Lake Placidis a 1999 Americancomedy horrorfilm[4]directed bySteve Minerand written byDavid E. Kelley.It is the first installment in theLake Placidfilm seriesand starsBill Pullman,Bridget Fonda,Brendan Gleeson,Oliver Platt,Betty White,Meredith Salenger,andMariska Hargitay.In the film, a giantcrocodileterrorizes the fictional location of Black Lake,Maine,while a dysfunctional group of police and scientists attempt to capture or kill the beast.
| Lake Placid | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Steve Miner |
| Written by | David E. Kelley |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Daryn Okada |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | John Ottman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States[1] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $27–35 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $56.9 million[3] |
Lake Placidwas produced byFox 2000 PicturesandStan Winston Studios(which did the special effects for the creatures) and principal photography was shot inBritish Columbia,Canada. The film was distributed by20th Century Foxand released in theatres in the United States on July 16, 1999,[2]and in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2000.[5]It grossed $56.9 million worldwide and was followed by five low-budget made-for-television sequels, starting withLake Placid 2in 2007.
Plot
editInAroostook County, Maine,Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife officer Walt Lawson isscuba divingwithSheriffHank Keough in Black Lake when he is suddenly bitten in half by an unknown creature.
United States Fish and Wildlife Serviceofficer Jack Wells,American Museum of Natural HistorypaleontologistKelly Scott, and Hank investigate the incident. They are joined by Hector Cyr, a wealthymythologyprofessor andcrocodileenthusiast, who suspects the culprit is a crocodile much to the disbelief of the group. After Kelly and Hank'scanoeis flipped over, they discover a severed human toe and amoosehead. Hank's deputy, Burke, has his head bitten off; confirming Hector's suspicions but Hank remains skeptical. That evening, the group makes camp and prepares a plan to capture the creature.
The following day, as Hank and Hector argue, a largegrizzly bearattacks them, but a gigantic 32 ft (9.8 m) longsaltwater crocodileemerges from the lake and drags the bear into the water. The group discovers that local resident Delores Bickerman, an elderly widow living near the lake, is feeding the crocodile after they observe her leading a blindfoldeddairy cowto the water. She reveals that she has been feeding it for years after the crocodile ate her husband.
Hector and Deputy Sharon Gare take his helicopter onto the lake and unexpectedly land in the crocodile's territory. While he is scuba diving, Hector is confronted by the crocodile, but he and Gare escape after distracting it with an inflatable raft. Hank and Jack call in theFloridaFish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for help with killing the crocodile, but Hector suggests that he should lure it out of the water and tranquilize it instead. Jack reluctantly accepts the proposal and they use one of Bickerman's cattle, dangled from the helicopter, as bait.
After a few hours, the crocodile appears. Hector pulls up as the crocodile lunges, and Jack fires a tranquilizer dart into its neck. Hector loses control of the helicopter and crashes into the lake. The crocodile comes on land and pursues the group. Kelly is knocked into the lake by the crocodile's tail. As Kelly enters the downed helicopter, the crocodile attacks but becomes trapped. As the tranquilizer kicks in and the crocodile appears to be pacified, Jack, Hector, and Hank argue about whether or not to kill it. Jack eventually grabs Hank's gun and shoots it, but the firearm turns out to be another tranquilizer. As Hector comes out of the water, another crocodile attacks and bites him, but Hank blows it up with agrenade launcher.Soon after, Florida wildlife officers arrive, they load the neutralized crocodile onto a truck and take it toPortland, Maineas they determine what to do next.
One week later, Bickerman feeds bread crumbs to many baby crocodiles, revealing the two adults were actually a mating pair. The surviving adult crocodile is seen tied to the back of a flatbed trailer travelling down the highway.
Cast
edit- Bill Pullmanas Jack Wells
- Bridget Fondaas Kelly Scott
- Brendan Gleesonas Sheriff Hank Keough
- Oliver Plattas Hector Cyr
- Betty Whiteas Mrs. Delores Bickerman
- Meredith Salengeras Deputy Sharon Gare
- David Lewisas Walt Lawson
- Tim Dixonas Stephen Daniels
- Natassia Maltheas Janine
- Mariska Hargitayas Myra Okubo
- Jed Reesas Deputy Burke
- Richard Leacockas Deputy Stevens
- Jake T. Robertsas Officer Coulson
- Ty Olssonas State Trooper
- Adam Arkinas Kevin (uncredited)
- Steve Mineras Airplane Pilot
Production
editLake Placidwas produced byFox 2000 Pictures,Phoenix Pictures, and Rocking Chair Productions.[6]The 32-foot (9.8 m) long crocodile was created byStan Winston Studios.
Some of the film's scenes were shot inVancouverandSurrey, British Columbia.Three different lakes inBritish Columbiastood in for the fictional "Black Lake":Shawnigan Lake,Buntzen LakeandHayward Lake.[7]
Soundtrack
edit| Lake Placid | |
|---|---|
| Film scoreby | |
| Released | July 27, 1999 |
| Genre | Soundtracks Film scores |
| Length | 47:00 |
| Label | Varèse Sarabande |
The soundtrack for the film was composed and conducted byJohn Ottman,and released byVarèse Sarabande.[8]
- Track listing
- Main Title (2:25)
- Hector's Here (1:11)
- Close Call (3:59)
- Udder Preparations (4:02)
- Love Games (2:25)
- Reluctant Passengers (1:46)
- Morgue / Scary Beaver (4:11)
- Scouting (2:22)
- Here He Comes! (4:57)
- Making a Move /Jack (2:11)
- Swimming With Croc (3:36)
- Hector's Mind (2:48)
- Weird Things / Dinner Time (2:51)
- Ground Rules (1:43)
- Trapping Croc / Resolution (5:30)
- The Lake / Hitching a Ride (1:03)
Reception
editOnreview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 47% based on 95 reviews, with an average rating of 5.10/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Betty White's delightful supporting turn may be worth the price of admission alone, butLake Placidis swamped by a smarmy script and inability to deliver on the creature feature mayhem ".[9]OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 34 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[10]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale.[11]
Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film one out of four stars, describing it as "completely wrong-headed from beginning to end". He put it on his list of the 10 Worst Films of the Year.[12]Andrew Collins ofEmpiregave the film four out of five stars, writing that "you can enjoyPlacidas a straightforward camping-holiday nightmare, or as a sly, ironic take on the same. It works deliciously as both ".[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcd"Lake Placid (1999)".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.RetrievedJanuary 19,2018.
- ^ab"Lake Placid (1999)".The Numbers.RetrievedSeptember 6,2015.
- ^ab"Lake Placid (1999)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedSeptember 6,2015.
- ^"Lake Placid (1999)".AllMovie.RetrievedJune 4,2020.
- ^"Lake Placid".Radio Times.Archived fromthe originalon June 18, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 6,2015.
- ^"Lake Placid (1999) – Production Credits".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 6,2015.[dead link]
- ^Willistein, Paul (July 16, 1999)."Bridget Fonda Identifies with Hard-to-like 'Lake Placid' Film Character".The Morning Call.RetrievedSeptember 6,2015.
- ^"Lake Placid - John Ottman".AllMusic.RetrievedApril 20,2018.
- ^"Lake Placid".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedAugust 27,2021.
- ^"Lake Placid Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedMay 25,2018.
- ^"Lake Placid".CinemaScore.
- ^Ebert, Roger(July 16, 1999)."Lake Placid movie review & film summary (1999)".RogerEbert.com.RetrievedJuly 7,2020.
- ^Collins, Andrew (January 1, 2000)."Lake Placid Review".Empire Online.RetrievedJuly 7,2020.
External links
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