Lake Placid (1999)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Steve Miner

Writer (WGA):

David E. Kelley (written by)

Release Date:

16 July 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You'll never know what bit you.

Plot:

Horror-Comedy about a man-eating crocodile loose in the lake.

Plot Keywords:

Crocodile | Lake | Paleontologist | Creature | Remote

Cast

Bill Pullman	...	Jack Wells
Bridget Fonda	...	Kelly Scott
Oliver Platt	...	Hector Cyr
Brendan Gleeson	...	Sheriff Hank Keough
Betty White	...	Mrs. Delores Bickerman
David Lewis	...	Walt Lawson
Tim Dixon	...	Stephen Daniels
Natassia Malthe	...	Janine
Mariska Hargitay	...	Myra Okubo
Meredith Salenger	...	Deputy Sharon Gare
Jed Rees	...	Deputy Burke
Richard Leacock	...	Deputy Stevens
Jake T. Roberts	...	Officer Coulson
Warren Takeuchi	...	Paramedic
Ty Olsson	...	State Trooper

Also Known As:

Lac Placid (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violent creature attacks and related gore, and for language.

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:R (No. 36663) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:11 | France:U | Germany:16 (nf) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | UK:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Buntzen Lake, Anmore, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

Betty White's character is told that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would be interested to learn of her alleged mistreatment of her cows. In reality, Betty White is a major on-air spokesperson for PETA.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Wells shoots the tranquilizer into the trapped croc you can see the pink-feathered tranq projectile. The second croc jumps, is shot, and we cut back to the first croc who no longer has the tranquilizer dart.

Quotes:

Mrs. Bickerman: Oh, my husband passed away. It's been almost two years now.
Sheriff Hank Keough: My department doesn't have any record of that, Mrs. Bickerman.
Mrs. Bickerman: Well, I'm sorry. Incomplete records haunt me so.
Jack Wells: What was the cause of your husband's death, ma'am? Do you know?
Kelly Scott: We don't mean to invade your privacy, but was he ill, was he sick?
Sheriff Hank Keough: Was he swallowed?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ben Affleck/Fiona Apple (#25.13)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

It's Not Unusual

Finally, A horror movie that's not......a horror movie, I guess.

"Lake Placid" is one of my all-time favorite movies ever. The dialog is sarcastic and funny no matter what's going on, which keeps it light even with all the people getting eaten every now and then. All the lines between Hector and the Sheriff are especially noted. Most of the comebacks I use whenever possible in everyday conversation. Hector's dream is awesome, though. I love Oliver Platt.

The best part is that it isn't trying to be a scream-out-loud sort of monster horror movie, it's just having fun. The acting isn't the best, but the way all the lines are delivered makes up for it, and adds to it's charm. It really reminds me of one of those cheap Sci-Fi channel monster movies with the horrible effects, only 10 times better and the effects are more real, of course. Not perfect, but better then the Sci-Fi channel. It looked like a crocodile to me.

So while you can sit there and try to pick out everything that's wrong with this movie, it's better just to sit back and enjoy it. It's not pretending to be intelligent and so the movie is best viewed knowing that. It tells you that itself within the first 10 minutes.