Director – Tim Boggs
Starring – Doug Barry (Street Creatures), Angela Darter, and Mike Kaufman
Release Date – 1987
Rating – 2/5
Tagline – “A quick dip in the lake turns into a bloodbath of horror”
I can’t turn down a slasher. They are definitely one of my favorite horror sub-genres especially if it was made in the 80s. The style, the gimmick, and the formula of the golden age of slashers are always fun. Another thing I really love about slashers is that you will never watch them all. There is always a company searching for lost S.O.V. and indie slashers from the 80s that was never released for various reasons.
Sometime back American Genre Film Archive released the 1987 S.O.V. slasher Blood Lake on DVD. The artwork fucking sold me on it. When I was finishing out my collection for the AGFA releases I went ahead and grabbed this one.
**Spoiler Alert**Blood Lake follows a group of teenagers ranging from barely 13 to almost early twenties who are going to the lake to party it up for a few days. What they don’t know is that the former owner of the property they are staying at is bitter about the deal he received on the property and is now planning on taking it out on those staying there. One by one he grabs them and takes him to his secret shed where he plans to kill them all together.**Spoiler Alert**
I always go into a slasher with high expectations. For as long as I remember they have been a huge part of my life. With that being said, I do come across some that just don’t flow well. They miss their marks and completely fall short on entertainment. Blood Lake was one of those films. I really wanted to like it but I couldn’t.
The acting in this one is laughable. The best performance comes from the young teenage boy who speaks his mind and cusses like a sailor. He did provide some humor but by the 30 minute mark I was ready to drop kick him. His one liners would have been funnier if they were used sparingly. the rest of the cast is awkward to watch for the most part and their reactions to the situation is laughable at times.
The story for this one had it’s head in the right place but didn’t have the heart to get there. We follow a group of very unlikable teens who sit around all day and small talk before we get to the few minutes where a very un-menacing killer is stalking them only to be denied bloodshed. The movie has a clichéd slasher story but just can’t get it together.
Finally, if you want a slasher with a body count you are looking in the wrong spot for it. The movie doesn’t have a death toll really a few deaths is all we get. Hell, I think only one person dies and that death is extremely lackluster with absolutely no practical effects visible. Overall, Blood Lake was not the fun slasher I was looking for. I’m glad I have it in my collection but I don’t see myself revisiting this one.
