Monster (1980 film)

Last updated
Monstroid
Monster aka "Monstroid, It Came from the Lake" poster 1980.jpg
Original theatrical one-sheet poster
Directed byKenneth Hartford
Written byKenneth Hartford
Walter Roeber Schmidt
Garland Scott
Herbert L. Strock
Produced byKenneth Harftford (producer)
Garland Scott (producer)
Starring James Mitchum
John Carradine
Philip Carey
Anthony Eisley
CinematographyArt Fitzsimmons
J. Wilder Mincey
Edited byMichael Johnson
Music byGene Kauer
Production
company
Academy International
Distributed byM & M
Release date
  • 11 July 1980 (1980-07-11)(United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish, Spanish

Monstroid is a 1980 American monster movie produced and directed by Kenneth Herts [1] (as Kenneth Hartford), co-written with Herbert L. Strock, and starring James Mitchum and John Carradine. Strock later claimed he co-directed the film uncredited. [2] It was originally to be titled Monster when the film was first announced in 1975, and again in 1977, and suffered numerous cast changes (Keenan Wynn was still billed on some of the early video releases). The film was eventually released in 1980 as Monstroid, and is also known as Monstroid: It Came from the Lake (American DVD box title) and The Toxic Horror (American alternative title). A novelization written by Peter Crowcroft was released concurrently with the film. Hartford had his own children (Glen and Andrea) play the two teenagers in the film. [3]

Contents

The film billed itself as being based on a true story that took place in "Chimayo, Colombia", in 1971. [4] However, the film was actually shot in Chimayo, New Mexico, and Ambalema, Colombia.[ citation needed ] Some of the film was also shot in the Santuario de Chimayo, with John Carradine playing a priest. [5]

Plot

One night in the fishing village of Chimayo, Colombia, María Reyes witnesses a monster devouring her husband José. Some years later, the American cement manufacturer Durado Cement dispatches troubleshooter Bill Travis to Chimayo to restore order to their manufacturing plant there: an anticorporate activist named Víctor Sánchez has been exploiting the villagers' fear of the monster to stir up hostility against Durado, which has been polluting their fishing waters in Lake Chimayo. In the process, María has become ostracized from the villagers; a group led by a man named Carlos calls her la bruja ("the witch"). In addition, Travis must silence an American TV reporter named Patty Clark, who has been exposing the pollution of the lake.

In Chimayo, children Andrea and Glen Anderson observe strange ripples in the lake. Glen claims they belong to an animal he has been sighting in the lake for some time. Their father Pete, administrator of the Durado plant, is introduced to Mayor Montero and his daughter, helicopter pilot Juanita. Sánchez meets with Carlos in a church, and together they plot to drive out the Americans, and the monster he thinks was created by the pollution of the lake. When María goes to visit José's grave, Carlos's men attack her.

Juanita picks up Travis at the airport. When he gets to Chimayo, he is accosted by Clark, and curtly refuses any interviews. Meanwhile, Pete is trying to break up with his secretary Laura to pursue a new affair with Juanita, but cannot bring himself to do it. He visits her again that night when she is skinny dipping in the lake, and successfully breaks up with her, but the monster emerges from the lake and kills Laura after he leaves. The town is busy celebrating its 200th anniversary and the body goes undiscovered until the next morning.

Travis and the plant doctor investigate the killing, and link it to José's death. Glen tells Travis about the animal he saw, convincing Travis that something is in the lake. Soon afterwards, Sánchez meets Travis and threatens violence against Durado. Travis and Montero confront Clark about her reporting, and they negotiate exclusive rights to the pollution story in exchange for her temporary silence. Travis also calls his boss Barnes to request sonar equipment with which to track the monster. Determined to prove the monster's existence, Glen decides to stake out the lake at night. He drags Andrea along, and they manage to take some photographs of the monster before it attacks some drunken fishermen.

They present their evidence to Travis while the village continues celebrating its anniversary. Simultaneously, Sánchez sets some plastic explosives to blow up the plant. However, he gets trapped after lighting the fuse. Meanwhile, a party of men chases María, whom they blame for all their troubles. The town priest claims that he can exorcise her, but the men are unconvinced and burn her at the stake. Sánchez's bomb goes off, and the next day, Travis reveals that the plant has been badly damaged and María severely burned. Consequently, she is airlifted to a Panamanian hospital in Chimayo's only helicopter to get treatment.

Travis comes up with a plan to kill the beast; he stuffs some explosives into a goat carcass, which he will hang by the detonator cord from a helicopter. To obtain a new chopper, Juanita lures some rescue workers with a fake mayday and hijacks their craft at gunpoint. They get to the lake and the Nessie-like monster takes the bait, but Travis loses the detonator and dives in after it. A local policeman distracts the monster by circling it with his boat, thus buying Travis enough time to retrieve the detonator and blow the creature to pieces.

