Sam's Lake
Sub-Genre- Survival
In Attendance- Me
Cast Members of Note- Fay Masterson, Sandrine Holt, Salvatore Antonio, and William Gregory Lee.
What's it about?- Every summer, hot little hippie Sam takes her friends up to her cabin for a weekend of R&R; she's a former hick who moved to the big city, mainly to escape the stigma of having a lake named after her -or maybe she was named after the lake- either way, she's a big city hick.
To add a little fun to the weekend, she gathers everyone 'round the campfire and tells them a creepy story about a kid who escaped from a mental hospital, came back home to the very same woods, and killed his family. When she adds the ever famous "He's still out there", her story became a ripoff of both Halloween and Friday the 13th all in one.
From here on out, a twist takes place that I really would rather not ruin for anyone, because it actually worked pretty well. What I will say is that no matter how good her intentions seem, never trust a hippie. Also, not all gay characters need to be drama queens to be effective, as evidenced here. Who knew?
The Good- This was a hell of a movie for what it was; I mean it was low budget for sure, but it was well acted, believable, and the story was tight and coherent. From the creepy back story to the present day hunt and kill, this one was just plain old good. And wow, what a good twist for a change.
It's nice to see smart scripting for a change; certain character types that weren't overtly stereotypical, realistic dialogue, characters that did things that made sense for the most part... If you don't have a huge budget, then the way to go is quality on all other fronts, which Sam's Lake managed to do.
The Bad- How many "A group of friends head into the woods only to find their worst nightmares waiting for them, and must engage in a battle for their very survival" movies do we really need? Between 2008 and 2009 I can count a ton of them, some good, some not so good, and more are on the way. It's a cool concept, but how long can the trend continue before things start getting stale?
The Downright Horrendous- Listen to the creepy locals! I tell these people again and again, the wizened old rubes know the score in the backwoods, and when they say "Don't go messin' around these parts", you pack up and go home! Also, when a local "country boy" won't shake the black man's hand, it's not a good sign.
The Gory- Not a ton of gore, but enough to make a decent survival horror flick with.
The Naked- Nope.
Best Line- "It's the natural order."
What did we learn?- Good twists still exist in horror movies. Also, mountain men can take a beating and still get up.
Rating- B (8.0/10) This is not a perfect movie; we've seen it done before, and better mind you, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it was a solid little flick. I guess the best compliment that I can give this movie, is that it didn't insult my intelligence like most other films of its kind do. Definitely worth a look see if you have the time.
Final Thoughts- That a girl Fay, naked is always good. (Although it wasn't in this movie!)
