Lake Placid (1999)

Three people attempt to stop a gigantic crocodile, who is terrorizing residents in Black Lake, Maine.

Director:

Steve Miner

Writer:

David E. Kelley

Stars:

Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

Shortly after the horrifying underwater attack in Maine's Black Lake, the local Fish and Game officer, Jack Wells, enlists the help of the New York City palaeontologist, Kelly Scott, to investigate. With only a mangled body as their starting point, Jack and Kelly embark on a dangerous mission to find the mysterious creature, as Sheriff Hank Keough, a mythology professor, and an eccentric inhabitant all want to locate the elusive predator first. But, something deadly is lurking beneath the silent pond, and it's already taken a liking to the juicy human flesh. What is the secret of Lake Placid?

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Plot Keywords:

blonde | cleavage | voyeur | crocodile | eaten alive | 

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Taglines:

You'll never know what bit you.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of the animals in this movie were born in captivity - captured by the masters of computer generated imaging (CGI) at Digital Domain. These visual effects gurus were able to study documentary footage and work with master prop maker, Stan Winston, to create the killer crocodile, plus his giant un-happy meals, namely a bear and a cow. Live animals do appear as background extras. After studying film footage of a four-foot long crocodile and a twenty-foot crocodile chasing a human, the technicians at Digital Domain then worked with a laser scan of a model built by Winston. The animatronics were built to scale, enlarged to thirty-two feet in the computer, resculpted and manipulated by the computer to create all of the intricate articulations that make the digital animal appear real. Over three dozen articulated joints were computer generated for the crocodile alone. By filming animatronic animals that were self-contained and mechanically operated and then using computer enhancement, the filmmakers turned Lake Placid into a pretty frightening vacation spot.

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Goofs

The shadow of a camera on a tripod is briefly visible on the torso of Jack's shirt when he's talking to Kelly about US Wildlife. This is right before they look up at Hank dangling from the spring trap.

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Quotes

Deputy Sharon Gare: Seems like we're getting lower.
Hector Cyr: That's what happens when I land.

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Connections

References Deliverance (1972)

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Soundtracks

It's Not Unusual
Written by Gordon Mills and Les Reed
Performed by Tom Jones
Published by Valley Music Ltd.
Administered by MCA-Duchess Music Corporation (BMI)
Courtesy of The Decca Record Company Limited/Deram Records
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Campy monster parody

Campy monster-movie fast-food that pokes fun at itself. Absolutely devoid of any message, but chock full of absurd parody.

Any movie that opens with a gruff county sheriff listening to "I Think I Love You" while he fishes can't be taken seriously. And it gets far goofier than that. The dialog is a relentless parade of one-liners between the five principals: a paleontologist (Bridget Fonda), a Fish & Game guy (Bill Pullman), a croc-worshiping professor (Oliver Platt), the sheriff (Brendan Gleeson), and an eccentric hermit (Betty White). Oh, and of course, a big creature with a big attitude and a big appetite.

Great character development; and all of the characters are over the top except maybe Pullman's, whose routine nice guy persona balances with the nuts. It's a toss-up who has the most joke lines or who delivers them with the most punch; as they reel off sarcasm at the speed of a machine gun. You can almost see the actors winking at the audience, and they obviously had fun making this. Even the monster (which usually looks real) performs like a seasoned comic. The only complaint to note is that once in a while the endless arguing may wear you out.

The story, which utilizes subtle references to big creature movies like Jurassic Park and Jaws, actually manages to go somewhere. There are a few clever surprises, and the closing scene is rather unique.

No cerebral activity will be necessary in the course of watching this movie. Just settle down with some popcorn, and get ready for some good comic idiocy.

Details

Official Sites:

Fox

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lake Placid

Filming Locations:

Buntzen Powerhouse 2, Buntzen Lake, Anmore, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,974,145, 18 July 1999

Gross USA:

$31,770,414

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$56,870,414

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Phoenix Pictures, Rocking Chair Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1