Some time later, though, the Andersons are down by the lake again, and their German Shepherd finds a large egg. A reptilian creature hatches out of it, and the film ends as the camera pans over a clutch of dozens of similar eggs.

Cast

Release

Home media

The film made its debut on DVD by Shout Factory on September 25, 2007 as a part of its Elvira's Movie Macabre double feature with Blue Sunshine . (Although the video case says Monstroid, the film's on-screen title reads Monster. Elvira, however, verbally refers to the film as Monstroid.)

It was later released by Substance under the title Monstroid: It Came from the Lake on January 15, 2008. On May 6, that same year, it was released by Televista as It Came From the Lake. [6] 2 It was released by Mill Creek Entertainment on August 17, 2010 as a part of Pure Terror: 50 Movies pack, and again on their "Tales of Terror" 200 movie DVD set, released December 3, 2013. [7]

Reception

Monster received mostly negative reviews from critic upon its release. Joseph A. Ziemba from Bleeding Skull! panned the film, calling it "a mess", criticizing the film as being endlessly talkative. Ziemba also criticized the film's acting, "cut ‘n’ paste exploitation plot", phony monster design, and poor video quality. [8] Octavio Ramos from Axs.com gave the film a negative review, writing, "Monstroid: It Came from the Lake is perhaps only of interest to residents of Northern New Mexico or anyone interested in the Santuario de Chimayo. There are actual filmed scenes of the interior of the Santuario with John Carradine, which is [sic] worth gold to some viewers. Otherwise, don’t bother with this movie. It is in all ways a disappointment." [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Frankenstein</i> (1931 film) 1931 film by James Whale

Frankenstein is a 1931 American pre-Code science fiction horror film directed by James Whale, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., and adapted from a 1927 play by Peggy Webling, which in turn was based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The Webling play was adapted by John L. Balderston and the screenplay written by Francis Edward Faragoh and Garrett Fort, with uncredited contributions from Robert Florey and John Russell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Carradine</span> American actor (born 1954)

Robert Reed Carradine is an American actor. A member of the Carradine family, he made his first appearances on television Western series such as Bonanza and his brother David's TV series, Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys, which starred John Wayne and Roscoe Lee Browne. Carradine also portrayed fraternity president Lewis Skolnick in the Revenge of the Nerds series of comedy films.

<i>Amores perros</i> 2000 Mexican film by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Amores perros is a 2000 Mexican psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Guillermo Arriaga, based on a story by both. Serving as the first installment in González Iñárritu's "Trilogy of Death," which includes 21 Grams and Babel, the film employs the multi-narrative hyperlink cinema style and features an ensemble cast. Structured as a triptych, it weaves together three distinct stories connected by a car crash in Mexico City.

<i>The Howling</i> (film) 1981 American horror film by Joe Dante

The Howling is a 1981 American horror film directed and edited by Joe Dante. Written by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless, based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the film follows a news anchor who, following a traumatic encounter with a serial killer, visits a resort secretly inhabited by werewolves. The cast includes Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, and Elisabeth Brooks.

<i>Hell Ride</i> 2008 American film

Hell Ride is a 2008 American action/neo-outlaw biker film written and directed by Larry Bishop, and starring Bishop, Michael Madsen, Dennis Hopper, Eric Balfour, Vinnie Jones, Leonor Varela and David Carradine. It was released under the "Quentin Tarantino Presents" banner. The film is an homage to the original outlaw biker films of the 1960s and 1970s.

<i>House of Frankenstein</i> (film) 1944 film

House of Frankenstein is a 1944 American horror film starring Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine. Based on a story by Curt Siodmak, it was directed by Erle C. Kenton and produced by Universal Pictures.

<i>House of Dracula</i> 1945 film by Erle C. Kenton

House of Dracula is a 1945 American horror film released and distributed by Universal Pictures. Directed by Erle C. Kenton, the film features several Universal Horror properties meeting as they had done in the 1944 film House of Frankenstein. The film is set at the castle home of Dr. Franz Edelmann, who is visited first by Count Dracula and later by Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man, who are trying to cure their vampirism and lycanthropy, respectively. Talbot is eventually cured, which leads him to discover the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave below the base of the castle. Edelemann takes the monster's body back to his laboratory but finds Count Dracula has awakened and by attacking his assistants, he captures Edelmann and forces a reverse blood transfusion, which gives Edelmann a split personality and makes him a killer.

<i>The Great Outdoors</i> (film) 1988 American comedy film directed by Howard Deutch

The Great Outdoors is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Howard Deutch, written and produced by John Hughes, and starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy with supporting roles done by Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, Chris Young, Lucy Deakins, and Robert Prosky. The film is about two families spending a vacation at a fictional resort town in northern Wisconsin. Aykroyd, Candy, and Young reprise their roles from Hughes' previous film, She's Having a Baby.

