give them problems. However the killer I mention is not a shark, but a crocodile, and a big, big one to that. Lake Placid has to a witty script, by David E. Kelley , that contains some wonderfully twisted ... ...not the towns mysterious deaths can be related to a bear or a crocodile, when suddenly a bear comes charging out of the woods, before being eaten whole by the giant croc. Oh the hilarious, totally unoriginal sense of Irony. This sense of humour is something that runs through the script.
Even the characters are a quirky, unique lot that you wouldn't trust to protect a field, let alone an entire town, and thankfully the cast have done perfectly in ...
baherbc 02.11.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lake Placid (DVD)
Advantages: Only if you like naff special FX Disadvantages: Story, acting, critters
LAKE PLACID ... doom laden, atmospheric chilling masterpiece of a title ... exciting, scary, gripping epic of a trailer ... disappointing, lightweight, unsure flop of a movie....
I recently went to Stafford to stay the evening with Mrs D and the dave27-ettes at her cousins, the De Bovaries, and I knew they would be off on Reminiscence City and that there would be a riot of noise and colour as the dave27-ettes tangled with the Junior De Bovaries, ... ...of a goldfish managed)....
Lake Placid is a monster movie and follows the standard formula for these things almost to the letter ... you know the sort of thing I mean, enormous, deserted, mysterious panorama of a setting, moody, chilling, atmospheric scene setting which tells you only that THERE IS SOMETHING VERY LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE and then, a little over half way through the piece, the first glimpse of our quarry ...
dave27 08.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lake Placid (DVD)
...the latter though is that Lake Placid does not take itself too seriously and therefore is a credible offering. The plot behind the movie is this:
Scientists investigating beaver in the lake are killed by something nasty in the water. Soon it becomes clear that a rather large crocodile is at fault for the killing and as it shouldn't be found in the lake and appears to have a taste for humans it is decided that it needs to be tracked down. In step ... ...to go swimming in the lake to look for it(!) he says something along the lines of "suddenly I feel very silly". The special effects are OK but nothing spectacular and neither is the soundtrack for those who are interested in soundtracks(count me out). The ending is a little silly but then that is so often the case in movies of this kind but that doesn't matter too much. The movie is an enjoyable romp which is to be recommended to anyone with a little ...
wampyrii 27.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lake Placid (DVD)
Advantages: Good acting, fairly good script, good effects. Disadvantages: Bad language.
...Pretty soon this placid lake is suddenly the focus of an intense search for a 30-foot crocodile with a taste for humans and animals...
Observation: It's very short - 1hr 15minutes or so.
In my opinion...
the STORY: Well, there are probably movies out there that are similar in a few ways or in many ways, but I personally haven't seen too many films like this. The story is a little far-fetched at points, but all the elements of the film combine ... ...keep watching to find out what happens next!
the PERFORMANCES: Bill Pullman and Bridget Fonda deliver solid performances, but the true star of this film has to be Oliver Platt. He shines as Hector, the crazy philanthropist. Also - look out for "The Golden Girls"' Betty White (Rose). She's as brilliant as ever & you can't help but laugh at her character's antics.
the SPECIAL EFFECTS: The crocodile was visibly computerised in some scenes, which spoiled ...
Shallois 22.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lake Placid (DVD)
Tourists get gobbled up by a man-eating crocodile in Lake Placid so the local Game Warden seeks the help of an expert from New York to help find the beast...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Deluxe Video Service - Fox
3 TV Spots Survive Hunted Swim, Featurette, Cast Page, Mini Biographies
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...A horror thriller with laughs....Amusingly macabre..." (USA Today, p.10E, 16/07/1999)
DVD Description
ALLY McBEAL creator David E. Kelley wrote and produced this smalltown horror comedy with equal parts laughs and gore. When scientists studying beavers in a Maine lake are killed by something mysterious in the water, an investigation reveals a very large crocodile with an insatiable appetite. The cast of characters sent in to try to catch the murderous beast includes a game warden (Pullman), a scientist (Fonda), and a professor with a fondness for the scaly beasts (Platt). Betty White is an elderly local woman who has a knack for disarming everyone with her saucy language.
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