<i>The Monster Club</i> 1981 film by Roy Ward Baker

The Monster Club is a 1981 British anthology horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Vincent Price and John Carradine. An anthology film, it is based on the works of the British horror author R. Chetwynd-Hayes. It was the final film from Milton Subotsky, who was best known for his work with Amicus Productions; Amicus were well known for their anthologies, but this was not an Amicus film. It was also the final feature film directed by Baker.

<i>Jesse James Meets Frankensteins Daughter</i> 1966 film directed by William Beaudine

Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter is a low-budget horror Western film released in 1966, in which a fictionalized version of the real-life western outlaw Jesse James encounters the fictional granddaughter of the famous Dr. Frankenstein. The film was originally released as part of a double feature along with Billy the Kid Versus Dracula in 1966. Both films were shot in eight days at Corriganville Movie Ranch and at Paramount Studios in mid-1965; both were the final feature films of director William Beaudine. The films were produced by television producer Carroll Case for Joseph E. Levine.

<i>An Almost Perfect Affair</i> 1979 film

An Almost Perfect Affair is a 1979 romantic comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Keith Carradine and Monica Vitti. The plot is about an affair between a filmmaker and a film producer's wife, set during the Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Blood of Draculas Castle</i> 1969 film by Al Adamson and Jean Hewitt

Blood of Dracula's Castle is a 1969 American horror cult B-movie directed by Al Adamson and starring John Carradine, Alexander D'Arcy, Paula Raymond, Robert Dix, Vicki Volante, and John Cardos. It was released by exploitation film specialists Crown International Pictures. Although his name was played up in the lurid ad campaign, John Carradine only played George the butler in this film, and not Count Dracula. DVD prints all suffer from extensive emulsion scratches.

<i>Demented Death Farm Massacre</i> 1971 film

Demented Death Farm Massacre is a 1971 horror film directed by Fred Olen Ray and Donn Davison and features John Carradine as 'the Judge of Hell', who narrates the story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adalberto Maria Merli</span> Italian actor and voice actor

Adalberto Maria Merli is an Italian actor and voice actor.

<i>Dinocroc vs. Supergator</i> American TV series or program

Dinocroc vs. Supergator is an 2010 American science fiction horror television film that premiered on Syfy on June 26, 2010. This is one of David Carradine's final performances. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 12, 2011; it was supposed to be a parody of King Kong vs. Godzilla.

<i>Womens Prison</i> (1955 film) 1955 film prison noir directed by Lewis Seiler

Women's Prison is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Ida Lupino, Jan Sterling, Cleo Moore, Audrey Totter, Phyllis Thaxter and Howard Duff.

<i>Blood of Dracula</i> 1957 American film

Blood of Dracula is a 1957 American black-and-white horror film directed by Herbert L. Strock, and starring Sandra Harrison, Louise Lewis and Gail Ganley. It was co-written by Aben Kandel and Herman Cohen.

<i>The House of Seven Corpses</i> 1973 American film

The House of Seven Corpses is a 1973 American horror film directed by Paul Harrison and starring John Ireland, Faith Domergue and John Carradine.

<i>Return to Boggy Creek</i> 1977 American film

Return to Boggy Creek is a 1977 adventure/horror film directed by Tom Moore. It is an unofficial sequel to The Legend of Boggy Creek and stars Dawn Wells and Dana Plato. Wells portrays the mother of three children who become lost in the swamp during a hurricane until the creature comes to their rescue.

<i>Screamland</i> Comic Book Series

Screamland is an independent comic book series that was created by Harold Sipe and Héctor Casanova. The series was first launched as a five issue miniseries in 2008 and was followed by a second five-issue miniseries, Death of the Party, in 2011. Both miniseries were released through Image Comics. Sipe served as the writer for both miniseries and Héctor Casanova worked as the artist for the 2008 miniseries and as the cover artist for Death of the Party.

References

  1. ↑ "Monster (1978) - Kenneth Herts, Herbert L. Strock | Releases | AllMovie".
  2. ↑ "Monster (1979)". 7 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "Monster (1979)". 7 April 2016.
  4. ↑ video credits
  5. 1 2 Ramos, Octavio. "Review of 'Monstroid: It Came from the Lake'". Axs.com. Octavio Ramos. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Monster (1978) - Kenneth Herts, Herbert L. Strock | Releases | AllMovie".
  7. ↑ "Monster (1980) - Kenneth Herts, Herbert L. Strock". Allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  8. ↑ Ziemba, Joseph. "Monster (1979)". Bleeding Skull.com. Joseph A. Ziemba. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.